Download CENTER REPERTORY COMPANY

CENTER REPERTORY COMPANY
Michael Butler, Artistic Director
Scott Denison, Managing Director
presents
PILGRIMS
Musa
and Sheri
in
the
By Yussef El Guindi
Scenic Designer
Michael Butler
Sound Designer
Lyle Barrere
Lighting Designer
Ray Oppenheimer
Stage Manager
Jasen Jeffrey
Costume Designer
Michael A. Berg
Prop Master
Jasen Jeffrey
Cast
Lena Hart*
Dorian Lockett
Carl Lumbly*
Gabriel Marin*
Rebecca Schweitzer*
Directed by Michael Butler
Permission granted by ABRAMS ARTISTS AGENCY, 275 Seventh Ave., 26th Floor, New York, NY 10001
All inquiries concerning rights to the Play shall be addressed to the above or to [email protected]
Originally produced by A Contemporary Theatre, Seattle, WA,
Kurt Beattie, Artistic Director, Carlo Scandiuzzi, Executive Director
Knight Stage 3 Theatre
April 25 - May 12, 2013
Lesher Center for the Arts
Season
Sponsor
Season Partner
Season Media Sponsor
Foundation Sponsor
*Member 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 Stage Directors and Choreographers Society
Center REP is a member of Theatre Bay Area and Theatre Communications Group (TCG), The National Organization for the American Theatre
CAST
Musa................................................ Gabriel Marin*
Sheri....................................Rebecca Schweitzer*
Abdallah........................................Dorian Lockett
Tayyib..................................................Carl Lumbly*
Gamila....................................................Lena Hart*
TIME and PLACE
The Present.
A large American city.
CAST BIOGRAPHIES
Lena Hart* (Gamila)
is privileged to
be working with
Center
Repertory
for the first time!
She recently moved
to the Bay Area
and
performed
at Theatreworks in Of Mice and Men,
the Willows Theatre in A Doll’s House
(Nora), Chess (Florence) and the 2012
Reorient Festival celebrating Middle
Eastern playwrights. Her off-Broadway
and New York credits include King John
(Blanche) with Guerilla Shakespeare and
Summer and Smoke (Mrs. Bassett) at The
Clurman Theatre. Ms. Hart’s regional
credits include Interpreting William
(Naomi) at Indiana Repertory Theatre,
The Yellow Leaf (Claire) at Pioneer Theatre
Company, and various productions with
Chautauqua Theatre Company and
the Clarence Brown Theatre. Ms. Hart
earned her M.F.A from the University
of Tennessee and is currently at The
Alexander Education Center earning her
teaching certificate. Ms. Hart would like
to thank Joe, her Fiancé, and family who
traveled from near and far to see her
once again. www.lenahart.com
Dorian Lockettccccc
(Abdallah) Hi all this
is Dorian!!!!! I love
long walks. This is my
third glorious venture
into a world with
Center REP. I played
Officer Welch in the
award winning Rumors, I love long drives,
and Rev Sykes in To Kill a Mockingbird. I
adore M & M’s. For all of you avid musical
fans you might have caught me recently
as Luther in Boxcar theaters Hedwig and
the Angry Inch. I truly am a versatile actor
who can give hugs and high-5’s. Don’t be
afraid to ask for either or both, because
it’s awesome!! But let’s get serious for
a second. By The Power of Greyskull I
absolutely love Sci-fi movies, anime ( that’s
cartoons for geeks) and Center REP. Live
long and prosper my friends. Thank you
Margo. Enjoy the show!!!!!!
Carl Lumbly* (Tayyib)
From stage to screen,
Carl Lumbly is an
actor respected for
his steadfast talent,
versatility and class.
His prolific career
includes over fifty credits in television,
film and the theatre and extensive critical
acclaim. Most recently, Carl was part of
the SF Playhouse’s record-setting, boxoffice hit, The Motherf**ker with the Hat,
by Stephen Adly Guirgis. In the 2006 SF
Playhouse production of Jesus Hopped
the A Train, also by Mr. Guirgis, Lumbly
was honored with a SF Bay Area Theatre
Critics Circle Award for Best Performance
by an Actor. With series regular stints
including Cagney and Lacey, a cop drama
featuring two women, and Alias, ABC
television’s surprise-hit, iconic spy drama,
countless TV guest appearances, voice
work and numerous film roles, Lumbly
appreciates the opportunities he’s had to
continue to develop his work on stage.
This performance is dedicated to Vonetta.
Gabriel Marin* (Musa)
is delighted to
return to Center
REP where he was
previously seen in
Rumors, Arms and
the Man, Noises Off,
A Number, and Tuesdays with Morrie.
Recent Credits include The Happy Ones
at Magic Theatre, The Motherf**ker
with the Hat at the SF Playhouse, It’s
a Wonderful Life at Marin Theatre
Company, and The Understudy at San
Jose Rep. Locally Marin has appeared
in over 40 Equity productions with
American Conservatory Theater, Aurora
Theatre Company, Bay Area Playwrights
Foundation, Black Box Theatre, Center
REP, Magic Theatre, Marin Theatre
Company, PlayGround, San Francisco
Fringe Festival, San Jose Rep, San
Francisco Playhouse, TheatreWorks, The
Jewish Theatre, Thick Description, Word
for Word, Z Space, among others. Mr.
Marin was named Best Actor by the East
Bay Express in their “Best of The East Bay
2010”. Mr, Marin was named as co-MVP
for 2011 by Sam Hurwitt (theIdiolect.
com, Marin Independent Journal, KQED).
He has performed on NBC, CBS, PBS and
the BBC.
Rebecca Schweitzer*
(Sheri) is loving being
at Center REP for
the first time. Most
recently she stepped
in at the end of the
run of A Delicate
Balance at the Aurora,
before that she was seen at SF Playhouse as
Grace in Tigers be Still, also at SF Playhouse
she was in The Story and the West Coast
Premiere of Dennis Lehane’s Coronado.
She has been seen at the Aurora in the
world premiere of The First Grade and the
West Coast Premiere of Craig Lucas’s Small
Tragedy. Other roles include Angel in On
the Flight Path, Cory in Private Eyes, Ruby
in Getting Out, Girl in Hot L Baltimore and
Charlotte in Oliver. Rebecca is a proud
graduate of the Pacific Conservatory of
Performing Arts. Her voice can be heard on
various video games (The Walking Dead,
Back to the Future, CSI Hard Evidence, CSI
Deadly Intent, A Vampyre Story, Emerald
City Confidential, Sherlock Holmes), TV
and radio commercials, corporate videos,
and reservation hotlines (Virgin America,
Disney). This, along with all endeavors, is
dedicated to her mother and grandfather
whose love and support have been the
foundation for her success. She would
also like to thank her husband for his
unwavering support.
Rotimi Agbabiaka
(Tayyib [Understudy])
is thrilled to make
his
Center
REP
debut. In the Bay
Area, he’s performed
at Berkeley Rep,
CounterPULSE, Yerba Buena Center,
with Performers Under Stress, and was
most recently a cast member at Beach
Blanket Babylon. His one-man show,
Homeless, won Best Solo Performance
at the San Francisco Fringe Festival. He
has an MFA in Acting from Northern
Illinois University and loves calling San
Francisco home.
CREATIVE TEAM
Yussef El Guindi (Playwright) Most recent
productions include The Ramayana (coadaptor) at ACT; and Pilgrims Musa and Sheri
in the New World (winner of the Steinberg/
American Theater Critics Association’s New
Play Award in 2012; Gregory Award 2011;
Seattle Times’ “Footlight Award” for Best
World Premiere Play, 2011) also at ACT; and
Language Rooms (Edgerton Foundation New
American Play Award, as well as ACT’s New
Play Award), co-produced by Golden Thread
Productions and the Asian American Theater
Company in San Francisco; at the Wilma
Theater in Philadelphia (premiere), and at the
Los Angeles Theater Center, where it was coproduced by Golden Thread Productions and
the Latino Theater Company. His play Our
Enemies: Lively Scenes of Love and Combat was
produced by Silk Road Theater Project and
won the M. Elizabeth Osborn award. His plays,
Back of the Throat, as well as Such a Beautiful
Voice is Sayeda’s and Karima’s City, have been
published by Dramatists Play Service. The
latter one-acts have also been included in
The Best American Short Plays: 2004-2005,
published by Applause Books. Pilgrims Musa
and Sheri in the New World was published
in the September, 2012 issue of American
Theatre Magazine.
Michael Butler (Director, Scenic Designer
and Artistic Director)This is Michael’s
seventh season as Artistic Director of
Center REP, where his directing credits
include The Underpants, A Number, Dracula,
Boeing-Boeing and To Kill a Mockingbird,
as well as the Shellie and BATCC Awardwinning productions of Around the World
in 80 Days, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, The
Marriage of Figaro, How the Other Half Loves,
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Enchanted
April, and Witness For The Prosecution. His
directing work has also been seen at San
Jose Rep, Cleveland Playhouse, Seattle
Rep, Laguna Playhouse, ACT in Seattle,
Marin Theatre Company, Aurora Theatre
Company, San Jose Stage, Shakespeare
Santa Cruz, and The Juilliard School, of
which he is a graduate. As an actor, Michael
has worked on Broadway and off, in regional
theatres, film and television, as well as REP’s
productions of The Mousetrap, Noises Off and
Rumors. He is a published songwriter and the
co-writer and composer of numerous musictheatre 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.
Ray Oppenheimer (Lighting Designer) is
glad to be back with Center REPertory for
Pilgrims. Since the last time he was here his
designs have been seen at the Dance Mission
Theatre and Shotgun Players. Ray has been
nominated for awards in lighting design in
the Bay Area and Austin, TX.
Michael A. Berg (Costume Designer) has
been a member of the Bay Area theatre
scene for nearly 30 years. He has directed,
designed sets and costumes, stage managed
and acted for numerous theatre companies
in the greater Bay Area. He first worked
at Center REP way back in 1981 when we
were still Walnut Creek Civic Arts! He is seen
yearly in A Christmas Carol and has designed
costumes for several productions over the
past years for Center REP. He has worked for
Mountain Play, Marin Shakespeare, Theatre
Rhino, Shakespeare at the Beach, Ross Valley
Players and Guerilla Shakespeare. He is very
happy to call Center REP his home ....and...he
loves his job!
Lyle Barrere (Sound Designer) is thrilled
to be returning to Center REP! Beginning
his theatre career in the 5th grade, Lyle
has worked almost 200 shows for many
professional companies in the Bay Area and
Los Angeles as a producer, director, sound
or lighting designer, and stage manager.
His sound design for South Pacific (2003,
Willows Theatre Company) was nominated
for a Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award
and his design of The Solid Gold Cadillac (2004,
Willows Theatre Company) was nominated for
a Shellie Award. A graduate of the University
of California, Los Angeles, with a degree in
Physics, he enjoys hiking and scuba diving
when not in the theatre. He was awarded
the Eagle Scout Award from BSA Troop 204.
Lyle is the Founding Artistic Director of the
HOOLIGAN Theatre Company, which provides
theatre experiences to college students of all
majors. www.LyleBarrere.com
Jasen Jeffrey (Stage Manager / Prop
Master) is very excited to help bring Pilgrims
to life with Off-Center. Stage Management
credits include: Evita, Oliver, A Chorus Line, to
name a few. Directing credits include PCRT’s
production of RENT; CCMT’s productions
of RENT, Little Shop Of Horrors, and the
upcoming production of Disney’s Tarzan.
Jasen is a proud member of the Fantasy
Forum Actors’ Ensemble. He sends love to his
most beautiful girls: Alicia, Jeannette, and
Lily!
Special Thanks to Golden Thread Productions
Torange Yeghiazarian, Artistic Director
Evren Odcikin, Artistic Associate
Scott Denison (Managing Director) has
been a leader in the Arts for 37 years
for Walnut Creek and the surrounding
communities. Under Denison’s guidance for
the last 21 years as General Manager for the
Lesher Center for the Arts, he oversees over
850 public events each year. He coordinates
performing arts activities with over 85
producers and producing organizations.
He is also the Managing Director of the
Center REPertory Company producing 8
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.
Scott directed CCMT’s hits Disney’s Beauty
and the Beast, Rogers and Hammerstein’s
Cinderella, and Hairspray, and for the past
14 seasons Center REP’s A Christmas Carol.
Denison has directed over 150 productions
including most recently REP’s The Lady
with all the Answers starring Kerri Shawn. In
1979 he created the Shellie Awards, which
annually honors outstanding performing
arts achievement in Contra Costa County.
In 2007 he created the Chevron Family
Theatre Festival bringing adult nationally
acclaimed performances together for one
day performing to over 7,000 guests of all
ages.
Up Next at Center REP!
Multiple Tony Award Winner!
May 17 - Jun 22
OUR SPONSORS
Chevron (Season Sponsor) has been the
leading corporate sponsor of Center REP and
the Lesher Center for the Arts for the past nine
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.
CITY COUNCIL
Cindy Silva, Mayor
Loella Haskew
Kristina Lawson
Bob Simmons
Justin Wedel
CITY MANAGER
Ken Nordhoff
DIRECTOR
Arts, Recreation and Community Services
Barry Gordon
ARTS COMMISSION
Carol Fowler, Chair
Joe Bologna, Vice Chair
Polly Bradbury
Glynnis Cowdery
Jane Emanuel
Lesher Foundation (Foundation Sponsor)
Since 1994, the Dean & Margaret Lesher
Foundation has awarded grants totaling more
than $40 million and reaching citizens in all
parts of Contra Costa County. True to the
original wishes of Dean and Margaret Lesher,
the Foundation continues to build on the
strengths of the community by supporting
organizations and programs that provide help
and support to people in need; enhance and
enrich the lives of all citizens; and promote a
healthy and exciting future for the community.
Established in 1989, the Foundation received
its principal assets from Dean Lesher’s estate
in 1993 and 1995. In 1997, an additional
endowment from Dean Lesher’s estate followed
the death of Margaret Lesher. A significant
and final bequest from Mr. Lesher’s estate
was received in 2003. As a family foundation,
support for the Contra Costa community will
be carried on by the next generation of family
members. Grant-making decisions are based on
the vision of Dean and Margaret Lesher who felt
quality education, diverse art programs, and
healthy children and families are the building
blocks of a strong and vibrant community.
The Leshers defined the “spirit of giving” as
“investing in the community and its people.”
By providing financial support and direction in
these critical areas, the Dean & Margaret Lesher
Foundation is investing every day, every week
and every year in the health and well-being of
this county that Dean and Margaret so loved.
Center REPertory Company
Managing Director - Scott Denison
Artistic Director - Michael Butler
Production Services
Production Svcs
Coordinator
Toni Kilcoyne
Technical Staff
Steve Pino
John Earls
Michael Arlen
Chris Currie
Scott Dare
Garrick Schuster
Stephen Spleiss
Josh Stouffer
Audience Services
Audience Svcs
Coordinator
Courtney Egg
Ticket Office Staff
Jeremiah Vierling
Caitlin Downing
Hillary Pearsall
Kaitlin Harper
Karla Kopfhammer
Britt Lauer
Andrea Toney
Nikole Vendl
Usher Coordinator
Kevin Challand
Costumes
Costume Manager
Max Hilsabeck
Assistant Costumer
Michael A. Berg
Marketing
Marketing Director
Gabe Marin
Marketing Assistant
Ariel Ford
Education
Education Directors
Jeff Draper
Kerri Shawn
Casting Director
Jennifer Perry
Production
Production Manager
Jeff Collister
Technical
Technical Director
Joshua Lipps
Master Electrician
Ray Oppenheimer
Carpenters
Daniel Casini
Jordan Scott
Cameron Swartzell
Chris Swartzell
Assistant
Stage Manager
Grant Strain
Administration
Asst. to Managing
Director
Gail Pfeifer
Program
Linda Nomura
ABOUT CENTER REPERTORY COMPANY
Center REP is the resident, professional
theatre company of the Lesher Center for the
Arts. Our season consists of eight 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.
Many of 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 beautiful theatres here at
the Lesher Center for the Arts. Thank you for
your support!
THANK YOU TO OUR OPENING NIGHT
DINNER SPONSORS:
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
Oi-C Bowl
Scott’s Seafood Grill and Restaurant
ADDITIONAL THANKS TO:
Massimo’s Ristorante
Waters Moving and Storage
Associated Services-Alta Water
Shannon and Mike Demers
Hyatt Summerfield Suites
Contra Costa Musical Theatre