Download STT Opens 2016 with MARTYR

Contact: Kelsey Guy, Public Relations
[email protected]
Second Thought Theatre
Opens 2016 Season with
Martyr
Written by Marius von Mayenburg
Directed by Blake Hackler
Bryant Hall on the Kalita Humphreys Campus, 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd.
Previews: Jan. 13 - 14 • Opening and Press Night: Friday, Jan. 15 at 8:00pm
Full Run: Jan. 13 – Feb. 6
DALLAS (December 29, 2015) – Second Thought Theatre kicks off its 2016 season with an area premiere about
religious fundamentalism gone wrong. Blake Hackler makes his STT directorial debut in this play by Marius von
Mayenburg, which opens with previews on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 and runs through February 6. All
performances of Martyr will take place at Bryant Hall on the Kalita Humphreys Campus, 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd.
Tickets to Martyr can be purchased online at 2TT.co.
“With examples of religious extremism on the rise both at home and abroad, Marius von Mayenberg's MARTYR seems
particularly timely,” said STT Artistic Director Alex Organ. “This play raises the kind of difficult questions audiences have
come to expect from us at STT, and it does so with humor and intelligence. Leading a cast of some of the area's finest
actors, Blake Hackler is the perfect director to tackle this funny and infuriating play.”
Hackler, who appeared in STT’s production of Cock in 2014, directs the story of Benjamin, who is obsessed with the
Old Testament. As the teen’s behavior becomes increasingly aggressive, his teachers, his mother and his fellow
students begin to worry that Benjamin’s religious fixation has gone too far. Translated from its original German by Maja
Zade, the darkly comic Martyr asks us how we should respond to those who wield fundamentalism as a weapon.
Garrett Storms makes his STT debut as Christian zealot Benjamin Sudel. Joining Storms are Ruben Carranzana as
Georg Hansen, Andrews Cope as Markus Dorflinger, Mikaela Krantz as Lydia Weber, Allison Pistorius as Erika Roth,
Paul Taylor as Vicar Dieter Menrath, Lulu Ward as Inge Sudel and Thomas Ward as Willy Batzler.
Helping Hackler to bring the story to live in STT’s intimate Bryant Hall are scenic designer Darren Diggle, costume
designer Amanda Capshaw, lighting designer Aaron Johansen and sound designer John Flores.
Martyr opens with previews on Wednesday, January 13 at 7:30p. Opening and press night is Friday, January 15 at
8:00pm. The PWYC performances of Martyr will take place on Wednesday, January 13; Thursday January 14;
Monday, January 18; Monday, January 25 and Monday, February 1 at 7:30p. PWYC tickets are available at the box
office one hour prior to the start of the performance and are subject to availability. Martyr runs through February 6.
Tickets to Martyr are on sale now at 2TT.co and can be purchased for $25. STT 2016 season memberships can also
be purchased online for $60.
ABOUT SECOND THOUGHT THEATRE:
Second Thought Theatre seeks to capture the moment of creation between artist and audience. Dedicated to ensemble productions that explore
challenging and dramatic works from the canon of theatrical literature, STT strives to enlighten and entertain its audience by pushing the boundaries
of human thought and emotion. Old works done in new ways, new works done in old ways. Everything is possible when you take a second thought.
Garret Storms (Benjamin Sudel) This is Garret’s first production with Second Thought Theatre. His acting credits include productions at Stage
West, WaterTower Theatre, Stages Repertory Theatre, Trinity Shakespeare Festival, Theatre Three, Amphibian Stage, Shakespeare Dallas, and
RADA among others. He has recently directed Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol, Mr. Burns, a post-electric play, International Falls, and Orlando, and
will direct an upcoming production of The Nether, all for Stage West. Garret has a BFA in Musical Theatre from Sam Houston State University.
Allison Pistorius (Erika Roth) Allison is honored to perform with STT again, having last worked with the company on Lobby Hero, The Country
Wife, and Scapino. Regional credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The House of the Spirits, Othello, When We Are Married, A Christmas
Carol (Denver Center Theatre Company); Clybourne Park, Sense and Sensibility (Dallas Theater Center). Local highlights include The Taming of
the Shrew, The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence (Stage West); Venus in Fur (Circle Theatre, Watertower Theatre); The Glass Menagerie
(Theatre Three); Twelfth Night (Shakespeare Dallas). In 2011, Westword named Allison Best Actress in a Shakespeare Production for her portrayal
of Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and she was honored by the D/FW Critics Forum in 2013, 2014, and 2015 in the Best Actress/Best
Performance category. She is currently an Adjunct Professor of Acting at the University of North Texas and a faculty member at KD Conservatory,
College of Film and Dramatic Arts. Allison has an MFA in Acting from the National Theatre Conservatory, and a BA in Theatre and Dance, minor in
French, from the University of Texas at Austin.
Ruben Carranzana (Georg Hansen) Ruben Carrazana is an artistic ensemble member of Cara Mía Theatre Co. where he has served as an actor,
director, and teaching artist. Acting credits with Cara Mía include Lydia, Romeo and Julieta, and The Dreamers: A Bloodline, and directing credits
include References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot. Other local acting credits include Dallas Theater Center (Oedipus El Rey), Undermain Theatre
(Tomorrow Come Today), The Tribe (Dallas Etc.), and the Danielle Georgiou Dance Group (The Show About Men). Ruben was a member of the
Dallas Playwrights' Workshop at DTC, and received his BFA in Theater from Southern Methodist University.
Andrews W. Cope (Markus Dorflinger) Thank you so much to Blake and the STT team for this opportunity. Thank you to Maddie for her most
awesome management of the stage and knuckleheads playing on it. Thank you to everyone in the cast and crew for your fearless attitudes and
creating - safe place to play. Thank you to you, the audience, for your support--tell your friends! Thank you, Danielle, for your partnership, love,
support and for taking care of Eddie. Thank you, Lord, for this amazing world of creative souls and opportunities to share what we love.
Mikaela Krantz (Lydia Weber) is really excited to be working with some of the best people at one of the best theatres in Dallas, again! Last seen as
Lady Anne in Richard III (Shakespeare in the Bar) and Colleen/Lisa in Mr. Burns (Stage West). She has worked at many more theatres in Texas,
Minnesota, and New York. She voices anime characters through Funimation, and has been a series regular or principle in numerous original shows
and films. Mikaela is represented by the Kim Dawson Agency. Stay for the post-show discussions! Let's talk about it!
Lulu Ward (Inge Sudel) Lulu was last seen on the Second Thought stage in Some Girls (2009) and is excited to be working with Second Thought
again! During her 25 years in Dallas she has had the pleasure of working with many wonderful theatre companies: Wingspan Theatre Company
(The Two Character Play, The Gnädiges Fräulein, The American Dream, The Sandbox), Kitchen Dog Theatre (Nickel & Dimed, Jihad Jones & The
Kalashnikov Babes), Echo Theatre (Cloud Nine, String of Pearls), BGPT (Oedipus), The Drama Club (The Muse), Uptown Players (Valley of the
Dolls, The New Century), Theatre Three (So Help Me God, Sly Fox), Risk Theatre Initiative (The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Orgasmo Adulto
Escapes from the Zoo), Pegasus Theatre Company (XSR: DIE!, It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder), WaterTower Theatre (Spring Awakening),
Our Endeavors Theatre Collective (The Book of Matches, The Last One-Nighter on the Death Trail), and Upstart Productions (Melancholy Play, Talk
Radio). Lulu was voted “Best Actress” in 2004 by the Dallas Observer, named Actor of the Year by The Dallas Voice in 2011, and named
Outstanding Acting Performance in 2015 by the DFW Theatre Critics Forum for her performance in Wingspan’s The Two-Character Play. She
teaches theatre at Collin College in Plano, TX.
Thomas Ward (Willy Batzler) First production with Second Thought. Off-Broadway: THE UNSEEN by Craig Wright. Regional Theater: Alabama
Shakespeare Festival, Georgia Shakespeare, Nashville Shakespeare Festival, and Actors Theatre of Louisville. DFW credits include WaterTower
and Stage West. Also a playwright, productions include Keeping Watch, Going with Jenny (co-written with Sherry Jo Ward), Binge, 31
Plays, and International Falls. His latest play Slide By was a finalist for the Eugene O’Neil Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference.
Paul Taylor (Vicar Dieter Menrath) Paul Taylor is delighted to be making his STT debut. His most recent roles include Mr Burns in MR BURNS: a
post-electric play (Stage West) and Koko in HOT MIKADO (Theatre Three). Other local theater work includes Undermain, WaterTower, DCT, DTC,
Echo, Casa Manana, Lyric Stage, Uptown Players, Amphibian and Circle Theatre. Off-Broadway: AUNT CHOOCH'S BIRTHDAY, ELEANOR RIGBY
IS WAITING; Lincoln Center: THE LAST EMPRESS; The Kennedy Center: SHEAR MADNESS.
Blake Hackler (Director)
As an actor, Blake has appeared in productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway and in regional theatres throughout the country, working with such
acclaimed directors as Michael Mayer, Scott Ellis, Alex Timbers, and Mike Alfreds. In New York, he worked with theatres including Playwrights
Horizons, York Theatre, The Ohio, and Roundabout, as well as creating the role of Moritz Stiefel in the original New York workshop of the Tonyaward winning musical Spring Awakening. In Dallas, Hackler is a company member at the nationally recognized Undermain Theatre and has also
appeared at the Trinity Shakespeare Festival, Dallas Theatre Center, Second Thought Theatre and Theatre Three.
As a teacher, Hackler currently holds faculty positions at Yale University and SMU. He has also taught at Roosevelt University, AMDA (American
Musical and Dramatic Academy, New York City), the National Theatre Workshop of the Handicapped and through the Kennedy Center as an Artistin-Residence. He is currently the acting coach for comedian Lisa Lampanelli as she prepares her one -woman show, Skinny B*itch, for a Broadway
run.
His musical The Boss in the Satin Kimono premiered at the 2008 New York International Fringe Festival to great acclaim and some vilification. Other
New York productions of his work include: The Lady in Red – EndTime Productions; Mother Courage of Westchester – NYTE (New York Theatre
Experiment); Mariposa and the Pearl Necklace – Acorn Theatre, Theatre Row; and the musicals Barry Horowitz and The Wasp Woman, both cowritten with Phillip Chernyak. He is a lifetime member of the esteemed BMI/Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Writing Workshop and was the 2009
recipient of the Harrington Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre Writing as well as a Dramatist Guild Intensive recipient. He is currently a member
of the Dallas Theatre Center’s playwriting unit, made possible by a grant from the Mellon Foundation, where he is developing two new plays, Space
Where My Body... and Pyrography. His play, The Newport Ladies Society, will receive a workshop in fall 2014 at the Institute of Arts and Humanities
in North Carolina.
A member of AEA and AFTRA, Hackler received his M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama. He has continued his training and studies with SITI
Company’s Anne Bogart, Tectonic Theatre and Moises Kaufman.
Hackler was named a Fulbright Scholar to Bulgaria for 2015, where he will be teaching physical acting as well as researching Balkan theatre.
Jacob Nice (Assistant Director) Jake is thrilled to be working with Second Thought Theatre on such a dynamic production. After assisting him on
SMU's productions of Black Snow and The Women, Jake is excited to be reuniting with Mr. Hackler for Martyr. Jake has also assisted at the Dallas
Theater Center for last year's Medea and will return to assist on their upcoming Romeo & Juliet. Jake recently received his B.F.A. from SMU's
theatre department where his directing credits include The Burial at Thebes, In the Boom Boom Room and White People.
Maddie Morris (Stage Manager) This is Maddie’s third time to stage manage with Second Thought, following Nocturne in 2014, In a Forest, Dark
and Deep in 2013, and assistant stage managing for Red Light Winter in 2011. Other stage management credits include Faust (The Drama Club),
Hot Mikado (Theatre Three), Play it By Ear (Rhythmic Souls/FIT Festival), and Melancholy Play (Upstart Productions). Her voice can be heard in the
background of the anime Shomin Sample, and she puppeteers with Le Théâtre de Marionette. Maddie holds a BA in Arts and Performance from the
University of Texas at Dallas.
Drew Wall (Producer) Drew is currently the Director of Operations for Second Thought Theatre and has been working with the company since 2007.
During that time, he has served as an actor, designer, Producer, Production Manager, and Resident Artist. Second Thought acting credits include
Belleville, Nocturne, Booth, Red Light Winter, A Behanding in Spokane, The Bombitty of Errors, A Skull in Connemara, The Country Wife, and Lobby
Hero. Drew holds a BFA in Theatre Performance from Baylor University, is represented by the Kim Dawson Agency, also a company member of
Kitchen Dog Theater, and would like to thank his friends and family for their constant love and support.
Darren Diggle (Set Designer)
Amanda J. Capshaw (Costume Designer) is a Dallas-based costume designer and artist, and is thrilled to join Second Thought for the first time.
Most recent designs include A Year With Frog and Toad (Dallas Children’s Theatre), The Droll (Undermain), Susannah (Meadows Opera), The
Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls (Undermain), and Black Snow (Meadows School of the Arts). She holds an MFA in Stage Design from SMU and a
BFA in Theatre from Baylor University. For more information, please visit http://www.amandajcapshaw.com
Aaron Johansen (Lighting Designer) STT: Othello; Belleville; Bull; Booth; Nocturne; Cock; Pluck the Day. Dallas Theater Center: Oedipus el Rey;
Red; The Second City Does Dallas; A Christmas Carol. Before moving to Dallas six years ago, Aaron received his B.S. in theatre design and
technology with an emphasis in lighting design from Ball State University. Lighting credits include: Ruth, Turn of the Screw and Macbeth (Kitchen
Dog); Baby, the Musical (PFamily Arts); 2010-2011 Gala and numerous parties and dinners (DTC); Hair; J.B.; Coppelia; Cabaret; Erratica; The
Colored Museum and numerous dance pieces (Ball State).
John Flores (Sound Designer) Previous STT: Othello, Belleville, Bull, Cock, In A Forest Dark And Deep, Gruesome Playground Injuries, A
Behanding In Spokane, A Skull In Connemara, Lobster Alice; Kitchen Dog Theater: The Firestorm, Thinner Than Water, Gidionʼs Knot, The
Motherfucker With The Hat, Race, Se Llama Cristina, One Man Show, Rx, The Chairs, The Beauty Queen Of Leenane, Becky Shaw and more;
Dallas Theater Center: Raisin In The Sun, Clybourne Park; Theatre Three: Seminar, Bengal Tiger At The Baghdad Zoo; Other credits Audacity
Theatre Lab, Shakespeare Dallas, Our Endeavors Theater Collective, Junior Players, Teatro Dallas, Cara Mia Theater, Project X Theater, and
Limehouse Theater
Alex Organ (Artistic Director) Alex is in his second year as the Artistic Director for Second Thought Theatre and has been working with the company
as an artistic associate since 2012. He is also a member of DTC's Brierley Resident Acting Company. DTC: The Rocky Horror Show, Les
Misérables, The Fortress of Solitude, Fly By Night, A Christmas Carol. Local/Regional: Second Thought Theatre (Red Light Winter); Undermain
Theater (The Flick; Profanity); Lyric Stage (The Most Happy Fella); Theatre Three (The Farnsworth Invention); WaterTower Theatre (Putting it
Together, Little Shop of Horrors); Trinity Shakespeare Festival; Shakespeare Dallas; Epic Theater Ensemble; Repertory Theatre of St. Louis;
Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; and the Elm Shakespeare Festival. Film/TV: Law & Order: SVU and Second Guessing Grandma. Alex has directed
A Behanding in Spokane and Cock for Second Thought. MFA Yale Drama.
DETAILS AT A GLANCE
Martyr
By Marius von Mayenburg
February 13 – February 6, Bryant Hall on the Kalita Humphreys Campus, 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd
Director
Scenic Designer
Costume Designer
Lighting Designer
Sound Designer
Cast
Blake Hackler
Darren Diggle
Amanda Capshaw
Aaron Johansen
John Flores
Ruben Carrazana, Andrews Cope, Mikaela Krantz, Allison Pistorius, Garret Storms, Paul Taylor,
Lulu Ward and Thomas Ward
Press Night
RSVP EMAIL
Friday, January 15 at 8:00pm
[email protected]
Website
2TT.co
Martyr Performance Calendar
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Monday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1/13/2016
1/14/2016
1/15/2016
1/16/2016
1/18/2016
1/21/2017
1/22/2016
1/23/2016
7:30p
7:30p
8:00p
8:00p
7:30p
7:30p
8:00p
8:00p
Preview
Preview
OPENING NIGHT
PWYC
Monday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Monday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1/25/2016
1/28/2016
1/29/2016
1/30/2016
2/1/2016
2/4/2016
2/5/2016
2/6/2016
7:30p
7:30p
8:00p
8:00p
7:30p
7:30p
8:00p
8:00p
PWYC
PWYC
Closing Night