Until the Flood Program

UNTIL THE FLOOD WRITTEN BY DAEL ORLANDERSMITH DIRECTED BY REGINALD L. DOUGLAS

ABOUT STUDIO THEATRE Studio Theatre is Washington’s premier venue for contemporary theatre, “where local audiences will find today’s edgiest playwrights” (Variety). One of the most respected midsized theatres in the country, Studio Theatre produces exceptional contemporary drama in deliberately intimate spaces. Drawing inspiration from great ensembles—where people work together with a spirit of generosity and professional rigor—Studio brings characteristic thoughtfulness and daring to its work onstage and off, through its new work incubator and engagement, education, and workforce training initiatives. Now in its 42nd season, Studio looks to honor its history through encouraging a creative culture in which artistry and boldness stem from inclusion, training, stewardship, and the collaborative spirit of the rehearsal room. Every year, Studio serves over 66,000 people, including more than 400 youth and young adults through engagement and education initiatives. Throughout Studio’s four decades, the quality of our work has been recognized by sustained community support, as well as 398 nominations and 72 Helen Hayes Awards for excellence in professional theatre.

FRIENDS, There are three significant layers of translation going on in Studio’s Until the Flood.

First was the play’s originating translation. Author Dael Orlandersmith interviewed dozens of St. Louis-area residents shortly after the shooting of Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson. She created from those interviews a series of composite characters that she portrayed onstage. It is documentary-esque theatre, sourced from real people and their words but written with dramatic and poetic license.

This production translates Orlandersmith’s play, which she originally performed herself, dividing its characters among three actors. That innovation comes courtesy of the production’s director, who, moved by the notion that Black women are carriers of stories, cast a deliberately multigeneration trio, but matched them to characters without regard to age.

And then, like all of the works that make up our season, this production translates something designed to be performed in-person into a digital form, utilizing cinematic techniques but retaining its theatrical spirit.

This marks the Studio debut for director Reginald Douglas, who joined our staff just over a year ago. It wasn’t how we imagined his first play here! We also didn’t imagine that this production would be released several weeks into the trial of another police officer that has captured the attention of the nation. Reg has spearheaded much of Studio’s artistic response to our country’s current racial reckoning, and his passion for using his chosen art form to respond viscerally to urgent national issues is inspiring.

Thank you for joining us for this special production, and for supporting Studio’s work during this unusual year.

Yours,

DAVID MUSE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

S T U D I O

T H E A T R E

P R E S E N T S

UNTIL THE FLOOD WRITTEN BY DAEL ORLANDERSMITH DIRECTED BY REGINALD L. DOUGLAS

DAVID MUSE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR REBECCA ENDE LICHTENBERG MANAGING DIRECTOR Originally Commissioned and Produced by The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (Steven Woolf, Artistic Director; Mark Bernstein, Managing Director) New York Off Broadway premiere produced by Rattlestick Playwrights Theater Until the Flood is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.

DIRECTOR OF VIDEO WES CULWELL LIGHTING DESIGNER JESSE BELSKY SOUND DESIGNER ELISHEBA ITTOOP DRAMATURG ADRIEN-ALICE HANSEL PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER AUTUMN J. MITCHELL+ DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION JOSH ESCAJEDA TECHNICAL DIRECTOR AND SCENERY CONSULTANT JEFFREY MARTIN

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VIDEO PRODUCTION STUDIIO BOX DC, STUDIIOBOXDC.COM

Cast ENSEMBLE FELICIA CURRY* ORA JONES* BILLIE KRISHAWN+

*Appearing through an Agreement between this theatre, Studio Theatre, and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States +Equity Membership Candidate UNTIL THE FLOOD

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NOTE FROM THE DRAMATURG Michael Brown was killed the morning of August 9, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri, shot by police officer Darren Wilson. In the days and months that followed, thousands of protests worldwide grieved the death of the Black teenager at the hands of a white police officer and called for justice for Michael Brown and for Black people in Ferguson and beyond. With the rallying cry that Black Lives Matter, the uprising following Brown’s death changed the national conversation about police violence, structural racism, and public safety.

In 2015, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis commissioned playwright and performer Dael Orlandersmith to create a play about the people of St. Louis county in the aftermath of Michael Brown’s death. In her research, Orlandersmith spoke with dozens of people about the death of Michael Brown, and the ways his death and subsequent outcry affected their understanding of race in the United States.

From these conversations, Orlandersmith created eight composite characters, all of whom she played. Sharp, compassionate, and moving, Until the Flood premiered in 2016 at Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.

“I would sit down with people,” Orlandersmith says, “and just ask: How does this shooting affect you? What does race mean in this particular time? How far have we come, racially? How does this affect your day to day? I would throw these questions out and just let them talk.”

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Ultimately, she wasn’t interested in exploring the specifics of the moments leading up to Michael Brown’s death: “None of us was there,” as one of her characters says. Rather than focus on a literal truth, Orlandersmith wanted to trace the ways Brown’s death resonated with— and changed—people in the communities where it happened.

“I hope people leave talking about different kinds of truth,” Orlandersmith told The Interval in a 2018 interview. “Not necessarily what applies to them, but [what] opens their minds in terms of them thinking about the way other people see the world—and not be locked in their little cocoon. That’s what’s interesting to me.

When you start speaking for people, you get on a political tirade. This situation goes beyond the political. It extends itself into personal stories and the emotional and how we live on a day-to-day basis.”

Written to be performed as solo or multi-actor show, director Reginald L. Douglas cast the play with three Black women from different generations, emphasizing these multiple truths, and underlining the communal aspect of telling and witnessing the stories of Ferguson. As each actor embodies a voice of St. Louis county—young or old, Black or white, rural or urban—Orlandersmith’s writing invites each audience member to locate themselves in relationship to the events of the summer of 2014, of summer 2020, and in relationship to a future where deep listening invites everyone into the work of creating a truly just world.

ADRIEN-ALICE HANSEL DRAMATURG

playwright

DAEL ORLANDERSMITH (playwright) is a

writer and actor. She returns to Studio after premiering her play Stoop Stories here in 2009. Until the Flood was commissioned by St. Louis Rep, where it premiered in 2016. It has also been produced at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Milwaukee Rep, the Goodman Theatre, ACT Theatre, and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Dael’s other work includes: Forever (premiere at Center Theatre Group, 2014); Black n Blue Boys/Broken Men, a co-commission between the Goodman Theatre and Berkeley Repertory Theatre, where it premiered in 2012; Horsedreams (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, 2011); Bones, commissioned by and premiered at the Mark Taper Forum in 2010; The Blue Album, a collaboration with David Cale (Long Wharf Theatre, 2007); Yellowman, commissioned by and premiered at McCarter Theatre Center in 2002 in a co-production with The Wilma Theater and Long Wharf Theatre (Pulitzer Prize finalist, Drama Desk Award finalist); The Gimmick, commissioned by McCarter Theatre, where it premiered in 1998 (Susan Smith Blackburn Award winner); and Monster (New York Theatre Workshop, 1996). She is working on a new play called New Age for Milwaukee Rep, and another play for the Goodman Theatre. She is also currently working on a book of autofiction.

Dael has toured extensively with the Nuyorican Poets Café (Real Live Poetry) throughout the United States, Europe, and Australia. Yellowman and a collection of her earlier works have been published by Vintage Books and Dramatists Play Service. She is the recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts grant, the Helen Merrill Award for Playwrighting, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the 2005 PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award for a playwright in mid-career.

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director

REGINALD L. DOUGLAS (director) is a director,

producer, and advocate dedicated to creating new work and supporting new voices, and Studio’s Associate Artistic Director. He has directed work at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, TheaterWorks, the Contemporary American Theater Festival, Everyman Theatre, Weston Playhouse, Pittsburgh CLO, Arizona Theatre Company, TheatreSquared, Playwrights’ Center, Profile Theatre, The Playwrights Realm, The Kennedy Center, National New Play Network Showcase at B Street Theatre, McCarter Theatre, Florida Repertory Theatre, Luna Stage, Harlem Stage, wild project, The Pershing Square Signature Center, Drama League, The Lark, New York Theatre Workshop (where he was an inaugural 2050 Directing Fellow), and City Theatre Company in Pittsburgh, where he served as the Artistic Producer from 2015-2020.

Reginald has developed and directed plays and musicals by Dominique Morisseau, Cori Thomas, Angelica Chéri, Lynn Nottage, Nikkole Salter, Kemp Powers, Jen Silverman, Ngozi Anyanwu, Brian Quijada, Matt Schatz, Amy Evans, Zakiyyah Alexander & Imani Uzuri, Dave Harris, Francisca Da Silveira, Khalil Kain, Chisa Hutchinson, Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm, Josh Wilder, Larry Powell, Harrison David Rivers, Donja R. Love, Herb Newsome, Craig “muMs” Grant, Korde Arrington Tuttle, a.k. payne, Jessica Dickey, Laura Brienza, Kevin R. Free, Brent Askari, Micah Ariel Watson, and several others.

He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the National New Play Network and is a guest lecturer at the New School and the O’Neill’s National Theater Institute. Reginald is a proud graduate of Georgetown University, a member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and the recipient of the National Theatre Conference’s 2020 Emerging Professional Award. www.reginalddouglas.com.

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actors

FELICIA CURRY (ensemble) is an actor, singer, and performer in the DC area. She has been seen at Studio in Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and Laugh. In New York, her credits include We Three Lizas at Joe’s Pub, as well as Dizzy Miss Lizzy Roadside Revue’s The Brontës and Petite Rouge at the New York Musical Festival. Regionally, Felicia has performed in The Mountaintop and Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at Gulfshore Playhouse, and numerous productions at Virginia Repertory Theatre.

In the DC area, select credits include Queens Girl: Black in the Green Mountains at Everyman Theatre, Fabulation… at Mosaic Theater Company, Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity at Signature Theatre, Nina Simone: Four Women at Arena Stage, and Collective Rage: A Play in Five Boops at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. She has been nominated for nine Helen Hayes Awards, and won for Lela & Co at Factory 449. She is a Factory 449 Company Member, a Resident Company Member at Everyman Theatre, and an Artistic Associate at Ford’s Theatre.

ORA JONES (ensemble) made her Studio debut in Curve of Departure in the 2017-2018 season. She is a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble, where she was most recently seen in The Children. She also appeared in Familiar, The Roommate, and The Dopplegänger (an international farce) in the past few seasons there. Her Broadway roles include Madame de Volanges in Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the Booth Theatre, and Mrs. Phelps in Matilda the Musical, both at the Shubert Theater and in the first national tour. Regional and other New York credits include performances at Long Wharf Theatre, Yale Rep, Manhattan Theatre Club, The Public Theater, Milwaukee Rep, Next Act Theatre, and a particular favorite, the role of Mrs. Muller in Doubt: A Parable for The Weston Playhouse in Weston, VT, directed by Malcolm Ewen. Some film and television appearances include Consumed, Were the World Mine, Stranger than Fiction, Betrayal, and Chicago Fire.

BILLIE KRISHAWN (ensemble) is a Helen Hayes Award-winning actor, visual artist, and activist originally from Washington, DC. Her theatre credits include Blood at the Root at Theater Alliance; HERstory: Love Forever, Hip Hop at The Kennedy Center; Melancholy Play: A Contemporary Farce, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, and The Skin of Our Teeth at Constellation Theatre Company; Airness at 1st Stage and Keegan Theatre; Treasure Island at Synetic Theater; A Civil War Christmas at 1st Stage; Andromeda Breaks and America’s Wives with Capital Fringe; Émilie: La Marquise Du Châtelet Defends her Life Tonight at WSC Avant Bard; How Old is a Hero? at Discovery Theater; Greensboro Lunch Counter at The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History; and Winnie the Pooh and Jumanji at Adventure Theatre MTC. Her film and television credits include Water in a Broken Glass and TV One’s For My Man. She is a graduate of Duke Ellington School of the Arts and Drew University. www.BillieKrishawn.com. On Instagram at @AbsoluteReality.

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produ ction WES CULWELL (Director of Video) is an award-winning producer and director. He founded Studiio Box Creative in 2012 and has been committed to creating visibility around social justice issues as well as establishing Studiio Box as a premier creative agency in the greater Washington, DC area. Wes has spent more than 20 years in production, including nine years producing for networks such as NBC, Bravo, Oxygen, VH1, TLC, and National Geographic. During this challenging year for the arts, Wes has focused his energies on assisting theatrical companies to bring their visions to the digital screen. He received a BA in Drama from the University of California, Irvine and an MFA in Cinema from San Francisco State University. studiioboxdc.com.

JESSE BELSKY (Lighting Designer) previously designed Pipeline, P.Y.G. or The Mis-Edumacation of Dorian Belle, The Remains, The Effect, Three Sisters, No Sisters, and Animal at Studio. Regional credits include The Magic Play at Portland Center Stage, Syracuse Stage, and Actors Theatre of Louisville; Lydia and Rough Crossing at Yale Rep; and The Year of Magical Thinking at PlayMakers Repertory Company. Other DC designs include Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at Ford’s Theatre; JQA and The Year of Magical Thinking at Arena Stage; Oslo, Handbagged, and The Book of Will at Round House Theatre; The Mystery of Love & Sex at Signature 9

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Theatre; Henry IV, Part 1, The Winter’s Tale, Sense and Sensibility, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Folger Theatre; and Labour of Love, The Invisible Hand, and The Magic Play at Olney Theatre Center. Jesse holds a BA from Duke University and an MFA from the Yale School of Drama. He has taught lighting design at Connecticut College and UNC Greensboro.

ELISHEBA ITTOOP (Sound Designer) is a sound designer, composer, and audio producer. She returns to Studio having designed for The Big Meal, Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven, That Face, and The Receptionist. She has produced podcasts and written music for NPR, CNN, Audible, WGBH, Futuro Media, WFMT Radio Network and Glimmerglass Opera Festival, Wonder Media, Pinna, Three Uncanny Four, and others. Her sound designs and original music for theatre have been heard at The Kennedy Center, The Public Theater, Roundabout Theatre Company, American Repertory Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Manhattan Theatre Club, and many others across the country. She has created sound and music installations for the Bonnaroo Music Festival and the Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival. She has an MFA in Sound Design from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and a BFA in Theatre from New York University. elishebaittoop.com.

n o i t c u d o r p ADRIEN-ALICE HANSEL (Dramaturg) is the Literary Director at Studio, where she has dramaturged the world premieres of I Hate it Here, Queen of Basel, The Remains, No Sisters, I Wanna Fucking Tear You Apart, Animal, Red Speedo, Dirt, Lungs, and The History of Kisses as well as productions of Cry It Out, Translations, Curve of Departure, The Effect, Wig Out!, Straight White Men, Cloud 9, Hedda Gabler, Constellations, Jumpers for Goalposts, Bad Jews (twice), The Apple Family Plays, Invisible Man, Sucker Punch, The Golden Dragon, and The New Electric Ballroom, among others. Prior to joining Studio, she spent eight seasons at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, where she headed the literary department and coordinated project scouting, selection, and development for the Humana Festival of New American Plays. She is the co-editor of eight anthologies of plays from Actors Theatre and editor of 10 editions of plays through Studio. AdrienAlice holds an MFA from the Yale School of Drama.

AUTUMN J. MITCHELL (Stage Manager) (she/they) is a native of Savannah, Georgia. Last year she stage managed Pass Over at Studio and she is excited to return for Until the Flood. Notable management credits include The Wiz at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Fences and The Man of Destiny at the American Players Theatre; Acis and Galatea and The

Face on the Barroom Floor at Central City Opera; Lucky Plush Productions’ The Better Half and Rink Life at Steppenwolf Theatre; and Step Afrika!’s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. Autumn is an alumna of Alabama State University and holds a BA in Theatre with a concentration in Stage Management and Technical Theatre. Along with being a stage manager, she champions authentic and positive representation of Black and Brown theatre makers in predominantly white institutions.

LÜCIÉN REUBENS (Production Assistant) (she/they) is a queer actor, technician, activist, art maker, and creator. They served as the production assistant on Studio’s 2021 production of Cock. They have worked on lights for Doubt and Pipeline at Studio and The Bodyguard at Toby’s Dinner Theatre, and worked in sound for A Sign of Rain at Studio, Disney’s Newsies at Arena Stage, and Arbat’s Bremenskie Muzikanty at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre. They began working in professional theatre at Olney Theatre Center, assisting with lighting for the regional premieres of Elf the Musical, Once, Matilda, and Tiger Style!, as well as the North American premieres of Labour of Love, Oil, and Mary Stuart. Lücién graduated with a BFA in Theater from Colgate University. On Instagram and Twitter at @livinpoetry.

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PRODUCTION STAFF COSTUME CONSULTANT BRANDEE MATHIES

SOUND ENGINEER ALAN BRENNER

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT LÜCIÉN REUBENS

MAKEUP ASSISTANT ALISON SAMANTHA JOHNSON

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY ADRIAN MUYS JIB AND GIMBAL OPERATOR SHANE ALCOCK CAMERA OPERATOR ZACH WOOD CAMERA OPERATOR MAKARIO SARSOZO

For additional members of the production staff, see the full staff listing.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Studio would like to thank the following people for their assistance with this production: REVEREND GAYLE FISHER-STEWART AND REVEREND MICHELE MORGAN Actors’ Equity Association (“Equity”), founded in 1913, is the US labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional Actors and Stage Managers. Equity fosters the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actors’ Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions.

Equity is governed by its own members through an elected Council, representing principal actors, chorus actors and stage managers living in three regions: Eastern, Central, and Western.

Members at large participate in Equity’s governance through a system of regional Boards and Committees. Equity has 28 designated area liaison cities with over 100 members each.

WARNING: Federal law provides severe civil and criminal penalties for the unauthorized reproduction, distribution or exhibition of copyrighted motion pictures, Audio & Videotapes or Audio & Videodiscs. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and may constitute a felony with a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and/or a $250,000.00 fine.

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sponsors

Studio Theatre’s 2020–2021 season is made possible through the generosity of our Season Sponsors.

This dynamic group of individuals understands the value of producing powerful contemporary work in intimate spaces and invests in Studio’s innovative projects and initiatives. We are grateful for their generosity and investment in Studio.

2020-2021 SEASON SPONSORS SUSAN AND DIXON BUTLER DR. MARK EPSTEIN AND AMORETTA HOEBER DAVID AND JEAN HEILMAN GRIER ARLENE AND ROBERT KOGOD JUDGE ALBERT LAUBER AND PROF. CRAIG HOFFMAN JOAN AND DAVID MAXWELL TERESA AND DAN SCHWARTZ STEVE AND LINDA SKALET BOBBI AND RALPH TERKOWITZ AMY WEINBERG AND NORBERT HORNSTEIN UNTIL THE FLOOD

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St. Louis County Municipalities:

FERGUSON AND BEYOND St. Louis County is divided into 90 municipalities, ranging in size from villages with a few dozen people to cities with more than 40,000 residents. Within the county, there are more than 50 police departments, about 80 municipal courts, and 52,000 pages of local government ordinances. For the most part, St. Louis is segregated between the North City, with lower median incomes and a higher proportion of Black residents, and South City, with higher median incomes and more white residents.

*Photo by a katz / Shutterstock.com

Here are a few of the municipalities referenced in Until the Flood.

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FERGUSON: A majority-Black city with a mostly white police force and city government. In 2014, its population was 68% Black and 33% white and its median household income was $46,612. Of the 53 officers in the Ferguson Police Department in 2014, the year Michael Brown was shot, three were Black and 50 were white. Michael Brown lived in Ferguson, so do Until the Flood characters Louisa, Hassan, and Paul.

UNIVERSITY CITY: University City, or U. City, is named for Washington University, and is a significantly more integrated community than most of St. Louis’s municipalities. In 2014 its population was 57% white, 39% Black , 4% Latino or Hispanic, and 4% Asian. Its median household income of $77,350. It is home to character Connie.

TOWER GROVE SOUTH: A neighborhood inside the city of St. Louis. In 2014, its population was 85% white and 13% Black . Its median household income is $60,414. Tower Grove South is home to characters Dougray and Edna.

CRESTWOOD: Crestwood is the South City municipality where Darren Wilson, the white police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown, lived.

In 2014, its population was 93.5% white and 4% African American, with a median household income of $83,576.

LEMAY: In 2014, Lemay’s population was 96% white and 4% Black . Its median household income was $49,846. Lemay is home to Until the Flood character Rusty.

Demographic statistics are pulled from the United States’ Census Bureau website.

*Photo by a katz / Shutterstock.com UNTIL THE FLOOD

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IN THE MOMENT

2020 – 2021 DIGITAL SEASON

COMING UP THIS SEASON!

2.5 MINUTE RIDE WRITTEN BY LISA KRON DIRECTED BY JOANIE SCHULTZ APRIL 30 – MAY 23 Lisa’s father is 74, nearly blind, a Holocaust survivor, and addicted to roller coasters. 2.5 Minute Ride follows two very different fatherdaughter trips: the annual Kron family pilgrimage to roller-coaster heaven in Sandusky, Ohio and Lisa’s once-ina-lifetime trip to Auschwitz with her father. A travelogue through thrill and loss, Lisa Kron (book and lyrics, Fun Home) tracks her father’s enthusiasm, physical frailty, and ambivalence about the lives he might have lived with humor and unsentimental compassion.

Stream the rest of the season and avoid fees with a three play subscription package.

NOW ONLY $132

STUDIOTHEATRE.ORG /SUBSCRIBE 202.332.3300

FLOW WRITTEN BY WILL POWER DIRECTED BY PSALMAYENE 24 MAY 21 – JUNE 13 Will Power’s percussive look at one urban community and its seven storytellers, who gossip and riff, declare and reveal, showing off their neighborhood through its stories, from trivial to tragic.

Backed by a live DJ and unfolding in rhythm and rhyme, Flow is a call and response through history, from the griot tradition to the next artists who will make the tradition for their times.

TENDER AGE A NEW PLAY BY GEORGE BRANT DIRECTED BY HENRY GODINEZ JULY 2 – 25 When Martín applies for a position at the local Walmart-turned-Detention Center, he expects to be supervising hardened criminals facing deportation. But he soon discovers he’s guarding a warehouse full of children, as young as his own, separated from their families at the nearby Texan border. Still, jobs are scarce, the graveyard shift pays well, and Martín is in no position to turn down a steady paycheck. But when a strange epidemic reaches the facility, he faces a moral reckoning. Stark and propulsive, Tender Age joins Brant’s Grounded (Studio, 2014) as a play about living at the edge of your ethics.

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leadership

DAVID MUSE (Artistic Director) is in his eleventh season as Artistic Director of Studio Theatre, where he has directed The Children, The Remains, The Effect, The Father, Constellations, Chimerica, Murder Ballad, Belleville, Cock, Tribes, The Real Thing, An Iliad, Dirt, Bachelorette, The Habit of Art, Venus in Fur, Circle Mirror Transformation, reasons to be pretty, Blackbird, Frozen, and The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow. Previously, he was Associate Artistic Director of the Shakespeare Theatre Company, where he has directed nine productions, including Richard III, Henry V, Coriolanus, and King Charles III (a co-production with American Conservatory Theater and Seattle Rep).

Other directing projects include Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune at Arena Stage, The Bluest Eye at Theatre Alliance, and Patrick Page’s Swansong at the New York Summer Play Festival. He has helped to develop new work at numerous theatres, including New York Theatre Workshop, Geva Theatre Center, Arena Stage, New Dramatists, and The Kennedy Center.

David has taught acting and directing at Georgetown, Yale, and the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Academy of Classical Acting. A nine-time Helen Hayes Award nominee for Outstanding Direction, he is a recipient of the DC Mayor’s Arts Award for Outstanding Emerging Artist and the National Theatre Conference Emerging Artist Award. David is a graduate of Yale University and the Yale School of Drama.

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REBECCA ENDE LICHTENBERG (Managing Director) is in her third season as Managing Director of Studio Theatre.

She served as the Managing Director of Theater J for eight seasons, during which time she led the theatre through an Artistic Director transition and was instrumental in growing income by 29 percent. Prior to that, she worked in arts marketing at Sitar Arts Center, Theater J, and Ford’s Theatre. She currently serves as the Chair of the Adjudication Committee for theatreWashington. She previously served as the President of the Board of Forum Theatre and as a Helen Hayes Judge. She holds an MA in Arts Administration from Columbia University, a Certificate in Budgeting and Finance from Georgetown University, and is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management program.

Amy Weinberg CHAIR Jinny Goldstein VICE CHAIR Robert B. Batarla TREASURER Hal Jones SECRETARY Marc Albert Jeremías Alvarez Susan L. Butler CHAIR EMERITUS Karen Doyne Dr. Mark Epstein Mark W. Foster Navroz Gandhi Susan L. Gordon Jean Heilman Grier Martin Klepper Albert G. Lauber Stanley J. Marcuss Renee Matalon Herb Milstein Larry Naake CHAIR EMERITUS Nike Opadiran Jamie C. Pate Katy Kunzer Rosenzweig Teresa Schwartz Luz Blancas Sevak Steven A. Skalet Bobbi Terkowitz CHAIR EMERITUS Terry Theologides Robert Tracy Jonathan Tycko

EX-OFFICIO David Muse Rebecca Ende Lichtenberg

trustees

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

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anti-racism

STUDIO’S COMMITMENT TO ANTI-RACISM We are a theatre whose work engages with provocative ideas and challenging content. We ask our artists to explore that content bravely and boldly, working in deep and meaningful collaboration with each other. And we strive to share our work with a truly wide audience, inviting them to contend with the past, reflect on the present, and envision the future.

The successful realization of our work requires that artists feel supported, that audiences feel truly welcome, and that staff work in an environment that affirms them actively. None of that is possible without an active and ongoing commitment to create a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community. We believe that being “not racist” doesn’t go far enough to achieve those ends—for our institution and field to flourish, we must be anti-racist and work proactively to dismantle barriers that have excluded people from joyful participation in our art form.

Read about Studio’s commitment to anti-racism at STUDIOTHEATRE.ORG/ABOUT/VALUES.

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JOIN THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE The Artistic Director’s Circle is a dynamic group of individuals who support the artistic vision of Studio Theatre. Members understand the value of producing powerful contemporary work in intimate spaces and invest in Studio’s innovative projects and initiatives.

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE MEMBERS RECEIVE • Invitation to four Inside Looks, Studio’s artist engagement events • Access to Inside the Rehearsal Room, a digital guide to select performances • Recognition in Program • Invitation to all Virtual Opening Night events • Full Access to Subscription Season programming • Signed Script from the season’s new play, Tender Age • Invitation to Exclusive First Rehearsal Welcome Events • Invitation to Exclusive Artistic Director’s Circle Annual Events • The opportunity to customize additional artistic engagements with Studio’s artists and leadership

With a gift of $15,000 and above, we invite you to invest in the making of the art on our stages and become a member today!

For more information on the Artistic Director’s Circle and how you can support a production at Studio, please contact Bianca Beckham, Director of Development, at 202.919.3717 or at bbeckham@studiotheatre.org.

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thank you

Without the generosity of our dedicated supporters, Studio Theatre could not continue to bring the best of contemporary theatre to our nation’s capital. This list represents fund contributions of $600 or more. *In Memoriam

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE Anonymous The Adler Family Fund Susan and Dixon Butler Trudy H. Clark Bruce A. Cohen Sheryl and Rick Donaldson Dr. Mark Epstein and Amoretta Hoeber Hope and Mark Foster The Galena-Yorktown Foundation Jinny and Michael Goldstein Susan L. Gordon John and Meg Hauge David and Jean Heilman Grier Judy and Steve* Hopkins Sari Hornstein Hal Jones and Anne-Lise Auclair-Jones Arlene and Robert Kogod Judge Albert Lauber and Prof. Craig Hoffman Stanley and Rosemary Marcuss Joan and David Maxwell Nancy and Herbert Milstein Teresa and Dan Schwartz Steve and Linda Skalet Bobbi and Ralph Terkowitz Mark Tushnet and Elizabeth Alexander Amy Weinberg and Norbert Hornstein

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AFICIONADO Robert Batarla Karen Doyne Navroz and Perinaaz Gandhi Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Garner, Jr. Wendy and William Garner George Wasserman Family Foundation John Horman Lynne and Joseph Horning Rick Kasten Arlene and Martin Klepper The Kristina And William Catto Foundation Kathleen Kunzer Rosenzweig and Paul Rosenzweig The Lewis Butler Foundation Renee R. Matalon and Stephen H. Marcus Virginia A. McArthur and E.C. Michael Higgins Larry and Joan Naake Jamie Pate Carl and Margaret Pfeiffer Laura and Gerald Rosberg Terry Theologides and Deb Rodriguez Robert Tracy and Martha Gross Jonathan and Joan Tycko Marvin F. Weissberg Margot and Paul* Zimmerman

CONNOISSEUR Anonymous (2) Marc Albert and Stephen Tschida Carolyn Alper* Jeremias Alvarez Aron Family Foundation Linda Arvin and Daniel Hitchcock 24

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thank you

OVATION CIRCLE

Alan Asay and Mary Sturtevant Peter Bieger and Demian Gaiteri The Community Foundation Serving Richmond and Central Virginia Charmaine and Albert Horvath Irving Rosenzweig Foundation of the Jewish Communal Fund Helen and David Kenney Patricia and John Koskinen Kovler Foundation-Judy and Peter Kovler Barry Kropf The Lois and Richard England Family Morningstar Philanthropic Fund Zell Murphy and Mark Wasson Nike Opadiran Mr. Craig Pascal and Mr. Victor Shargai* Timothy Price Rosenzweig-Kunzer Charitable Fund Amit Sevak and Luz Blancas Sevak Joshua Stiefel Alan and Irene Wurtzel Judy and Leo Zickler

BELIEVER Anonymous Dr. Stewart Aledort and Dr. Sheila Rogovin Patricia Alper Cohn and David Cohn Beech Street Foundation Jeffrey Bauman and Linda Fienberg Nan Beckley Don and Nancy Bliss Cory and Rachel Capps

John Chester and Betty Shepard Rise and Carl Cole Miriam Cutler and Paul Salditt Margery Doppelt and Larry Rothman George M. Ferris Gerard Fiala Burton Gerber William and Laraine Glidden John G. Guffey Frona Hall Donald E. Hesse and Jerrilyn Andrews Linda Lurie Hirsch William Logan Hopkins* Paula and Edward Hughes Jewish Communal Fund John Keator and Virginia Sullivan Michael Klein and Joan Fabry Pat Lark (“Poppy”) and Lutz Prager Leon Fund of the Community Foundation of greater Richmond Herb and Dianne Lerner Wendy Luke Mark and Carol Hyman Fund Dan and Karen Mayers Melissa and Todd McCracken Kelly and Mike McCrann Morrissette Family Foundation Louisa and William Newlin Melanie and Larry Nussdorf Michael and Penelope Pollard Bruce Rashbaum Lola C. Reinsch Steve and Ilene Rosenthal Stephen A. Saltzburg and Susan Lee Joan Searby Linda and Stanley Sher David and Peggy Shiffrin Elaine and English Showalter

Daniel and Irene Simpkins Aimee Smart and Sheffy Gordon Ed and Andy Smith Patricia Smith Spoor Family Fund Ed Starr and Marilyn Marcosson Carolyn Wheeler Annette and Colin Young

OPEN CIRCLE ENTHUSIAST Nancy Chasen and Don Spero Mona and Mark Elliot Rich Gottwald and James Harden Leonade D. Jones The Jones/Simmons Charitable Gift Fund Wan J. Kim and Sarah E. Whitesell Brian and Judy Madden Shawn C. Helm and J. Thomas Marchitto Wallis E. McClain Nancy S. Olson Steven M. Rosenberg and Stewart C. Low III The Honorable Carol Schwartz Benjamin and Meredith Wallace

ADVOCATE Anonymous (5) Dean Amel and Terry Savela Allyson Baker and David Kligerman R. Joseph Barton Jason and Nichole Bassingthwaite Joe and Sue Bredekamp Arlene Brown and Eugene Bialek

Yolanda and Francis Bruno Family Fund Jessica Case Helen Chason Karen and Dean Cooper Richard and Janet Dante Mary Patricia Davis Leon and Miriam Ellsworth Ellen and Fred Ende Victor Fazio and Kathy Sawyer The G.A. Files Foundation Charles Floto Chris Gattuso Amy C. Gilbert and Steven Newpol Matt Gobrush and Gari Lister Susan Goldman Sally W. and Stephen W. Gresham Gail Gulliksen Joan Haffey Bonnie Hammerschlag Margaret Freeston Hennessey Richard and Pamela Hinds Martin and Bonnie Hurwitz Thomas Joseph Robert L. Kimmins Lauren Kogod and David Smiley Leslie Kogod Stuart Kogod and Denise Garone Dr. and Mrs. William Kramer The Lafer Family Foundation Vinca and David LaFleur Robert Lanman and Debra Bergoffen Chad Lash and Caryn Wagner Janet Lewis Paul and Patricia Maenner Manny And Ruthy Cohen Foundation Sherry Marts and Larry Haller Lou Mazawey UNTIL THE FLOOD

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Barbara and Al McConaghan Jeffrey Menick Mary M. Miller and Dennis Farley Jane Molloy The Mufson Family Foundation Carl and Undine Nash Sherry and Lou Nevins Martha Newman Henry Otto and Judy Whalley Stan Peabody Arnold and Diane Polinger Peter S. Reichertz Julie Rios Drs. Irene Roth and Vicken Poochikian Lynn Rothberg Carole and Barry Rubin Linda and William Rule Frank Sammartino and Ellen Starbird John and Ann Skeele Carl Wayne Smith Grant P. and Sharon R. Thompson Richard Tucker Scully and Lee A Kimball James Turner Ann Tutwiler Steve Verna Eric R. and Laura M. Wagner Elisse Walter and Ronald Stern Elizabeth B. White Jack and Sue Whitelaw Jeffrey Wilder Bernard and Ellen Young

CORPORATE, FOUNDATION, AND GOVERNMENT SUPPORT Anonymous 26

S T U D I O T H E AT R E

The Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing Arts DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Dimick Foundation Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc. Fannie Mae Fivesquares Development The Goodcoin Foundation IBM Corporation IBM Matching Grants Program The Jacob and Charlotte Lehrman Foundation JBG SMITH Logan Circle Community Association The Mandy and David Team, Compass Real Estate Martha Washington StrausHarry H. Straus Foundation The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Inc. Milton and Dorothy Sarnoff Raymond Foundation The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs Program and the US Commission of Fine Arts National Endowment for the Arts The Nora Roberts Foundation Paul M. Angell Family Foundation Share Fund The Shubert Foundation Steele Foundation, LLC Tenleytown Trash Weissberg Foundation William S. Abell Foundation, Inc.

BENEFIT SUPPORT Theo Adamstein - TTR Sotheby’s International Realty Marc Albert and Stephen Tschida Aron Family Foundation Susan and Dixon Butler Trudy H. Clark Liz and Tim Cullen Dr. Mark Epstein and Amoretta Hoeber Wendy and William Garner Bennett Goldberg and Danielle Ellis Jinny and Michael Goldstein Susan L. Gordon John and Gail Harmon John and Meg Hauge Hal Jones and Anne-Lise Auclair-Jones Kay Kendall and Jack Davies Katy Kunzer Rosenzweig and Paul Rosenzweig Virginia A. McArthur and E.C. Michael Higgins Larry and Joan Naake Carl and Undine Nash Craig Pascal Bob and Nina Randolph Teresa and Dan Schwartz Bobbi and Ralph Terkowitz Terry Theogolides and Deb Rodriguez Robert Tracy and Martha Gross Mark Tushnet and Elizabeth Alexander Amy Weinberg and Norbert Hornstein

COVID-19 RELIEF FUND Anonymous Victoria Bor and David

DuGoff Donna and Donna Boxer Susan and Dixon Butler Emily Carton Tito Cordella Laura Coyle Carol and Joseph Danks Richard and Janet Dante Helen Darling Andrea Denivoff Brian Doyle Jack Fearnsides and Margaret Jenny Anne and Marc Feinberg Martha Fisher Elizabeth Ford Lawrence Franks and Ellen Berelson Navroz and Perinaaz Gandhi Jinny and Michael Goldstein Susan L. Gordon Government of The District Of Columbia John G. Guffey Samuel and Barbara Halpern David and Jean Heilman Grier John and Meg Hauge Sari Hornstein Hal Jones and Anne-Lise Auclair-Jones William and Josie Jordan Andrew Joskow and Lisa Sockett Hans and Helen Kaper Kathleen Kunzer Rosenzweig and Paul Rosenzweig Stephanie Lawson Jodie Levin-Epstein Marc Levy B. Thomas Mansbach Renee R. Matalon and Stephen H. Marcus Joan and David Maxwell Janet Minkler Ken and Margaret Muse

Larry and Joan Naake Jamie Pate Arnold and Diane Polinger Susan and Firoze Rao Teresa and Dan Schwartz Share Fund Steve and Linda Skalet Aimee Smart and Sheffy Gordon Bobbi and Ralph Terkowitz Kevin Tidemann Jonathan and Joan Tycko Yoshine and Kazuko Uchimura Eric R. and Laura M. Wagner Amy Weinberg and Norbert Hornstein

This list represents contributions made to special events, special initiatives, and the annual fund received by March 5, 2021. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this listing.

For more information, please contact the Development Office at 202.919.3712.

IN-KIND SUPPORT

Balance Gym Birch and Barley B.Lin Catering Churchkey DC Rentals Eco Caters Provisions Catering

COMMUNITY PARTNERS DC Public Library Duke Ellington School of the Arts Howard University Department of Theatre Arts Joe’s Movement Emporium Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church N Street Village St. Luke Episcopal Church Team Rayceen Us Helping Us Whitman-Walker Health

UNTIL THE FLOOD

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BREAKING GROUND

ON TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE On March 29, 2021, we held a virtual groundbreaking for Open Studio, a $20 million investment in Studio’s future. Open Studio renovations will allow for more creative flexibility from a completely re-engineered and renamed Victor Shargai Theatre, increased opportunities for community connection, and vastly improved operational efficiency for our building.

We’re also excited to announce local, women-owned coffee company RĀKO Coffee Roasters as the latest partner to join Open Studio— opening one of their first DC outposts at Studio, complete with outdoor café space. Construction has begun in earnest and we look forward to welcoming you back to a brand new Studio Theatre for our 2021-2022 season.

CONSTRUCTION WILL BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF 2021.

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S T U D I O T H E AT R E

1. ARTISTIC INNOVATION When Studio reopens in 2022, the Metheny Theatre will have been renamed and completely transformed. The new Victor Shargai Theatre—in memory of our late board member and local theatre champion—will be a state-of-the-art, fully flexible space in which to create immersive environments for Studio’s audiences. The campaign will also allow Studio to create its first-ever, dedicated rehearsal space.

2. COMMUNITY CONNECTION Renovations will create more welcoming public gathering spaces throughout the building, including a first floor café with outdoor seating. The Box Office will be relocated to right inside our 14th Street entrance to be more patron-friendly.

Updates to the façade of our building will clearly express who we are and reflect the creativity of our work.

3. OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY Open Studio will invest in the long-term sustainability of our biggest asset—our building—by updating critical systems and infrastructure, some of which haven’t been modernized in over 15 years. A new HVAC system and fixtures will lessen our environmental footprint and decrease expenses on utilities, while optimizing their performance in our intimate theatres and throughout the building.

Be a part of Studio’s transformational change. Become a Friend of the Campaign and be recognized permanently on our donor wall with a fully tax-deductible contribution of $5,000. Join us as a Supporter for $1,000.

More information about Open Studio and giving opportunities is available at WWW.OPENSTUDIOCAMPAIGN.ORG UNTIL THE FLOOD

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OPEN STUDIO DONORS PILLARS OF THE CAMPAIGN Marc Albert and Stephen Tschida Susan and Dixon Butler Events DC Sari Hornstein Arlene and Bob Kogod Judge Albert Lauber and Professor Craig Hoffman The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Teresa and Dan Schwartz Share Fund Amy Weinberg and Norbert Hornstein

SPONSORS OF THE CAMPAIGN Esthy and James Adler Peter Bieger and Demian Gaiteri Trudy H. Clark Hope and Mark Foster Navroz and Perinaaz Gandhi Susan L. Gordon Jinny and Michael Goldstein David and Jean Heilman Grier Judy and Steve Hopkins Hal Jones and Anne-Lise Auclair-Jones Arlene and Martin Klepper in honor of Sylvia Jacobson Kathleen Kunzer Rosenzweig and Paul Rosenzweig Stanley and Rosemary Marcuss Virginia A. McArthur and E.C. Michael Higgins Nancy and Herbert Milstein Larry and Joan Naake Craig Pascal and Victor Shargai* Steve and Linda Skalet Ed Starr and Marilyn Marcosson Steve and Suzanne Swendiman 30

S T U D I O T H E AT R E

Bobbi and Ralph Terkowitz Terry Theologides and Deb Rodriguez Mark Tushnet and Elizabeth Alexander Robert Tracy and Martha Gross Alan and Irene Wurtzel

FRIENDS OF THE CAMPAIGN Jeremias Alvarez Rob Batarla Dr. Mark Epstein and Amoretta Hoeber Charles Floto John and Meg Hauge JM Zell Partners, LTD Rick Kasten Barry Kropf Renee R. Matalon and Stephen H. Marcus Elvi Moore Carl and Undine Nash Jamie Pate Amit Sevak and Luz Blancas Sevak Jerry and Patti Sowalsky Jonathan and Joan Tycko Bruce and Margareta Yarwood

LEADERSHIP

GENERAL MANAGEMENT

ARTISTIC

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

Artistic Director David Muse Managing Director Rebecca Ende Lichtenberg Director of Development Bianca Beckham Director of Production Josh Escajeda General Manager Kathryn Huey Director of Marketing and Communications Hilary Judis

Associate Artistic Director Reginald L. Douglas Literary Director Adrien-Alice Hansel Directing Apprentice Annabel Heacock Producing and Community Engagement Apprentice Jada Boggs Doris Duke Artist In Residence Psalmayene 24 Studio Cabinet Brian MacDevitt, Duncan Macmillan, Natsu Onoda Power, Joanie Schultz, Serge Seiden, Tom Story, Holly Twyford

Readers Circle Charles Linton, Manna-Symone Middlebrooks, Mekala Sridhar

PRODUCTION

Assistant Production Manager and Company Manager Kelsey Sapp Technical Director Jeffery Martin Master Carpenter Eric McMorris Costume Shop Manager Brandee Mathies Lighting and Sound Supervisor Lance Lewis Electrics Apprentice Zavar Blackledge Sound and Projections Apprentice Delaney Bray Technical Direction Apprentice Clarissa Messer Company Management and Production Apprentice Logan McDonald

DEVELOPMENT

Individual Giving Manager Monica Jilling Development Operations Manager Tobias Franzén Grants Coordinator Sarah Cooke Development Apprentice Annie Schoonover

Associate Director of Marketing and Communications Mike Fila Marketing Associate Emily Ames Multimedia Designer Jeremy Hunter Marketing and Communications Apprentice Elissa Loch Marketing Multimedia Apprentice Catherine Dionne Ashley

AUDIENCE SERVICES

Manager of Sales and Tessitura Operations Michelle Blau Manager of Audiences Services and Experience Calvin Roberts Lead Box Office Associate Gabby Wolfe

staff

Commissioned Artists Brittany K. Allen, Kimberly Belflower, David Cale, Staceyann Chin, Carl Cofield, Sarah DeLappe, Erika Dickerson-Despenza, James Fritz, Ike Holter, James Ijames, Marti Lyons, Kate Mulvaney, Lila Neugebauer, Liliana Padilla, Steph Paul, Eric Ruffin, Anne Washburn

Senior Facilities Manager Kieran Kelly Finance Manager Amanda Acker Capital Projects Manager Ryan-Patrick McLaughlin Business Apprentice Talya Shatzky Arts Administration Apprentice Tyler Hayes McMahon

UNTIL THE FLOOD

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2.5 MINUTE RIDE BY LISA KRON DIRECTED BY JOANIE SCHULTZ

APRIL 30 – MAY 23

UP NEXT:

“An unexpectedly powerful evening...hilarious...clever... and moving.”

—The Times (London)

Lisa’s father is 74, nearly blind, a Holocaust survivor, and addicted to roller coasters. 2.5 Minute Ride follows two very different father-daughter trips: the annual Kron family pilgrimage to roller-coaster heaven in Sandusky, Ohio and Lisa’s once-in-a-lifetime trip to Auschwitz with her father. A travelogue through thrill and loss, Lisa Kron (book and lyrics, Fun Home) tracks her father’s enthusiasm, physical frailty, and ambivalence about the lives he might have lived with humor and unsentimental compassion.