Spring 2014 Program #5

Contents Spring 2014

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Issue 5

May 29 - June 22 , 2014 A3

TheatreFest 2014: There Goes the Bride

A4

TheatreFest 2014: Walking Acros Egypt

A5

TheatreFest 2014: Death By Design

A12 University Theatre 2014-2015 Season Preview A13 Center Stage 2014-2015 Season Preview A14

This Summer at the Crafts Center

University Theatre presents THEATREFEST 2014

THERE GOES THE BRIDE Director Allison Bergman Scenic Design John C. McIlwee* Costume Design Em Rossi Lighting Design Joshua A. Reaves Sound Design Kevin Wright Technical Direction David Jensen Production Stage Manager Caroline Domack

P r o g r a m N ot e s  There Goes the Bride

The 2014 season of TheatreFest is dedicated to N. Alexander Miller upon his retirement and in recognition of his exceptional support of our program, students, and staff as Vice Provost, Division of Academic & Student Affairs

by Ray Cooney & John Chapman May 29-31, June 4, 7-8, 11, 13  7:30PM June 1  2PM Titmus Theatre  Frank Thompson Hall

There Goes the Bride is produced by special arrangement with Samuel French.

Setting: The show takes place in the London home of the Westerbys.

Act I: The first floor lounge of a house in Kensington, in the present There will be one 15-minute intermission Act II: The action is continuous

There Goes the Bride CAST (in order of appearance)

PROFESSIONAL STAFF Costume Shop Manager Em Rossi Costume Technician Adrienne McKenzie Scenic Artist & Props Master Jayme Mellema

URSULA WESTERBY.........................................................................................................Susannah Hough JUDY WESTERBY................................................................................................................Allison McAlister DR. GERALD DRIMMOND...................................................................................................... Danny Norris TIMOTY WESTERBY..................................................................................................................... Mark Filiaci BILL SHORTER........................................................................................................................ Michael Brocki DAPHNE DRIMMOND...............................................................................................................Kathy Norris POLLY PERKINS............................................................................................................... Sarah Lynn Winter CHARLES BABCOCK...........................................................................................................T. Phillip Caudle

Sound Engineer Kevin Wright Master Electrician David Jones* Assistant Technical Director Aaron Bridgman Marketing Nancy Breeding

*Member of Alpha Psi Omega Honorary Theatre Fraternity This project is funded in part by the City of Raleigh based on recommendations of the Raleigh Arts Commission.

Please,

during the PERFORMANCE

Marketing, Graphics & Photography Ronald A. Foreman*

Silence your cell phone No photography No texting

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Natty Greene’s Brewing Company, 505 W. Jones Street, Raleigh NC

Thank You!

Spring 2014  Issue 5  A3

University Theatre presents THEATREFEST 2014

Director Rachel Klem Scenic Design Jayme Mellema Costume Design Adrienne McKenzie Lighting Design Joshua A. Reaves Sound Design Kevin Wright Technical Direction David Jensen Musical Director Ronald A. Foreman* Production Stage Manager Randall Rehfuss*

WALKING ACROSS EGYPT

Adapted by Catherine Bush based on the novel by Clyde Edgerton June 5-6, 12, 14-15, 18, 21  7:30PM June 8, 15, 22  2PM Kennedy-McIlwee Studio Theatre  Frank Thompson Hall WALKING ACROSS EGYPT is produced by special arrangement with Catherine Bush and Clyde Edgerton.

Setting: Mattie Rigsbee’s home and various locations in Listre, North Carolina There will be one fifteen-minute intermission

Sound Engineer Kevin Wright

Walking Across Egypt CAST (in order of appearance) MATTIE RIGSBEE...............................................................................................................Patricia C. Caple* ROBERT RIGSBEE....................................................................................................John Rogers Harris, Sr. LAMAR BENFIELD......................................................................................................Ronald A. Foreman* WESLEY BENFIELD...........................................................................................................Vincent Bland, Jr. SHERIFF TILLMAN....................................................................................................................Stacie Alston ALORA SWANSON.............................................................................................................Barbette Hunter FINNER SWANSON....................................................................................................Demond McKenzie* REVEREND BASS.........................................................................................................................Jade Arnold CHOIR MEMBER.........................................................................................................................Wanda Spell CHOIR MEMBER.................................................................................................................Leslie Covington CHOIR MEMBER............................................................................................................. Anthony Hardison

Master Electrician David Jones*

*Member of Alpha Psi Omega Honorary Theatre Fraternity

PROFESSIONAL STAFF Costume Shop Manager Em Rossi Costume Technician Adrienne McKenzie Scenic Artist & Props Master Jayme Mellema

Assistant Technical Director Aaron Bridgman

This project is funded in part by the City of Raleigh based on recommendations of the Raleigh Arts Commission.

Marketing Nancy Breeding Marketing, Graphics & Photography Ronald A. Foreman* ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Natty Greene’s Brewing Company, 505 W. Jones Street, Raleigh NC

Please,

during the PERFORMANCE

Silence your cell phone No photography No texting

Thank You!

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DEATH

BY DESIGN Director John C. McIlwee* Scenic Design John C. McIlwee* Costume Design John C. McIlwee* Lighting Design Joshua A. Reaves Sound Design Kevin Wright Technical Direction David Jensen Production Stage Manager Mette CJ Schladweiler*

A comedy with murder

by Rob Urbinati

P r o g r a m N ot e s  Death By Design

University Theatre presents THEATREFEST 2014

June 19-20, 25-28  7:30PM June 28 29  2PM Titmus Theatre  Frank Thompson Hall DEATH BY DESIGN is produced by special arrangement with Samuel French.

Setting: The living room of the Bennett house at Cookham, 1934.

Act I: The living room of the country home of Edward and Sorel Bennett.

There will be one 15-minute intermission Act II: Same location.

Death By Design CAST (in order of appearance) PROFESSIONAL STAFF Costume Shop Manager Em Rossi Costume Technician Adrienne McKenzie Scenic Artist & Props Master Jayme Mellema Sound Engineer Kevin Wright Master Electrician David Jones* Assistant Technical Director Aaron Bridgman

PIANO (Preshow & Intermission).....................................................................................Julie A. Florin* BRIDGIT............................................................................................................................. JoAnne Dickinson JACK.................................................................................................................................................... Gus Allen EDWARD BENNETT............................................................................................................... Michael Brocki SOREL BENNETT.......................................................................................................................... Lynda Clark WALTER PEARCE.........................................................................................................................Chris Burner ERIC....................................................................................................................................... Christian O’Neal* VICTORIA VAN ROTH............................................................................................................. Sandi Sullivan ALICE, THE VISITOR...............................................................................................................Brett Williams* *Member of Alpha Psi Omega Honorary Theatre Fraternity This project is funded in part by the City of Raleigh based on recommendations of the Raleigh Arts Commission.

Marketing Nancy Breeding Marketing, Graphics & Photography Ronald A. Foreman*

Please,

during the PERFORMANCE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Natty Greene’s Brewing Company, 505 W. Jones Street, Raleigh NC

Silence your cell phone No photography No texting

Thank You!

Spring 2014  Issue 5  A5

TheatreFest Production Crew Assistant Stage Managers (There Goes The Bride).................................. Dayne Smith, Kimberlin Torain* Assistant Stage Managers (Walking Across Egypt)................................... Meghan Leonard*, Paul Tyrlik* Assistant Stage Managers (Death By Design)..........................................Lindsey House*, Yamila Monge* Sound Engineer................................................................................................................................Kenny Hertling* Master Carpenters.................................................Nathaniel Conti*, Autumn Stephens*, Chris Bradsher* Assistant Scenic Artist and Props.................................................................................................Lauren Caddick Light Board Operators..................................Caroline Domack, Randy Rehfuss*, Mette CJ Schladweiler Followspot Operator.......................................................................................................................Kenny Hertling* Lighting Assistant.............................................................................................................................. .Trameeka Reid Dressers...................................................................................................................... Glenn Billups, Morgan Piner* Wig Mistress............................................................................................................................................... Lynda Clark House Manager and Ushers........................................................................... University Theatre House Crew *Member of Alpha Psi Omega Honorary Theatre Fraternity

TheatreFest Cast Bios Gus Allen, Jack, an avid Agatha Christie nerd, is so happy to be a part of this production he could just die. Gus recently killed it as one of the Costazuela brothers in the Cary Players’ The Odd Couple (female) and in December, he took a stab at the role of John Wilkes booth in A Civil War Christmas. Gus would like to thank John McIlwee for giving him a shot and he is all choked up about the constant support from Lisa Kasl. And to be dead serious, he would likely keel over if he forgot to thank YOU for supporting local theater!

Stacie Alston, Sheriff Tillman, a native of Raleigh, North Carolina is not new to the theater. Her credits include Hairspray, Beauty & The Beast, The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz, A Christmas Carol, The Black Nativity and others. She gives all the glory to Jesus Christ. She would like to thank her parents, family and friends for their prayers and support. God Bless.

Jade Arnold, Reverend Bass, is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where he earned his BFA in theatre. In his free time he enjoys updating his website, www. jadearnold.com. Jade is a company member of Raleigh’s Burning Coal Theatre and a member of Justice Theater Project’s artistic committee. “Thanks to everyone for supporting the show.”

Vincent Bland, Jr., Wesley Benfield, lives in Cary and attends Wake NC State Early College. Vincent is a junior and his favorite subjects are English, history, and biology. Having performed in several plays at school and at church, Vincent made his acting debut as young Sampson in Sampson and Delilah at age six. Best known for his love of music and the arts, he helped spearhead the creation and leading of the Music Club at school. Vincent would like to thank University Theatre for the opportunity and experience to be a part of this great cast. He also thanks his mother, father, and sister Mya for their love and support.

Michael Brocki, Bill Shorter, Edward Bennett, was featured in last year’s TheatreFest as the hopeless Paul Miller in Murder at the Howard Johnson’s. Michael’s recent credits include Spirits To Enforce! for Manbites Dog, The Electric Baby for Burning Coal second stage, and Frosty the Snowman for Broadway Series South. Previous shows at NC State include It’s Only A Play, The Unexpected Guest, and The Boys in the Band. Regional credits include The Pillow Man for TIP, Dinner With Friends for Hot Summer Nights, and Stones In His Pockets for Temple Theatre.

Chris Burner, Walter Pearce, teaches acting at The Youth Conservatory at the ArtsCenter in Carrboro. New York credits include A Lie of the Mind, Ring Round the Moon, and Three Sisters. Chris has also performed in productions of Romeo and Juliet with both the WV and NY Shakespeare Festivals and 4:48 Psychosis at the 2010 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Film & TV: The Sopranos

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(Season Six); Across the Universe, Chasing the Unicorn. European credits: Macbeth (Bamburg, Germany). Acting credits include: The Overwhelming, God’s Ear, Oh The Humanity, Now You See Me (Manbites Dog) and Trailer Park Christmas (Common Ground). For LGP: (Actor) A Dog From Hell, Virginia Woolf ’s The Waves, The Italian Actress, 4.48 Psychosis, Jade City Chronicles Vol. 1, and last year’s TheatreFest, Murder at the Howard Johnson’s.

Patricia C. Caple, Mattie Rigsbee, is an accomplished director, actress, teacher, vocalist, and advocate of the work of African American playwrights. She has directed numerous plays including Blues for an Alabama Sky, The Colored Museum, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, A Raisin in the Sun, Fences, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Glass Menagerie, Angel Street, and The Owl and the Pussycat.

As a talented performer, her acting credits include but are not limited to Blue, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Black Medea, Serenading the Moon (musical), Pippin (musical), Othello, and To Be Young, Gifted, and Black. Sojourner and Free Me When I Cry are among the original dramas created by and starred in by Caple. She founded and directed NC State’s Black Repertory Theatre and was instrumental in establishing the theatre program at Shaw University. She holds a B.A. in speech and theatre from Hampton University and a Ph.D. in theatre and African-American studies from Union Institute and University. Through her work in the college and the community sectors, Caple has increased public awareness of the many artistic creations of prolific African American playwrights. She has an avid interest in directing all of the plays written by the late August Wilson, the country’s leading Black playwright; having directed eight of the ten plays currently available.

T. Phillip Caudle, Charles Babcock, returns for his fourth production with NCSU’s TheatreFest having appeared in last summer’s Daddy’s Dyin’, Who’s Got The Will? (Orville Turnover), 2012’s The Sunshine Boys (Ben Silverman), and 2011’s WMKS: Where Music Kills Sorrow (Doc). He is well known to area theatergoers having performed in over 50 productions across the Triangle, most recently in last year’s holiday production of Frosty The Snowman (Officer Bob). He has also appeared in a number of television and feature films. With his wife, Peggy Lynn, he makes his home in Fuquay-Varina, along with their two newest feline additions, GiGi and Spats.

Lynda Clark, Sorel Bennett, has performed every theatrical genre, apart from her numerous screen roles, in major playhouses across North Carolina – All The King’s Men, Dangerous Liaisons, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Angels in America, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Suddenly Last Summer, In My Sister’s House, The Wizard of Oz, Doubt, and Black Pearl Sings! Lynda’s career spans a quarter of a century. She has guest starred in multiple roles over the years for NC State’s summer repertory including Fallen Angels, Lettice and Lovage, and Black Coffee. Her extensive “Royal” roles include Lady Macbeth, Hamlet (Gertrude), Lady Capulet, The Lost Colony (Queen Elizabeth I), and The Lion in Winter (Eleanor of Aquitaine) at Theatre in the Park.

JoAnne Dickinson, Bridgit, returns once again to her beloved North Carolina and TheatreFest. JoAnne has appeared at University Theatre in such musical roles as A Little Night Music (Desiree) and Follies (Sally), as well as comedic turns in The Hollow, The Women, Easy Money, Southern Comforts, Daddy’s Dyin’, Who’s Got The Will, and Lettice and Lovage, among other productions. For Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy, JoAnne played Madam Arcadi in Blithe Spirit and Cookie in Rumors. In Boston, as a regular performer with American Classics she was a featured artist in their recent tributes to Sammy Cahn and Irvin Berlin. Often appearing at The Tavern Club, she most recently performed at the fabled venue with Eli Newburger’s All Star Jazz Band. This spring she has been featured with her two cabaret partners at Club Café and The St. Botolph Club. JoAnne is a frequent lecturer at The Boston Browning Society; she also enjoys presenting her one-woman show as Elizabeth Barrett Browning and her musical lecture, “Parlor Songs.” She serves on the Friends of Arts NC State Board and boards of The Boston Conservatory, Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Huntington Theatre.

JoAnne was honored by Opera Boston in 2007 as Woman of the Year in the Arts and is a Life Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts.

Leslie Covington, Choir Member, is a graduate of NC State.

While a student, Leslie was a member of the New Horizons Choir. She is currently a member of the Abundant Life performing arts ministry.

Demond McKenzie, Finner Swanson, returns to the University Theatre stage after 18 years. An alumnus of NC State, he earned his bachelors in mathematics education and his masters in school administration. While an undergrad, he was a member of Black Repertory Theatre and Alpha Psi Omega Honorary Theatre Fraternity. De’s credits include Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Harold Loomis), Purlie (Purlie Victorious), and Black Madea (the messenger). Currently, serving in the Fine Arts Department at Fulfilled Promise Tabernacle, he is a member of the praise and worship team, men’s chorus, leader of the Judah Dance Ministry and director of the Anointed Christian Theatrical Society (ACTS). Demond resides in Fuquay-Varina with his wife Alneshia J’Vett Richardson, also an alumnus of NCSU, and their three sons, Jahmai (13), Darius (11) and Jadon (7).

Mark Filiaci, Timothy Westerby, appeared most recently as Leonard in University Theatre’s production of SEMINAR. Mark also appeared in last year’s Daddy’s Dyin’, Who’s Got The Will? for Theatrefest. He has worked throughout the region as an actor, director, producer in such productions as Hamlet, Proof, Good People, The Whipping Man, Much Ado About Nothing, The Devil’s Dream, Three Days of Rain, A Few Good Men and All in the Timing at such theatres as The Barter Theater, Temple Theatre, Deep Dish, ArtsCenter of Carrboro, Burning Coal, Raleigh Ensemble Players, Cape Fear Regional and Louisville Rep. A Pennsylvania native and graduate of Gettysburg College, this year marks his 30th year of living and performing in the area.

Ronald A. Foreman, Lamar Benfield, is the graphics designer at University Theatre. Ron most recently portrayed Walter Lee Younger in A Raisin in the Sun – directed by friend and mentor, Patricia C. Caple. His previous acting credits include Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Toledo), Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Bynum Walker), The Piano Lesson (Wining Boy), Two Trains Running (Memphis Lee Green), Fences (Troy), Jitney (Turnbo), King Hedley II (Elmore), Seven Guitars (Hedley), Black Medea (Jason), Bourbon at the Border (Charlie), and Blues For An Alabama Sky (Guy) – all at University Theatre. Ron made his directorial debut during UT’s 2009-10 season with Charles Randolph-Wright’s Blue.

Anthony Hardison, Choir Member, is a graduate of NC State.

Anthony was last seen on the University Theatre stage in Blue (Blue). While a student, his credits include A Raisin in the Sun (George Murchison), Jitney (Sheally), King Hedley II (Mister), and The Colored Museum (Miss Roj, Walter Lee Beau Willie, The Kid). For Mama I Want To Sing and Tambourines to Glory (Black Repertory Theatre), Anthony was the assistant director and musical director.

Currently, he is director of the mime team at Abundant Life Christian Center and senior director of community outreach for the Kerr Family YMCA. John Rogers Harris, Sr., Robert Rigsbee, has performed in productions with Deep Dish Theatre, Raleigh Little Theatre, Theatre in the Park, Justice Theatre Project, Manbites Dog Theatre , and University Theatre (WMKS: Where Music Kills Sorrow).

He has directed productions for Theatre Charlotte, Carrboro Arts Center, Raleigh Little Theatre and the Snow Camp Historical Society.

John earned his doctorate in theatre history from The Ohio State University.

Special thanks to sons, Djaq and Anderson.

P r o g r a m N ot e s  TheatreFest ...continued

TheatreFest Cast Bios (continued)

Susannah Hough, Ursula Westerby, is thrilled to be back at Theatrefest for the 2014 season! She was previously seen last year in Daddy’s Dyin’, Who’s Got The Will? as Evalita. Other local credits include roles with Little Green Pig Theatrical Concern, Deep Dish Theater Co., Raleigh Ensemble Players, Theatre in the Park, Raleigh Little Theater, Justice Theater Project, as well as on-camera work with numerous production companies around the region. Susannah earned her BFA in dramatic art from the University of California and also studied at the American Conservatory Theater. “Many thanks to the talented crew, cast, and director, and to her supportive family and friends.” www.susannahhough.com Barbette Hunter, Alora Swanson, is thrilled to be appearing in her second TheatreFest production. Stage credits include The Sunshine Boys (TheatreFest 2012), Metamorphoses, Thyestes (Raleigh Ensemble Players); Working, the Musical, A Lesson Before Dying (Justice Theater Project); As Bees in Honey Drown, Stonewall Jackson’s House (Actors Comedy Lab). Some of her favorite roles include Rose in Fences (Justice Theater Project); Venus Hottentot in Venus (Raleigh Ensemble Players); Esther in Intimate Apparel, Magnolia Ellis in The Dance on Widow’s Row, Quilly McGrath in The Old Settler (Raleigh Little Theatre). She is a drama instructor at Raleigh Little Theatre and Cary Applause! Youth Theatre.

Allison McAlister, Judy Westerby, was recently seen as Dawn in the NCSU student studio production of The Universal Language from David Ives’s All in the Timing and as Inspector Goring in University Theatre’s production of The Game’s Afoot. She has also appeared onstage with Bare Theatre. Allison is thrilled to be a part of TheatreFest 2014!

Danny Norris, Dr. Gerald Drimmond, was seen last year in TheatreFest as Hastings in Black Coffee and Buford in Daddy’s Dyin’, Who’s Got the Will? He has performed with the North Carolina Theatre in Oliver!, Hello Dolly, West Side Story, and The Sound of Music, and most recently with Theatre In The Park as the sheriff in To Kill a Mockingbird. He is thrilled to be back with the gang at TheatreFest and to perform alongside his wonderful wife Kathy.

Kathy Norris, Daphne Drimmond, is a West Virginia native and retired conference planner for Cisco Systems who has been in Raleigh over 20 years. She has performed with Theatre in the Park (A Christmas Carol, Into the Woods, The Unvarnished Truth, To Kill a Mockingbird), NCSU’s Theatrefest (The Women, Laura, Dixie Swim Club) and North Carolina Theatre (The Music Man). Her favorite role was Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly! with The Off Main Street Players. Love and thanks to Danny for his constant encouragement and, along with Katy, for always being out there.

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TheatreFest Cast Bios (continued) Christian O’Neal, Eric, is a senior in mechanical engineering.

Death By Design marks Christian’s second year appearing in TheatreFest after cameo roles in The Sunshine Boys and Lettice and Lovage. He recently directed David Ives’ All in the Timing along with fellow engineering senior Nathaniel Conti for University Theatre’s 2014 student studio. Christian thanks his family and friends for their continuous support in his creative pursuits.

Wanda Spell, Choir Member, resides in Raleigh, NC. Wanda appeared in her first theatre production, The Amen Corner, in 1989 and has since written several plays, acted and directed pieces for all types of audiences. She is the director of outreach and performing arts at Abundant Life, a local ministry which gives her much opportunity to share her gift with the less fortunate. She has been blessed with the gift of singing, acting, dancing, and performing and looks forward to using those gifts to inspire others for many years to come!

Sandi Sullivan, Victoria Van Roth, is a 20+ year veteran of the Triangle theatre scene and has appeared in TheatreFest for many happy years. Sandi holds a BA in theatre performance from Rhode Island College in Providence where she graduated Magna cum Laude. She has thrice been recognized for outstanding performances by The Independent Weekly (Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress) for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Jean), The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds (Beatrice), and Daddy’s Dyin’, Who’s Got The Will? (Marlene). Her favorite past performances include

Carrie, the Musical (Margaret White), The Great American Trailer Park Musical ( Linoleum), The Rocky Horror Show (Magenta), Fallen Angels (Jane Banbury), Man of La Mancha (Aldonza), and The Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey). ”Many thanks to all who contribute to TheatreFest and to you, the patrons, for supporting live theatre! Lastly, love and hugs to Madison, my furry angel.”

Brett Williams, Alice the visitor, is a recent NC State graduate in zoology with a minor in theatre. Brett is thrilled to be in her second Theatrefest production! Previous University Theatre credits include Chicago (Roxie), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Christine Colgate), WMKS: Where Music Kills Sorrow (Cindy), Alice in Wonderland (Duchess/Dormouse), Rent (Maureen), and others. She hopes to combine her two passions one day by having her own animal show on National Geographic. She would like to thank her mother, sister, and friends for their continued love and support. She would also like to thank John McIlwee for giving her this opportunity, as well as Jason Corder, whose eyebrows make her want to be a better actor. “I’m so honored to work with this group of professionals!”

Sarah Lynn Winter, Polly Perkins, has been active in the Triangle theatre community since graduating with a BFA in theatre performance from Baylor University in 2011. Her favorite local roles include Sprint Awakening (Ilse), The Rocky Horror Show (Janet), RLT’s Cinderella XX1X & XXX (Fairy Godmother), How to Succeed (Rosemary), among others. Eternal thanks to her Mom, Dad, family, and friends for their love & support.

TheatreFest Production Bios Allison Bergman, Director, is the assistant director of University Theatre and a veteran stage director of more than thirty theatre productions in Los Angeles, Boston, Pittsburgh, and New York City. She holds a BFA in theatre studies from Boston University and an MFA in directing from Carnegie Mellon University where she was a Steven Bochco Scholar. She studied acting, dance and voice at L.A. City College Theatre Academy, American National Academy of Performing Arts, and Southern California Conservatory of Music, and has won a Drama-Logue Award for Directing.

In tandem with her directing career, Allison is a dramaturgical consultant with several projects in development in New York and Los Angeles. She is the former artistic director of Broadway On Sunset and co-founder of The West Coast Musical Theatre Conference. She has also co-authored ACTING THE SONG - Performance Skills for the Musical Theatre, and penned the libretto for a new musical, Ancient City. Before moving to the East Coast, she had been named Outstanding Woman in Theatre in Los Angeles.

Other University Theatre productions Allison has directed include Seminar, Arcadia, The Heidi Chronicles, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Little Women, Dancing at Lughnasa, Urinetown, It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, and The Arabian Nights. For TheatreFest, Spider’s Web, WMKS: Where Music Kills Sorrow, The Sunshine Boys, and Daddy’s Dyin’, Who’s Got The Will?

Rachel Klem, Director, has been directing theatre in the Triangle since 2001. She moved here after receiving her MFA in acting from Depaul University’s The Theatre School. While in Chicago, she acted and taught theatre for Navy Pier, Chicago TheatreSports, University of Illinois, Chicago, and the City of Chicago. She has directed over 30 productions in North Carolina including Six Degrees of Separation (Ghost & Spice Productions), Macbeth (NCSU’s University Theatre), and City of Medicine, the Series (Common Ground Theatre). She has acted in numerous shows all over the area and received an award for Best Lead Performance in 2011 by The Independent Weekly for her portrayal of a cancer survivor in Now You See Me by Neal Bell (Manbites

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Dog Theater). Ms. Klem writes and adapts plays, and has received national attention for her work on The Bowling Show, set in a Chicago bowling alley. She has published over 10 plays for children and is the co-writer of the local smash A Trailer Park Christmas. Ms. Klem currently teaches theatre at NC State and is the owner and manager of Common Ground Theatre in Durham.

John C. McIlwee, Director, has been with NCSU’s University Theatre for more than 27 years. He has worked extensively throughout the United States as an actor, director, costume designer, scenic designer, makeup artist, and playwright.

He holds a masters degree in theatre and a master of fine arts in theatre design. John is a national award-winning fashion designer and a two-time winner of the National Arts and Letters Council Award for children’s playwriting. He was also honored with the Raleigh Medal of Arts.

Recently, John directed Lettice and Lovage, The Philadelphia Story, Garden District, Rent, Twelfth Night, Inspecting Carol, Black Coffee, The Spyglass Seven, the winner of ARTS NC STATE’S 2012 Creative Artist Award written

by Michael Seebold, The Game’s Afoot: Or Holmes For The Holidays, and Chicago. His combined directing and costume credits include Amadeus, Into the Woods, and Murder on the Nile; acted in Re:Design; directed and designed the sets for TheatreFest and the costumes for The Dixie Swim Club, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Arcadia. He continues to lecture extensively on the history of couture and costume and enjoys working with THIS amazing University Theatre staff to create a varied and exciting theatrical experience that is available to ALL university students. “Much love to Nancy for letting me out to play all these years!”

Caroline Domack, Production Stage Manager, stage-managed A Christmas Story for NCT. Caroline graduated from Peace College in 2001 after which, she went to NYC to complete an internship in stage management at The Juilliard School. She stage-managed more than fifteen shows for Juilliard and NYU.

Caroline was also performance/house manager for Juilliard from 2004-2007.

In NYC she also worked as assistant coordinator for talent flow at the Drama Desk and Tony Awards and assistant coordinator for seat fillers at the Country Music Awards. She would like to say thank you to Tim, J.J., Phillip and Margaret for letting her out of the house and into the theater.

Randall Rehfuss, Production Stage Manager, is a 2011 NCSU graduate with a degree in arts applications-theatre. While a student he participated both on stage and back stage at University Theatre and has continued stage managing at TheatreFest show for the last four years. While he currently works for the NC State Music Department as concert coordinator, he looks forward to going back to school this coming fall and pursuing a Master of Architecture at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Mette CJ Schladweiler, Production Stage Manager, has been stage-managing in the Triangle area for almost 30 years and most recently stage-managed the sensational Chicago, A Musical Vaudeville for NCSU’s University Theatre. She also stage-managed the holiday hit Frosty the Snowman, the Musical for Broadway Series South/Marbles Storybook Theatre this past December, along with Agatha Christie’s Black Coffee for Theatrefest and I DO! I DO! for Theatre Raleigh last summer. Previous credits include the Raleigh Arts Commission MOA Ceremony, Lettice and Lovage, Race and too many more to mention from over the years. Mette is very excited to be back working with all the talented and creative individuals with University Theatre. She would like to thank her husband, Linh and sons, Jackson & Maxx, her Mom, John & Nancy for all their love and support while she does what she loves to do.

Yamila Monge, Assistant Stage Manager, is a junior in psychology with minors in theatre and criminology. Yamila’s previous credits include The Garden District: Suddenly Last Summer.

“I am a loud person who never really found her place until theater came along. Theater has shown me that amazing people can come together and make something wonderful.”

Lindsey House, Assistant Stage Manager, is a senior in conservation biology with a minor in theatre. Her previous credits include Chicago, Dancing at Lughnasa, and Rent. “Big thanks to God, my friends, and my family for all your love and support!”

Kimberlin Torain, Assistant Stage Manager, is a junior in anthropology with a concentration in bioarchaeology. Chicago was Kimberlin’s first onstage experience. Her previous credits include stage managing Arcadia and The Arabian Nights, dresser for the 2013 TheatreFest season, and spotlight operator for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Upon graduation, she plans to embrace her love for theatre while pursuing a career in production management. Kimberlin would like to thank her family, friends, and the UT staff for supporting her dreams and she really hopes you enjoy the show.

Dayne Smith, Assistant Stage Manager, is a senior in art studies with a concentration in visual arts and a minor in theatre.

“This is my first year doing TheatreFest but my fourth show work crew for UT. I’m really excited for this opportunity and can’t wait to see everything come together.”

P r o g r a m N ot e s  TheatreFest ...continued

TheatreFest Production Bios (continued)

Meghan Leonard, Assistant Stage Manager, is a junior in science technology and society with a minor in theater. This is Meghan’s first time stage managing a production. Her previous credits include Chicago, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, production assistant for Alice in Wonderland, dramaturge/deck crew for The Heidi Chronicles, assistant stage manager for The Game’s Afoot, and stage manager for Seminar. “I am excited to be working with such a wonderful cast. I would like to thank University Theatre and everyone involved with it for helping me gain the most of my theatre experience.”

Paul Tyrlik, Assistant Stage Manager, is a junior in chemistry.

Paul began participating in theater during middle school and by the time he reached high school, he had settled on working back stage. His experiences include building sets, placing lights, and working the sound board. Paul is making his debut as an assistant stage manager and he is very excited “to do just that.”

Catherine Bush on Walking Across Egypt Originally posted January 23, 2013 on the Barter Theatre’s blog (bartertheatreblog.com) BarterBlogger: Let’s talk about Walking Across Egypt. What is the history of that play?

Catherine: I approached Clyde Edgerton about adapting Walking Across Egypt after the success of Where Trouble Sleeps. I love Clyde’s work and I felt t hat our audience would completely identify with this story. Mattie Rigsbee is a Christian in the best sense of the word; she loves unconditionally and without judgment. She is a role model for us all.

I was thrilled when Clyde allowed me to tackle this project. I was even more thrilled when he saw the mini-production and loved it. He’s a very generous author; he encourages me to make the changes necessary to successfully transition a story from page to stage.

BarterBlogger: How will the full production be different from the mini-production?

Catherine: The biggest difference between the mini-production and the full production – besides the added production values of sound, light, set, etc. – will be the addition of a live choir as well as a more grounded reality for the characters of Alora and Finner Swanson, Mattie’s neighbors. In the mini-

production they leaned a bit toward buffoonery; I’ve rewritten them as a couple who are seeking the same sort of connection that Mattie seeks – and who find it in the same unlikely place. I am quite pleased with the rewrites – I think it is a much richer piece now and I can’t wait to see how it works in the rehearsal process.

This show has a fantastic cast led by the inestimable Mary Lucy Bivins (Mattie Rigsbee) and director Eugene Wolf knows these characters as well as anyone could hope to. I have no doubt that this will be an uplifting theatrical experience for all.

BarterBlogger: Where does the title for Walking Across Egypt originate? I know it’s the name of the book, but is there a specific reason Edgerton chose that title?

Catherine: In the novel, Mattie Rigsbee says, “I got as much business keeping a dog as I got walking across Egypt.” Clyde also wrote a hymn by that name that can be found in the back of the book. We use it in the play.

Blog post republished with permission from the Barter Theatre where Catherine Bush is currently the playwright in residence.

Spring 2014  Issue 5  A9

Death by Design: Christie and Coward Lend Inspiration to a New Mystery Comedy

By Rob Urbinati At a used book store, I was looking for paperbacks from the thirties and forties with “pulpy” artwork on the covers. On the “C” shelf were Agatha Christie novels, and further down, Noel Coward short stories and plays, many with striking covers. I bought a bunch, and started to plow through, reading Christie and Coward at the same time. Although the two writers are worlds apart stylistically, their similarities became immediately apparent.

The writers were contemporaries, and their early work evokes English life in the period between the wars. And while Christie’s novels are doggedly plot-driven, and Coward boastfully eschews plot, they often wrote about the same character types, and occasionally, set their stories in near-identical locations. Surprisingly, some of Christie’s sharpest dialogue sounds like it could have been written by Coward. That’s how the idea came to me of writing a “mash-up” of the two writers – a play which would combine the incisive plotting of Christie’s murder mysteries with the venomous wit of Coward. It seemed like such an obvious idea I was surprised no one had thought of it before.

To prepare, I read all of Coward’s full length and one-act plays, as well as his memoirs and short story collections, to fully absorb his voice. I also read about thirty Agatha Christie novels, focusing on those written in the early thirties, when both writers were at their peak.

I started to develop the “dramatis personae” before I had a clear idea of who the victim(s) or the murderer(s) would be. All of the characters in Death by Design had to be suspects, with a motive for murder, and additionally, they needed to provide distinct comic contrasts. I went through many variations before assembling what would be the final cast.

I prefer period plays that speak in some way to contemporary issues, which is how the political leanings of the various characters developed. Adding conservative and socialist characters provided opportunities for victims and

murderers. But Death by Design has no political bias – these characters are equally hypocritical, and all subjected to ridicule.

Coward and Christie wrote tantalizing servants and domestics, but never as principals. I wanted the “working class” characters in my play to be more prominent than those in my sources. This is how Bridgit, the Irish maid who functions as a sort of “Miss Marple,” came to be. Jack, the chauffeur, was sparked by Fred in Present Laughter, but plays a more significant role than his model.

The two most overtly Coward characters are the married couple: Edward, a playwright, and Sorel, an actress. Edward borrows from the male leads in all of the major Coward plays, most specifically, Gary Essendine in Present Laughter, as well as Coward himself. Sorel is based on Judith Bliss in Hay Fever and Lady Angkatell in Christie’s The Hollow. For Eric, I tapped Mr. Ferguson in Murder on the Nile, as well as various Shaw socialists, spun for comedy. Victoria Van Roth was actually inspired by Martha Graham. Coward often employs what he describes as “cardboard” characters, such as Victor and Sybil, the ex-spouses in Private Lives, who exist to be knocked down by the leads. Walter, the Parliamentarian, is of this type, and an ideal victim. None of these characters are exact replicas of their Coward or Christie counterparts, and the challenge was to find a way for them to inhabit the same world.

One by one, I found ways to have Bridgit rule out the suspects in comic fashion.

I tried to use as many of the Christie “plot devices” as possible: the locked room, the least likely suspect, red herrings, clues, and the big revelation – but put them, for the most part, to comic purposes. While there is a serious note at the core of Death by Design involving class privilege, which ties directly into the murder, the play is pitched in the direction of comedy. And while inspired by Coward and Christie, ultimately, it was important for me that the play not be an homage, but an original work, written in my own voice.

Excerpted from Samuel French Breaking Character: http://www.breakingcharacter.com/post/2012/11/27/Death-by-Design-Christie-and-Coward-LendInspiration-to-a-New-Mystery-Comedy.aspx

Ray Cooney: Life in the farce lane

By Garth Pearce , January 29, 2013 Ray Cooney’s knack, he says, is writing comedies that look as if everyone is making it up as they go along. It has made his name, not to mention his fortune, as the undisputed king of farce for more than half a century. His 22 plays, with jauntily suggestive names such as Wife Begins at Forty, Why Not Stay for Breakfast? and Not Now, Darling, have filled theatres around the world and been translated into more than 40 languages.

It means that he stands alongside William Shakespeare as the only other English playwright to have had a production staged in a major city, somewhere on the global map, every week for the past 53 years. “All the former Soviet states are catching up now, so that’s a new audience,” he says wonderingly. “The plays have been translated into Chinese, too. I’ve no idea what they make of Chase Me, Comrade. I always try to be careful who adapts what.” Ray, who at his peak in the mid-Eighties had five plays in the West End simultaneously, controlled four theatres, and became Britain’s top writer on Broadway, is still demonstrating that his appetite for new challenges has not diminished. At the age of 80, he has made his debut as a film director

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with his biggest stage hit, Run for Your Wife, transferring to the big screen with what must be one of the most glittering senior casts ever assembled for a British movie.

A teenaged actor who became a writer, producer and theatre owner, Ray has been married to actress and artist wife Linda for 50 years, has lived in the same elegant house in Epping Forest, Essex, for 47 years and writes plays with a generous dose of double entendres but no gratuitously offensive language.

“Theatre is best when it’s for the family,” he insists. “The most fortunate thing is that I am a working-class Cockney. When I started acting, I had all the Cockney knocked out of me. You had to speak like Dame Celia Johnson, like “thet”, or be out of work. But, at heart, I am a working-class kid who is able to relate to ordinary people. I left school at 14, was not over-educated and have retained those roots. I know what makes people laugh.”

“The best farces are tragedies,” he continues. “The basic theme of them all is the struggle of an ordinary individual against forces that are overwhelming.

By Ray Cooney The playwright and actor John Chapman was the complete professional – inventive, witty and methodical. His writing work spanned half a century, beginning in the 1950s with such farces for the Whitehall theatre as Dry Rot (1954) and Simple Spymen (1958); it also took in television and film.

I first met him at the Whitehall in 1956, as, fresh from two years in repertory, I was taking over from Basil Lord in Dry Rot. Joining that wonderful team, with the great Rix at the helm, set my life and career on a path strewn with joy and friendships that have endured for a lifetime.

Together, he and I co-wrote four West End comedies from the late 1960s into the 1970s. These were Not Now Darling (1967), Move Over Mrs. Markham (1969), My Giddy Aunt (1968) and There Goes the Bride (1973). During thousands of hours of writing, rewriting, rewriting again, rehearsing, and yet more rewriting, we never had a single cross word, not even a moment’s disagreement.

John wrote many other hit comedies with other friends and colleagues. These included Look No Hands (1985) with Michael Pertwee, Shut Your Eyes And Think Of England (1977) with Tony Marriot, the award-winning Key For Two (1982) with Dave Freeman, and Business Affairs (2001) and Deadlier Than The Male with Jeremy Lloyd.

In 1950, the then actor-manager Brian (now Lord) Rix brought Colin Morris’s army farce, Reluctant Heroes, to the Whitehall theatre. Its arrival in the West End was the beginning of a 16-year relationship between farce and that theatre, and it was here that John spent two years as an understudy and assistant stage manager on Reluctant Heroes, following it with two years in repertory in Folkestone and Weston-super-Mare.

John was kind and considerate, the first to laugh at other people’s jokes. The friendship that linked us – his wife Betty, my wife Linda, Brian Rix and his wife Elspet – has spanned a lifetime. He was the best friend, husband and father one could imagine or wish for. The theatre will mourn the passing of a playwright who has gone to join Philip King, Vernon Sylvaine, Ben Travers and Arthur Wing Pinero in a heaven which, I hope, has a myriad of exits, entrances, doors and French windows.

This was a time of new farces arriving on the London stage and screen. It was also the time when John began to write. While in repertory, he finished Dry Rot, which Rix accepted and in which he starred from 1954-1958. John’s own light comedy performance in that play was a joy to behold.

P r o g r a m N ot e s  TheatreFest ...continued

John Chapman: Prolific playwright of Whitehall farces and television and film hits

Excerpted from The Guardian, Friday, September 7, 2001 http://www.theguardian.com/

The individual is usually tortured, too, because of his own character flaws – and he can’t control those flaws under stress. The more real the situation, the better the audience reaction.”

Ray’s own family overcame personal tragedy at the time of his birth. His mother had been permanently confined to a wheelchair from the age of 15, following a workplace prank, and his father was a carpenter from Jarrow who was the family lodger. “My grandmother told him that my mum was 16, and a paraplegic who was currently in hospital. Dad offered to come along during her afternoon visits to tell her ‘a few funny Geordie stories in order to cheer her up’.” They fell in love and decided to marry, a development that was not welcomed by his grandmother, who feared for their future. When his mother became pregnant with twins at just 18 – his father, Gerry, was 22 – there were inevitable concerns.’

Ray and his mother survived. “My twin died after three days,” he says. “I think, during times when I need that extra bit of energy, I can hear him say: ‘Come on, Ray, carry on’. I was lucky to live and have always tried to make the most of life. I have the feeling that I should get on with things, not give up, look optimistically at every situation and try to discover laughter. I think that comes out of what was a tragedy for my parents in losing a baby.”

“My dad loved Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, Abbot and Costello. He’d take me to see shows and I remember him falling under the seat in laughter

watching Sid Field. I picked up what an audience liked. What happened up there on stage or screen would affect people in the audience. I wanted to be up there.” Ray made his stage debut in 1946 in Song of Norway at the Palace Theatre, London, while taking elocution lessons to lose his Cockney accent.

Ten years later, aged 24, he joined Brian Rix at the Whitehall Theatre.

“In the Fifties, you’d be signed for the length of the play.” One of them, Simple Spymen, ran from March 1958 to July 1961. “That was my full-time job. The reason I started writing was that I thought I ought to do something else rather than play tennis and chase girls. He began his writing career working alongside the late John Chapman with hits such as Move over, Mrs. Markham and There Goes the Bride.

He also stopped chasing girls when he met comedy actress Linda Dixon.

With two sons in their forties and a marriage that has endured happily for over half a century, he feels that he has refined the formula for the perfect work-life balance. “True love is vital,” he says. “After that, it’s the need, a feeling of comfort, a share of joy in the value of work and admiration of talent. As for fitness, it’s important to stay involved. I’ve never thought about retirement – I enjoy what I do.”

Excerpted from Saga magazine: http://www.saga.co.uk/saga-magazine/2013/february/ray-cooney-run-foryour-wife.aspx

Spring 2014  Issue 5  A11

announcing the 2014-2015 season

celebrating the 50th anniversary of university theatre!

Sept 25-28 You Can’t Take It with You & Oct 1-5 by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart One of the most loved plays from the 1930s returns to stage with Kaufman and Hart’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play. The eccentric Sycamore family is presided over by Grandpa Vanderhof, a former businessman who has turned his back on commerce to enjoy life. With more time than money, this family is happily surviving the Great Depression by embracing their individuality, forming relationships and exploring their hidden talents rather than devoting their lives to the pursuit of wealth and status. Hysterical and yet touching, the message is still wonderfully relevant 78 years after it premiered!

Nov 7-9, Around the World in 80 Days 12-16, 19-23 by Laura Eason adapted from the novel by Jules Verne This exceptionally graceful adaptation of the Jules Verne classic is both wise and fun-filled. Phileas Fogg, the mysterious and brilliant man of mathematics and scientific reason, wagers his considerable fortune that the world can be circumnavigated in 80 days. Will Fogg and his wiley valet Passepartout complete the journey or be foiled by bandits, buffalo, storms and Scotland Yard? Aboard trains, steamships and elephants, he learns about the heart, himself and a world much bigger than he anticipated.

Feb 12-15 The Little Shop of Horrors & 18-22 by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman Nerdy orphan Seymour is working at Mushnik’s flower shop when one day, just after an eclipse of the Sun, he discovers a strange plant. He buys it and names it Audrey II (after the love of his life, Audrey). This foulmouthed, R&B-singing carnivore promises unending fame and fortune to the down and out Seymour as long as he keeps feeding it a very special diet. The plant grows and grows and wants more and more. Will Audrey II take over the world or will Seymour and Audrey defeat it? The deviously delicious Broadway and Hollywood sci-fi smash musical has devoured the hearts of theatre goers for over 30 years.

Mar 27-29 The Burial at Thebes, a version & Apr 8-12, of Sophocles’ Antigone 15-19 by Seamus Heaney Season Tickets on sale July 23 Mention code “EARLYBIRD” for special discount

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The first show produced by University Theatre (then Thompson Theatre) 50 years ago was Sophocles’ Antigone. In a salute to our history and longevity, we are presenting this outstanding new translation of Antigone, commissioned by Ireland’s renowned Abbey Theatre to commemorate its centenary. Seamus Heaney uses his own modern and masterly touch to expose the darkness and the humanity in Sophocles’ masterpiece.

First staged in the fifth century B.C., Antigone stands as a timely exploration of the conflict between those who affirm the individual’s human rights and those who must protect the state’s security. During the rebellion, Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus, learns that her brothers have killed each other, having been forced onto opposing sides of the battle. When Creon, king of Thebes, grants burial of one but not the “treacherous” other, Antigone faces the appalling dilemma of whether to obey Creon and offend against the gods, or follow her heart and plunge her accursed family into a fresh cycle of violence by burying her brother.

the first look at the

season

2014-2015 Center Stage The Hot Sardines

DakhaBrakha

September 5  Talley Ballroom

November 13  Talley Ballroom

Fans of Pink Martini and the Squirrel Nut Zippers: you’re gonna love the Hot Sardines! Take a blustery brass lineup, layer it over a rhythm section led by a Fats Waller-style stride piano virtuoso, toss in a tap dancer, and tie the whole thing together with a magnetic, one-of-the-boys front woman whose voice recalls another era, and you have the Hot Sardines – a band that plays the high-energy traditional jazz of the 1920s, 30s and 40s with a Parisian accent and a dash of the rich Dixieland sounds of New Orleans. Fun!

A hit at New York’s GlobalFest 2014 (dubbed “subversive Ukrainian punk-folk”), this quartet’s astonishingly powerful and uncompromising vocal range creates a transnational sound rooted in Ukrainian culture, accompanied by Indian, Arabic, African, Russian and Australian traditional instrumentation.

SFJAZZ Collective October 18  Titmus Theatre This all-star ensemble, comprising eight of the finest performer/ composers at work in jazz today, will pay tribute to legendary saxophonist and composer Joe Henderson. Henderson died much too young in 2001, a few years after his stunning Center Stage concert in October 1994 with bassist George Mraz and drummer Al Foster.

The Swingle Singers February 17  Talley Ballroom Five decades on from their pioneering, Grammy-winning debut album Jazz Sébastien Bach, today’s Swingle Singers are an international a cappella phenomenon – seven young and versatile voices who deliver folk ballads, funk jams and fugues with equal precision and passion.

Check out their amazing cover of Mumford & Sons’ After The Storm: go.ncsu.edu/swinglevideo.

Aquila Theatre Lucky Plush Productions: The Queue October 24-25  Titmus Theatre Lucky Plush was such a hit in January 2014 that we’re bringing them back with their brand new piece. Equal parts dance and theatre, The Queue unfolds in a fictional airport, where travelers stumble humorously, tragically and awkwardly into the high stakes of each other’s private lives.

February 27-March 1  Titmus Theatre New York’s acclaimed Aquila Theatre returns to NC State with two new productions: Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte’s classic story of passion, revenge, family, class, and the supernatural; and The Tempest, Shakespeare’s famous magical tale of forgiveness and enlightenment.

Regina Carter March 20-21  Titmus Theatre

Nano Stern November 1  Titmus Theatre Chilean guitarist Nano Stern’s rise to fame has been meteoric. Noted for his charismatic live performances, his sound is an indie-folk-rockjazz fusion, deeply rooted in traditional Chilean music and inspired by legends like Violeta Parra and Inti-Illimani, yet combined with a host of influences absorbed from his travels around the world, as well as his early classical training.

Violin virtuoso and MacArthur fellow Regina Carter is considered the foremost jazz violinist of her generation. Her latest recording (March 2014) is titled Southern Comfort, in which she explores the folk tunes her paternal grandfather, a coal miner, would have heard as he toiled in Alabama.

Teatro Hugo & Ines April 10-12  Titmus Theatre Peruvian puppeteers Hugo and Ines are beloved the world over for their collection of wordless whimsical vignettes, featuring a cast of memorable characters created with knees, feet, elbows, fingers, a few props, amazing dexterity, and delightful imagination.

Season packages (3+ shows) go on sale Wednesday, July 23. Single tickets go on sale Monday, August 4.

Spring 2014  Issue 5  A13

this summer AT THE CRAFTS CENTER The Crafts Center will be open for the summer from May 19 through July 30, with the following hours: Mon & Wed: 2-10pm  Tues & Thurs: 10am-10pm Sat: 12:30pm-5pm  Fri & Sun: closed

CLASSES Check the website (ncsu.edu/crafts) for updates on space availability in our summer classes and workshops.

Registration for fall 2014 classes begins July 14 for NC State students and August 4 for everyone else. The fall class schedule will be posted on the Crafts Center website in early July. The Crafts Center will open for the fall semester on August 18.

SUMMER EXHIBITIONS & SPECIAL EVENTS Zahra Zamani: The Trend of Life in a Foreign Land through June 7, 2014 R.A. Bryan Foundation, Inc. Gallery An exhibition of portraits and landscapes by College of Design graduate Zahra Zamani.

Akira Satake: Finding the Beauty in Imperfection Saturday, June 22, 10am-4pm The Crafts Center is offering this pottery demonstration workshop in conjunction with the Gregg Museum of Art & Design’s exhibition, Remnants of the Floating World: Japanese Art from the Permanent Collection.

In this demonstration-only workshop, Akira Satake will demonstrate involving both the handbuilding and throwing techniques he uses in the making of his tea ceremony bowls, teapots, vases and sculptural objects. Registration required, seating is limited. For more information, visit the Crafts Center website: ncsu.edu/crafts.

50th Anniversary This year the Crafts Center is celebrating 50 years in Thompson Hall, a wonderful success story with many memories worth retelling. We invite you to join us in the effort of retelling and archiving the Crafts Center’s history by sharing your personal memories and photographs on our special anniversary blog: craftscenter.wordpress.ncsu.edu.

We’re also inviting past Crafts Center participants to bring in examples of items they have made at the Crafts Center for an anniversary exhibition in our Street Gallery windows.

Please contact the Crafts Center if you have items you wish to contribute. All items should be submitted by August 1.

Crafts Center information: 919.513.2457 or ncsu.edu/crafts

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