Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Program

Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards Managing Director Linda DiGabriele

Proudly Presents

Incident Our Lady Perpetual Help at OF

by KATIE FORGETTE

Directed by CÉLINE ROSENTHAL

Original Compositions DEREK A. GRAHAM

Resident Casting Director CÉLINE ROSENTHAL

Chicago Casting CLAIRE SIMON CSA, CLAIRE SIMON CASTING

New York Casting BINDER CASTING CHAD ERIC MURNAME, CSA & AMBER SNEAD, CSA

Production Stage Manager NIA SCIARRETTA*

Assistant Stage Manager KRISTIN LOUGHRY*

Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help received its world premiere in 2019 at Chenango River Theatre (Greene, NY), Bill Lelbach - Artistic Director.

Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help was subsequently produced by the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Blake Robison, Artistic Director and Buzz Ward, Managing Director.

Co-Producers

Larry and Joan Castellani • Even Collinsworth Fund, in honor of Joan H. Wood • Mike and Ellen Esposito

Barbara Gross • Fr. Jeffrey Hamblin, MD and Mark-Alan • Nancy and Phil Kotler • Bob and Sharon Reitsch

Marge and Bill Sandy • Stephanie Shaw and Dr. Stan Pastor • Alan and Cindy Silverglat • Lois Stulberg

Leon and Marysue Wechsler • Joan H. Wood

Sponsors

Scenic Design RIW RAKKULCHON

Costume Design DEE SULLIVAN

Lighting Design DRISCOLL OTTO

Sound Design SHARATH PATEL

Hair/Wig & Make-Up Design MICHELLE HART

Lise Bruneau*..........................................................Josephine “Jo” O’Shea

Willa Carpenter.......................................................................Becky O’Shea

Suzanne Grodner*.............................................Theresa “Terri” Carmichael

Erin O’Connor≠........................................................................Linda O’Shea

Jay Russell*.......................Mike O’Shea/Father Lovett/Betty Heckenbach

Martha Velez-Reid......................................................Grandmother O’Shea

*Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States ≠ Appears courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association

Directors are members of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society; Designers are members of the United Scenic Artists Local USA-829; Backstage and Scene Shop Crew are members of IATSE Local 412.

UNDERSTUDIES

For Theresa “Terri” Carmichael: MACARIA CHAPARRO MARTINEZ; for Becky O’Shea: ALLIE McLAUGHLIN; for Josephine “Jo” O’Shea: KATHRYN PARKS; for Linda O’Shea: SYDNEY STORY; for Mike O’Shea/Father Lovett/Betty Heckenbach: BRIAN ZANE

There will be one fifteen-minute intermission.

AFFILIATIONS

Asolo Repertory Theatre is a constituent of the Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national service organization for theatres. Asolo Rep is a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), the national association of non-profit professional theatres; Florida Professional Theatre Association (FPTA); the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County; and the Manatee County Cultural Alliance.

UNION CREDITS

Asolo Rep operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States; the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society; and the United Scenic Artists Local USA-829, IATSE Local 412 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Moving Pictures Machine Operators of the United States and Canada.

Asolo Rep programs do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, sexual orientation, handicap or age in accordance with federal law.

The taking of photos, videos, or audio recordings is prohibited during this performance.

LINDA DiGABRIELE

FIFTIETH SEASON (Managing Director) has served as Asolo Rep’s managing director since 1989. Prior to that time, she held other positions with Asolo Rep, including director of touring programs and stage manager. During her 12-year tenure with the touring programs, Linda orchestrated 26 regional and national tours for Asolo Rep’s mainstage and educational companies. She has served several terms on the board of directors for the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), a national organization of regional not-for-profit professional theatres. Linda has been an advisory panel member for the National Endowment for the Arts and, for five years, the John F. Kennedy Center’s Theatre for Young Audiences. She is a past president of the Florida Professional Theatre Association and has served the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs as a member of various panels including the Grant Awards Task Force, Theatre Grants, Arts in Educations Grants, and the Cultural Institution Programs review committee. Other boards of directors’ appointments include ASSITEJ/USA, an international theatre organization for young audiences, the Florida Cultural Alliance, and the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County. A graduate of Florida State University, Linda’s professional theatre experience includes acting and directing. She is honored to have been recognized by the Florida Professional Theatre Association’s Richard G. Fallon Award for Excellence in Professional Theatre and the Florida Theatre Conference’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

MICHAEL DONALD EDWARDS

EIGHTEENTH SEASON (Producing Artistic Director) has served as producing artistic director of Asolo Rep since 2006. He was previously the associate artistic director of Syracuse Stage and served as artistic director of Shakespeare Santa Cruz. A Garland Award and Drama-Logue Award winning director, Michael has directed at Cleveland Play House; Indiana Repertory Theatre; Geva Theatre; Syracuse Stage; The Shakespeare Theatre; San Jose Rep; Opera San Jose; the Oregon Shakespeare Festival; the Old Globe in San Diego; Virginia Stage Company; the Virginia Opera; the State Theatre of South Australia; Opera Australia; Victoria State Opera; and the Metropolitan Opera, where he staged revivals

of Aida, The Barber of Seville, Porgy and Bess, and Phillip Glass’ The Voyage. In previous seasons for Asolo Rep, Michael has directed Disgraced; Our Betters; The Grapes of Wrath; Clybourne Park; My Brilliant Divorce; Hamlet, Prince of Cuba; Las Meninas; La Bête; The Last Five Years; The Life of Galileo; Perfect Mendacity; The Winter’s Tale; Equus; A Tale of Two Cities; Darwin in Malibu; Nobody Don’t Like Yogi; Amadeus; The Smell of the Kill and, most recently, The Crucible.

KATIE FORGETTE

FIRST SEASON (Playwright) spent most of her professional life as an actor. At the Seattle Repertory Theatre, she was privileged to work with such directors and playwrights as Doug Hughes, Bill Irwin, Pamela Berlin, Dan Sullivan, John Patrick Shanley, Liviu Ciulei, Lillian Garrett-Groag, and Jon Robin Baitz. Her plays include A Facility for Living, Evidence of Things Unseen, Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily, The O’Conner Girls, Everybody’s A Critic, It Went Like This, The Body Snatcher, and Welcome to Vital Vista Village Her plays have been produced at the Florida Repertory Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse, Human Race Theatre, Greater Boston Stage, Seattle Repertory Theatre, ACT Theatre, Manitoba Theatre Centre, People’s Light, Park Square Theatre, Barter Theatre, The Dorset Theatre Festival, and Vertigo Theatre.

DEREK A. GRAHAM, he//him

FIRST SEASON (Original Compositions) is excited to work with Asolo Rep for the very first time! Recent composer credits include In Every Generation (TheatreWorks Silicon Valley); Toni Stone (Milwaukee Repertory Theatre/Alliance Theatre); Protocol, Redwood (Portland Center Stage); The Chinese Lady (Artists Repertory Theatre). Recent works in sound design include Detroit ’67 (Baldwin Wallace University Theatre), I Shall Not Be Moved/Your Negro Tour Guide (Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati), Kill Move Paradise (Dobama Theatre). BA: Music at Elizabeth City State University. MFA: Sound Design at Ohio University. Derek is co-founder of Life by Design Media & Production with his spouse and life-partner, Jessica.

MICHELLE HART, she/her

TWENTY-FIRST SEASON (Resident Hair/Wig & Make-up Designer) designs for Asolo Repertory Theatre and FSU/Asolo Conservatory. Other credits: Sarasota Ballet, Palm Beach Drama

Works, freeFall Theatre, Urbanite Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, Banyan Theatre, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Venice Theatre, Dorset Theatre, Barrington Stage, and Open Stage Theatre. She has also done hair and/or make-up for Joan Rivers, Doris Roberts, Martin Short, Jane Russell, Arlene Dahl, Soledad Villamil, Jane Pauley, Richard Dreyfuss, Castille Langdon, Christopher Higgins, Mary Mara, Heather Robb, Lauren Sweetser, Justin Long, Paul Downs, Douglas Sills, and Nia Hills. Music videos: “Second Chance” by Shinedown, “Reverse Cowgirl” by T-Pain. Film/TV: Lady of the Manor; Paradise, FL; and The Real Stephen Blatt.

KRISTIN LOUGHRY, she/her

FOURTH SEASON (Assistant Stage Manager) is thrilled to be back in sunny Sarasota! Previous Asolo Rep credits include The Cake, Grand Horizons, Eureka Day, and the unopened production of The Great Leap in the Cook. Additional credits include shows with Baltimore Center Stage, Hangar Theatre Company, Infinity Theatre Company, Lyric Stage Company of Boston, NewArts, New London Barn Playhouse, Primary Stages, Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, Soho Playhouse, Virginia Stage Company, NYU Grad Acting, and The New School. Proud AEA member and Ithaca College alum.

VICTOR MEYRICH

FIFTY-FOURTH SEASON (Director of Production & Operations) is a graduate of Carnegie Tech and worked at New York Shakespeare Festival, Brandeis, University of California Institute of Repertory, APA, American Conservatory Theater, and again in New York. As head of production and technical staffs, he is responsible for the overall technical operation of Asolo Rep and its facilities. He wrote the architecture program for both the Center for the Performing Arts and the Koski II expansion and is the owner’s representative on both projects. He has been a member of the Asolo Rep family since 1969.

DRISCOLL OTTO

FIRST SEASON (Lighting Designer) recently designed the lighting for the Encores! production of The Life re-imagined and directed by Billy Porter, lighting for Dallas Theatre Center’s production of Trouble in Mind, lighting and projections for Houston Grand Opera’s Marian’s Song, lighting for The Huntington Theatre Company’s production of The Purists directed by Billy

Porter, projections for Maggio Musicale Fiorentino’s The Flying Dutchman. In the summer of 2021, Driscoll was invited to Austria to design lighting for an outdoor environmental production of Turandot for Opera in the Quarry. Driscoll designed lighting for productions of Legally Blonde and Rock of Ages for Norwegian Cruise Lines. Highlights to his resume include projection design for Santa Fe Opera’s production of The Golden Cockerel and The Metropolitan Opera’s production of La Donna Del Lago.

SHARATH PATEL , he/him

SECOND SEASON (Sound Designer) is an Oregon based designer who works internationally, focusing on experimental, commercial, academic, political, and socially conscious theatre. Recent designs: Asolo Rep, A.C.T., The Alley Theatre, Dallas Theater Center, Theatre Works of Silicon Valley, Portland Center Stage, Alliance Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, Indiana Rep, Artists Rep, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, American Rep, Seattle Rep, Cal Shakes, Alabama Shakes, Seattle Children’s Theatre. Additional work in New York City, San Francisco, L.A., D.C., Boston, Norfolk, Raleigh, Aspen, India, France, England, Germany, Romania, Vietnam. Affiliations: USA829 IATSE, Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association, arts envoy for the U.S. Department of State, national respondent for the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, resident artist at Artists Rep. BFA: Ohio University. MFA: Yale School of Drama. sharathpatel.com

RIW RAKKULCHON, he/they

SECOND SEASON (Scenic Designer) is a set and costume designer, animator, and chef from Bangkok, Thailand. Select credits - Broadway: associate set designer, Pass Over, & Juliet, Parade. He/They has worked at Yale Repertory Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Drury Lane Theatre, Asolo Rep, The Acting Company, 59E59, Edinburgh Fringe, Primary Stages, The Old Globe, Hartford Stage, The Public Theatre, amongst others. Board member of WithAll, a non-profit organization on a fight to end eating disorders. BFA Ithaca College, MFA Yale School of Drama. Member of United Scenic Artists 829. @riwrdesign

CÉLINE ROSENTHAL , she/they

SIXTH SEASON (Director; Local Casting; Associate Artistic Director) is a Tony-nominated producer and “Key” member of The Ring Of Keys and New Georges Affiliate Artist. They are in their sixth season at Asolo Rep, having directed Camelot, The Lifespan of a Fact, Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, and co-directed We Need a Little Christmas with Michael Donald Edwards.

Céline has developed new work with NYMF, The New Georges, The Musical Theatre Factory, The Kidoons, Tamasha, and National Queer Theatre, as well as creating Asolo Rep’s premiere new work series, Asolo Rep Ground Floor. Other recent projects: Trayf (New Rep); Drowning in Cairo (N.Q.T); A Doll’s House, Spike Heels (Studio Theatre); Motherf**ker with the Hat (FSU/Asolo Conservatory); the award-winning short film Wildflower. Céline was a member of the 2018/19 MTC Directing Fellowship class and was awarded an SDC Observership and Asolo Rep Directing Fellowship. They are an alumnus of the Commercial Theatre Institute, BMI Lehman Engel Workshop, NYU Tisch (BFA), and The New School for Drama (MFA). Célinerosenthal.nyc

NIA SCIARRETTA , she/her

ELEVENTH SEASON (Production Stage Manager) Favorite Asolo Rep credits include stage manager for Knoxville, The Great Leap, The Sound of Music, Into the Breeches, The Music Man, Sweeney Todd, Sweat, Shakespeare in Love, Roe, and the 202021 Terrace Stage season, as well as assistant stage manager for Rhinoceros, Guys and Dolls, All the Way, South Pacific, and Hero: The Musical. Previous off-Broadway credits include work on Jesus Hopped the A Train, In the Blood, and The Wayside Motor Inn at the Signature Theatre. Nia has also worked with Creede Repertory Theatre, the Hangar Theatre, the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, the Flea Theatre, and Penguin Rep.

DEE SULLIVAN, she/her

FOURTH SEASON (Costume Designer) is so grateful to be a part of Asolo Repertory Theatre’s 2022-23 season! She obtained her BA in Theatre with an emphasis in costume design at the University of Wyoming. Her recent costume design credits include The Learned Ladies (The Edinburgh Festival Fringe & FSU/Asolo Conservatory), The Smuggler (Urbanite Theatre), Everybody (FSU/ Asolo Conservatory), Camelot: In Concert (Asolo Repertory Theatre), Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 (FSU/Asolo Conservatory), A Midsummer Night’s

Dream (Asolo Repertory Theatre), The Thanksgiving Play (Urbanite Theatre), Theophilus North (Dog Days Theatre), Apples in Winter (Urbanite Theatre), and Wakey, Wakey (Urbanite Theatre). Thank you to Kris for her love and support. Also, a MASSIVE thanks to my theatre family in the Asolo Rep costume shop.

BINDER CASTING

(New York Casting) was founded 40 years ago and is now a part of RWS Entertainment Group. The office has cast 150+ Broadway, off-Broadway, and National Touring productions, in addition to countless national and international projects spanning both stage and screen. Binder is a proud 11-time recipient of the Artios Award for Excellence in Casting and is a supporter of Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS. The office holds a deep respect for their legacy, as well as a commitment to growth. To facilitate this growth, Binder has partnered with the Disruptive Equity Education Project (DEEP) to dismantle harmful practices and to carry this work into their organization, client relationships, and audition rooms. They acknowledge that the work is on-going and strive to do better. bindercasting.com

CLAIRE SIMON CASTING

(Chicago Casting) Claire and associate Cassidy Price have worked in Chicago and the Midwest for 5½ years. Claire and her team have cast for the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Writer’s Theatre, Indiana Repertory, Madison Rep, Milwaukee Rep, St. Louis Rep, Kansas City Rep, The Cleveland Playhouse, Asolo Rep, Syracuse Stage, Million Dollar Quartet in Chicago, and the Clarence Brown Theatre. TV: Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., Somebody Somewhere, Dark Matter, Proven Innocent, Easy, Empire. Recent films include Candyman. Claire has been nominated four times for Artios awards, winning in 2016 for Excellence in Casting for her work on Empire and in 2006 for Prison Break. A board member of the Illinois Production Alliance, she and her team also started an annual food drive 16 years ago called Meal for Monologues, to collect food for the homeless.

Staff Staff

ARTISTIC

Producing Artistic Director

Michael Donald Edwards

Managing Director

Linda DiGabriele

General Manager

Corinne Deckard

Associate Artistic Director

Céline Rosenthal

Literary Associate

Drayton Alexander

IDEA Specialist

DeWanda Smith-Soeder

Company Manager

Cameron Thorp

Artistic Administrator

Jessica Eckenrod

Assistant Company Manager

Gabi Simon

Literary & Casting Apprentice

Meredith Bartmon

Company Management

Apprentice

Meg Plunkett

BUSINESS OFFICE

Finance/Human Resources Director

Margot Curry

Human Resources Manager

Linda LaCaprucia

Staff Accountant

Anja Morehouse

Business Associate

Ellen Dudley

Systems Administrator

Aron Lamerson

DEVELOPMENT

Interim Development Director

Sarah Johnson

Special Events Manager

Tori Layton

Fellowships/Endowment

Associate

Angel Hissom

Corporate Partnerships

Associate

Molly Maginn

Development Associate, Data Integrity & Special Events

India Marie Paul

Development Associate, Foundation Relations & Individual Giving

John Anderson

EDUCATION & ENGAGEMENT

Muriel O’Neil Education & Engagement Director

Sara Brunow

Education & Engagement Coordinator

Elizabeth Guilbert

Community Engagement Associate

Gaby Rodriguez

MARKETING

Marketing & Communications Director

Angela Lakin

Graphic Designer

Wes Duvall

Graphic Designer

Joseph LaCrue

Marketing & Communications Coordinator

Adriana Muniz

Video Media Associate

Sophia Marquart

Marketing & Design Associate

Emily Goldstein

PATRON SERVICES Assistant Ticket Services Manager

Rachel Morris

Assistant Ticket Services Manager

Heidi Thomas

House Services Manager

Karen Collins

Customer Service Representatives

Terry Fazio, Savannah Heslep, Brian Kaplan

PRODUCTION

Production and Operations Director

Victor Meyrich

Production Manager

Mike Rodgers

Technical Director

David Ferguson

Associate Technical Director

Shane Streight

Scene Shop Foreman

Peter Macbeth

Assistant Shop Foreman

Mark Beach

Senior Properties Master

Frank J. Paul

Assistant Properties Master

Adam Spencer

Property Artisan

Bill Fenner, Allie Phillips

Scenic Charge Artist

Jo Ann Waters-Atkins

Assistant Scenic Artist

Peter Everly

Scenic Painters

Danielle Dygert, Erne Murphy, William Park, Orlando Sánchez

Scenic Craftsmen

Bill Atkins, Seth Berry, Rick Cannon, Kevin Englund, Taj Mederios, Quinn Nilon, Joshua Perry, Bert Taylor, Erwin Urias, Bryant Warkentine, Garrett Wilson, Dan Yerman

Safety Manager

Emily Damm

BACKSTAGE CREW

Master Stage Carpenter

Jeff Ellis

Master Sound Engineer

Matthew Parker

Audio 2

Sean Robinson

Audio 3

John Sullivan

Master Electrician

Ethan Vail

Assistant Electrician

Michelle Marcus

Wardrobe Supervisor

Jodi Urias

Wig Assistant

Lisa Dufresne

Theatre Properties Head

Christy Perry

Flyman

Christian Wadman

Grips

Vlastek Valla, Geovi Urias

COSTUME SHOP

Costume Shop Manager

David M. Covach

Assistant Costume Shop Manager

Jordan Jeffers

Resident Hair/Wig and Makeup Designer

Michelle Hart

Lead Draper

Laine June Marr

Drapers

Jessica Hayes, Skyler Niedziela

Lead Cutter/First Hand

Teresa Consolvo

Cutter/First Hand

Kris Grooms, Wes Wyman

Lead Stitcher

Maureen Klein

Stitchers

Meg Carlson, June ElisabethTaylor, Cassidy Van Brink

Crafts Artist

Sarah Cox

STAGE MANAGEMENT

Production Stage Manager

Nia Sciarretta

Stage Managers & Assistant

Stage Managers

Alexa Burn, Jaclyn Kanter, Kristin Loughry, Jynelly

Rosario, Jacqueline Singleton

ADDITIONAL PRODUCTION SUPPORT FOR Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Chad Eric Murnane, CSA; Amber Snead, CSA Jarrett Reiche; Kyle Coker; Anthony Pichette, CSA Part of RWS Entertainment Group Ryan Stana, CEO

Graduate Costume Assistant Amanda Jones Child Supervisor Hannah Owen

Directing Fellow Marlo Rodriguez

Graduate Scenic Assistant Dominique Zaragoza

Asolo Rep Associate Artistic Director

Céline Rosenthal performs many roles in a season, from casting to season planning to directing. All of those roles converge in Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Literary Associate Drayton Alexander recently chatted with Céline about that.

Drayton Alexander: Katie Forgette’s play is an outrageous and heart-warming comic story. Why did you and Michael Donald Edwards want to share this with our audience?

Céline Rosenthal: We’re always looking for comedies, especially ones that explore a meaningful human experience. With Our Lady, I loved that it was exploring a mother-daughter relationship with humor, wit, and heart, which is surprisingly rare. The territory of fathers and sons is well trodden within the Western canon, but we don’t have as many stories of mothers and daughters, and the ones we do have are often deeply tragic. I was excited to find a mother-daughter story that was grounded in love and captured so many levels of that relationship. I felt a quick connection to this play.

DA: What created that connection?

CR: I saw my mom in Our Lady: in 1973, she was in Catholic grammar school. There are so many moments in the play that remind me of things that my mom and my aunt told me about being taught by the nuns, and about the stature that the parish priest held in their neighborhood, and about their experience of being young women in that era when things were changing. Birth control was available, women were wearing pants, and all this progressive stuff was happening around them. But at the same time, my mom and my aunt missed a lot of that, because they were still in a Catholic girls’ school with a conservative father who wouldn’t let them wear their hair too long, because they’d look like hippies.

DA: A lot of folks in the audience will have vivid memories of the 1970s. How do you bring that world to life for them in a way that feels authentic?

CR: I think that it’s about the specificity of the world we’re creating. When I talk to people about their lives, it’s not the big historical events that stand out to them. It’s the things that they were touching, the things they were eating, the people they were with, the clothes they were wearing, and the things they smelled. So that’s part of what I want to bring into this piece, because it is a memory play. In the design, I was interested in not just the veracity of memory, but the way that when you remember something, it becomes that much more wonderful or horrible, because our brains instantly move to hyperbole.

DA: Do you trust memory?

CR: No, but I think that’s what’s delightful about it. I’m a science geek, and the psychology of memory is fascinating, because each time we remember something, we rewrite that memory. We may only change it by one or two percent, but each time we remember, it’s one or two percent more. And as these

tiny things shift, what you’re left with may not be the absolute truth, but it is a deep emotional truth. I think that’s what we want to trust in this play: the emotional truth of this moment, even if maybe some of the facts are fudged.

DA:There can also be a reverse process, where getting older changes our understanding of what we lived through, and that complicates our memories.

CR: Which I think the play speaks to beautifully. The most powerful parts for me are the moments where, with her adult perspective, Linda acknowledges some regret over how she acted, where she thinks, “when I was 19, I didn’t know this about my mom, I couldn’t have comprehended this part of my parents’ relationship, and I should have been nicer.” I think there’s something incredibly universal about the tangle of emotions we hold towards our parents – and that they hold for us.

DA: And while the play is a comedy, it gets into some serious places, and I think one of those is the question of the responsibility that we owe to our parents, or that they owe to us, as we all try to keep this world moving forward.

CR: I love that this play approaches that specifically through the lens of how we talk about women’s bodies – or maybe, how for so long, we didn’t talk about them. When we look at the generation that’s represented by the parents in this play, they come from a place where they weren’t really taught about their bodies, where their periods were mysterious, and that’s the generation that grew up and became the Betty Friedans, they’re the ones who wrote Our Bodies, Ourselves. And then Linda and Becky’s generation benefited from coming of age with some of their parents having a different perspective on how they were going to introduce that information to their children, and then that generation helped create our world, where that information is readily available on Google. There’s a string of knowledge that gets handed down, generation by generation, and it’s brought us to a point where, hopefully, we feel comfortable talking about women’s bodies and laughing at how difficult it used to be.

DA:What is exciting for you as an artist in directing comedies?

CR: The most human experience, the most universal experience, is laughter, and laughter is a way to crack open people’s hearts. I would be incredibly happy if people see the show and then afterwards feel like they want to call their mom, their dad, their kids, their grandparents, or their dear friends. I hope people come away with an appreciation for the relationships that we have with our families.

Working in REP

REPERTORY is the oldest producing model of Western theatre. It dates back to the era of the ancient Greeks, when small companies of actors would tour across the lands, performing four or five different plays in the course of one engagement at a theatre. This was an economical and efficient way to bring audiences a wide variety of stories while offering actors a chance to express their creativity in multiple roles. The repertory model would be the norm for two millennia, until changes in theatre technology led to the current dominant model, in

which actors perform in one play at a time. Modern repertory can still be found at theatres like the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Shaw Festival, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and, of course, Asolo Repertory Theatre, which cater to an audience with a high number of seasonal residents and theatre tourists. By using this model, Asolo Rep is able to offer our patrons the breadth of a full season in just a few weeks, putting the plays into direct conversation with each other and challenging our excellent company of actors to truly flex their muscles.

2023 REP Season Actors at a Glance

ACTOR'S NAME

JOE AYERS

Inn Keeper & Ensemble

LA SHAWN BANKS* Treville

DREAA KAY BAUDY Constance

ERNEST BENTLEY*

KENDRA JO BROOK*

LISE BRUNEAU*

WILLA CARPENTER

MACARIA CHAPARRO MARTINEZ Fache & Ensemble

CHRISTIAN DOUGLASS

CHRIS DUVAL* Rochefort & D’Artagnan’s Father

SUZANNE GRODNER*

RAY HUTH Aramis

TRACIE LANE* Milady

TRACEY CONYER LEE*

DEAN LINNARD* Porthos

ZOYA MARTIN

CANDICE MCKOY*

ERIN O’CONNOR ≠ Sabine

PETER S. RAIMONDO King Louis XIII & Ensemble

MARK ROSE* Ravanche

JASMINE RUSH* Abbess & Ensemble

Henrietta Leavitt

Williamina Fleming

Peter Shaw

Annie Cannon

Reginald Mabry

La’trice Franklin

Kenny Mabry

Josephine “Jo” O’Shea

Becky O’Shea

Theresa “Terri” Carmichael

Baneatta Mabry

Logan Leibowitz

Margaret Leavitt

Brianna Jenkins

Linda O’Shea

Beverly Jenkins

JAY RUSSELL* Cardinal Richelieu Mike O’Shea/Father Lovett/Betty Heckenbach

LEIGHTON SAMUELS* Athos

EVAN STEVENS D’Artagnan

SYDNEY STORY Septime & Ensemble

MARTHA VELEZ-REID

JERALD WHEAT Duke of Buckingham & Ensemble

Grandmother O’Shea

Ken Ludwig's THE THREE MUSKETEERS SILENT SKY CHICKEN & BISCUITS INCIDENT AT OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP

*Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Equity Association

You’ve always been OUR Perpetual Help!

Ticket income covers approximately 50% of the costs of producing our world-class theatre, made in Sarasota. We have been fortunate to have the support of patrons like you who purchase subscriptions, single tickets, and even arrange for group theatre outings. But the other portion of our budget is made up of voluntary contributions, and we’re asking you today to consider making a tax-deductible donation to Asolo Rep to help sustain our work on the stage and in the community.

Thank you to our donors for your new and increased gifts.

(Gifts pledged or received for the 2022-2023 season between August 1 and January 25.)

Co-Producers

Leon and Marysue Wechsler

Corporate Partners

Dakota Biotech

Gulfside Bank

Harvard Club of Sarasota

Mama G’s Coffee Bakery

99 Bottles Tap Room and Bottle Shop

Artistic Excellence Society

Anonymous

Charles O. Wood III and Miriam

M. Wood Foundation

Walt and Pam Hunt, in loving memory of Maurie Richards and Jack Kesler

Diana Lager

Cornelia and Dick Matson

Richard and Gail Rubin (additional gift)

Bayne and Jeanie Stevenson

Paul and Sharon Steinwachs

Blair Trippe and David Harding

Donald and Susan Ullmann

Judy Zuckerberg and George

Kole, in honor of Michael Donald Edwards

Directors Society, Ovation

Stephen and Jill Bell

Directors Society, Bravo

Anonymous (2)

Georgia and Terry Anderson

Suzanne Batt

Dr. Nancy Boxill-Thompson

George and Susan Brooks

Marcia and Michael Corrigan

Meredythe G. and Clayton C. Daley, Jr. Family Fund

Doug and Kathy Engebretson

L'Tanya Evans

Ed and Patsy Garno

Javier Granthon

Karen W. Harris, in memory of Bert M. Harris

Tom and Linda Klein

Dorothy Lawrence

Ann Z. Leventhal and Jon Newman

Burgess Levin and Mary Saily

Jerome Levy

John and Judith Lynch

Joyce and Jim McAlpine

Ingrid Nutter

Professional Facilities Management, Inc.

Martin D. and Barbara H. Rich Family Charitable Foundation

Andrew Roberts

Vinod and Gail Sahney

Mary Stanclift-Hirsch, in loving memory of Ray and Dorothy Stanclift

John and Charlotte Suhler

Partnership with FSU/ Asolo Conservatory

Doug Bradbury (additional gift)

Gary Cook

The Elster Foundation

Edward T. Gardner PH.D. and Liza Gardner

Barbara Jacob (additional gift)

George and Jane Morgan

Bob and Sharon Reitsch

Education and Engagement

Mary Braxton-Joseph and Ambassador James Joseph

Shirley Fein

Barbara and Tom Gardner

Walt and Pam Hunt, in loving memory of Maurie Richards and Jack Kesler

Betsy and John Kane-Hartnett, Janet and Stanley Kane Foundation

Cornelia and Dick Matson

Blair Trippe and David Harding

Celestial Angels

Anonymous (2)

Mr. and Mrs. Alden Abraham

Stanley and Donna Ber

A. Scott Bushey

Neal Colton

Donald Fosselman

Don and Amy Friedrich

Joe and Leslie Grabowski

Kitty and Hanford Gross

Dr. and Mrs. William B. Grubb Jr.

William and Sandra Heerman

Audrey Heimler

Mr. and Mrs. Frazer Hilder

Sherry and Edwin Holstein

Gary Kauffman

Ms. Terry Kees and Mr. Terrance Defibaugh

Diane and Mel Kestner

Ron and Joan Lazzaro

Evie and Allen Lichter

John Miller

Michael and Janice Novello

Emilie Wood Robinson

David and Judith Schiffman

John Smeallie

Waterloo Fund

Irving Weiser

Dr. Norman and Jeanne Winston

Sora Yelin, in memory of Cary F. Yelin

Ms. Diane Ziemke

Attendant Angels

Anonymous (2)

George and Deborah Baxter

Douglas and Janine Cohen

Steven and Arlene Cohen

Jill Considine

Linda and Gene Crump

Drs. Michael and Ann Day

Bill Forester

Mrs. Otto J. Glasser

Drs. David and Pearila

Namerow

Dr. and Mrs. James D. Oggel

Fran and Wiley Osborn

Carol Papish

Peter and Mary Ann Pearson

Toby Port

Alan L. and Barbara J. Saabye

Cynthia Smyth

Ms. Mary Swanton

Stanley Zielinski

Spirit Angels

Dr. Jameel Audeh

Dr. Brenda Brown

Duncan Brown

Mrs. Robert Warren Davis

Nancy Eisenstat

Thomas A. Esposito

Mr. Robert Gould

Joyce Hart

Tina Hatch

Susan and Pavel Hillel

Jean and Ted Ingersoll

Dawn and Tim Jackson

Edward Keon

Marlene Kitchell

Linda Miller and Mitch Lee

Dawna Oneal-Groom

Florence Paul

Peter Rittner

Dr. and Mrs. Robert Rosenbluth

Mark Anthony Smith

Marilyn S. Weinstein

Asolo Rep Endowment Fund

Susan Buck, in memory of

Warren Coville

Susan Buck, in memory of Edward Winnick

The DeCecco Family, in memory of Dominic DeCecco

Jaime and Julie DiDomenico

Broadway Begins Here, Asolo Rep Capital Fund

Donna and Jon Boscia

Lynn Chancer

Beverly L. Koski

Joyce F. Menschel

Marge and Bill Sandy (additional gift)