The Lifespan of a Fact

2023/2024 season INTIMATE. INCLUSIVE. INSPIRING. GET IN.

BY JEREMY KAREKEN & DAVID MURRELL AND GORDON FARRELL BASED ON THE BOOK BY JOHN D’AGATA AND JIM FINGAL DIRECTED BY JESSICA HOLT† †

STARTS JUN 21, 2024

Dear FriendsWelcome to the final production of Aurora’s 2023/2024 Season! I’m so pleased to close out the season with this based-on-real-life story that asks big questions with a tremendous amount of wit and humor.

I’m also pleased to introduce our audiences to director Jessica Holt, making her Aurora directorial debut. I’ve known Jessica for many years, and have always admired her talent, her uncanny ability to ask the right questions, and her facility for creating a fun and creative environment for her ensemble of artists.

We live in a moment where facts are under assault. We’re seeing lies being spread for political gain by public figures, while misinformation and disinformation spread like wildfire on social media. We’ve reached a point where people choose which facts they want to believe. This is quite obviously a dangerous situation, and an increasingly tragic one.

At the same time, human beings understand the world through stories – not through facts. Our brains are built to remember a narrative. No matter how many times we fact-check a falsehood, that information is always less compelling than the story the falsehood creates. Obviously this is a problem when setting public policy or making a vote, but in other ways it’s a part of what makes us human. Theatre is all about telling stories that reveal deeper truths; about ourselves, our history, our world. Whether those stories are factually accurate has little bearing on the truth they may reveal.

Such is the dilemma that celebrated essayist John D’Agata and entry-level factchecker Jim Fingal fell into around “What Happens There,” D’Agata’s essay about a teen suicide in Las Vegas. John’s essay beautifully explored truths about his community and our society, but Jim quickly discovered that John changed the facts to better suit the deeper story he wanted to tell. The real Jim and John spent seven years wrestling over the essay, eventually publishing it as a book – including Jim’s fact-checking page by page – in 2012.

Fortunately for us, the stage adaptation compresses the timeline – playing fast and loose with the facts – to make for a compelling night of theatre. I’m so pleased to share it with you this evening.

Thank you all for being a part of the Aurora family.

Enjoy the show!

Josh Costello ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

PLACE New York City and Las Vegas.

Josh Costello

T H E AT R E C O M PA N Y

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Robin Dolan & Nicole Elise Schulz CO-MANAGING DIRECTORS

A U R O R A T H E AT R E C O M PA N Y P R E S E N T S

BY JEREMY KAREKEN & DAVID MURRELL AND GORDON FARRELL BASED ON THE BOOK BY JOHN D’AGATA AND JIM FINGAL DIRECTED BY JESSICA HOLT†

THE CAST

ELIJAH ALEXANDER*....................................................................................................................... JOHN HERNÁN ANGULO*...............................................................................................................................JIM CARRIE PAFF* �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������EMILY

UNDERSTUDIES TIM GARCIA........................................................................................................................................... JIM JENNIFER MCGEORGE* ................................................................................................................. EMILY ROBERT PARSONS*..........................................................................................................................JOHN

CREATIVE TEAM JESSIE AMOROSO** COSTUME DESIGNER RUSSELL H. CHAMPA** LIGHTING DESIGNER BROOKE COX ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER TEDDY HULSKER SOUND / PROJECTION DESIGNER

VINCENT KHIẾT CHÂU LEAD PROPS KATE NOLL SCENIC DESIGNER SCOTT REARDON* STAGE MANAGER ZOE SWENSON-GRAHAM FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER

ASSOCIATE SEASON SPONSORS CRAIG & KATHY MOODY

ASSOCIATE SPONSORS

ELLEN & BARRY LEVINE PATRICK LANEY & KINMAN TONG Aurora Theatre Company gratefully acknowledges the following foundations and government agencies for their support: City of Berkeley Civic Arts Program & Civic Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Arts, Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, and The Shubert Foundation.

THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT was originally produced on Broadway by Jeffrey Richards, Norman & Deanna Twain, Will Trice, Barbara H. Freitag, Suzanne Grant, Gold/Ross Productions, Jamie deRoy, Jennifer Manocherian, Barbara Manocherian, ManGol Productions, Carl Moellenberg/Wendy Federman, Ken Greiner, Van Kaplan, Dominick LaRuffa Jr., Marc David Levine, WitzEnd Productions, Eric Falkenstein/Moreland Mott, Caiola Productions, Remmel T. Dickinson, & Jayne Baron Sherman

Special Thanks to John & Molly Gordon

†

*Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers, The Director is a Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union.**United Scenic Artists Member

D R A M AT U R G Y

Jim Fingal (left), John D’Agata (right). Photo from “‘Lifespan Of A Fact’: Truth And Consequences “. NPR.ORG

FEELINGS ARE NOT FACTS. DOES THAT MATTER?

BY DAWN MONIQUE WILLIAMS

There is a popular ice breaker, often played as a theatre game, “Two Truths and a Lie.” Each participant shares three statements: two true and one fabricated. The goal is for the single lie to be indistinguishable from the two truths. Levi Presley, a 16-year-old young man, died by suicide in 2002. Together, John D’Agata and Jim Fingal authored the book The Lifespan of a Fact chronicling their seven-year journey with D’Agata’s article on Levi’s life and death. This play, Lifespan of a Fact, is their story.

In 2003, Harper’s rejected D’Agata’s Presley essay, “What Happens There,” so he took the piece to The Believer where he first met Jim Fingal. D’Agata’s interest was in telling Levi’s story, not reporting on his death. D’Agata is not a journalist, he is an essayist. One, he believes, with the privilege to sublimate or alter “reality in the service of a better reading experience.” This is what D’Agata shared in a conversation with Ben Marcus in 2011.

Fingal was an intern in 2003, tasked with fact-checking D’Agata’s essay. In the spirit of journalistic integrity, Fingal held fast to his beliefs that facts matter, and questioned D’Agata over details of the story. After seven years of debate, editing, and compromise, The Believer published the article and D’Agata released his monograph, About a Mountain. In this work of literary nonfiction, D’Agata weaves Levi Presley’s story with that of the Yucca Mountain Project and dispute.

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D R A M AT U R G Y

About a Mountain and its generative process sparked questions and controversy about the role of fact in creative nonfiction.

Academics have termed this style of writing as the fourth genre. The first three are fiction, poetry, and drama. This fourth genre pulls elements of the first three into the art of nonfiction (an oxymoron given that nonfiction, etymologically, is the opposite of art). Creative nonfiction gives the author a wider berth, opportunities for a little flair, and certainly some license. But just how much? That is what dramatists Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell, and Gordon Farrell were interested in exploring when they set out to adapt D’Agata and Fingal’s The Lifespan of a Fact.

While D’Agata and Fingal’s book is, in many ways, a performance of their seven-year collaboration, it is not a playscript, Kareken and Murrell had to craft that on their own. The drama, as a written form, has held its place as the third genre for well over 2,500 years. It has always been a site for fictive storytelling; a place where the imagination is free to roam; wish fulfillment and fantasy can collide with lofty ideas and unanswerable questions. For Kareken and Murrell there was a hilarity in the faceoff of “unstoppable force and immovable object” (as they have characterized John and Jim).

This essay opened with two truths and a lie. The lie is that the play is John D’Agata and Jim Fingal’s story. It is not, it is inspired by their relationship, their book, and their stances on fact and poetic truth. The play is “based on a true story,” but D’Agata and Fingal agree that the only thing they share with these characters are names. Kareken, Murrell, and Farrell take their inspiration from the experience of John and Jim but drop their avatars in a pressure cooker, compressing years of email exchanges to an all-nighter in Vegas. The characters tease semantics, challenge power dynamics, and present worthy arguments on all sides. What does the truth have to do with facts? The play offers an invitation for readers and audiences to decide.

Levi Presley was real, he lived, and, at 16 years old, he died by suicide, falling 1,149 feet from the 109th floor of the Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas. For more information scan QR codes.

LINK TO JOHN D’AGATA’S ESSAY “WHAT HAPPENS THERE,” PUBLISHED IN THE BELIEVER

LINK TO FRANCES HENDERSON’S DOCUMENTARY THIS MUCH WE KNOW, WRITTEN BY JOHN D’AGATA 5

C O M M U N I T Y PA R T N E R S

Aurora Theatre Company’s

Community Partners Program

Aurora Theatre Company’s Community Partners program connects each of our productions to a partner organization, grounding Aurora into the life, work, and culture of our community. By sharing resources between Aurora Theatre Company and our partner organizations, we build lasting relationships that further our mission and yours while strengthening our community in Berkeley, the East Bay, and the Bay Area.

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Affinity NIGHTs

Post-show discussions

On Fridays, we invite a specific group to come together and enjoy community in the Aurora space through the shared experience of playgoing. While all are welcome to any performance, these nights are meant to provide a safe and intentional experience for these specific cross-sections of our community.

Post-show discussions are hosted after the show on the select days listed below. Discussions will be led

by Aurora staff, or members of the Creative Team, who may be joined by the actors, director, community members, or local storytellers.

JUNE 21 - College Night

FRIDAY - JUNE 28

JUNE 28 - LGBTQIA+ Night

TUESDAY - JULY 2

JULY 12 - BIPOC Night

WEDNESDAY - JULY 10

JULY 19 - AAPI Night

THURSDAY - JULY 18

CAST

ELIJAH ALEXANDER*

(JOHN) is currently filming

and Tiny Alice (Marin Theatre Company), The Other Place (Magic Theatre), The Big Meal (San Jose Rep), and Joan Rivers: A Work in Progress (Leicester Square Theatre, London).

Carrie holds a master’s degree from New York University. She can be heard in Pixar’s Finding Dory, The Good Dinosaur, and Lamp Life.

Season 5 of The Chosen where he plays Atticus Aemilius. He recently wrapped a rep run at The Utah Shakespeare Festival as Timon in Timon of Athens and Tullus Aufidius in Coriolanus. He continues to tour with his work The Mitzvah Project, a socialjustice themed educational program/one man performance piece. TV/Film - Mr & Mrs Smith, Amazing Love, Awake, Touch, Summerland, JAG, Emily’s Reasons Why Not, and So Notorious. Broadway - Mary Zimmerman’s Tony Award Winning Metamorphoses. Royal Shakespeare Company - John Barton’s Tantalus directed by Sir Peter Hall. Regionally - Camp David, Public/Alley Theatre, Guthrie, Berkeley Rep, NYTW, Yale Rep, ATC, Mark Taper, 5 seasons at The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, 5 Seasons at the Utah Shakespeare Festival and 3 Seasons at the California Shakespeare Theater, and ACT Theatre in Seattle (Gregory Award for Best Male Performance of the Year in Ayad Ahktar’s The Invisible Hand). He’s a Fox Fellowship Award Winner and a graduate of The Yale School of Drama. www.elijahalexander.net

Bay Area based actor. He was most recently seen in Heroes of the Fourth Turning at Los Altos Stage Company. He has performed with New Conservatory Theatre Center, TheatreFIRST, SF Playhouse, Cal Shakes, Theatre Rhinoceros, Custom Made Theatre Company (SFBATCC nomination), Shotgun Players, Brava Theatre Center, Douglas Morrison Theatre, Boxcar Theatre, Z Space Studio, Coastal Repertory, Pacifica Spindrift Players, Left Coast Theatre Company, The Pear Theatre, Perspective Theatre Company, and Foothill & Ohlone Colleges. He studied at San José State University (B.A., Theatre), and also works in arts administration. EMC. tim-garcia.com

HERNÁN ANGULO* (JIM)

JENNIFER MCGEORGE*

is thrilled to be making his Aurora debut. His regional theater credits include: Arena Stage, Berkeley Rep, American Conservatory Theater, and Perseverance Theatre. Hernán is an alum from UC Berkeley and A.C.T.’s MFA program.

CARRIE PAFF* (EMILY) is

thrilled to return to Aurora where she has previously appeared in The Real Thing, This Is How It Goes, A Delicate Balance, Collapse, Small Tragedy, and Betrayal.

Off-Broadway: About Alice (Theatre for a New Audience), Ideation (59E59). Regional: A Distinct Society (TheatreWorks, Pioneer Theatre Company), King Charles III and After the War (A.C.T.), The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin, Stage Kiss, and Stupid Fucking Bird (SF Playhouse), Double Indemnity (ACT Seattle), Holmes & Watson and Jekyll & Hyde (Arizona Theatre Company), A Streetcar Named Desire

TIM GARCIA (U/S JIM) is a

(U/S EMILY ) is thrilled to

be working with Aurora Theatre Company for the first time. Recent appearances include Mrs. Webb in Our Town (RVP), Phyllis in Aunt Jack (NCTC), Margery in Vinegar Tom (Shotgun Players) and Rosie in Mamma Mia! (Mt. Play Association). She has also worked with Livermore Shakespeare (SPARC), Berkeley Rep, Marin Shakespeare Company, Prospect Theater Company (NYC), McCarter Theatre Education Department, and Williamstown Theatre Festival, among others. Jennifer holds a BFA in Acting from Emerson College.

ROBERT PARSONS* (U/S JOHN) has been seen at

the Aurora in A Bright New Boise, and Private Jokes, Public Places.

Other Bay Area Credits include work at ACT, Berkeley Rep, Magic,

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C R E AT I V E T E A M

TheatreWorks, Marin Theatre Company, Marin Shakes, SF Shakes, SF Playhouse, Word for Word, Cutting Ball, San Jose Stage, and Shotgun Players. Regional and international credits include work at Ford’s Theatre, CTG Ahmanson, Alley Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, LA Theatreworks, HERE Arts Center, New York Theatre Workshop, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Sydney Festival, San Miguel Playhouse, and Teatro Santa Anna. Film: Sunday Errand, Freaky Tales, Fairyland, Interview With Traveler# 582, Freeland, and Prufrock. Founding member of Actors’ Reading Collective www.arcstream.org

JESSICA HOLT†

(DIRECTOR) is thrilled to

make her Aurora directing debut. Recent projects include Sense & Sensibility (The Cape Playhouse), The Great Leap (Oklahoma City Repertory Theater), Fun Home (River & Rail Theatre), Ironbound, The Code by The Kilbanes (American Conservatory Theatre), Uncovering Downtown by Jessica Holt & Mona Mansour (En Garde Arts), The Thanksgiving Play, Sense and Sensibility, Fun Home, Venus in Fur (Virginia Stage Company), The Resting Place, Bright Half Life, The Lily’s Revenge (Magic Theatre), Speech and Debate (Barrington Stage Company), Rich Girl (Florida Studio Theatre), The Daughters (San Francisco Playhouse), and Ugly Lies the Bone (Alliance Theater). She has developed and directed new work at Cape Cod Theatre Project, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Santa Cruz Shakespeare, Berkeley Rep, Rivendell Theatre, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Sewanee Writers Conference, among others.

MFA in Directing, Yale School of Drama.

Proud member: SDC. www.jessicaholt.org

GORDON FARRELL (PLAYWRIGHT) Trained as a playwright at the Yale School of Drama, Gordon received an MFA in 1986 and went from there to work with major Hollywood studios, initially as a story analyst for Warner Brothers and Columbia Pictures, and eventually as a screenwriter. He has written for hire and sold screenplays to Universal Pictures, Warner Brothers, MGM, and ITC. He has worked with Robert Simonds (producer of The Wedding Singer, Molly’s Game, Mile

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22); Neal Moritz (producer of XXX, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Fast & Furious) and Bruce Berman (producer of The Matrix, Three Kings, Mad Max: Fury Road). Working in independent film, Gordon has written for and sold projects to NYC indie producer Norman Twain (producer of Lean on Me, Boycott, My Dog Tulip). Gordon’s first independent screenplay, Girls Who Smoke, premiered in 2011. It went on to be an official selection at over a dozen film festivals, ultimately winning the Audience Choice Award in Seattle at the Post Alley Film Festival. As a playwright, from 2009 to 2013, Gordon worked with dozens of women on New York’s Lower East Side who wanted to tell their personal stories on stage. The series of monologue plays that grew out of it was called In The Red Room/ Every Woman Dances For Someone. In May 2019 the fully dramatized version, Girls Who Walked On Glass, played to SRO houses and rave reviews in Buffalo. His other plays have been produced in San Francisco, at the Alleyway Theatre, at the Yale School of Drama, and at Primary Stages in New York. He is the author of “The Power of the Playwright’s Vision,” published by Heinemann Press in 2001. It has been translated internationally and become a standard playwriting text at colleges and universities in North America, Europe, and Asia.

JEREMY KAREKEN (PLAYWRIGHT) is a

playwright living in New York and Baltimore. His short plays Hot Rod, Big Train, and 80 Cards have been performed around the country and internationally. He served as a speechwriter and policy analyst for two presidential campaigns. His awards include the Sewanee Conference’s Dakin Fellowship for Farblondjet, and Guthrie/Playwrights Center’s Two-Headed Challenge for The Sweet Sweet Motherhood.

The Hamptons Film Festival Screenwriters Conference selected Kareken and David Murrell for their horror-comedy script about haunted breast implants—THESE! Conquered the Earth!

In 2018, PlayPenn shortlisted Jeremy’s new political satire about an illiterate king, The Red Wool. Born and raised in Rochester, New York, and a graduate of the University of Chicago, he has taught at NYU, NYIT, the Actors Studio Drama School, and currently teaches at the Acting Studio—New York. A lifetime member of The Actors Studio, Jeremy occasionally acts and for 18 years served as the researcher for Bravo TV’s Inside the Actors Studio.

C R E AT I V E T E A M

DAVID MURRELL (PLAYWRIGHT) was born and raised in New York City. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School and the University of Chicago, currently lives in Queens, and has written a sea chest’s worth of TV and film treatments and spec scripts. Access Theater (NYC) and the Cleveland Public Theatre each produced his play Ductwork and the Hamptons Film Festival Screenwriters Conference selected his and Jeremy Kareken’s feature screenplay about haunted breast implants, THESE! Conquered the Earth! In 2019, the Outer Critics Circle co-awarded David its John Gassner Playwriting Award for The Lifespan Of A Fact.

JESSIE AMOROSO** (COSTUME DESIGNER) is

pleased to make his debut at Aurora with director Jessica Holt after many collaborations in San Francisco and online. Costume design credits at American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) where he serves as costume director include Testament, Ah, Wilderness!, Love and Information, Underneath the Lintel, Chester Bailey, John, Vietgone, Vietgone 2, dozens of MFA & YC productions, and next season’s Private Lives. At Cal Shakes he designed Romeo y Juliet, directed by KJ Sanchez. Bay Area theater design and styling credits include work at Center Rep, California Theatre Center, Julia Morgan Theater, Solano College Theater, Berkeley City Club, Marines Memorial Theater, Herbst Theater, and The Palace of Fine Arts. At Theatre Artaud/Z Space he designed Camus’ Caligula with Nancy Carlin and Round Heeled Woman starring Sharon Gless. Jessie is a graduate of California State University Hayward (Now CSU East Bay) and a member of United Scenic Artists local 829. In his spare time Jessie has volunteered many hours for Broadway Cares Equity Fights Aids, Broadway Bares NYC/SF, and the Richmond Ermet Aid Foundation.

RUSSELL H. CHAMPA** (LIGHTING DESIGNER)

Current and recent projects include Big Data, Fefu And Her Friends, and Wakey Wakey (American Conservatory Theater), The Diving Bell And The Butterfly (Dallas Opera), As You Like It, Romeo y Juliet and Macbeth (California Shakespeare Theater), Wintertime and Becky Nurse (Berkeley Rep), About Alice (Theatre for a New Audience), Everest (Kansas City Opera), and Thresh|Hold (Pilobolus). Broadway credits include China Doll (Gerald Schoenfeld Theater), In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)

(Lyceum Theatre/Lincoln Center Theater), and Julia Sweeney’s God Said “Ha!” (Lyceum Theatre). New York work includes Playwrights Horizons, Lincoln Center Theater, The Public Theater, Second Stage, Manhattan Theatre Club, MCC, Julliard, and New York Stage and Film. Regional work includes Steppenwolf, The Old Globe, The Wilma, Trinity Rep, Mark Taper Forum, and The Kennedy Center. Thanks J + J. PEACE.

BROOKE COX (ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER) is a director, writer, and stage manager from the Bay Area. She is delighted to return to Aurora for her third and final show this season. She holds a BA in Theatre and English from Willamette University and was a Fall ‘23 National Theater Institute Fellow at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. Their recent work includes Blue Door and Manahatta at Aurora Theatre Company, and The Triumph of Love and (trans)formada at Shotgun Players.

TEDDY HULSKER (SOUND / PROJECTION

DESIGNER) is a San Francisco Bay Area born multidisciplinary theater artist and artistic director/founder of Klanghaus, an experimental theater ensemble. He has been creating installations, plays, and hosting immersive events around the Bay Area since 2009. Favorite collaborations include Woyzeck at Shotgun Players, Pansy at NCTC, Into the Woods at San Francisco Playhouse, and The Great Big Also with Mugwump. He received the Landisman Fellowship for Emerging Designer in 2012 and has been awarded BATCC awards for his sound designs for the plays Warplay with theater company NCTC, Jesus Christ Superstar with Ray of Light, and for his projection design on Sunday in the Park With George with the San Francisco Playhouse.

He is currently performing in Prose and Confluence: A Queer Cowboy Musical which after completing a sold out Bay Area tour this spring will be performing at the San Francisco Fringe Festival. In addition to his theater work Teddy also runs a Dungeons and Dragons business Bay Area Role Playing Games which offers sessions for children, teens, and families. For more information about Klanghaus check out: https://klanghaus.art For more information about Bay Area Role Playing Games: https://bayarearpg.com 9

C R E AT I V E T E A M

KATE NOLL (SCENIC DESIGNER) is an award-winning scenic designer and visual artist. She loves opera and has designed productions at Juilliard, Yale Opera, BEMF, Yale Baroque Opera Project, Bard, and Heartbeat Opera. Additionally, she has designed theater productions across the US and abroad, at theaters such as Playwrights Horizons, Yale Rep, Berkeley Rep, Barrington Stage Company, and Shanghai Dramatic Art Center, among others. Kate also works as an installation artist with architects and curators, designing interactive environments for public libraries, rock concerts, and museums. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design she has studied in Rome, Amsterdam, and Paris. Living in New York, she designed for TV and film, and was a set and prop stylist for photoshoots. She has an MFA in Scenic Design from Yale School of Drama.

SCOTT REARDON* (STAGE MANAGER) Actor’s

Equity Association member. Actor/Stage Manager/Director/Producer. Bay Area native/local. Theatre: Beach Blanket Babylon (12+ years), TheatreWorks of Silicon Valley, Center Rep, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Musical Theatre West, 5-Star Productions, Fresno Grande Opera, PCPA Theatrefest, Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre, Oregon Cabaret Theatre, Presidio Theatre, Hillbarn, Disney Cruise Line, and Nickelodeon. Actor’s Equity Association’s Roger Sturtevant Award Winner.

Commercial: Visa, Samsung, Philips, Dell, Verizon, LinkedIn, Logitech, LG, Dolby, Google, Cisco Systems, Symantec, Garmin, Intuit, Polycom, Service Now, and more.

Education: B.A. Drama - University of California, Irvine - Honors in Acting and Musical Theatre; M.A. Special Education Alliant International University. www.ScottReardon.net

ZOË SWENSON-GRAHAM (FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER) is thrilled to work with

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Aurora Theatre Company for the first time!

She returned to the states in 2015 after living in London for nearly seven years, working as an actor and dancer, and trained as a stage combat instructor and fight choreographer.

Skilled in over a dozen weapons, Zoë served as stage combat choreographer and teacher around the UK, including the Royal Opera House, Soho Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe,

Guildford School of Acting, Royal Welsh College, and Southwark Playhouse. Since returning to the Bay Area, she has choreographed and taught with the American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Rep, Marin Theatre Company, San Francisco Playhouse, Hillbarn Theatre (SFBATCC nomination for fight choreography), Marin Musical Theatre Company (TBA Award finalist for fight choreography), Sierra Repertory Theatre, Mountain Play, and Shotgun Players, among others. Zoë is lucky to work as a director, teacher, dance and fight choreographer around the Bay Area.

JOSH COSTELLO (ARTISTIC DIRECTOR) is the

Artistic Director of Aurora Theatre Company.

Throughout his career, he has worked to make theatre more accessible for more people, sharing a passion for the visceral experience of live theatre with new audiences and underserved communities. He was the founding Artistic Director of Impact Theatre, which focused on audiences in their teens and twenties. As the Artistic Director of Expanded Programs at Marin Theatre Company, Josh created and administered several programs that built relationships with new audiences. At Aurora, Josh initiated student matinee and Community Partner programs and led a revision of Aurora’s mission to emphasize the theatre’s role as storyteller to the community.

Josh has directed Born with Teeth, Cyrano, This Much I Know, The Flats, Exit Strategy, The Importance of Being Earnest, Detroit, Wittenberg, and The Heir Apparent for Aurora, as well as the world premiere of Eureka Day, which won every Bay Area new play award. His world-premiere production of Aaron Loeb’s Ideation with SF Playhouse in both San Francisco and New York City won the Glickman Award for Best New Play in the Bay Area and the Theatre Bay Area Award for Outstanding Direction, and was named a New York Times Critic’s Pick.

Costello’s other directing work includes My Children! My Africa! at Marin Theatre Company, House of Lucky at Magic Theatre, and his adaptations of Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother and Aphra Behn’s The Rover. He was the Education Director at Marin Shakespeare Company, and a faculty member at Cal Shakes, ACT, SF Shakes, UC Riverside, Cal State Long Beach, South Coast Rep, and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Costello holds a BFA in Theatre from Boston University, and an MFA

C R E AT I V E T E A M

in Directing from the University of Washington, Seattle.

ROBIN DOLAN (CO-MANAGING DIRECTOR)

began working at Aurora as Audience Services Manager in 2013, was promoted to the Business Manager position in 2018, and is now serving as Co-Managing Director. Her prior Arts Administration jobs were with CalShakes and the SF Ballet. Robin served as Co-Artistic Director for Magical Acts Ritual Theatre from 2003 - 2005, and directed the devised piece Heretics, Harlots, and Heroes. Robin has fed her passion for dramaturgy by leading post show talks with audience members at Aurora, and pre-show Grove Talks at CalShakes. Robin has sung with the Oakland Symphony Chorus, the San Francisco Choral Society, the trio Moonrise, the California Revels, and the Spiral Dance Chorus (where she also was Music Director for 8 years). With MART and at conferences, Robin has taught classes on audition prep, singing, improvisation, and acting, and post pandemic has taught dramaturgy and ritual theatre classes at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre.

NICOLE ELISE SCHULZ (CO-MANAGING DIRECTOR)

specializes in Finance, Ops, and HR, and brings to her current role at Aurora Theatre Company 20+ years of experience as a nonprofit administrative professional. Nicole started at Aurora in the 2003/2004 Season. Over the 10 seasons that followed, Nicole played key roles in supporting the theatre’s tremendous growth. Her contributions were essential during the physical expansion of Aurora’s space as well as the multiple transitions of leadership over the years.

Nicole rejoined Aurora in March of 2020 during the COVID shutdown. In between she worked with The Nature Conservancy, CAL Alumni, became a mother, traveled, and wrote. Though an accountant by day, with an MA in Dramatic Art and BA in Modern Literature, Nicole is at heart a lover of storytelling in all its forms.

THE CASTING COLLECTIVE is a team of casting

directors with extensive experience and deep ties to the Bay Area theatre community. They have created and maintain the most comprehensive, regularly updated local talent database in the region. Casting locally is the predominant practice of the Collective. In the wake of the pandemic and the massive national call for greater EDI representation and prioritization, regional theatre has fundamentally changed. The Casting Collective is a response to this call for

change in the way theatres access, promote, and hire artists, in order to foster an anti-racist, inclusive, collaborative future.

Their purpose is to advance the interests of local actors and encourage institutions to explore, engage with, and hire from within this community instead of searching elsewhere for their talent. castingcollective.org

ELLEN & BARRY LEVINE (ASSOCIATE SPONSORS) freely admit that they are

long-time theater addicts and believe that this is a wonderful addiction. They have been sharing their theater passion for over 50 years not only in the Bay Area but also with annual visits to New York and, as often as possible, to London. These theatrical “pilgrimages” tie in perfectly with their great love of traveling throughout the world.

PATRICK LANEY & KINMAN TONG

(ASSOCIATE SPONSORS) are new supporters of

Aurora Theatre Company, with Kinman joining Aurora’s board in 2021. Both are avid supporters of the performing arts – where they had their first date at Orpheum Theatre, enjoying Wicked the Musical. As a partner at Moss Adams, Kinman has been excited to share his expertise in accounting and finance with Aurora – being on the finance committee. Aurora’s commitment to confronting and dismantling oppression aligns closely with Kinman and Patrick’s passion for creating inclusive and welcoming communities in their personal and professional circles of influence.

CRAIG & KATHY MOODY (ASSOCIATE

SEASON SPONSORS) believe live theatre can

be life-changing. They are distressed by the paltry government support of the arts in general and of theatre in particular in the United States. Accordingly, they encourage all who read this to donate generously to a theatre or theatres of their liking. Aurora would be an excellent place to start.

*Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers, †The Director is a Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union. **United Scenic Artists Member

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DONORS

ANNUAL FUND DONORS

Aurora Theatre Company extends its heartfelt appreciation to all of our generous annual fund donors, whose gifts enable us to provide a nurturing environment for theatre artists and to enrich the lives of our audience. For more information about giving to Aurora Theatre Company’s annual fund, please visit auroratheatre.org/donate, or email development@auroratheatre.org or call 510.843.4042 x308. Thank you! List is current as of May 21st, 2024.

PARTNER

$50,000 + Nina K. Auerbach Margaret & Matt Jacobson Rosalind & Sung-Hou Kim

COMPANION

$25,000-$49,999 Thomas W. Edwards & Rebecca Parlette-Edwards David Wood & Kathleen Garrison George & Candy Hisert Ellen & Barry Levine Craig & Kathy Moody Ed & Liliane Schneider Cindy & Stephen Snow Tom & Amy Worth

COLLABORATOR

$10,000-$24,999 Anonymous Donna Ano Wendy E. Jordan Kathy Roberts & Aaron Loeb Maris & Ivan D. Meyerson Sally Shaver Carolyn Weinberger Alison Teeman & Michael Yovino-Young

FAMILY

$5,000-$9,999 Gertrude E. Allen Kay & Ed Blonz Venus & Narsai David Broitman Basri Family Barbara & Ron Forsstrom Bonnie & Earl Hamlin Tamra C. Hege Gail & Bob Hetler Lyn C. Isbell Helen M. Marcus Henry Trevor & Elizabeth Werter Marcia & David Vastine

FRIEND

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$1,500-$4,999 Anonymous (2)

Alan Harper & Carol Baird David Nalley & Adrian Borrero Elizabeth Burwell Alexander Byron Christy Cameron Jane & Tom Coulter Diana Cohen & Bill Falik Nancy & Jerry Falk James & Jessica Fleming Dean Francis Mark Aaronson & Marjorie Gelb Sandra & Richard Gilbert Judith Glass Rafael Gonzalez Deborah & Howard Goodman Berkeley High School Development Group Karen & Ken Harley Birthe Kirsch Karen Hobbs & Mark R. Lillge Robert & Johanna Mandel Karen & John McGuinn Arnold Yip & Alison McLean Margo & Roy Ogus Ken & Kim Olofsen Ingrid J. Madsen & Victor Rauch Hillary & Jonathan Reinis Maxine E. Risley Joan Emery & Eddy Rubin Deborah Dashow Ruth Valerie Sopher Richard Sterling Lisa Taylor Sam Test Gail & Arne M. Wagner Sallie Weissinger Victor Willits Linda & Steve Wolan

NEIGHBOR

$100-$1,499 Anonymous (13) Ida & Myles Abbott James Abers Julie Ackerman Martha Salzman & Jay Aleck Abbey Alkon Kathy Allen Claire & Kendall Allphin

Hope & Noah Alper Ken & Joyce Altshuler Carlene & Richard Anderson Sara Armstrong Terry & Barbara Atlas John Atwood Alison Aubrejuan Stephen Twigg & Susan C. Aumiller Helen Hutchison & Lee Aurich Francine M. Austin Laura Jane Bailey Richard & Sandy Bails Barbara Barer Bobbi Baron Gail Hillebrand & Hugh Barroll Ruthanne Barulich Susan & Barry Baskin Gwen Costello Becker Kathryn Seligman & Stephen Bedrick Norman Abramson & David Beery James Helman & Josephine Bellaccomo Victoria C. Belco Marilyn Beller Elizabeth Benedict Alicia B. Benito Christine Berger Paula Hughmanick & Steven Berger Wendy & Robert Bergman Allan Chinen & Roy C. Bergstrom Susan & Ron Berman Steve Beuerman Nancy & Peter Bickel Carl & Fumiko Bielefeldt Barbara Anscher & Steve Binder Sophie Hahn & Eric A. Bjerkholt Sheryl Black Liam Blaney Terry Pink Alexander & John Blaustein Heather Bloch & Mark Briner Steven Goldberg & Sandee Blechman Adrian & Daniel Blumberg

DONORS

Bonnie G. Bogue William Bombria Thomas Bosserman Ruth & Michael Botchan Elizabeth Brady Emilie Talbot Brooks Donna Brorby Martha Brown Rick Brown Gail Offen-Brown Wayne Bryan Robert & Carin Bryans Caroline & Rande Burton Den Bush Jean Butterfield Adrian Byram Patricia Cahill Katherine Calvert Bruce Carlton Cassandra & James Carpenter John Carr Andrea & Michael Cassidy Steven & Karin Chase Anirvan Chatterjee Victor Chieco Geoffrey A. Clarke Pamela C. Haenke-Clark Gayle Dekellis & David Clayton Francoise Mauray & Ronald Clyman Susanne Stoffel & Michael Coan Christine Cochrane Ms. Sandra I. Blair & Dr. Carol Cohen June & Michael Cohen Marilyn & Richard Collier Adam Costello Janaki Fox Costello Janaki & Heine Costello Melissa A M Costello Lawrence R. Cotter Kasa L. Cotugno Gary & Diana Cramer Kathleen Crandall Lynn & Chris Crook Pat & Bob Cross Christina Crowley Ann O’Connor & Edward Cullen Clytia & Joseph M. Curley Scott Curtin Sheila Dalton Sue & Joe Daly Barbara & Timothy J. Daniels Judith W. Davis Lucille Lang Day Mary Hope Dean

Francisco Santamarina & Claire De Chazal Edward Decker David DeRose Kathleen Derrig Karen & J.P. Deshayes Louise Dibble Julia H. Diez Robin E. Dolan Sharon Dolan Geraldine Ann Dorman Susan Driscoll Tammerlin Drummond Laura Dubinett John Ehrlich Monika & David M. Eisenbud Alexandra Elliottt Roger & Jane Emanuel Carol Emory Margery Eriksson William Espey & Margaret Hart Edwards Nancy & Thomas Ewing Merle & Michael Fajans The Perttula Family Sandra R. Farkas Douglas Faunt Cheri & Barry Feiner Claudia H. Fenelon Karin L. Fetherston Krystyna Finlayson Rena R. Fischer Mitch & Carol Fleischer Mike & Lea Ann Fleming Cynthia Fleury Polly Quick & Judith Flory Linda Fogel Anne Darragh & David Ford Deborah Fox Molly & Harrison Fraker Sally Francis Elizabeth Salsburg & Jonathan Frank Harvey & Deana Freedman Tiffany Treece & William Freeman Sandra & Thomas Friedland David Fry The Leo J. & Celia Carlin Fund Leavitt Family Fund Anthony Fusco Kevin M. Gahagan Cathy Gale Marcus Gardley Helen Gerken Paul S. Gerken

Giedra Gershman Heidi Giordano Diane Glazer Kate Godfrey Charles Goetzl Karl Goldstein Margaret Goodman James E. Graham Beth Walker Gram Anita Grandpre Gretchen & Richard Grant John S. Gravell Josh Greenbaum Jane & Stephen Greene Judy & Sheldon Greene Susan & Robert H. Greenspan Elizabeth Groenewegen David & Susan Grote Adele S. Grunberg Rahul Gupta John B. Gussman Kathleen Haberer Lee Hackett Barbara Hadenfeldt Karen E. Hall Conn Hallinan Martia Nelson & Jay Harlow Oscar Anderson & Holly Hartley John Sweitzer & Joyce Hawkins Donna Lee Heinle Kenneth S. Hempel R. Konoff & B. Hermalin Dixie & Clifford Hersh Elaine Beale & Susanne Herting Jean Krois & Howard Hertz Woof Kurtzman & Liz M. Hertz Dan Hiatt Giulia Hill Nancy Friedman & Terry Hill Luke Hillman Marjorie Shapiro & Ian Hinchliffe Sharon Lange & Steve Hinkel Kathleen Hirooka Karen Ilene Hirsch Mark A. Hoffman Hawley S. Holmes Elaine Gerstler & Booker Holton Karen Houston Taylor Hudson Wade & Jane Hughan Nolan R. Hughes & Darcy A. Hughes Charles Mark Humbert Michael Iocca Gary & Carol Irwin Jacqueline Ivens

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DONORS

Christine Izaret Gabriella Calicchio & Michael Janes Deborah & Craig Janke Betsy Jasny Barbara E. Jones Nick & Sue Jones Jacob Judd Cheryl Guyer & Marty Kahn Robert & Kathleen Kaiser Dan & Valarie Kalb Richard Kalish Marylou Karp Carol Amyx & Donald Kaufman Janet Keller Gregory J. Kelly Patricia & Chris Kenber Margaret Kendall York Kennedy Marsha & Bob Kermish Martha & Michael Kessler Nancy Mennel & David Kessler Joan H. Story & Robert F. Kidd Beth & Tim Kientzle Chris D. Killion Marjorie Kirk Frances Wilson & Chris Knudsen Steven Silberblatt & Rita Kohl Martha Schimbor & Nancy Kornfield Diana & Jim Krampf Barbara Kuklewicz Peter J. Kuo Susan Kupfer Kathryn S. Martin & David J. Kurtzman Germaine Laberge David H. Laforge Judith Lamberti Joy Lancaster Llyana Landes David Landreth Gretchen M. Larsen Laura & Dan Leaverton Gretchen Leavitt Leslie Radin & Nic Leo Joseph Jackson & Joann Leskovar Jill & Ray L’Esperance Sandra Lessing Henry Levy John Leys Pam Dernham & Greg Linden Jennifer S. Lindsay Loren Dean Linnard 14

Bonnie Burt & Mark Liss Dan & Emily Loeb Eugenia Loken Mimi Wheiping Lou Paul Templeton & Darrell Louie Antonia Lozon Peter Luk Jonathan Luskin Annamarie MacLeod Alex Madonik Elene Z Manolis Mike Marion Jason R. Marks Christopher Marshall Ana Maria Martel Rebecca Kurland & Patrick Mason Liz Maw Claire & Paul Maxwell Shafer Mazow Joan McBrien Karen Rosenbaum & Ben McClinton Nan Toder & Dan McClosky Brad & Jennifer McCullough Robert McDowell Michael McGinley Karen J. McLennan Andrew Meisel Tracie Meloy John & Patricia Mengel Tim Gordon & Donna Mickleson Judith Wilber & Bob Miller Susan Moffat Laura A. & Larry Monin Cornelius Moore Diana Moore Everett & Julia Moore Thomas C. Moore Mark J. Powers & Albert E. Moreno Sabella Moreno Miriam Morgan Mike & Sharon Morris Sue Morris Lisa Morse Bergit Mueller Michelle Mulholland Karen Mullarkey Carol D. Muller Russell Nelson Anthony Nemirovsky Helen & John Neville Rachel & Ron Nissim Bob Guilbault & Molly G. Noble Joan Sullivan & Walter Norton

Rebecca Novick Thomas O’Brien Tyler T. Ochoa Emily Odza Virginia Ogle Roberta S. O’Grady Barbara & Phillip O’Hay Richard Olmsted Liam & Laura O’malley Rudell O’Neal Jim Gilbert & Susan Orbuch Patrick L. O’Reilly Christine Orr Vicki Oswald Thomas Owen Sylvia Pascal Kirk Patterson Barbara Schonborn & P David Pearson Robert P. Camm & Susan Pearson Margaret J. Perchert Linda Perkins Barbara Peterson Susan Y. Petit Gini Erck & David Petta Johanna Pfaelzer Henri Picciotto Linda Pinkoski Kelcey Poe Evan Painter & Wendy Polivka Sylvia & Perry W. Polk Zachary Polsky Marilyn Pomeroy Jessica & Jack Powell Genevieve Duboscq & Lynn Prime Madeline Daly Puccioni Caroline & Roger Purves Emily Radosevich Emily Jane Cohen-Ravezzi & Luca Ravezzi Virginia Reed Chip Rice Leonard Gabriele & John Richardson Helen Rigby Ann Riley Irene & Ed Rimer William Martin Roberts Craig Robieson David Roche William Rodarmor Ellen Rosen Steve & Linda Rosen Lawrence B. Rosenfeld

DONORS

Paula Rosenthal Susan & Robert Roth David Rovno, M.D. Yvonne Lalanne & Mark M. Rubenstein Susan Rubio Joshua Miele & Elizabeth Ruhland John Ruskin April & Jake Ruygt James Ryan Diane & Ed Ryken Kitt Saginor Rick Marcus & Andrea Saltzman Giovanna Sardelli Sylvia Saunders Thomas A. Savignano Susan Sawyer Gillian Scharff Danny Scheie Darlene Schumacher Jeff Sensabaugh Tanya Shaffer Laurie Shapley Sue Sheftel Sandra Keith & Bob Shephard Ginny Sidells Marsha Silberstein Barbara Silverberg Elizabeth Sklut Jacqueline A H. Smalley Neil & Sharin Smelser Betsy Smith Chris A. & Catherine Smith Chris & Jeff Smith Cleavon Smith Dennis Cress & Te Smith Peter & Ann Smith Sigrid Snider Eileen Soden Molly Aaronson-Gelb & Jonathan Spector Ronald & Dianne Spector Ruth MacNaughton & Harold Spencer Suzy Spradlin Helen Wickes & Donald J. Stang Laura Steinman Sally Stevens Anne & Douglas Stewart Bonnie Stiles Mark Chaitkin & P. Cecilia Storr Donna Straff Bruce K. Suehiro Rebecca Q. Nestle & Michael Suenkel

Scott Sugarman Tara Sullivan Jane & Robert Sullwold Jay Atkinson & Ariel Summerlin Mangal Swaminathan Judy Weiss & Stuart Swiedler Tom W. Swift Margaret T. Szabo Barbara Szudy Jane & Jay Taber Mark Takaro Marilee Talkington John Cunningham & Ying-Mei Tcheou Betsy Bigelow-Teller Donna Terman Frances M. Ternus Mary R. Thompson Nate & Rebecca Tico Fern Tiger Helaina Titus Mary Lou Torre Revan & Elsa Tranter Shirley & Michael Traynor Thomas W. Trent & Laurel I. Schaefer-Trent Charles & Heidi Triay Rosenthal-Murphy Family Trust Carolyn Uno Lucinda Valdes Stephen van Meter Gretchen vonDuering Kimberly Wadycki Craig & Elizabeth Wahl Susan & Brad Wait Arlene Waksberg Laurence Walker Kim Elise Walton Susan Ward Emily & Robert Warden Meredith J. Watts Margaret Webster David White & Rande Lee Webster Georganne Ferrier & Steven Weinberg Robert L. Weiner Margo Wesley Laurellee Westaway David W. Wheeler Richard Makdisi & Lindsay Wheeler Gail Wiemann Linda M. Wilford Judy Wilkinson Shelly Willard

Marilyn B. Willats Donna M. Williams Ann Willoughby Diane Wilson Barbara Lanier & John Wilson Jennifer Winch Fred D. Winslow Andrew Witkowski Susan & Harvey I. Wittenberg Delene Wolf Viviana Wolinsky Andy Steinberg & Laurie Wolkow William J. Woods Sally Woolsey Paul L. Wyman Nancy Yeechan Danuta Zaroda Sharran A. Zeleke Bess Zimmerman Fran Burgess & Sandor P. Zirulnik

COMMUNITY

$1-$99 Anonymous (8) Dale Albright Joan M. Allen Susan MacCharles-Anacker Jeni Anderson Stewart Applin Jane Ashland UCB ‘73-76 Alona Bach Maria Baird Janet Baker Debra Baldwin Stephanie Barnhill Rob & Lisa Bates David Brossard & Sally Beck Jodie Berger Lauren Berman Andrea Bernard Ann T. Binning Betsy Brazy Judith Brisby China Brotsky Linda Gallaher-Brown Barbara & Gerald Brunetti Nina & Frank Brunetti Linda & Tim Butler John A. Caldwell Kathie Campbell Lois L. Cantor Leah Carroll Shawna Casey 15

DONORS

Charley Amara Kali Lawson-Chavanu Lywen Chew Rose Cohan Renee Cheney-Cohen Janet Coleman Zipporah W. Collins Cecilia Alise Comparini George Anders & Elizabeth Corcoran Brenda Jean Corelis Adam & Felicity Cowlin Chava Craft Susan David Tom Diettrich Keith E. Doerge Angela Don Jean Dorrance Lauren Doyle Ian H. Duncan Elaine & Gregory Dunlap Christopher R. Dutra Elizabeth Duval Jack Dynis Laura Ernst The Grevenworth Family Schaffer Family Hal Fischer William Bennett Fisher Jake Fong Lisa Foust Joan Frenkel Christine Frick Jason Fuges DG Mitchell M. Gitin Michaela S. Goldhaber Steve Gomas Barbara Goodman Jane A. Goodwin Dorothy Gordon Nina Anne Greeley Sandra Green Natalie Greene Hollis Greenwood Stephen Hale Jennifer Hastings Rosemary Hegarty Jaclyn Higgs Marija & David N. Hillis Frances R. Hopson Elisabeth Houseman Estie & Mark Hudes Mitch Huitema Susan M. Jenny William Joyce 16

Johanna Kenney Edward Kimak Sasha King Ks Korpell Lisa Korwin Marilyn Langbehn Dottie Langthorn Carol Larsen Jennifer LeBlanc David Leonard Dean Linnard Barbara Loften Jane Lundin Carolyn Mahoney Pat Manley Wendy Markel Jill Cary Martin John Golding & Martin Mass Megan Mateosky Dyan McBride Maudie McCormick Caitlin McGarty Katherine McKenzie Julia McNeal Anthony Meixner Penny Mikesell Charles P. Miller Wayne Montoya Sarah Nell Morgan Jessica M. Munarolo Mr. & Mrs. Richard Murphy John J. Nagle Dirk Neyhart Stephen Nocita Philip O’Brien Maureen Oconnor Margaret Faye O’Day Evren Odcikin Susan Osgood Celena Peet Scott D. Phillips Wayne Phillips Ronald Alan Pike Evelyn Jean Pine & Doug Peckler Victoria Pohl Joyce Pollack Becky Potter Jo Ann & Buford Price Rachel E. Reader Peter Ewell & Helga Recke Matthew Reyes Anne T. Richards Terry Rillera Josh Rotenberg Vickie Rozell

Lewis & Gail Rubman Jessica Ruygt Bobbi Schear Holly Scheider Daniel & Amy Schiff Karen Schiller Paul Schmidt Elizabeth Schrey Luisa Maria Sermol Ted Shaner Cathleen Tracy Sheehan Neal Shorstein Mady Shumofsky Anne Sigmon Sharon Marie Silva Robert & Deborah Silvey Linda B. Breaux-Smith Kevin Clarke & Karl Patrick Soehnlein Brian E. Spencer Susan Stanley Carl Stein Laurence R. Stevens Cianna Stewart Bhuma Subramaniam Bruce Allan Thompson Tommy Amano-Tompkins Gary McDole & Sharon Toth Selma Meyerowitz & Malcolm Trifon Lisa A. Tromovitch Karen van Zandt Gabi von Ingersleben Susan Jane Wallace Jo L. Warner Wendy Warren Matt Weimer Ariel Weintraub Paul Werner Chris White Peter & Ann Whitehead Frances Ann Widejko Cristin M. Williams Verna Winters Jackie Yang Pik Yee Pam Young Lois Yuen Steve Zolno

DONORS Members of the Barbara Oliver Society for The Next Generation have designated Aurora Theatre Company in their estate plans, enabling us to serve not just you—our first-generation audience—but generations to come. For more information on how to make a charitable bequest or designate Aurora Theatre Company in your estate plan, contact the development office at 510.843.4042 x308 or development@auroratheatre.org. Thank you to the following members:

Anonymous (2) Gertrude E. Allen Nancy Axelrod Steven Beckendorf Norman Abramson & David* Beery Elizabeth Burwell Carol Emory Jacquelin Ewing Marge Glicksman* Candy & George Hisert

Ellen & Barry Levine Ines Lewandowitz* Sumner & Hermine Marshall* Margaret D. & Winton McKibben* Alison McLean Shelly Osborne Thomas W. Edwards & Rebecca Parlette-Edwards Gladys Perez-Mendez* Margaret A. Phillips

CORPORATE DONORS $2500 +

Betty Pigford* Tom Ross David Rovno Julianne H. Rumsey* Deborah Dashow Ruth Sylvia Saunders Valerie Sopher Lisa R. Taylor Janis Kate Turner Kathleen Garrison & David Wood *In Memoriam

$100-$999

Adobe Systems Incorporated+ ChevronTexaco+ + Matching Gift Program

FOUNDATION & GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

Aurora Theatre Company gratefully acknowledges these foundations and government agencies for their support:

California Office of the Small Business Advocate City of Berkeley Civic Arts Program The Queer Acceptance Fund of the Horizons Foundation

The Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust The Shubert Foundation Ronald Whittier Family Foundation The Wood Foundation

HONOR ROLL List is current as of May 21st, 2024.

In Memory of Sheldon Bornstein In Memory of Mr & Mrs Theodore Collins In Honor of Josh Costello In Honor of Robin Dolan In Memory of Marge Glicksman, Aurora Co-Founder and Mistress of Props In Memory of Marcia Renee Goodman In Memory of Ron Forsstrom In Honor of Otto Frank, as Portrayed by Josh Costello in 1988 In Honor of Lisa S Fry In Memory of William E. Jones In Honor of Juris Klavins In Memory of Jack Kirsch In Honor of Dean Linnard In Honor of Helen Marcus In Honor of Leontyne Mbele-Mbong In Memory of Pamela McKinstry

In Memory of Robert Meola In Honor & Recognition of Alan Miller In Memory of Denise Nolan In Memory of Barbara Oliver In Memory of Dorothy Orr In Memory of Jesús F. González & Carmen González Prieto In Memory of Leo P. Ruth In Memory of George Sensabaugh In Honor of Eric Sinkkonen, Scene Designer Extraordinaire In Honor of Jonathan Spector In Memory of Chuck Teller In Memory of Paul Veres In Honor of Margy Wilkinson In Honor of Dawn Monique Williams In Memory of David J. Williamson

IN-KIND DONORS

Aurora Theatre Company is thankful for the following donors who gave generous in-kind contributions of $100 and above.

List is current as of May 21st, 2024.

Ed & Kay Blonz Roberta Brooks

Samuela Evans Susie Sargent

We strive for accuracy in our program listing, but errors do occur. Please contact Development at 510.843.4042 x308 if you notice a discrepancy, and thank you very much for helping us keep our records as accurate as possible!

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CDO & SUPPORT

Give now. Give generously.

Together, we are Aurora.

As storytellers for our community, Aurora is a treasury: a plurality of voices and world views. Each of your unique perspectives and experiences is incredibly important to us: combined, they reflect the vast diversity of the Bay Area.

Your support today ensures Aurora will continue sharing works both old and new and classic that inspire each of us to laugh louder, think harder, and celebrate the many dimensions of the human condition. auroratheatre.org/donate Anna Ishida* and Rajesh Bose* in This Much I Know. *Member, AEA. Photo by Kevin Berne.

CONFRONTING & DISMANTLING OPPRESSION At Aurora Theatre Company, we use the phrase “Confronting and Dismantling Oppression” rather than “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion” because we recognize that this work must be active and ongoing. It is not a box to be checked: it is a continual and intentional process.

This work is an essential piece of Aurora Theatre Company’s intention to be the storyteller for our community. Thank you for being a part of this process with us.

Learn more about Aurora Theatre Company’s CDO initiatives and commitments at: auroratheatre.org/CDO

Sam Jackson, Lorri Holt*, Mia Tagano*, and Denmo Ibrahim* in Abi Morgan’s Splendour. *Member AEA. Photo by David Allen.

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T H E AT R E YO U R WAY

SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGES Get IN, where you fit in. Aurora offers a variety of subscription packages to meet our patrons where they’re at. Find a package that works for you and your lifestyle.

4-PLAY FLEX PASSES

All the benefits, zero commitment. Purchase an Aurora Flex Pass now and choose your plays and dates later.

4-PLAY SUBSCRIPTION

See any four shows in our season with a 4-Play Subscription. Choose your plays and dates at purchase.

SUBSCRIPTION & SINGLE TICKET DISCOUNTS

Aurora is committed to making theatre affordable to all. We offer a variety of subscription and single ticket discounts, including Pay-What-You-Can and Rush tickets. Check out all the discounts we offer at auroratheatre.org/discounts.

WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE 510.843.4822 | AURORATHEATRE.ORG | 2081 ADDISON STREET BERKELEY CA , 94704

AURORA DINING PARTNERS Eating out before or after the show? There are many great restaurants, bars and cafes close to the theatre.

Here’s a list of our favorites that provide special offers to Aurora Theatre Company Subscribers.

Please note that these special offers are only valid on the night of the performance and subscribers must present ticket(s) to their server before placing an order.

Find more details at: auroratheatre.org/dining-partners

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Are you a restaurant who would like to join our list?

Contact us at marketing@auroratheatre.org

COMING UP NEXT

Anna Ishida and Gianna DiGregorio Rivera in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. Photo by David Allen

BY NOËL COWARD DIRECTED BY JOSH COSTELLO†

STARTS

OCT 19

Five years into their supposedly happy marriages, Jane and Julia’s perfectly polished lives are thrown into delightful disarray when an old flame announces his sudden return to London. Past passions and present desires – along with generous helpings of champagne – send the two friends into a frenzy of anticipation, jealousy, and determination to choose their own destinies.

Set in the glamorous 1920s, this classic from the famously witty and charming Noël Coward is a hilarious excavation of the complexities of love and desire.

SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE AUGUST 1ST

†

AURORA THEATRE COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION BOX OFFICE Hours: Tues-Friday, 1pm-5pm Phone: 510.843.4822 Online: auroratheatre.org ADMINISTRATION 2081 Addison Street Berkeley, CA 94704 Phone: 510.843.4042 Fax: 510.843.4826 Follow us on socials @auroratheatrecompany

SUBSCRIPTION TICKET EXCHANGE

Free exchanges require at least 25 hours’ notice. Exchanges to a more expensive date require payment of the difference in ticket price.

Exchanges with less than 25 hours’ notice will incur a fee.

SINGLE TICKET EXCHANGE

Single ticket buyers may exchange tickets with at least 25 hours’ notice for a fee of $10 per ticket.

PERFORMANCES

For Wednesday evening and Sunday matinee performances, masks are required at all times while in the Aurora building. For all other performances masks are encouraged but not required. Smoking, including e-cigarettes, is prohibited. Please turn off all cell phones during the performance (and any other devices that could be distracting).

Photographs and recordings of any kind are strictly prohibited. No children under 5 permitted and every person entering the theatre must have their own ticket.

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A U R O R A T H E AT R E C O M PA N Y

AURORA PRODUCTION STAFF

AURORA STAFF

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Josh Costello

SCENIC PAINTER

Felicity Cowlin

ASSISTANT TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Kat Demith

ELECTRICIAN

Robin Dolan

LEAD ELECTRICIAN

Eli Harris

LX PROGRAMMER

Roman JohnDoza

REHEARSAL BOARD OP

Ulises Alcala, Kieran Beccia, Jessica Broitman, John Caner, Joy Carlin, Barbara Damashek, Rafael Jesús González, Robert B. Hetler, Malcolm Margolin, Helen Meyer, Alan Miller, Susan Moffat, Bob Oliver, Hilary Perkins, Hillary & Jonathan Reinis, M. Graham Smith, Steve & Cindy Snow, Jonathan Spector, Beth Wilmurt

Dayna Kalakau

TECHNICIAN

O+G ARTISTS

Venee Call-Ferrer

MARKETING ASSOCIATE

Jere Dominic Avila

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Emma Buechner

DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Nic Canditio

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Brittany Cobb

CO-MANAGING DIRECTOR

Sophia Craven

DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST

Darrel De La Rosa

ASSISTANT BOX OFFICE MANAGER

Mary Flandez

SENIOR DIRECTOR, MARKETING & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Janice Gartin

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

ELECTRICIAN

COSTUME CREW

Dee Miranda

Verena Lee

Jenn Ruygt

Charlie Mejia

Nicole Elise Schulz

Cindy Ngu

David Shultz

Ashley Renee

LX PROGRAMMER

PRODUCTION MANAGER CO-MANAGING DIRECTOR

COSTUME SHOP SUPERVISOR

BOX OFFICE MANAGER

BOX OFFICE ASSOCIATES

Zola Hanson Melissa Scheulin

Becca Salsburg-Frank LEAD CARPENTER

CASTING DIRECTORS

HOUSE MANAGERS

Lisa Klein Michael Mansfield Melissa Scheulin Linda Wu

The Casting Collective Kieran Beccia FOUNDERS

USHER COORDINATOR

Linda Wu

COSTUME SHOP SUPPORT

Dorothy Bryant Marge Glicksman Ken Grantham Barbara Oliver Richard Rossi

Christopher Chen Barbara Damashek Britney Frazier Felonious Margo Hall Cleavon Smith Jonathan Spector Beth Wilmurt SHOW ARTWORK BY

Eddie Colla VIDEOGRAPHY BY

Flying Moose Pictures SPECIAL THANKS TO

Scot Goodman Katherine Sanderlin FORMER ARTISTIC DIRECTORS

Barbara Oliver Tom Ross

*Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers,

BOARD OF DIRECTORS INTERIM PRESIDENT: Rebecca Parlette-Edwards | INTERIM VICE-PRESIDENT: Rosalind Kim INTERIM TREASURER: Tom Worth | INTERIM SECRETARY: Alan Edmond Miller Josh Costello | Robin Dolan | Nicole Elise Schulz | Kinman Tong

PAST BOARD PRESIDENTS IN ORDER OF SERVICE: Thomas Donovan | Grace Fretter | Ron Vincent | Judith Holland | David Wood Andy Cohn | Alison Teeman | Carolyn Weinberger | Robert B. Hetler | Ellen B. Levine Gary H. Moore | Joan Catherine Braun | Lance Gardner | Craig Moody 22

TOGETHER, WE CAN ENSURE THAT AURORA WILL CONTINUE PRESENTING INTIMATE, INCLUSIVE, INSPIRING THEATRE IN DOWNTOWN BERKELEY FOR ANOTHER 32 YEARS AND BEYOND!

HELP #SAVEAURORA We are pleased to announce that one of our longtime supporters has graciously offered a $25,000 match for our campaign.

Please spread the word and donate at givebutter.com/AuroraSpring24 More good news, we are now officially on the proposed Annual Budget for the City of Berkeley to receive $150,000 in emergency funding. The budget will be voted on June 25th, 2024. Wish us luck!

If you would like to help, please join us in attending the June 25th Berkeley City Council meeting to demonstrate this community’s support for Aurora. The more the City Council hears from you, Aurora’s supporters, the more likely this funding will be approved.

DONATE

SIGN

FIVE WAYS TO SUPPORT: 1. Donate to our emergency fundraising campaign.

2. Sign our petition to the Berkeley City Council asking for emergency funding.

3. Contact the City Council directly in support of Aurora.

4. Purchase tickets and subscriptions to our intimate, inclusive, and inspiring productions.

5. Spread the word! Share our posts on social media. Post a video of yourself sharing what Aurora means to you (don’t forget to tag us). Encourage your friends and family to support Aurora and to attend our plays!

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By Noël Coward Directed by Josh Costello †

STARTS: OCTOBER 19, 2024 “An irresistible romp!”

—TH E LOS AN G ELES TI M ES

The

Heart Sellers NORTHERN CALIFORNIA PREMIERE

Co-Production with TheatreWorks Silicon Valley & Capital Stage

By Lloyd Suh Directed by Jennifer Chang †

STARTS: FEBRUARY 8, 2025 “In a nation of immigrants, this story belongs to everyone.”

—THE SOMERVILLE TIMES

By Lynn Nottage Directed by Elizabeth Carter

STARTS APRIL 26, 2025

“Crumbs From the Table of Joy [is] a small window into the past, and this almost voyeuristic glimpse is worth attention.” — N E W Y O R K P O S T

By Jane Wagner Directed by Tom Ross

STARTS JULY 12, 2025 “A true goosebump experience” — THE NEW YORK TIMES

†

Subscriptions for next season are available now!

VISIT THE BOX OFFICE | CALL 510.843.4822 | VISIT AURORATHEATRE.ORG