Berkeley Rep: The Lunchbox

MAY – JUNE 2026

THE

BERKELEY REP MAGAZINE 2025/26 | ISSUE 7

THE LUNCHBOX

BOOK AND CO-LYRICS BY RITESH BATRA MUSIC AND CO-LYRICS BY THE LAZOURS DIRECTED BY RACHEL CHAVKIN CHOREOGRAPHY BY RESHMA GAJJAR MUSIC SUPERVISION BY NATHAN KOCI

2026/27 SEASON

SEVEN STORIES. SEVEN DIFFERENT WORLDS. YOUR SEAT IS WAITING. THE COOK BY EDUARDO MACHADO DIRECTED BY DAVID MENDIZÁBAL

SEP–OCT 2026

LIBERATION BY BESS WOHL DIRECTED BY WHITNEY WHITE A CO-PRODUCTION WITH GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE AND STUDIO THEATRE

WEST COAST PREMIERE

OCT–NOV 2026

COVENANT BY YORK WALKER DIRECTED BY TAYLOR REYNOLDS WEST COAST PREMIERE

NOV–DEC 2026

THE INTERESTINGS MUSIC & LYRICS BY SARA BAREILLES BOOK BY MEG WOLITZER & SARAH RUHL BASED ON THE NOVEL BY MEG WOLITZER DIRECTED BY MICHAEL ARDEN MUSIC SUPERVISION BY NADIA DIGIALLONARDO PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH MATT ROSS

WORLD PREMIERE

JAN–MAR 2027

HOLD ME IN THE WATER BY RYAN J. HADDAD DIRECTED BY DANNY SHARRON WEST COAST PREMIERE

MAR–APR 2027

MEET THE CARTOZIANS BY TALENE MONAHON DIRECTED BY LORETTA GRECO A CO-PRODUCTION WITH THE HUNTINGTON

WEST COAST PREMIERE

MAY–JUN 2027

LEOPOLDSTADT BY TOM STOPPARD DIRECTED BY CAREY PERLOFF WEST COAST PREMIERE

JUN–JUL 2027

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HOLD ME IN THE WATER PHOTO BY VALERIE TERRANOVA. THE INTERESTINGS ART BY LYNN BUCKLEY. ALL OTHER ART BY DC SCARPELLI.

WELCOME TO

BERKELEY REP

THE BERKELEY REP MAGAZINE I N T H I S I S SUE

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To ensure the best experience for everyone: While always welcomed, masks are required inside the theatres during five select Sunday and Tuesday performances. Food and drink: Beverages in cans, cartons, or plastic cups with lids are welcome in the theatre during unmasked performances. Food is prohibited in the theatre during all performances. Courtesy reminders: To avoid disruption to everyone, please turn off your cell phones, beeping watches, and electronic devices, and refrain from unwrapping cellophane wrappers during the performance. For the comfort of all patrons, please avoid wearing strongly scented personal products. Photos: Photos may be taken in the theatre before and after the performance and during intermission. Photos and videos during the performance are strictly prohibited. Photos posted on social media must credit Berkeley Rep and the show’s designers. Smoking and vaping: Berkeley Rep’s public spaces are smoke- and vape-free. Late seating: If you leave the theatre during the performance, re-seating is not guaranteed and is at the discretion of the house manager.

One of the joys of live theatre is the collective experience. Audience members respond to the show in many different ways. We invite you to join together and enjoy the show! If there is anything we can do to make your experience more enjoyable, please see a member of the house staff. Get closed captioning on your smartphone! Closed captioning is available for the following evening performances: May 28, 29, and 31; June 2 and 3; and every matinee through June 25. For detailed information on how to access and connect to closed captioning service, please consult lobby signage or ask an usher for an instruction card. Captions powered by CCTheater, from AccessTech, LLC. (info@getaccesstech.com)

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Contents 5 A Welcome from the Artistic and Managing Directors 6 Berkeley Rep at Work: Set Your Team Up for Success Through the Power of Theatre 8 From Silence to Song: An Interview with Ritesh Batra 10 The Dabbawallahs Always Get It Right 12 Show Program: The Lunchbox 24 The Lunchbox Glossary 26 Thanking Our Supporters 30 Celebrating Berkeley Rep at the Ovation Gala

Connect with us at berkeleyrep.org @berkeleyrep

THE BERKELEY REP MAGAZINE | 2025/26 | ISSUE 7 The Berkeley Rep Magazine

CRE ATIVE DIRECTOR

is published at least seven

DC Scarpelli

times per season.

EDITOR- IN - CHIEF

Klaus Andrieu

CONTRIBUTORS

Ritesh Batra Karina Fox Ankita Raturi

CONTACT BERKELE Y REP

Box Office: 510 647-2949 Groups (10+): 510 647-2918 Admin: 510 647-2900

GR APHIC DESIGNER

School of Theatre: 510 647-2972

Quinn Barringer

info@berkeleyrep.org

Enjoy the Show!

2025/26 | Issue 7

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“ N O W R O N G M I S TA K E .”

In the opening number of this world premiere musical, the dabawallahs refer to the fact that as they transport more than 200,000 lunches around Bombay (now known as Mumbai since 1995) every single day, from homes to offices, only one in 3.5 million fails to reach its intended address. It is a miraculously analog system, entirely human-driven, and almost infallible. Almost… As we began rehearsals, I reflected on the fact that “no wrong mistake,” especially when paired with the necessary “courage” of which Ila sings, may also be useful guiding principles as a group of artists gathers to build something new together. As we move through the rehearsals of any new work, I find that the things that feel like missteps in the moment often lead a creative team to some new revelation. As another line from this beautiful musical reminds us, “sometimes the wrong train will take you to the right station.” Ritesh, Rachel, the Lazours, Reshma, and the rest of the team have together built the capacity (and bravery) to make bold choices, to deeply explore, to know that some roads will lead to dead ends, and others to new discoveries, and, in so doing, have built this exquisite musical for you. In this era in which we so often turn to technology to solve problems, to eliminate errors, and make us more efficient, the hand-hewn nature of theatre feels increasingly necessary. So much of what you see on stage is crafted by hand, from the scenery to the props to the costumes. The skills of the artisans who work at Berkeley Rep are unparalleled in our industry and increasingly rare. As we come to the final act of a season that has held so many disparate worlds, welcomed hundreds of artists and tens of thousands of audience members to come together in this beautifully analog method of storytelling, I am grateful to each person whose highly-developed craft makes this work possible. This particular work of theatrical storytelling that we all make together every night is wildly inefficient, highly perishable, and profoundly necessary as a means by which we can explore our shared humanity. Thank you for being a vital part of this effort. Warmly,

WELCOME TO THE FINALE

of your 2025/26 season at Berkeley Rep: the much-anticipated world premiere of The Lunchbox! I fell in love with this musical’s heart, humor, and hope the first time I encountered it. In a world that often prizes the grand and the loud, The Lunchbox reminds us of the profound power and beauty of the modest and the meaningful — how a one-degree shift, a courageous first step, or a small gesture of kindness can change everything. This production exemplifies Berkeley Rep’s commitment to bold storytelling, inventive artistry, and the alchemy that occurs when human connection meets theatrical imagination. It has been a season of remarkable range and resonance, featuring new voices and fresh perspectives, daring premieres and reimagined classics — productions that have sparked conversation, kindled curiosity, and, at their best, shifted perspectives by that essential degree. It is especially gratifying to know we shared these incredible stories with more full-season, seven-play subscribers than we have had at any point in the past two decades. But the journey does not end here. Your 2026/27 season awaits, with bold and ambitious narratives of transformation — the before and after, the evolution and the revolution — just what you have come to expect from Berkeley Rep. If you have not yet subscribed, we invite you to join us. Full-season subscribers receive the best prices and seats, free exchange privileges, early access to special engagements, and a host of benefits designed to make your theatre-going easy, flexible, and affordable. Performances will sell out, so subscribe today! Thank you for making Berkeley Rep a home for fearless artistry and for being part of this vibrant community. There is great energy and momentum at your theatre right now, and your presence and support make this work possible — and meaningful. Enjoy the show!

Tom Parrish Managing Director

Johanna Pfaelzer Artistic Director

Berkeley Repertory Theatre acknowledges and honors its presence on the unceded ancestral lands of the Chochenyo-speaking Ohlone people, now colonially known as Berkeley. The land from which we benefit continues to be a place of foremost importance to the Ohlone and all descendants of the Verona Band. Berkeley Rep is committed to actively centering antiracism and living our values by promoting the history and culture of the Ohlone People and sustaining an ongoing relationship which supports the art, resources, and values of indigenous peoples and tribes. We are grateful to our friends at the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust and the Confederated Villages of Lisjan for their support and guidance as we continue to educate ourselves and our community to uplift and support our indigenous communities.

2025/26 | ISSUE 7 | 5

Berkeley Rep at Work

Set Your Team Up for Success Through the Power of Theatre Berkeley Rep at Work approaches practical problem-solving skills through fun, insightful, and unique team-building exercises taught by professional theatre artists! No matter the goal, Berkeley Rep’s adaptive programming is ready to help your team succeed.

Workshop Highlights: Improv & Team Building: Learn to embody the “yes and” spirit of improv in your everyday interactions. Using the basic building blocks of improvisation, this fun and fastpaced workshop develops communication skills, adaptive thinking, and collaboration. Storytelling: Harness your creativity, trust your instincts, and quiet your inner critic! Through acting, improv, and writing exercises, this workshop explores communication techniques for a deeper understanding of how to effectively share your ideas with the world. Social Advocacy: This workshop is open to anyone interested in exploring new avenues for social and personal change while developing spontaneity, fluidity, presence, creativity, and critical intelligence.

Learn more at berkeleyrep.org/atwork 6 | THE BERKELE Y REP MAGA ZINE

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Scan to learn more about student matinee programming by Berkeley Rep’s School of Theatre.

sutterhealth.org Student Matinee: Galileo. Photo by Calvin Ngu

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Jimmy Smits and Alejandro Hernandez in All My Sons.

KARINA FOX: As an artist who has primarily

used film as your expressive medium, what has your process been tackling theatre as a medium? RITESH BATRA: Theatre is such a powerful tool

because it’s so immediate. I love theatre, so I’ve seen a lot of it as an audience member. When I started the process of adapting the film into a stage musical, I spent a couple of years studying the form very deeply. Any musical that was playing near me I would go see multiple times. I would also get my hands on the scripts of musicals just to read the book. I prepared myself to write it for almost five years. Once I started writing the musical, I never opened the script of the movie. It’s such a completely different form — I didn’t want to be beholden to what I had written for another medium. I wrote and directed the film, so I know the broad strokes of it. I know the story beats. But the musical has become a completely new thing that shares some of those beats but has become its own entity. KF: What made you feel like this stor y

belonged to a musical, as opposed to a play

From Silence to Song : AN INTERVIEW WITH RITESH BATRA

or another kind of adaptation? RB: Honestly, I have two reasons. One is that my daughter loves musicals. It’s how she connects to the world and understands it, so in many ways this is a gift to her. That is the primary reason. The second reason is that, in the movie, there are big things happening inside the characters that we convey through silence. In a play, because everything is driven by dialogue, we would have had to turn those moments into spoken text, and I don’t think we would

Berkeley Rep’s Resident Casting Director and Producing Associate, Karina Fox, sat with The Lunchbox’s filmmaker and book writer, Ritesh Batra, to reflect on the journey of adapting his award-winning film into a musical for the stage. Here are excerpts from their conversation. 8 | THE BERKELEY REP MAGAZINE

have been able to translate them as well. In a musical, songs can be used to portray a character’s innermost feelings. Once we had a song, the characters suddenly felt much further along emotionally than they would have in the movie. The story beats became more concentrated. Nobody sings in a musical unless they’re under duress or pushed to that point. In this piece, that’s even more true because the characters are so reticent and closed off.

The late Irrfan Khan in a scene from the 2013 fi lm The Lunchbox

KF: Writing and creating a musi-

the piece, and that they would

have done myself. And of course,

cal is a collaborative process,

also be kind people to work

she has carried that perspective

and this is different from your

closely with.

into the rest of the story with how

role as sole writer and director on the film. What has it been like to open the process in that way, and how did that shape the collaborators you chose to bring onto the project?

When we began working with Berkeley Rep to choose a director, I thought of Rachel Chavkin immediately. I was already a big fan of her work.

the characters intersect. KF: What makes Berkeley Rep

the right home for the show ’s world premiere?

Now that I have seen Rachel in

RB: It’s really an energy thing. The

RB: It’s less lonely than making

action, what really stands out to

people make a place. Obviously,

movies, because when you’re

me is her approach to working

Berkeley Rep is an institution

writing a movie, you’re by your-

with actors. She works closely

that has taken big risks and big

self for years before you get on a

with them and never in broad

chances on new work. When I met

set. You write it, you have to raise

strokes. She is always mining the

the Berkeley Rep artistic team,

money for it, and it’s all on you.

material with the actors and look-

there was an immediate sense

But with a musical, there’s just

ing for the deepest, most nuanced

that we were all responding to the

no way to work on it alone.

performance. I try to do the same

piece in the same way. The thing

thing on my film sets. I think that

I was describing before about

is a similarity between us. We are

it being both intimate and big,

both very focused on the actors

everyone felt that too. That made

and on taking care of them.

me excited about being here.

orators, I knew I wanted artists

It also felt important to me that

I also think there’s a large South

whose work felt both internal

a woman directed this show. It

Asian community in the Bay Area,

and expansive. I was introduced

took me a long time to fully under-

but beyond that there’s just such

to the Lazours by the folks at the

stand the character of Ila while

a vibrant audience here. Even in

Lincoln Center Theater. The first

I was making the movie, partly

Berkeley itself, the audience feels

song they wrote was Shaikh’s

because I am a man. I always

very representative of where we

song, “Best Man,” and it felt so

knew the male lead, Saajan, bet-

hope the show can go next. So,

internal but also so exuberant. I

ter. Working with Rachel has been

it feels like a great place for the

immediately felt that they under-

wonderful because she has pre-

show to start. It feels like the

stood the tone and the scale of

sented Ila in a way that I could not

right home for it.

I always had the instinct that this musical would be both very small and very big at the same time. When I began looking for collab-

2025/26 | ISSUE 7 | 9

The Dabbawallahs Always Get It Right BY ANKITA RATURI

Have you ever ordered food delivery and received the wrong order? It’s very likely the answer is yes. Our American apps are optimized for volume over accuracy. A few months ago, when a delivery driver came to me with a bag of cinnamon rolls instead of bánh mì, he told me to just take the wrong order. I (foolishly) did not accept someone else’s food, thinking this stranger might still get their sweet treat even if I couldn’t get my order. I hope the driver ate them in the end — it’s a thankless job. 10 | THE BERKELEY REP MAGAZINE

In Ritesh Batra’s 2013 film The Lunchbox, Mumbai dabbawallahs unwittingly facilitate Ila and Saajan’s unlikely friendship (the two lead characters of the film and today’s musical). The dabbawallahs are nothing like these food delivery apps we’ve grown accustomed to in the last decade. They are an army five-thousand-workers strong who pick up, sort, and deliver Mumbai’s lunches every day, then return the senders’ containers. They’ve been part of Mumbai’s social fabric for over a century, originating in 1890 — over fifty years before India’s independence and over a hundred years before the invention of GrubHub. These meals are delivered in the inexpensive tiffin box (far superior to the brown bag of the American worker) which is engineered for a well-rounded lunch. Each compartment in the stack carries its own element of a balanced meal: roti, achaar (pickle), a daal or curry, and, the star of Ila’s preparations in The Lunchbox, the sabzi (vegetable dish). These meticulously packed tiffins are handed off every morning to the first dabbawallah in the chain. Riding a bicycle to bypass Mumbai’s infamous traffic, each dabbawallah carries about thirty tiffins. These are handed off to the next dabbawallahs in the operations chain who sort the tiffins for delivery into reorganized batches. Most of these batches take Mumbai’s local trains to different neighborhoods before another bicycle-riding dabbawallah assumes responsibility for their journey. At office buildings and final delivery locations across the bustling city, a third dabbawallah completes the delivery to the office worker for whom the hot lunch was prepared and packed. A simple coding system

legible to every dabbawallah keeps everyone’s tiffin heading in the right direction through multiple handoffs. After lunch, the pickup and delivery process repeats in reverse, bringing Saajan’s empty tiffin back to Ila’s apartment for her to find them happily licked clean. In a formal case study published by Harvard Business School in February 2010, titled “The Dabbawallah System: On-Time Delivery, Every Time,” the pickup and delivery system was awarded a coveted six sigma rating, meaning errors occur fewer than 3.4 times per million deliveries. It may be surprising that as one of the most densely populated cities in the world and its high volume of traffic, Mumbai also houses a near flawless network of punctual lunch deliveries for hundreds of thousands where the white-capped dabbawallahs can be recognized even beating ambulances while navigating the chockablock on their cycles. On a 2003 visit to India, even the then Prince Charles asked to see the dabbawallahs in action. He reportedly marveled at their accuracy and punctuality, and apparently even invited two dabbawallahs to his wedding two years later. The word dabbawallah simply means the one with the boxes, as in, the lunchboxes. Wallah is a simple suffix meaning the one with, or the one from, or the one who makes, sells, provides, operates, etc. For example, chaiwallah: one who prepares and sells tea. Mumbaiwallah: the one from Mumbai. Dilwallah: the one with a big heart, i.e., the romantic. And of course, dabbawallah: the one with the dabba, the lunchbox, that holds the improbable power to connect two people across space, across time, across the relentless daily grind of this

major metropolis. Magicwallahs, if you will. Maintaining a system so precise in such a wonderfully hectic city for over a century is truly remarkable. Even more remarkable then is this magical connection that forms between Ila and Saajan. It is rare in the crushing loneliness of city life to feel a little less alone. Even though the dabbawallahs’ flawless coding does somehow falter in the case of Ila and Saajan, perhaps they’re still getting it right somehow. That special something in home cooking that speaks directly to the soul through the right sabzi wasn’t finding its mark with Ila’s husband. It certainly wasn’t finding its way to Saajan from his regular restaurant. Even when they get it wrong, the dabbawallahs still always get it right. FURTHER READING BBC

HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW

ANKITA RATURI (she/her) is a currently Queensbased writer and teaching artist who grew up in capital cities, pediatric gastroenterology offices, and the bisexual closet. She writes hyper-theatrical works in English, Hindi/Urdu, and sometimes Bahasa Indonesia. BFA: NYU/Tisch. MFA: UC San Diego. Kathak student at Maeri Dance.

2025/26 | ISSUE 7 | 11

SHOW PROGRAM: THE LUNCHBOX

BERKELEY REPERTORY THEATRE JOHANNA PFAELZER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR | TOM PARRISH, MANAGING DIRECTOR IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MARK LUNSFORD AND NIK DODANI PRESENTS

THE LUNCHBOX BOOK AND CO-LYRICS BY

RITESH BATRA MUSIC AND CO-LYRICS BY

THE LAZOURS SCENIC DESIGN

COSTUME DESIGN

MIMI LIEN

LIGHTING DESIGN

ARJUN BHASIN

SOUND DESIGN

BRADLEY KING

CO-ORCHESTRATIONS BY

MUSIC DIRECTOR

CASTING

DIALECT COACH

MAHIRA KAKKAR

THE TELSEY OFFICE KRISTIAN CHARBONIER, CSA, ADAM CALDWELL, CSA KEERTANA SASTRY, PRIYA GHOSH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

ASSOCIATE CHOREOGRAPHER

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER

SHANA FERGUSON *

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND AUDIENCE SERVICES

KATHLEEN ROSE GALLARDO *

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER — NEW WORK

VOLEINE AMILCAR

AUDREY HOO

ERIC KANG

STAGE MANAGER

BECKY FLEMING *

DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION

ASSOCIATE MUSIC DIRECTOR

MILES CRAWFORD

PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER

GENERAL MANAGER

victor cervantes jr.

DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL OF THEATRE

SARA DANIELSEN

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

ANTHONY JACKSON

ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/DIRECTOR OF IN DIALOGUE

CHARLES G. LAPOINTE

SHEELA RAMESH

NATHAN KOCI, ROHAN KRISHNAMURTHY, DANIEL LAZOUR & ARUN RAMAMURTHY

NEETA THADANI

WIGS AND HAIR DESIGN

JUSTIN STASIW

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

SAM LINDEN

ARI LIPSKY

DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND DIVERSITY

DAVID MENDIZÁBAL

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

MODESTA TAMAYO

AMANDA WILLIAMS O’STEEN

MUSIC SUPERVISION BY

NATHAN KOCI CHOREOGRAPHY BY

RESHMA GAJJAR DIRECTED BY

RACHEL CHAVKIN WORLD PREMIERE SEASON PRESENTING SPONSORS

Stephen & Susan Chamberlin Yogen & Peggy Dalal Bruce Golden & Michelle Mercer

Marcia Grand Frances Hellman & Warren Breslau Jonathan Logan & John Piane

SEASON SPONSORS

DABBAWALLAH SPONSORS

The Hearst Foundations Kelli & Steffan Tomlinson Wayne Jordan & Quinn Delaney Jack & Betty Schafer HIDDEN NOTE SPONSORS

Anjali & Sundar Pichai

Arjay R. and Frances F. Miller Foundation The Strauch Kulhanjian Family Gail & Arne Wagner

Yogen & Peggy Dalal Sudha Pennathur & Edward Messerly MUMBAI LOCAL SPONSORS

Anonymous Melinda Haag & Chuck Fanning

Laurents / Hatcher Foundation

TIFFIN SPONSORS

Shelley & Jonathan Bagg Dhanam Foundation Thomas W. Edwards & Rebecca Parlette-Edwards

Scott & Sherry Haber Omar Khan & Kamini Ramani

THE LUNCHBOX IS MADE POSSIBLE BY BERKELEY REP’S MUSICAL THEATRE DEVELOPMENT FUND, WITH LEADERSHIP SUPPORT BY YOGEN AND PEGGY DALAL.

12 | THE BERKELE Y REP MAGA ZINE

YASH RAMANUJAM * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chorus, Dabbawallah VISHAL VAIDYA * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chorus, Office Boss/Cafe Owner KINSHUK SEN * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chorus, Waiter SAVIDU GEEVARATNE *. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chorus, Office Worker/Cook SHIV NADKARNI * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chorus, Rajeev BENJAMIN MATHEW * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chorus, Cook VAIBU MOHAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chorus, Mehrunissa SUSHMA SAHA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chorus KUHOO VERMA * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ila SHAARADA KARTHIK, CARYNA DESAI SHAH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yashvi ANISHA NAGARAJAN * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mrs. Deshpande MANU NARAYAN * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fernandes AATHAVEN THARMARAJAH * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shaikh

UNDERSTUDIES & SWINGS HASHINI AMARASINGHE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .u/s Ila, Swing SAVIDU GEEVARATNE *. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . u/s Shaikh AKSHARA GUNDA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Swing, Dance Captain NASIR ALI PANJWANI * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Swing SUSHMA SAHA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . u/s Mrs. Deshpande VISHAL VAIDYA * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .u/s Fernandes LEVIN VALAYIL * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Swing

BAND SHEELA RAMESH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Music Director, Conductor, Keys SASCHA JACOBSEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bass ERIC KANG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Associate Music Director, Cello, Guitar SHOTA OTAGURO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mallets, Drum Set, Percussion CHARITH PREMAWARDHANA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viola ROHAN KRISHNAMURTHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mridangam, Tabla, Dhol, Additional Indian Percussion ARUN RAMAMURTHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Violin 1 SAHANA SHRAVAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Violin 2

Understudies never substitute for listed performers unless a specific announcement or notice is made at the time of appearance. *

Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States Musicians in this production are members of Musicians Union Local 6, American Federation of Musicians.

This theatre operates under agreements with the League of Resident Theatres, Actors’ Equity Association (the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States), the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and United Scenic Artists.

Please turn off your cell phones, beeping watches, and electronic devices, and refrain from unwrapping cellophane wrappers during the performance. The videotaping or making of electronic or other audio and/or visual recordings of this production and distributing recordings or streams in any medium, including the internet, is strictly prohibited, a violation of the author(s)’s rights, and actionable under United States copyright law.

OPENING NIGHT: MAY 27, 2026 RODA THEATRE THE LUNCHBOX WILL RUN WITHOUT AN INTERMISSION. 2025/26 | ISSUE 7 | 13

SHOW PROGRAM: THE LUNCHBOX

CAST (In order of appearance)

SHOW PROGRAM: THE LUNCHBOX

FOR THIS PRODUCTION Assistant Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Katie Genzer (Bret C . Harte Artistic Fellow) Associate Scenic Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jason Lajka Assistant Scenic Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alayna Klein, Vinita Gatne (Studio) Additional Billboard Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DC Scarpelli Associate Costume Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dina El-Aziz Associate Lighting Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aja M. Jackson Assistant Lighting Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Claire Chesne (Electrics Fellow) Lighting Programmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bridget Chervenka Associate Sound Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tracy Cowit Assistant Sound Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Riley Oberting (Harry Weininger Sound Fellow) Associate Wigs and Hair Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sebastian Weber, Loren Skora (Studio) Music Assistant and Score Supervisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ari Goldbloom-Helzner Contractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sean Kana Copyist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Utsav Bhargava Keyboard Programmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cohen Keyboards Production Assistants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Olivia Spreen (Stage Management Fellow), Trinity Wicklund Script Production Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Miranda Erin Campbell Deck Crew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Julia Englehorn (Supervisor), James McGregor (Asst . Supervisor), Siobhán Slater (Automation), Isaac Jacobs, Michael Boomer, Emma Walz, Gabriel Holman (Assoc . Super/Sub), Oxford Lewis (Sub) Wardrobe Crew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rachel Pollard (Interim Supervisor), Caz Hiro (Associate Supervisor), Kamaile Alnas-Benson, Dieyla Diop, Malia Sittler, Mika Rubinfeld (Sub), Linda Wu (Sub) Wigs and Hair Crew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Erin Taylor (Lead Technician), Karen Arriola, Katrice Hughes, Raegina Joyner, Emily Haynes (Sub) Production Electrician/Board Op . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Desiree Alcocer, Kenneth Coté Followspots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Margaret Linn, Matthew Sykes Sound Crew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sarah Fox (A1), Angela Don (A2) Lead Studio Teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Shelley K. Booker Studio Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Elster (Sub), Dana Gardner (Sub), Rhona Gordon (Sub), Justin Max Gross, Martha Harris, Jamie Keller, Dawn Maurer (Sub), Ryan Waters (Sub) Child Guardians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LeeAnn Dowd, Kina Kantor, Joel Ochoa Scenic Fabrication by Berkeley Repertory Theatre Scenic & Paint Shops, Hamilton Scenic, Cal Scenic, and R Productions Technical Design Consultant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steven Schmidt Additional Scenery Fabricators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Austin Louis Andrade, Cameron Edwards, Isaac Jacobs, Carl Martin, Troy McClendon, Drea Ronquillo, Krista Wright Additional Scenic Artists . . . . . . . . .Cristina Anselmo, Kenzie Bradley, Julie Ann Brown, Wyn Di Stefano, Kinsey Erin, Rose Ernst, Mira Henry, Katie Holmes, Allie Kranyak, E Wayman-Murdock Props Fabrication by Berkeley Repertory Theatre Properties Shop Additional Prop Artisans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cassidy Carlson, Hanbyul Joo, Anthony Lopez, Sofie Miller Costumes Built by Berkeley Repertory Theatre Costume Shop Additional Costume Technicians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Breanna Bayba (Draper), Chris Weiland (First Hand), Kelly Koehn (Crafts Artisan), Nelly Flores (Stitcher), Adriana Gutierrez (Stitcher), Malia Sittler (Stitcher), Hannah Velichko (Stitcher), Dieyla Diop (Costume Shop Assistant), Mika Rubenfeld (Costume Shop Assistant) Lighting Services provided by Berkeley Repertory Theatre Lighting Department Additional Lighting Technicians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Desiree Alcocer, Grace Marie Yum Alexander, Emma Buechner, Brittany Cobb, Angelina Costa, Jack Grable, A. Chris Hartzell, Jacob Hill, Brittany Johnson, Margaret Linn, Hannah Linaweaver, Todd Loyd, Charlie Mejia, Nori-Hayden Quist, Sarina Renteria, Riley Richardson, C. Swan-Streepy, Matthew Sykes, Trinity Wicklund Lighting Rental Equipment Provided by Production Resource Group, LLC Sound Services provided by Berkeley Repertory Theatre Sound and Video Department Additional Sound Technicians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Conor Fortner, Courtney Jean, Todd Loyd, Ellie Stalcup, Ben Reese Additional Casting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Karina Fox Production Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kali Grau Assistant Production Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alex Hamm (Production Management Fellow) Production Management Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anthony Lopez Company Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ryan Duncan-Ayala Assistant Company Managers . . . . . . . . . Bella Hintzman, Katelin Shum (Company Management Fellow) Workshopped at New 42nd Street Studios Medical Consultation for Berkeley Rep provided by: Mari Bell MPT (UCSF), Ed Blumenstock MD, Charissa Chaban DPT, Cindy J . Chang MD (UCSF), Christina Corey MD, Neil Claveria PT, Patricia I . Commer DPT, Kathy Fang MD PhD, Steven Fugaro MD, Anjali Gupta MD (Kaiser), Olivia Lang MD (Berkeley Pediatrics), Allen Ling PT, Liz Nguyen DPT, Desiree A . Unsworth DPT, Christina S . Wilmer OD, Eric Yabu DDS, and Katherine C . Yung MD

14 | THE BERKELE Y REP MAGA ZINE

BOARD OF TRUSTEES William T. Espey PRESIDENT

Jill Fugaro VICE PRESIDENT

Sudha Pennathur VICE PRESIDENT

Sherry A. Smith VICE PRESIDENT

Leonard X Rosenberg TREASURER

Steven C. Wolan SECRETARY

Alfredo Silva CHAIR OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

Sandra Eggers

CHAIR OF THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE

Henning Mathew CHAIR OF THE INVESTMENT COMMITTEE

Juan Oldham

CHAIR OF THE FACILITIES COMMITTEE

Emily Shanks

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Anna Bellomo Aimee Brown Christina Crowley Christopher Doane Chuck Fanning Steven Goldin Jonathan C. Logan Sandra R. McCandless Kristin Pace Tom Parrish Johanna Pfaelzer William Rogers Becky Saeger Allan Smith Ted Storey Barbara Tomber Carlos Vadillo Gail Wagner, MD Brian Watt TRUSTEES

Diana Cohen Robin Edwards William Falik Kerry Francis Paul T. Friedman Karen Galatz Bruce Golden Scott Haber David Hoffman Richard F. Hoskins Dugan Lamoise Melanie Maier Helen Meyer Peter Pervere Marjorie Randolph Patricia Sakai Jack Schafer William Schaff Richard M. Shapiro Roger A. Strauch Jean Z. Strunsky Felicia Woytak

SUSTAINING ADVISORS

Helen C. Barber A. George Battle Carole B. Berg Robert W. Burt Shih-Tso Chen Narsai M. David Thalia Dorwick, PhD Nicholas M. Graves Richard F. Hoskins Jean Knox Robert M. Oliver Stewart Owen Marjorie Randolph Harlan M. Richter Richard A. Rubin Emily Shanks Edwin C. Shiver Roger A. Strauch Gail Wagner Martin Zankel PAST PRESIDENTS

FOUNDING DIRECTOR

Michael W. Leibert

PRODUCING DIRECTOR, 1968–83

Johanna Pfaelzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Artistic Director David Mendizábal . . . . Associate Artistic Director/Director of In Dialogue victor cervantes jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Associate Producer – New Work Karina Fox . . . . . . . . . Producing Associate & Resident Casting Director Todd Almond, Rafael Casal, Daveed Diggs, Dipika Guha, Nico Muhly, Lisa Peterson, Brian Quijada, Nygel D. Robinson, Sarah Ruhl, Jack Thorne, Sanaz Toossi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Artists Under Commission GENERAL MANAGEMENT AND COMPANY MANAGEMENT

Sara Danielsen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General Manager Ryan Duncan-Ayala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Company Manager Emily Betts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General Management Associate PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT

Audrey Hoo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Director of Production Kali Grau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Production Manager COSTUMES

Joleen Addleman Loyd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Costume Director Kiara Montgomery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Resident Design Associate Star Rabinowitz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draper Rachel Pollard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Interim Wardrobe Supervisor Caz Hiro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Associate Wardrobe Supervisor Erin Taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lead Hair Technician

ADMINISTRATION

Tom Parrish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Managing Director Sam Linden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Finance Katie Riemann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Associate Director of Finance Jennifer Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Payroll Administrator Alanna McFall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bookkeeper Modesta Tamayo . . . . . . . . Director of Human Resources and Diversity Faith Elder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Human Resources and Diversity Coordinator Annie Stonebarger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Executive Assistant DEVELOPMENT

Ari Lipsky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Development Laura Fichtenberg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Associate Director of Development Kelsey Scott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Associate Director of Institutional Giving Andrew Maguire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Philanthropy Officer Harper Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Annual Fund Manager Elaina Guyett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Corporate Partnerships Manager Lucy Tafler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Special Events Manager Olga Khitarishvili . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Development Coordinator Cassidy Milano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Development Operations Coordinator OPERATIONS

Jillian A. Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Properties Supervisor Amelia Burke-Holt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Associate Properties Supervisor Brittany Watkins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Properties Artisan

Amanda Williams O’Steen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Director of Operations Peter Orkiszewski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Associate Director of Operations Adam Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Facilities Manager Thomas Tran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Building Engineer Jesus Rodriguez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Building Technician Theresa Drumgoole, Wendi Lau, Sophie Li, Darrel De La Rosa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Facilities Assistants Destiny Askin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .CRM Project Manager Christina Cone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Web and Database Specialist Nicole Peña . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Medak and Rentals Manager

SCENE SHOP

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

ELECTRICS

Frederick C. Geffken . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lighting Supervisor Kenneth Coté . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Senior Production Electrician Desiree Alcocer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Production Electrician PROPERTIES

Matt Rohner, Jim Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Co-Technical Directors Read Tuddenham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assistant Technical Director — Shop Grant Vocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assistant Technical Director — Engineering August Lewallen, Zach Wziontka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scenic Carpenters SCENIC ART

Lisa Lázár . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charge Scenic Artist STAGE OPERATIONS

Julia Englehorn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stage Supervisor Gabriel Holman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Associate Stage Supervisor James McGregor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assistant Stage Supervisor Siobhán Slater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stage Technician SOUND/ VIDEO

Lane Elms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sound and Video Supervisor Rebecca Satzberg . . . . . . . . . . . . .Associate Sound and Video Supervisor Angela Don . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Senior Sound Engineer Conor Fortner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sound Engineer BERKELEY REP SCHOOL OF THEATRE

Anthony Jackson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director of the School of Theatre MaryBeth Cavanaugh . . . Director of Classes and Summer Programming Ashley Lim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marketing and Registrations Manager AeJay Antonis Marquis Mitchell . . . . . . Education Programs Associate Euan Ashley . . . . . . . . . In-School Residency and Curriculum Supervisor Leah Sanginiti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elementary Camp Program Specialist Bobby August Jr., April Ballesteros, Diana Brown, Elizabeth Carter, Rebecca Castelli, Jiwon Chung, Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe, Devin A. Cunningham, Deborah Eubanks, Nancy Gold, Gary Graves, Marvin Greene, Margo Hall, Susan Jane Harrison, George Higgins, Ramon Hernandez, William Hodgson, Mondara Ixchel, Sullivan Jones, Erolina Kamburova, Rachel Ka'iulani Kennealy, Adam KuveNiemann, Jennifer LeBlanc, Julian López-Morillas, Dave Maier, Rose McAvoy, Carolyn McCandlish, Al Niotta, Amanda Nguyen, Joel Ochoa, Joe Orrach, Pamela Rickard, Adrian Ruvalcaba, Teresa Salas, Hayley Sherwood, Joyful Raven, Skyler Sullivan, Samuel Tomfohr, Phil Wong . . . . . . . . . Teaching Artists Matty Bloom, Joy Lancaster, Selma Meyerowitz . . . . . . . Docent Chairs Ted Bagaman, Michelle Boudreau, Beth Cohen, Michelle Cordero, Miles Drawdy, Nancy Drooker, Charles Evans, Tyrone Fleurizard, Sergio Garcia, Randi Helly, Mary Lou Herlihy, Diana Insolio, Samantha Lopatin, Sue Kaplan, Jim Krampf, Mark Liss, Yvonne Martinez, Virginia McCarthy, Judith O’Rourke, Jeanette Pettibone, Gigi Singer, Bridget Soto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Docents

Voleine Amilcar . . . . . . . . Director of Marketing and Audience Services Heather Orth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Associate Director of Marketing DC Scarpelli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creative Director Kevin Kopjak – Prismatic Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Public Relations Consultant Rodrick Edwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Community Engagement and Partnerships Manager Calvin Ngu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Video and Multimedia Content Creator Quinn Barringer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Graphic Designer Klaus Andrieu . . . . . . . . . . .Marketing and Communications Coordinator AUDIENCE SERVICES

Emily Byrne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Associate Director of Audience Services Saoirse Keogh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Box Office Manager pan ellington, Kathlyn Ibazeta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Box Office Leads Matthew Hayden, Jack Melcher, Lauren Payne, Sesar Sanchez, Ari Williams, Celeste Wong . . . . . . . . Box Office Agents Jami Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Front of House Manager Sylvia Abrams-Wolffsohn, dean dawkins, Maddi Gjovik, Megan Rossoni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . House Managers Julian Balcziunas, Latasha Hayes, Armando Herrera, Kelland Li, Frances Manthorpe, Courtney Marchi, Lauren McGatlin-Golier, Maria Mikheyenko, Alex Murphy, Bine Buencamino Phung, Tuesday Ray, Kaylee Royster, Sienna Sherman, Kira Street, Jessica Williams, Kailani Zabala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Front of House Staff 2025/26 BERKELEY REP FELLOWSHIPS

James Calhoun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Costumes Fellow Claire Chesne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Electrics Fellow Katie Genzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bret C. Harte Artistic Fellow Alex Hamm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Production Management Fellow Isla Hofmann. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scenic Construction Fellow Khia Jefferson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marketing and Development Fellow Karina Lipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Education Fellow Riley Oberting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harry Weininger Sound Fellow Amelia Reyes-Gomez. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Properties Fellow Elena Sanchez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter F. Sloss Artistic Fellow Katelin Shum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Company Management Fellow Olivia Spreen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stage Management Fellow Courtney Sutherland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scenic Art Fellow

2025/26 | ISSUE 7 | 15

SHOW PROGRAM: THE LUNCHBOX

BERKELEY REP STAFF ARTISTIC

SHOW PROGRAM: THE LUNCHBOX

Hashini Amarasinghe u/s Ila, Swing

Hashini is thrilled to be making her Berkeley Rep debut in The Lunchbox! She is a (very) recent graduate of Elon University, BFA Music Theatre and BA Vocal Performance class of ‘26. Her regional credits include Janice and Others in Come From Away (Ogunquit Playhouse). Huge thanks to the entire Lunchbox team, Mikey/ The Collective, Berkeley Rep, and her incredibly supportive Amma, Thaththa, and Akka — so much love for all of you! Thank you for supporting emerging theatre! IG: @hashini_a

Savidu Geevaratne* Chorus, Office Worker/Cook, u/s Shaikh

Savidu is a Sri Lankan American actor, singer, and musician. He is a Bay Area native now based in Brooklyn and thrilled to be making his Berkeley Rep debut! His off-Broadway credits include Your Own Personal Exegesis (LCT3) and Monsoon Wedding (St. Ann’s Warehouse). Additional credits include Life of Pi (Nat. Tour). Grateful to his amazing teachers, family, and friends all over. Thanks to Julia, HCKR, and the Telsey Team for believing! He thanks his Amma for everything. IG: @the_savidoodle_

Akshara Gunda

Swing, Dance Captain

Akshara is an actor, singer, and dancer based in New York City. She recently wrapped the role of Tina in Tyler Perry's Where There's Smoke (coming soon to Netflix) and can be seen as a featured vocalist in Paramount+ and CBS Sports' UEFA Champions League campaign Nobody Watches Like U.S. Her other television credits include co-starring on Law & Order and CBS' CIA. She has participated in theatrical workshops for upcoming musicals 16 | THE BERKELE Y REP MAGA ZINE

in NYC and is excited to serve as the dance captain and swing on this beautiful production.

Shaarada Karthik Yashvi

Shaarada is thrilled to make her Berkeley Repertory Theatre debut. A fourth grader from Los Altos, California, her Peninsula Youth Theatre credits include Newsies, Shrek the Musical, Tuck Everlasting, and Mary Poppins. Shaarada trains in Western voice and South Indian classical arts (Carnatic vocal and Bharatanatyam dance). She also plays violin with the Peninsula Youth Orchestra. Offstage, she enjoys tennis, reading, writing, and illustrating. Shaarada is grateful to her teachers, directors, and family for their constant encouragement and support.

Benjamin Mathew* Chorus, Cook

Ben’s Chicago credits include Orlando in As You Like It (Writers Theatre), Pippin in Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), Harvey Beaver in Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (Studebaker Theater), u/s Bank Manager/ Andrej in Once (Writers Theatre), u/s Imran in Hatefuck (First Floor Theater), u/s Upton Sinclair in Campaigns, Inc. (TimeLine Theatre), and Kevin G in Mean Girls (upcoming August 2026, Paramount Theatre). His regional credits include TheatreSquared, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival. He appeared in the 2024 film Apolitical. He holds a BFA in theatre from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Vaibu Mohan

Chorus, Mehrunissa

Vaibu is a performer, writer, and storyteller who brings South Asian stories and performance traditions to contemporary Western theatre. A mainstay in New

York’s new work development scene, she is the recipient of the 2025 June Bingham Commission from Live & In Color for her play Bound To You (National Playwrights Conference semifinalist). Her Tamil bilingual drama Adi-Antham received a residency at the New Harmony Project. Her opera Jala Smriti premieres with the Atlanta Opera in 2026. She thanks her father, Mohan, who wrote the first play she performed in; her mother, Srimathy, who gave her the gift of dance; and her guru, R.K. Shriramkumar, who gave her a voice.

Shiv Nadkarni*

Chorus, Rajeev

Shiv is an LA-based artist whose work revolves around themes of mental health, spirituality, and masculinity. His background in Indian music, Kathak dance, and medicine drives his creative work. His dance work has been showcased through festivals in NYC, Philadelphia, Toronto, Berlin, and London. Shiv’s film, Turbinado, funded by the LA Department of Cultural Affairs debuted at the 2023 Pondicherry Film Festival in India. His acting credits include Heathers: The Musical (Penn Players), Finding Home: An Indian Musical, Blue Boy, Sandesh, and Esther Perel Ruined My Life (IAMA). Shiv's work has been supported by the Fulbright Program, UCLA, the Hammer Museum, and SONY Music. IG: @shivnadkarni

Anisha Nagarajan* Mrs . Desphande

Anisha’s Broadway credits include Bombay Dreams and Company. Her off-Broadway credits include Monsoon Wedding. Her concert credits include Hair (New Amsterdam Theatre) and The Secret Garden (Lincoln Center). Regional work includes Princesses (5th Avenue Theatre), The Wiz (La Jolla Playhouse), Rent (Hangar Theatre), and Monsoon Wedding (Berkeley Rep). Anisha is known for

her role as Madhuri on NBC's television series Outsourced. Other TV/ film credits include Rita (Bravo/Fox), Ugly Betty (ABC), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), Code Black (CBS), Jane Wants a Boyfriend (Showtime), gen:LOCK (HBO Max), and Kinda Pregnant (Netflix). She trained at NYU Tisch’s Stella Adler Studio where she earned her BFA. Love to Aalok, Aaliya, and Arin!

Manu Narayan* Fernandes

Manu’s original Broadway cast credits include Company, Gettin’ the Band Back Together, My Fair Lady (LCT), and Bombay Dreams (Drama League nom.). His national tour credits include Miss Saigon. His off-Broadway credits include The Baker’s Wife (CSC), A Delicate Balance (Transport group/ NAATCO), Merrily We Roll Along (Roundabout), Yeast Nation (NYFF), Falsettoland (NAATCO), subUrbia (Second Stage), Fucking A (Public), The Lisbon Traviata, and The Who’s Tommy (Kennedy Center). Manu’s film credits include Anything’s Possible, 99 homes, The Love Guru, The Last Airbender, and A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song. His TV work includes Your Friends & Neighbors (recurring), And Just Like That, Prodigal Son, Emergence, Bull, Blacklist, Grey’s Anatomy, and Law & Order: SVU. IG: @TheManuNarayan

Nasir Ali Panjwani* Swing

Nasir is an actor, designer, photographer, and activist based in New York City. He is thrilled to make his Berkeley Rep debut in this world premiere production. This one is for all the little brown boys who dream. His off-Broadway credits include Monsoon Wedding. Regional credits include Kevin J/Ali in Come From Away (Engeman Theater; Theatre Aspen), The Prince in Cinderella (Casa Mañana), Tunny in American Idiot (Weathervane Theatre), and Billy Nolan in Carrie (Casa Mañana). BM

Music Theatre from Oklahoma City University. Free Palestine. IG: @nasirpan @designbynasir | nasiralipanjwani.com PRONOUNS: HE/HIM

Yash Ramanujam* Chorus, Dabbawallah

Yash is a NYC-based actor thrilled to make his Berkeley Rep debut. He was most recently seen on stage in Legally Blonde at the John W. Engeman Theater and on screen in Best of the Best (Netflix). He is a recent graduate of the University of Miami, where he earned his BFA in musical theatre. He would like to thank his family for their unwavering love and support.

Making the difference between a good sale and a great one. Andrea Gordon is a proud supporter of the Arts.

Sushma Saha Chorus, u/s Mrs . Deshpande

Sushma is a NYC-based queer South Asian American actor, singer, dancer, voiceover artist, model & songwriter. They have appeared on Broadway in 1776 (Roundabout); off-Broadway in Interstate (NYMF) and Presencia (Connelly); and off-off Broadway in Gooey’s Toxic Aquatic Adventure (Bushwick Starr), You Must Wear a Hat (Interstitial), 7 Minutes (Waterwell), and Girlfriend (Drama League). Their regional credits include Fun Home (Huntington), Maybe You Could Love Me (Theatre Mu/Mixed Blood), and The Wolves (ATL). They won “Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role” at New York Musical Festival for playing Henry in Interstate by Melissa Li & Kit Yan. She is working on her debut EP This Isn’t About You. IG & TikTok: @sushmasahahaha PRONOUNS: ALL

Kinshuk Sen* Chorus, Waiter

Kinshuk is a Los Angeles-based actor and singer originally from India. His stage credits include Kuljit in Come Fall in Love: The DDLJ Musical (Palace Theatre, Manchester; The Old Globe,

Andrea Gordon 510.421.6818

andrea@andreagordon.com DRE 01233563

Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01527235.

2025/26 | ISSUE 7 | 17

SHOW PROGRAM: THE LUNCHBOX

San Diego); Varun in Monsoon Wedding (off-Broadway); Benny in In the Heights, Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing, and Ferdinand in The Tempest (McGowan Theater). Screen credits include Anderson in In A Silent Way (Apple TV), Lt. Shiv Raina in Jiya Jaye, and Hari Mohan in Iktarfa (Amazon/ MX Player). Kinshuk is a graduate in cognitive science, BS from UCLA. Kinshuk is represented by Rothman Andrès Entertainment.

Caryna Desai Shah Yashvi

Caryna is a nine-year-old passionate singer, pianist, dancer, and actress. She has played the role of Tiny Tim multiple times in A Christmas Carol at the renowned McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ. She was also selected for Broadway Artists Alliance intensives in voice and acting and cast in various commercials. Caryna’s heart shines through story, emotion, and love — for all living heartbeats.

Aathaven Tharmarajah* Shaikh

Aathaven is thrilled to be making his Berkeley Rep debut with The Lunchbox. Aathaven has previously starred as Emmett Forrest in the national tour of Legally Blonde and as Laurie in the national tour of Little Women. Other theatre credits include Monsoon Wedding (St. Ann’s Warehouse), Waitress (Timber Lake Playhouse), May We All (The REV Theatre Co.), and Elf the Musical (Pioneer Theatre Company). He thanks his friends and family for their love, guidance, and support. IG: @aathaven_

Vishal Vaidya* Chorus, Office Boss/ Cafe Owner, u/s Fernandes

Vishal last appeared at Berkeley Rep in the world premiere of Swept Away. His credits on Broadway include Jerome in Merrily

18 | THE BERKELEY REP MAGAZINE

We Roll Along and Larry in Groundhog Day. His off-Broadway credits include Nicolas in TRASH and Johannes in Einstein’s Dreams. Regional work includes Ajit in Come Fall in Love (Old Globe), Marcellus in The Music Man (Olney Theatre; Helen Hayes nom.), Dr. Pomatter in Waitress (West Virginia Public), Frog in A Year with Frog and Toad (Adventure Theatre; Helen Hayes nom.), Bonnie and Clyde (Bay Street), The Secret Garden (Ahmanson Theatre), Crazy for You (Pennsylvania Shakespeare), and Dave (Arena Stage). His film credits include Merrily We Roll Along. IG: @vishgram

Levin Valayil* Swing

Levin is thrilled to be back at Berkeley Rep for the premiere of another South Asian musical! He previously played Lottery in Monsoon Wedding at Berkeley Rep. Other theatre credits include Come From Away (Milwaukee Rep, Phoenix Theatre), Mystery of Edwin Drood (Goodspeed), Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily (Alley Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing (Hanover Rep), The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity (Next Act Theatre), The Fantasticks (The Cape Playhouse), and Bhangin’ It (La Jolla Playhouse). His film credits include Descendants: Rise of Red as Aladdin. IG: @lvalayil | levinvalayil.com

Kuhoo Verma* Ila

Kuhoo most recently starred as Veronica Sawyer in the New York revival of Heathers: The Musical. She is best known as the breakout star of Hulu’s original film Plan B. Other film credits include Space Cadet (Amazon) and Murder Mystery 2 (Netflix). Theatre credits include the original cast of Octet (Berkeley Rep, Signature Theatre; Lucille Lortel Award, Drama Desk Award), Nobody Loves You (ACT), and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Signature Theatre). Her opera credits include Cartier's Les Larmes d'Eugénie

(Venice International Film Festival, Théâtre du Châtelet). Upcoming work includes 31 Candles, Lucy Is A Good Girl, and Jackrabbit. IG: @therealkuhoo

Sheela Ramesh

Music Director, Conductor, Keys

Sheela is a music director, pianist, composer, and arranger. Named a “Woman to Watch on Broadway” by the Broadway Women’s Fund, her credits include Broadway (SIX, Almost Famous, Once Upon a One More Time, Merrily We Roll Along, Hell’s Kitchen); off-Broadway (Lincoln Center Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, The York, Theatre Row, Stage 42); television (NBC's Annie Live!); concert (Carnegie Hall, Kings Theatre, Town Hall); and regional theatre (Berkeley Rep, ACT). Sheela received undergraduate and graduate degrees in music at Carnegie Mellon University and the Royal College of Music and also holds degrees in psychology/cognitive science (BS, Carnegie Mellon; MSc, University College London) and law (JD, Yale Law School).

Sascha Jacobsen Bass

Sascha was born into a musical family, going as far back as his great-greatgreat-great-grandfather who was a bassist for the Moscow Opera. A 2022 Latin Grammy nominee, Sascha has performed with Kronos Quartet, Rita Moreno, Hugh Jackman, Martin Short, Mandy Patinkin & Patti LuPone, Marc Shaiman, Bonnie Raitt, Randy Newman, Josh Groban, Kristin Chenoweth, Andrew Lippa, and many others. He is the founder of the Musical Art Quintet and Los Tangueros del Oeste which perform his original works. His music is described by Strad Magazine as "stylish and vigorous...beautifully arranged,” and by NY Music Daily as “Gorgeous, Provocative, Timely New Tango Sounds.”

Eric Kang

Associate Music Director, Cello, Guitar

Eric is a pianist, cellist, and music director based in New York. His work on Broadway includes the associate

PRONOUNS: HE/HIM

Rohan Krishnamurthy

Mridangam, Tabla, Dhol, Additional Indian Percussion, Co-Orchestrations

Dr. Rohan Krishnamurthy is an Indian American percussionist, composer, and educator. He is one of the leading voices of Indian classical and cross-genre music in the South Asian diaspora. Acclaimed a "musical ambassador" by The Times of India, he received mridangam training from the legendary Sri. Guruvayur Dorai. Rohan has performed with preeminent Indian classical musicians and Grammy Award-winning artists across the globe. He leads The Alaya Project, an Indo-jazz-funk collective, which has been praised by Jazziz Magazine, NPR, and San Francisco Chronicle. Rohan holds a PhD in musicology from the Eastman School of Music and directs the RohanRhythm Percussion Studio. His patented drum tuning system is available worldwide. IG: @rohanrhythm | rohanrhythm.com

Shota Otaguro

Mallets, Drum Set, Percussion

Shota is a percussionist based in San Jose, California, performing with several professional ensembles. He is the tuned percussionist for The Stinkfoot Orchestra, dedicated to the works of Frank Zappa, and principal percussionist for the Monterey Pops Band, where he also leads educational clinics for local students. Shota earned first-place solo percussion awards at the 2023 and 2024 North American

Brass Band Association competitions with the San Francisco Brass Band, and previously won the Fremont Symphony’s Young Artist Competition, the SJSU Concerto Competition, and PAS California Collegiate Solo Marimba. He serves as Conductor of the San Jose Youth Symphony Percussion Ensemble, guiding young musicians in ensemble performance and artistry. He holds a bachelor's in music performance from San Jose State University and is a Marimba One Discovery Artist.

Charith Premawardhana Viola

Charith is a San Francisco-based violinist and violist specializing in performing music of various styles. He is the founder and director of Classical Revolution, a global chamber music movement established in 2006 to bring live classical music to neighborhood venues. Charith has performed and recorded for dozens of prominent artists including The Mars Volta, Third Eye Blind, Alexander String Quartet, and Josh Groban. Charith has hired and/or managed musicians for such notable acts as Lindsey Stirling, Evanescence, Jacob Collier, and Foreigner. He can be heard on film soundtracks for Sorry to Bother You and The Shape of Water. The Lunchbox marks Charith's fourth show at Berkeley Rep, following To The Lighthouse, Paradise Square, and Swept Away.

Arun Ramamurthy Violin 1, Co-Orchestrations

Arun is a Brooklyn-based violinist, composer, and educator whose work moves fluidly across traditions, genres, and geographies. Rooted in the South Indian Carnatic tradition, he performs in both Carnatic and Hindustani settings while forging a distinct, genre-blurring voice. He leads the Arun Ramamurthy Trio and performs in a dynamic violin duo with his wife, Trina Basu, creating music that is both deeply rooted and boldly exploratory. He has worked with luminaries such as Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna, Reggie Workman, and

Martha Redbone. As a co-founder of the raga-inspired collective Brooklyn Raga Massive, he has helped cultivate a thriving global community around raga music. From Carnegie Hall in New York to the Bimhuis in Amsterdam, Arun brings a deeply expressive, improvisatory sound to audiences worldwide. IG: @arunnj25

Sahana Shravan Violin 2

Sahana is a NYC-based violinist. She received two degrees from The Juilliard School where she studied with Areta Zhulla and Catherine Cho. She has been awarded 2025 Van Lier Artist of Exceptional Merit, Joseph W. Polisi Prize for Artist as Citizen, and the 2025 Benzaquen Career Grant. Her collaborations include singers, dancers, and composers from Western and Indian classical traditions. She is primarily a chamber musician and teaching artist, but enjoys learning and performing diverse genres of music.

Ritesh Batra

Book and Co-Lyrics

Ritesh is a BAFTA Award-nominated writer-director named one of Variety’s “Ten Directors to Watch.” His previous films include Our Souls at Night (Netflix; starring Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, and Matthias Schoenaerts) and The Sense of an Ending (BBC and FilmNation; adapted from Julian Barnes’ bestseller, starring Jim Broadbent, Michelle Dockery, and Charlotte Rampling). His debut feature film, The Lunchbox, was supported by Sundance and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Grand Rail d’Or. It was one of the best-reviewed films of the year, nominated for the 2015 BAFTAs for “Best Film Not in the English Language.” His most recent feature film, Photograph, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and the Berlin Film Festival. He is currently working on a movie adaptation of the novel A Fine Balance and developing a TV show with A24 and HBO.

2025/26 | ISSUE 7 | 19

SHOW PROGRAM: THE LUNCHBOX

music director of Maybe Happy Ending, and substitute conductor of Illinoise and Hadestown. His off-Broadway credits include Cats: The Jellicle Ball (PAC-NYC). He has worked on the first national tours of Hadestown, Cats, Love Never Dies, and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. Eric holds degrees from Williams College and New York University and is a proud graduate of New Jersey’s and California’s state public school music programs. For , , and Eugene; and for the many teachers and mentors who guide him.

SHOW PROGRAM: THE LUNCHBOX

The Lazours

Music and Co-Lyrics, Co-Orchestrations

Daniel Lazour and Patrick Lazour are music theatre writers. Their original musicals include We Live in Cairo (dir. Taibi Magar; American Repertory Theater, New York Theatre Workshop; Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk noms.) and Night Side Songs (dir. Taibi Magar; Under the Radar, Philadelphia Theatre Company, ART, Lincoln Center Theater; Lucille Lortel, Drama League noms.). They wrote original songs for Caroline Lindy’s feature, Your Monster (2024 Sundance Audience Award) and their movie musical Mikaela Wills & The Teacher in Space is being developed with Bruce Cohen Productions and Spark Features. Original songs can be heard on their independently released albums Two Short Songs in a Minor Key, Lullabies, Freres, Flap My Wings (Songs from We Live in Cairo), and Beth’s Homemade Cowboy Breakfast. They are Jonathan Larson Grant and Richard Rodgers Award recipients, MacDowell and Yaddo Fellows, and NYTW Usual Suspects. IG: @frereslazour

Rachel Chavkin Director

Rachel is a director, sometime writer, and founding artistic director of Brooklyn-based experimental collective, the TEAM, whose work has been seen all over NY, the US, and internationally. She won the 2019 Tony Award for her work on Anaïs Mitchell’s Hadestown (Broadway, NYTW, National Theatre). Select projects include Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (Broadway, Ars Nova, ART; Obie Award, Drama Desk Award, Tony and Lortel noms.), My Joy is Heavy (NYTW; Drama League nom.), Lempicka (Broadway, WTF, La Jolla, Korea), Mission Drift (National Theatre), American Clock (Old Vic), RoosevElvis (Royal Court), The Thanksgiving Play (2ST), How to Defend Yourself (co-dir. with Liliana Padilla and Steph Paul; NYTW), The Royale (LCT; Obie Award, Drama Desk and Lortel noms.), Small Mouth Sounds (Ars Nova/tour), and multiple

collaborations with Taylor Mac, Heather Christian, and Chris Thorpe. She received the 2017 Smithsonian Award for Ingenuity.

Reshma Gajjar Choreographer

Reshma is a first-generation American actress, interdisciplinary performing artist, and creative collaborator. She has acted on screen for visionary directors including Spike Jonze, Sam Mendes, and Kathryn Bigelow, and is recognized for opening Damien Chazelle’s Oscar-winning La La Land. In NYC, she was a member of the original cast of Life and Trust, where she devised, co-choreographed, and originated a role in the genre-defying work from the producers of Sleep No More. She has toured globally with Madonna and Ricky Martin, performing alongside Selena Gomez, Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, and Adele. A black sheep living in both the commercial and art worlds, she is a storyteller who centers humanity. As a Bay Area native, she is thrilled to make her musical theatre choreography debut at Berkeley Rep! IG: @reshmagajjar | reshmagajjar.com

Mimi Lien

Scenic Design

Mimi is a designer of sets and environments for theatre, dance, and opera. Her previous work at Berkeley Rep includes Regarding Strange Devices from the Distant West and Fairview. Other selected work includes Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (Broadway; Tony Award), Sweeney Todd (Broadway; Tony nom.), Antony & Cleopatra and Grounded (Metropolitan Opera), Parsifal (Bayreuther Festspiele), Taylor Mac’s A 24-Decade History of Popular Music (St. Ann’s Warehouse), among others. Mimi is a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, Tony, Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics Circle, American Theatre Wing Hewes Design Award, and an OBIE Award for sustained excellence. Mimi is a co-founder of the Brooklyn performance space, JACK.

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Arjun Bhasin Costume Design

Arjun was born in India and studied film and costume design at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He returns to Berkeley Rep following his work on Monsoon Wedding where he continued his longtime collaboration with director Mira Nair with whom he partnered on The Namesake, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, and A Suitable Boy. He designed the costumes for Ang Lee’s Academy Award-winning Life of Pi and was nominated for a Costume Designers Guild Award for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood starring Tom Hanks. Other credits include Kogonada’s After Yang (A24) and A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, Ms. Marvel (Marvel Studios), and, most recently, the limited series The Beast in Me (Netflix).

Bradley King Lighting Design

Bradley is a parent, proud union leader, and designer for live performance. He returns to Berkeley Rep following his previous work on Goddess. His Broadway credits include Hadestown (Tony Award), Great Comet (Tony Award), Water for Elephants (Tony nom.), Fat Ham (Tony nom.), Flying Over Sunset (Tony nom.), Lempicka, How to Dance in Ohio, and Bernhardt/ Hamlet. His recent off-Broadway credits include High Spirits (Encores!), The Baker's Wife (CSC), Twelfth Night (Delacorte), Goddess (Public), We Live in Cairo (NYTW), and Monsoon Wedding (St. Ann's). He has designed for hundreds of regional productions across the US and around the world. Executive Board Trustee of USA 829. IG: @bradleykingld | bradleykingld.com

Justin Stasiw Sound Design

Justin’s work on Broadway includes sound design on Lempicka and associate sound design on Moulin Rouge!, Beetlejuice, Frozen, Once On This Island, Anastasia, Something Rotten!, Side Show, and It’s Only a Play. Off-Broadway credits include Pericles, The Jonathan Larson Project, Night Side Songs, The Big Gay Jamboree, We Live in Cairo, The View

Charles G. LaPointe Wigs and Hair Design

Charles is an award-winning designer who maintains a highly successful career on stages throughout the US and abroad. He has numerous design credits on Broadway, touring, regional theatre, and international productions including Hamilton (Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Award), Death Becomes Her (Drama Desk Award), MJ, Titanique, The Great Gatsby, Beetlejuice, Pirates! The Penzance Musical!, Suffs (Drama Desk nom.), Tommy, SIX, The Cher Show (Drama Desk Award), SpongeBob SquarePants (Drama Desk Award), Jersey Boy, A Gentleman’s Guide…, and In the Heights. His television work includes The Wiz Live! (Emmy nom.) and Jesus Christ Superstar Live! (Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylist Guild Award, Emmy nom.).

Nathan Koci

Music Supervision, Co-Orchestrations

Nathan's Broadway credits include Illinoise, Hadestown (Assoc. MD), and Oklahoma! (dir. Daniel Fish). Off-Broadway credits include The Seat of Our Pants (Public Theater). His regional and tour credits include Hadestown (MD; Nat. Tour), War Horse (1st Nat. Tour), Most Happy in Concert (Williamstown), and Mother Courage and Her Children (Arena). International credits include The Great Yes, The Great No (William Kentridge) and The Head and The Load (William Kentridge). Dance credits include Principles of Uncertainty (Maria Kalman/ John Heginbotham). Opera credits include Suddenly Last Summer (Courtney Bryan/Daniel Fish) and The Source (Ted Hearne/Daniel Fish). His recording credits include The Hands Free,

And Friends, Guy Klucevsek, The Solomon Diaries, Shovels and Rope, The Michael Leonhart Orchestra, and The Opposite of a Train.

The Telsey Office, Kristian Charbonier CSA, Adam Caldwell CSA, Keertana Sastry, Priya Ghosh Casting

With offices in both New York and Los Angeles, The Telsey Office casts for theatre, film, television, and commercials. The Telsey Office is dedicated to creating safe, equitable, and anti-racist spaces through collaboration, artistry, heart, accountability, and advocacy. thetelseyoffice.com

Becky Fleming *

Production Stage Manager

Becky is thrilled to return to Berkeley Rep, having worked on The Thing About Jellyfish last season. Her Broadway credits include Newsies (OBC, 1st Nat. Tour), Waitress (OBC, 2021 revival), A Strange Loop, The Skin of Our Teeth (Lincoln Center Theater), The Wiz, and Hell’s Kitchen. Her off-Broadway work includes MCC, St. Ann’s Warehouse, Atlantic Theater Company, and NYTW. She has worked on over 20 productions at regional theatres such as Paper Mill Playhouse, La Jolla Playhouse, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Westport Country Playhouse, Syracuse Stage, Theater Under The Stars, Theater of the Stars, and Colorado Shakespeare Festival. For my family always, and in loving memory of Thom Gates.

Shana Ferguson* Stage Manager

Shana’s Broadway credits include Take a Banana for the Ride, Sweeney Todd, and Living on Love. Her national tour and West Coast credits include & Juliet, Hadestown, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (SF Company), Beautiful, and Motown. Off-Broadway credits include Marcel on the Train, Trip of Love, and Songbird. New York credits include Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes (Radio City Music Hall),

Doom: House of Hope, The Doctor (Park Avenue Armory), How Long Blues (Little Island), and Cabin in the Sky (Encores!). Her regional theatre credits include Room Service (Westport Country Playhouse), Double Trouble, and The BFG (Imagination Stage). Shana is a proud alumna of the University of Maryland.

Kathleen Rose Gallardo *

Assistant Stage Manager

Kathleen’s Broadway credits include BOOP! The Musical and Here Lies Love. Her off-Broadway credits include Titanique, The Play That Goes Wrong, and Stranger Sings. Her regional credits include Kiss My Aztec (Hartford Stage), The Wanderer (Paper Mill), and Anastasia (WPPAC). Many thanks to the Lunchbox team. Lots of love to my family and friends!

Dina El-Aziz

Associate Costume Design

Dina's regional credits include English (Long Wharf/TheaterWorks, Hartford, Barrington Stage), The Scarlet Letter (American Stage), School for Lies (Dartmouth College), Forgiveness (Barrington Stage), Selling Kabul (Northern Stage, Seattle Rep, Williamstown Theatre Festival), Layalina (The Goodman), Unseen (OSF), When Monica Met Hillary (Miami New Drama), 9 Parts of Desire (Portland Center Stage), King Lear (Northern Stage), and Noura (The Guthrie, Old Globe). Her off-Broadway credits include The Waterfall (WP Theater), Show/Boat: A River (Target Margin Theater), We Live In Cairo (NYTW), The Mulberry Tree (La MaMa), Munich Medea, Weightless (WP Theater), and The Vagrant Trilogy (Public Theater).

Aja M. Jackson

Associate Lighting Design

Aja is thrilled to be a part of this dazzling team! Aja's associate and assistant design work with Bradley King includes Fat Ham and Lempicka on Broadway; High Spirits, Goddess, and Monsoon Wedding off-Broadway; and Goddess at Berkeley Rep. Additional design credits include Hadestown (2nd Nat. Tour, based on original

2025/26 | ISSUE 7 | 21

SHOW PROGRAM: THE LUNCHBOX

Upstairs, and Songbird. Select regional work includes 5th Avenue Theatre, Asolo Rep, Shakespeare Theatre Company, ACT, and Ogunquit Playhouse. His international work in Manila includes Delia D, The Band’s Visit, Ghost, Jersey Boys, and Sweeney Todd. Justin is a proud member of IATSE and of USA 829.

SHOW PROGRAM: THE LUNCHBOX

lighting design by Bradley King). Proud member of USA 829. Board Chair for Brighter Boston and serves on the board of the Hemsley Lighting Programs. Aja’s design work can be seen at ajajacksonlighting.com.

Tracy Cowit

Associate Sound Design

Tracy is an associate/assistant sound designer and A2 who has worked in numerous Broadway houses. Most recently, Tracy served as the associate sound designer for Night Side Songs, Big Gay Jamboree, We Live In Cairo, and Back To The Future, among others, and was the A2 on the Broadway productions of Beetlejuice, Leopoldstadt, and Company. She has also been the sound effects programmer for King Kong on Broadway. Tracy is thrilled to be part of this production and to be working with a great team!

Sebastian J. Weber

Associate Wigs and Hair Design

Sebastian recently made his Broadway associate debut with Titanique. His off-Broadway and other credits include Damn Yankees (Arena Stages), When Playwrights Kill (Huntington Theatre), and Turandot (Atlanta Opera), among others. He is excited to be a part of this production amd forever grateful to Charles G. LaPointe for the continuous collaboration and mentorship.

Mark Lunsford Producer

Melee Media was co-founded by Travis LeMont Ballenger and Mark Lunsford, two producers with deep experience across Broadway, institutional theatre, and global live performance. Ballenger is a Tony-nominated producer, writer, and creative director whose credits include MJ, Almost Famous, Real Women Have Curves, and Fat Ham (UK), with prior leadership roles at Arena Stage, The Old Globe, Dallas Theater Center, and the Hip-Hop Theater Festival, as well as documentary producing for National Geographic. Lunsford is a veteran producer of new work with over 15 years of experience. He spent over a

decade at Harvard’s American Repertory Theater, with world premiere credits that include Waitress, Jagged Little Pill, Real Women Have Curves (the musical), Gatsby: An American Myth, We Live In Cairo, and many more. He has been a producer and senior advisor for many organizations, including Manhattan Theatre Club and BAM. He is the co-director of the MFA Theatre Management program at Florida State University.

Nik Dodani Producer

Nik is a producer, writer, director, and actor working across theatre, film, and television. He was a co-producer of Life of Pi on Broadway and on its North American tour, and he is thrilled to be part of The Lunchbox team. He is the founder of Cosmic Pomegranate, a production company developing work for stage and screen, and the co-founder of The Salon, a nonprofit supporting South Asian artists and executives in entertainment.

Yogen & Peggy Dalal Sponsors

Yogen and Peggy are the lead supporters of Berkeley Rep’s Musical Theatre Development Fund. They are both members of Impact Partners, an organization that funds independent documentaries on pressing social issues. Yogen is on the board of the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. His past board services include the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and TheatreWorks. Peggy is on the board of the Museum of Craft and Design in San Francisco. She also previously served on the board of TheatreWorks, and chaired the board of Avenidas, a non-profit that helps Bay Area mid-Peninsula seniors live well, learn, and maintain their independence.

Sudha Pennathur & Edward Messerly Sponsors

Sudha Pennathur is a renowned designer and entrepreneur whose company, founded nearly forty years ago, brings the beauty of global artisan craftsmanship to luxury retailers

22 | THE BERKELE Y REP MAGA ZINE

and museums around the world. She serves on the Board of Trustees of Berkeley Rep, bringing her passion for the arts to the community. Her work has touched many lives. Her husband Ed Messerly is a retired, career member of the US Government Senior Executive Service. He served under six US Presidents. Together, Sudha and Ed are dedicated to supporting arts and educational institutions, strengthening cultural life and opportunities for future generations.

Johanna Pfaelzer Artistic Director

Johanna joined Berkeley Rep in 2019 as its fourth artistic director following 12 years as the artistic director of New York Stage and Film (NYSAF), a New York City-based organization dedicated to the development of new works for theatre, film, and television. Notable works developed under Johanna’s leadership at NYSAF include Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda, The Humans by Stephen Karam, Hadestown by Anaïs Mitchell, The Wolves by Sarah DeLappe, The Invisible Hand by Ayad Akhtar, A 24-Decade History of Popular Music by Taylor Mac, The Homecoming Queen by Ngozi Anyanwu, The Great Leap by Lauren Yee, John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt, The Fortress of Solitude by Michael Friedman and Itamar Moses, The Jacksonian by Beth Henley, and Green Day’s American Idiot. In addition, Johanna has developed the work of many notable artists including Jocelyn Bioh, Zach Helm, Halley Feiffer, Billy Porter, Lucy Thurber, Duncan Sheik, V (formerly Eve Ensler), Steven Sater, Jaclyn Backhaus, Patricia Wettig, and Marcus Gardley. Since arriving at Berkeley Rep, Johanna has produced multiple world premieres as well as projects that have gone on to notable future productions including Swept Away, Galileo, Mexodus, and Cult of Love. She was formerly a producing director of Zena Group and served for five years as the associate artistic director of American Conservatory Theater. Johanna is a graduate of Wesleyan University and the Actors Theatre of Louisville

apprentice program and has taught in the MFA theatre program at Columbia University School of the Arts. She lives in Berkeley with her husband Russell Champa and their son Jasper.

Tom Parrish

Managing Director

Tom has served as a theatre leader and arts administrator for over 20 years, with experience in organizations ranging from multivenue performing arts centers to major Tony Award-winning theatre companies. Prior to Berkeley Rep, he served as executive director of Trinity Repertory Company, Geva Theatre Center, and Merrimack Repertory Theatre and as associate managing director/general manager of San Diego Repertory Theatre. His work has been recognized with a NAACP Theatre Award for Best Producer and “Forty Under 40” recognition in Providence, Rochester, the Merrimack Valley, and San Diego. He received his MBA/MA in arts administration from Southern Methodist University; BA in theatre arts and economics from Case Western Reserve University; attended the Commercial Theater Institute, National Theater Institute, and Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management; and is certified in leading diversity, equity, and inclusion by Northwestern University. He and his husband live in Berkeley.

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE MEMBERS OF BERKELEY REP’S SOUTH ASIAN LEADERSHIP COUNCIL: Yogen & Peggy Dalal, Dhanam Foundation, Omar Khan & Kamini Ramani, Sudha Pennathur & Edward Messerly, and Anjali & Sundar Pichai.

SPECIAL THANKS TO CLAIRE MARBERG AND ARJUN'S TEAM IN INDIA. PIANO PROVIDED BY YAMAHA — SPECIAL THANKS TO HELEN PRUSELL AND RANDY COHEN.

2025/26 | ISSUE 7 | 23

SOME WORDS TO KNOW In The Lunchbox, there are some words and phrases that may be new to your ears. Here are a few. Auntie/Uncle: In India (as in many cultures, from Asia to Latin America to Africa), it’s customary to address people of an older generation as “Uncle” or “Auntie” as a show of respect. It can be seen as ill-mannered to call elders by their first names. Dabbawallah: From “dabba,” meaning “box,” and “wallah,” meaning “carrier” or “holder,” a dabbawallah (sometimes spelled dabbawala or dabbawalla) is someone who delivers warm lunches to office workers. Mumbai versus Bombay: The city of Mumbai, India’s commercial center and capital of the state of Maharashtra, was named for Mumba, the incarnation of the mother goddess Parvati, worshipped under the Maratha Empire. In the colonial era, the British colonizers called it “Bombay” based on the Portuguese term for the city. In 1995, the city was officially re-named Mumbai out of respect for the locals’ heritage. Roti: Rotis are round flatbreads. Unlike naan or kulcha, which are made from yeasted dough, rotis are unleavened. Subzi: Subzi (also called sabzi, sabji, or bhaji) refers to any vegetable dish. Tif fin: During the era of the British Raj, “tiffin” became a slang term for the English custom of high tea — a late afternoon meal. Eventually, the term came to mean “lunch,” and, by association, the segmented, cylindrical, metal boxes used to transport hot lunches.

Before retiring, I sporadically attended Berkeley Rep but later became involved in volunteering as an usher with my husband, Martin Freedman. Wishing to do all I could to support the high standards of this valuable, local organization, I became a docent, allowing me to lead preshow talks and facilitate postshow discussions. I want to contribute as an active volunteer and offer financial support into the future. Being a member of the Michael Leibert Society is my way of helping to assure theatrical experiences for future generations. — Joy Lancaster To learn about how to create your legacy at Berkeley Rep, please contact Philanthropy Officer Andrew Maguire at 510 647-2904 or

amaguire@berkeleyrep.org 24 | THE BERKELE Y REP MAGA ZINE

M I C H A EL LEI B ERT LEG A CY S O C I ETY BERKELEY REP

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS SEASON!

We Wehope hopeyou’ll you’llreturn returnfor for We hope you’ll return for another season of another season season of of another transformative theatre. transformative theatre. theatre. transformative

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Allison AllisonJean JeanWhite Whitein in The Hills of California The Hills of California Allison Jean White in The Hills of California

220 0225 5/ /226 6 | | I IS SS SU UE E 77 | | 225 5

2025/26 | ISSUE 7 | 25

THANKING OUR SUPPORTERS

THANK YOU

to our supporters! We thank the many organizations and individuals who enrich our community by championing Berkeley Rep’s artistic, education, and community engagement programs.

INSTITUTIONAL FUNDERS

CORPORATE & HOSPITALITY SPONSORS SEASON PRESENTING SPONSOR

SEASON SPONSOR

LEAD SPONSORS

FOUNDATION

Anonymous (3) The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation Civic Foundation Crankstart Giving Fund Davis/Dauray Family Foundation Dhanam Foundation The William H. Donner Foundation The Ira and Leonore Gershwin Philanthropic Fund — Jean Strunsky, Trustee The Hearst Foundations The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation JEC Foundation Jewish Community Federation & Endowment Fund Koret Foundation Laurents/Hatcher Foundation Libitzky Family Foundation Jonathan Logan Family Foundation The John Logan Foundation McNabb Foundation The Maurer Family Foundation Arjay R. and Frances F. Miller Foundation Miranda Lux Foundation Kenneth Rainin Foundation The Shubert Foundation The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust Tarbell Family Foundation Taube Philanthropies Ingrid D. Tauber Fund Venturous Theater Fund, a fund of Tides Foundation Westridge Foundation Woodlawn Foundation PUBLIC FUNDING

City of Berkeley 26

SPONSORS

ASSOCIATE SPONSORS

BENEFACTORS Almare Gelato Italiano Andrea Gordon Real Estate Aurora Catering BluesCruise.com Broc Cellars City Baking Co. Comal Next Door Covenant Wines Donahue Fitzgerald LLP Eureka! Family Laundry

Gallagher Risk Management Services Hafner Vineyards Hammerling Wines Heroic Italian JazzCaffè Jupiter Kermit Lynch Latham & Watkins LLP Lucia’s Berkeley The Republic of Tea

Palisades Canyon Panoramic Interests Perfusion Vineyard Picante Pinx Catering Smile City Photo Booth Sobo Ramen

Berkeley Repertory Theatre gratefully recognizes the following contributors for their transformational contributions to The Resilience Campaign that support the Theatre’s future. Anonymous

Karen Galatz & Jon Wellinghoff

Sudha Pennathur & Edward Messerly

California Wellness Foundation

Bruce Golden & Michelle Mercer

Jack & Betty Schafer

Stephen & Susan Chamberlin

Marcia Grand

Pat & Merrill Shanks

Yogen & Peggy Dalal

Frances Hellman & Warren Breslau

Michael* & Sue Steinberg

Robin & Rich Edwards

Dugan & Philippe Lamoise

The Strauch Kulhanjian Family

David & Vicki Fleishhacker

The Jonathan Logan Family Foundation

Kelli & Steffan Tomlinson

Kerry Francis & John Jimerson

Sandra & Ross McCandless

Gail & Arne Wagner

Jill & Steve Fugaro

Gisele & Kenneth F. Miller

Linda & Steve Wolan

Karen Galatz & Jon Wellinghoff Steve Goldin Dr. Daniel F. Goodman Melinda Haag & Chuck Fanning Scott & Sherry Haber Rick Hoskins & Lynne Frame Duke & Daisy Kiehn Erin McCune Seth Mickenberg & Alfredo Silva Jack & Valerie Rowe Todd Rubin In Memory of Rob Schonholtz Pat & Merrill Shanks Michael* & Sue Steinberg Steven & Linda Wolan

Jack Klingelhofer Suzanne LaFetra Collier Dugan & Philippe Lamoise Jane & Mike Larkin, in honor of Rosie and Sung-Hou Kim Eileen & Hank Lewis Elsie Mallonee Helen M. Marcus, in memory of David J. Williamson Tim Marten Phyra McCandless & Angelos Kottas Martin & Margi Cellucci McNair James O’Toole Kristin Pace & Kurt Hess Tom Parrish & Steve Dow Norman & Janet Pease Becky Saeger & Tom Graves Barbara Sahm & Steven Winkel Patricia Sakai & Richard Shapiro Joan Sarnat & David Hoffman Cynthia & William Schaff Ed & Liliane Schneider Sarah E. Shaver Karen Smyda Trevor & Anne-Marie Strohman Barbara Tomber

SPONSORS CIRCLE SEASON PRESENTING SPONSORS Stephen & Susan Chamberlin Yogen & Peggy Dalal Bruce Golden & Michelle Mercer Marcia Grand Frances Hellman & Warren Breslau Jonathan Logan & John Piane Arjay R. & Frances F. Miller Foundation The Strauch Kulhanjian Family Gail & Arne Wagner

SEASON SPONSORS Wayne Jordan & Quinn Delaney Sudha Pennathur & Edward Messerly Jack & Betty Schafer Kelli & Steffan Tomlinson

ASSOCIATE SPONSORS LEAD SPONSORS Anonymous Christina Crowley Melanie Maier Sandra & Ross McCandless Mary Ruth Quinn & Scott Shenker Len & Arlene Rosenberg

SPONSORS Anonymous (2) Jeffrey & Karen Breslow Christopher Doane & Neal Shorstein, MD Robin & Rich Edwards William T. Espey & Margaret Hart Edwards Bill Falik & Diana Cohen Kerry Francis & John Jimerson Paul Friedman & Diane Manley Jill & Steve Fugaro

Anonymous (3) Shelley & Jonathan Bagg Edith Barschi & Robert Jackson Anna Bellomo & Josh Bloom Aimee Brown Lynne Carmichael Cindy J. Chang, MD & Christopher Hudson Bill DeHart & David Kamimoto Thomas W. Edwards & Rebecca Parlette-Edwards Lisa Franzel & Rod Mickels Jennifer & Abe Friedman Laura Graham Paul Haahr & Susan Karp Elise Haas Sy Kaufman & Kerstin Edgerton Omar Khan & Kamini Ramani Rosalind & Sung-Hou Kim

2025/26 | ISSUE 7 | 27

SHOW PROGRAM: the aves THANKING OUR SUPPORTERS

THE RESILIENCE CAMPAIGN

THANKING OUR SUPPORTERS

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE PARTNER

Anonymous (2) Italo & Susan Calpestri Venus David,

in memory of Narsai David

Richard DeNatale & Craig Latker Corinne & Mike Doyle Jerry Falk Cynthia A. Farner Linda Jo Fitz Jeryl Fry Anne & Peter Griffes Shawna Hartman Brotsky & Daniel Brotsky Lynda & Dr. J. Pearce Hurley The Jackson Family Foundation Carla Javits & Margaret Cecchetti Ellen & Barry Levine Jeff & Melissa Li Susan & Moses Libitzky Joel Linzner & Teresa Picchi Rosa Luevano & Charles Marston Marymor Family Fund Juan Oldham & Deborah Morgan Johanna Pfaelzer & Russell Champa Shelby Rachleff Audrey & Paul L. Richards, in honor of Barbara Peterson

Monica Salusky & John K. Sutherland Jaimie Sanford & Ted Storey

Emily Shanks Valerie Sopher Ama Torrance & David Davies Larry Vales Sarah Van Roo Toni Weingarten Elizabeth Werter & Henry Trevor Felicia Woytak & Steven Rasmussen

BENEFACTOR

Anonymous (7) Eric Allman & Kirk McKusick George & Marcia Argyris Michelle L. Barbour Michael Barnett & Judith Bloomberg Valerie Barth Becky & Jeff Bleich James Blume & Kathryn Frank Paul Brody Luna Foundation Linda Brown Bonnie Burt & Mark Liss Byers Family Ardie & Mary Clark, in memory of Patricia Fox

Nancy Clark Ed Cullen & Ann O’Connor Dr. Jim Cuthbertson Barbara & Tim Daniels Arvada Darnell Vivek Datta & Jonathan Rabago Richard & Anita Davis Carol DiFilippo Donald & Jeannette Dow

THE MICHAEL LEIBERT LEGACY SOCIETY Anonymous (9) Norman Abramson & David Beery * Sam Ambler Carl W. Arnoult & Aurora Pan Ken & Joni Avery Nancy Axelrod Edie Barschi Neil & Gene Barth Susan & Barry Baskin Linda Brandenburger Broitman-Basri Family Bruce Carlton & Richard G. McCall* Stephen K. Cassidy Paula Champagne & David Watson Jan Chernoff & Isabel Wade Terin Christensen Sofia Close Ed Cullen & Ann O’Connor Andrew Daly & Jody Taylor Narsai* & Venus David Darren & Sunshine Deffner M. Laina Dicker Christopher Doane & Neal Shorstein, MD Thalia Dorwick Robin & Rich Edwards Thomas W. Edwards & Rebecca Parlette-Edwards Bill & Susan Epstein William Espey & Margaret Hart Edwards

Linda Drucker Sandra & Ken Eggers Holly English & Fred Smagorinsky William & Susan Epstein Paul Feigenbaum & Judy Kemeny Ben & Mary Feinberg James & Jessica Fleming Dean Francis Sharon & Tom Francis Kevin Gahagan Dennis & Susan Johann Gilardi Mio & Jon Good Robert & Judith Greber Karen Grove & Julian Cortella Migsy & Jim Hamasaki Bonnie Hamlin Jeannene Hansen Bob & Linda Harris Richard N. Hill & Nancy Lundeen Elaine Hitchcock Stan Hoffman Bill Hofmann & Robbie Welling Jim & Xanthe Hopp Bill & Lisa Kelly Dana Kirkland Andy Kivel & Susan Goldstein Peggy Kivel Sherrill Lavagnino & Scott McKinney Andrew Leavitt & Catherine Lewis Fred Levin Marcia C. Linn Jay & Eileen Love

Jackie Schmidt-Posner & Barry Posner Helen Schulak Deborah Sedberry & Jeff Klingman Donna Seidel Kiren Sekar Ruchira Shah & David Grunwald Shirlen Fund Kim Silva David & Lori Simpson Ed & Ellen Smith Ann M. Smulka & Bob Blackburn Audrey & Bob Sockolov Laura Svienty Dr. Edward Sweet & Mr. Harold Stevens Alison Teeman & Michael Yovino-Young Henry Timnick Deborah & Bob Van Nest Steven Wade Beth Weissman Patricia & Jeffrey Williams Mark Zitter & Jessica Nutik Zitter

Berkeley Rep gratefully acknowledges the following individuals who have generously provided for the organization in their estate plans:

Woof Kurtzman Merle & Michael Fajans Joy Lancaster Bill Falik & Diana Cohen Dr. Stephen E. Follansbee & Martin Freedman & Dr. Richard A. Wolitz Scott & Kathy Law Catherine Fox Marcia C. Linn Kerry Francis Dot Lofstrom Dr. Harvey & Deana Freedman Ingrid Madsen & Victor Rauch Joseph & Antonia Friedman Andrew Maguire Paul T. Friedman Helen M. Marcus Marianne Friedman Dale* & Don Marshall David Gaskin* Rebecca Martinez Sarah McArthur LeValley & Phillip McPherson* Sandra & Ross McCandless Denise Gillen* Suzanne & Charles McCulloch Marjorie Ginsburg John G. McGehee & Howard Slyter Miles & Mary Ellen McKey Mary & Nicholas* Graves Ruth Medak Elizabeth Greene Susie Medak & Greg Murphy Sheldon & Judy Greene Stephanie Mendel Don & Becky Grether Toni Mester Barry * & Micheline Handon Shirley & Joe Nedham Julie & Paul Harkness Jane & Bill Neilson Linda & Bob Harris Theresa Nelson Fred Hartwick Ruth Hennigar & Bernard Smits Daria Hepps Pam & Mitch Nichter Douglas J. Hill* Wallace Oman Peter Hobe & Christina Crowley Sharon Ott Fr. David Pace Hoskins/Frame Family Trust Amy Pearl Parodi Lynda & Dr. J. Pearce Hurley Barbara L. Peterson Robin C. Johnson Regina Phelps Janice Kelly & Carlos Kaslow Margaret Phillips Bonnie McPherson Killip Mark J. Powers Lynn Eve Komaromi Michael H. Kossman & Albert E. Moreno

28 | THE BERKELE Y REP MAGA ZINE

Gerry & Kathy MacClelland Mona Marbach Henning Mathew Carol McCullough & Shirley Wilkinson Miles & Mary Ellen McKey Mary McLaughlin Susie Medak & Greg Murphy Toby Mickelson & Donald Brody Carol Mimura & Jeremy Thorner Andy & June Monach Leslie Moreland Pam & Mitch Nichter Shanna O’Hare & John Davis Carol J. Ormond Janet & Clyde Ostler Sandi & Dick Pantages Barbara L. Peterson Jean Pfaelzer & Peter Panuthos Randy Sue Pollock & Steve Kornetsky Yamini & Tushar Ranchod Marjorie Randolph Dr. Jason Ravenel & Leann Ravenel Terri Remillard Isabel Rhee Carla & David Riemer Gary & Noni Robinson Patrick Romani David S. H. Rosenthal & Vicky Reich Dennis Ryan & Rebecca Sutter-Ryan Dan Scharlin & Sara Katz

Marjorie Randolph Gregg Richardson Bonnie Ring Living Trust David Rovno, MD Tracie E. Rowson Deborah Dashow Ruth Patricia Sakai & Richard Shapiro Brenda Buckhold Shank, MD, PhD Emily Shanks Valerie Sopher Michael* & Sue Steinberg Dr. Douglas & Anne Stewart Jean Strunsky Mary, Andrew & Duncan Susskind Jim Tibbs & Philip Anderson Henry Timnick Guy Tiphane Dana Tom & Nancy Kawakita Barbara Tomber Phillip & Melody Trapp Janis Kate Turner Gail & Arne Wagner Barry & Holly Walter Weil Family Trust — Weil Family Susan West Steven & Linda Wolan The Woolfson Blumenfeld Living Trust Karen & Henry Work Anders Yang, JD Martin & Margaret Zankel *

deceased

GIFTS RECEIVED BY BERKELEY REP Estate of Suzanne Adams Estate of Pat Angell,

in memory of theatre architect Gene Angell

Estate of Nina Auerbach Estate of Helen C. Barber Estate of Fritzi Benesch Estate of Carole B. Berg Estate of Nelly Berteaux Estate of Jill Bryans Estate of Paula Carrell Estate of Victoria Carter Estate of Robert Chase Estate of Nancy Croley Estate of John & Carol Field Estate of Ralph Garrow Estate of Richard & Lois Halliday Estate of Ellen Jasnosz Estate of Nancy Kornfield Estate of Audrey J. Lasson Estate of Zandra Faye LeDuff Estate of Ines R. Lewandowitz Estate of Jim Lillienthal Estate of John E. & Helen A. Manning Estate of Richard Markell Estate of Sumner & Hermine Marshall Estate of Margaret D. & Winton McKibben

CHAMPION

Anonymous (7) Norman Abramson, in memory of David Beery Kristine Anderson Philip Arca & Sherry Smith Linda & Mike Baker Monya Baker Celia Bakke Jeff & Karen Banks David Beckman Don & Gerry Beers Ashvini Bhave & Kishore Bopardikar Brent Blackaby Marc Blakeman Thomas Bosserman Eric Brink & Gayle Vassar Jane V. Buerger Fran Burgess Robert & Margaret Cant Ronnie Caplane Stacey Carlo Dr. Jon Carr Terri Clark & Marty Lay June & Michael Cohen Bart Connally Henry Cook Kim Crane Constance Crawford Karen & David Crommie Joshua Dapice Ilana DeBare & Sam Schuchat Harry & Susan Dennis Drs. Kevin & Susan Denny

Estate of Robert S. Newton, in honor of John T. & Jean Knox

Estate of Sheldeen G. Osborne Estate of Timothy A. Patterson Estate of Gladys Perez-Mendez Estate of Margaret Purvine Estate of Guy T. Roberts, Jr. Estate of Leigh & Ivy Robinson Estate of Gretchen Saeger Estate of Stephen C. Schaefer, in honor of Jean & Jack Knox

Estate of Kevin Shoemaker Estate of Peter Sloss Estate of Louis & Bonnie Spiesberger Estate of Harry Weininger Estate of Grace Williams Estate of Sheila Wishek As of March 2026. Berkeley Rep makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of these listings. If there is an error or you would like to adjust your listing, please contact us at 510 647-2905 or give@berkeleyrep.org.

John & Janet Dodge Karen & David Dolder Martin & Barbara Fishman Suanne & Kirk Flatow Donald & Dava Freed Linda Schacht Gage & John Gage Clara Gerdes & Ken Greenberg Marjorie Ginsburg & Howard Slyter Mary W Graves Mary Grogan Henry L. Hecht Ruth Hennigar Thomas & Elizabeth Henry Susan L. Hill Charlton Holland Barbara & Peter Jensen Marilyn & Michael Jensen-Akula May Johnston Jeanne Killian Tim Kochis Janet Kornegay & Dan Sykes Michael H. Kossman Woof Kurtzman & Liz Hertz Nancy Kux Kevin & Claudine Lally Ann Lincoln Jennifer S. Lindsay Tom Lockard & Alix Marduel Deborah Long Nancy Lumer Paul Mariano & Suzanne Chapot Susanna & Brad Marshland Chris Martin Rebecca Martinez Stephanie Mendel Judy Minor Geri Monheimer Ronald Morrison Daryoush Mortazavi & Caroline Razavi Jane Neilson Thomas Nelson & Jessica Wickens Judy O’Young, MD & Gregg Hauser Judy Ogle Patti Oji Haas Bob & MaryJane Pauley Debra Pughe Kathleen Quenneville & Diane Allen Todd & Susan Ringoen John & Jody Roberts Jane Rokita Rhoda Rossman Chris & Mike Rupp, Descendant Cellars Valerie Russell Lisa A. Salomon Jeane & Roger Samuelsen Barbara & Jerry Schauffler Eric & Lauren Schlezinger Robert Sheppard Michelle C. Shonk Steve & Susan Shortell Amrita Singhal & Michael Tubach Arlene & Matthew Sirott Suzanne Slyman Allan & Maria Smith Betsy Smith Cherida Collins Smith George & Camilla Smith Gary & Jana Stein David Surrenda & Lisa Rafel Jane & Jay Taber

Fred & Kathleen Taylor Sam Test Lisa Vandenberg Gerald & Lynda Vurek-Martyn Susan West Dick & Beany Wezelman Susan Whitman & Mark Gergen Faye Wilson Michelle Winchester Losa Wong & Larry Mar Irene Yen

ADVOCATE

Anonymous (17) David Baer Alisa Baker Tracy Ballard Karen Baratta Susan & Barry Baskin Steven Beckendorf Vinita Belani Richard & Kathi Berman Veronica Bettencourt Patti Bittenbender Laura Blair & Mitchell Zeemont Rena Bransten John Brennan & Stephanie McKown Cathy Bristow Robert P. Camm & Susan Pearson Christina Campbell & Tim DeWolf Jules Campbell Laura Chenel Barbara & Rodgin Cohen Joan & Edward Conger Mary Anne Cook Pam & Mike Crane malcom davis David desJardins David Deutscher Kathryn Doi Tammerlin Drummond Daralyn Durie Dr. Norma Fiedotin Daniel Friedland & Azlynda Alim Herb & Marianne Friedman Lauren Friedman Carol & Tony Friscia Lisa & Jack Fuchs Brett Gardner & Joe Stampleman Paul & Marilyn Gardner Rachel Garlin Ellen Geringer & Chris Tarp Steven Goldberg & Sandee Blechman Paul Goldstein & Dena Mossar Pamela & Tim Gray Judy & Sheldon Greene Karen Greig & Mike Frank Don & Becky Grether George P. Haley Geoffrey & Marin-Shawn Haynes Tamra C. Hege Jim Helman & Linda Fried Helman Donald Hershman Al Hoffman & David Shepherd Rachel & John Horsch Hilary & Tom Hoynes

THANK YOU to all of the generous members of our community who help Berkeley Rep produce adventurous, thought-provoking, and thrilling theatre and bring arts education to thousands of people every year. We gratefully recognize our donors at the Champion level and above, who made their gifts between September 1, 2024 and March 15, 2026. We also express our deep gratitude to all of the Friends of Berkeley Rep that we are unable to recognize here due to space limitations.

Terrie, Nelson & Julia Ishiyama in memory of Woof Kurtzman Pam & Ted Johann Thomas Johann Pat Kelly & Jennifer Doebler Stephen Kerr Elizabeth King Mary King Juanita Kizor Ralph & Tonya Koenker Susan Kolb Lynn Eve Komaromi, in honor of the Berkeley Rep Staff Diana & Jim Krampf Andrea & Kenneth Krueger Jennifer Kuenster & George Miers Lucy Kuntz & Ned Fielden Wayne Lamprey & Dena Watson-Lamprey Shirley Langlois Tami Lau Lisa Lázár & Robb Bauer Susan Carol Ledford Dennis Lenehan Deborah Lewis & Martin H. Myers Mark & Roberta Linsky Steve & Judy Lipson Margo & Josh Lowensohn Kerri & Mark Lubin Peter Luk Ingrid Madsen & Victor Rauch Lois & Gary Marcus, in memory of Ruth Weiland, Mose & Selma Marcus Mark Marin Ana Maria Martel M. Mathews & K. Soriano Kevin McCarty Ash McNeely & Elisa Odabashian Ellen Meltzer & George Porter Anu Menon Zoe Mercer-Golden, in honor of Bruce Golden Susan Morris Elena Moser & Janet Linder Julie Nachtwey, Compass Real Estate Toby Nady Ron Nakayama

Stephen & Karen Nicholls Sandra Nichols Michael O’Donnell Barbara & Philip O’Hay Mitchell Ost Thomas & Tina Parrish Jr. DiAnn Perko Charles & Linda Philipps Malcolm & Ann Plant Robert & Marcia Popper Roxann R. Preston Daniel & Barbara Radin Elizabeth Raffin Karen & Jeff Richardson Maxine Risley, in memory of James Risley Kathy Rogers William Rogers Bruce Rohde Deborah Dashow Ruth, in memory of Leo P. Ruth Theresa Schrider Susan Schwartzwald Emily D. Sexton Christine Silver Lydia Simmons The Sippel/Farb Family Linda Snyder Robert & Naomi Stamper Kay Stodd Carol Sundell Margo & Drew Tammen Ragesh Tangri & Daralyn Durie John & Christine Telischak Edward & Carrie Thomas Pate & Judy Thomson Dana Tom & Nancy Kawakita Dale Underwood & Kirsti Aho Glenn Urban Jill Van Dalen William van Dyk & Margi Sullivan Leon Van Steen Marcia & David Vastine Brian Watt & Daisy Nguyen Jonathan & Kiyo Weiss H. Leabah Winter Wilma Wool Moe & Becky Wright Judy Zenoni

2025/26 | ISSUE 7 | 29

THANKING OUR SUPPORTERS

FRIENDS OF BERKELEY REP

Attendees at the 2026 Ovation Gala

WHAT AN INCREDIBLE NIGHT!

Ritesh Batra accepts his award at the Ovation Gala.

On Saturday, April 18, Berkeley Rep hosted its biggest party of the year at the Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco. With performances by the cast of The Lunchbox, and a special performance from the upcoming musical The Interestings, Berkeley Rep’s Ovation Gala was a night to remember. Supporters, trustees, and friends of the theatre toasted honorees Ritesh Batra and Peet’s Coffee as we celebrated the work of Berkeley Rep this season. Co-chairs Anna Bellomo, Christopher Doane, and Sudha Pennathur, along with their tireless committee members Christina Crowley, Jill Fugaro, and Gail Wagner, worked their magic to make the gala an extraordinary experience.

Thanks to the generosity of our community, we raised $800,000 in support of our world-class work on stage, in classrooms, and with partners throughout the region.

The Lunchbox writer & co-lyricist Ritesh Batra, director Rachel Chavkin, co-composer & co-lyricist Patrick Lazour, star Kuhoo Verma, co-composer & co-lyricist Daniel Lazour, choreographer Reshma Gajjar, and star Manu Narayan.

And special thanks go to our incredible sponsors who made this night such a success: Presenting Sponsor Peet’s Coffee; Platinum Sponsors Marcia Grand and Gail & Arne Wagner; Gold Sponsors Robin & Rich Edwards, the Goodman Eye Center, Sudha Pennathur & Edward Messerly, and the Strauch Kulhanjian family; and all of our Silver and Bronze Sponsors and Hospitality Partners.

PHOTOS: DREW ALTIZER PHOTOGRAPHY

Thank you to the staff members, volunteers, guests, artists, and champions who made the Ovation Gala such a beautiful event!

THE COOK

BY EDUARDO MACHADO DIRECTED BY DAVID MENDIZÁBAL PEET’S THEATRE SEP–OCT 2026

A cook’s forty-year vow to protect her mistress’s Havana mansion becomes a portrait of loyalty, loss, and a nation transformed. Helmed by the acclaimed director of Mexodus and All My Sons, David Mendizábal.

“Over the last few seasons, I have been honored to champion both new works and classic plays shedding light on Latine characters and stories that tackle intersectional issues related to race, class, and history. Eduardo Machado’s The Cook fits right in with the trajectory of plays I have been privileged to direct. Coming from the American theatrical canon created by Latine artists, this play unpacks Cuba’s history around Fidel Castro’s revolution through the lens of complex characters who are full of heart, dreams, and ambitions. Getting to share this story at Berkeley Rep and launch our 2026/27 season brings me great joy!”

—DAVID MENDIZÁBAL, DIRECTOR, THE COOK ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR / DIRECTOR OF IN DIALOGUE

Single tickets on sale this summer.

Want to learn about shows like The Lunchbox as they’re developed from the ground floor up? Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date with news from The Ground Floor, Berkeley Rep’s Center for the Creation and Development of New Work! This year, we’ll have free public sharings during our Summer Residency Lab (Jun 15–Jul 12).

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