Chavez Ravine: In 9 Innings

C TG L A.O R G /D I G ITAL STAG E

OCTOBER 2021

MICHAEL RITCHIE Artistic Director | MEGHAN PRESSMAN Managing Director | DOUGLAS C. BAKER Producing Director GORDON DAVIDSON Founding Artistic Director

Center Theatre Group Presents

CHAVEZ RAVINE IN 9 INNINGS Written and Performed by

Culture Clash Curated by

Lisa Peterson, Richard Montoya, Ric Salinas, and Herbert Siguenza Originally Directed for the Stage By

Lisa Peterson With

Richard Montoya Ric Salinas Herbert Siguenza Gabriela Maldonado Sabina Zúñiga Varela The Band

Vaneza Calderón, Randy Rodarte, Scott Rodarte

Teleplay Adaptation

Editor

First Assistant Director

Richard Montoya

Pablo Prietto

Steven Rosales

Associate Artistic Directors

Production Coordinator

Assistant Production Coordinator

Lindsay Allbaugh, Tyrone Davis

Marcedés Clanton

Maggie Swing

OCTOBER 2021 DIGITAL STAGE Chavez Ravine was commissioned by Center Theatre Group and received its World premiere at the Mark Taper Forum in May 2003.

WHO’S WHO CULTURE CLASH (Curators, Actors) Since 1984, Culture Clash (Richard Montoya, Ric Salinas, and Herbert Siguenza) has been creating adventurous works for the national stage.

Born in an art gallery in the heart of the Mission District of San Francisco that no longer exists, the performance trio knows about adversity and the need to evolve and find new ways to reach new audiences, especially in these pandemic times. Returning to explore their landmark works with Center Theatre Group has been a lifeline and caps a long creative relationship that has produced important plays for and about Los Angeles.

Other commissioned and produced works for Center Theatre Group include Water & Power, Bordertown Now, American Night, Carpa Clash and Palestine, New Mexico as well as a revival of Chavez Ravine at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. The troupe has also created new works for La Jolla Playhouse, Pasadena Playhouse, The Huntington, Arena Stage, Yale Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre and The Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Culture Clash adapted accordingly for these pandemic times by revisiting their works from their anthology of plays. This Chavez Ravine has been especially adapted as a teleplay for the screen and for this moment of reflection in America as an everchanging nation of immigrants and innovation.

Other films from Culture Clash as well as solo works include: Water & Power, Playing with Fire: The Art of Carlos Almaraz (Netflix) and The Other Barrio. Culture Clash members have appeared in and consulted on films such as Coco and Nacho Libre. New works include Suicide on Telegraph for Berkeley Rep. Please enjoy this adaptation of Chavez Ravine—in it we reach and yearn for an L.A. of yesterday and remain wearily excited about her future. May this version reflect and capture honestly our early Chicano/a communities and our paradoxical relationship to a city we love and helped to build.

From every laid brick at UCLA and USC to the cemented riverbanks we remain in love with La Ciudad de Nuestra Senora de los Angeles! Our City of Angels in all her light and shadow! Viva L.A.! Viva CTG! And viva Culture Clash forever homies! Con Safos...

LISA PETERSON (Co-Curator, she/her) is a two-time Obie Award-winning writer and director whose previous projects at Center Theatre Group include Lynn Nottage’s Sweat, Luis Alfaro’s Electricidad, Chay Yew’s adaptation of House of Bernarda Alba, and Culture Clash’s Chavez Ravine, Palestine, New Mexico and Water & Power. Lisa has directed World premieres by many major American writers, including Tony Kushner, Beth Henley, Donald Margulies, José Rivera, David Henry Hwang, Jane Anderson, Marlane Meyer, Naomi Wallace, Basil Kreimendahl, and many others. Lisa served as Resident Director at CTG from 19952005. She is the author, with Denis O’Hare, of An Iliad and The Good Book, as well as a musical adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s The Waves with composers David Bucknam and Adam Gwon.

GABRIELA MALDONADO (Young Maria, she/her) is a performer who was raised in Los Angeles. Her acting journey began at East Los Angeles College (ELAC) where she studied theatre, improvisation, and was featured in several productions and music videos. In Spring of 2018 she landed the leading role of Maria, from a stage performance of Chavez Ravine. The play was showcased at ELAC and was chosen to be featured in The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Maldonado has since revisited her role as Maria for a film adaptation of Chavez Ravine, working alongside the Bay Area comedic ensemble Culture Clash, actor Sabina Zúñiga Varela, and acclaimed director Lisa Peterson.

SABINA ZÚÑIGA VARELA (Grown Maria, she/her) is an actor/director/educator from New Mexico. She has an M.A. in Special Education from UNM and an M.F.A. in Acting from USC. She has performed on the stages of The Public Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Pasadena Playhouse, Dallas Theater Center, Cincinnati Playhouse, the Kirk Douglas Theatre, Portland Center Stage, The Getty Villa, CalShakes, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Magic Theatre, The Fountain Theatre and The National Hispanic Cultural Center. Television appearances include Madam Secretary, Snowfall and American Crime. She’s completed The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro and is a proud member of AEA & SAG/AFTRA.

MARCEDÉS L. CLANTON (Production Coordinator, she/her) Eliza Tour: Hamilton, Folger Theatre: Merry Wives of Windsor, La Mirada: Matilda the Musical. Center Theatre Group: The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro, Rotterdam, Mutt House, Die, Mommie Die!. Select Credits: Laughter on the 23rd Floor, The Madwoman of Chaillot, Ah, Wilderness!, The Maids, Sons of the Prophet, The Temperamentals, Booty Candy, Wolves, The Color Purple the Musical, Take Me Out, [title of show].

MAGGIE SWING (Asst. Stage Manager, she/her). Center Theatre Group: The Last Ship, Dana H., For The Love Of, Native Son, Linda Vista, Quack, Bloodletting, Ameryka, Die, Mommie, Die!, Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue, Spamilton, Big Night, King of the Yees, Failure: A Love Story, Dry Land, Vicuña, Throw Me on the Burnpile and Light Me Up. Geffen Playhouse: Big Sky, Barcelona, Guards at the Taj, Discord, The Country House, American Buffalo. Boston Court: Collective Rage. European tour: The Apple Family Plays. Off-Broadway: Regular Singing, Sorry, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Sweet and Sad, Knickerbocker, Compulsion, That Hopey Changey Thing (The Public Theater), Slowgirl (Lincoln Center), Blood Knot, The Orphans’ Home Cycle (Signature Theatre Company).

PABLO PRIETTO (Editor, he/him) is an editor who usually works on feature films and television. Last year, Pablo edited Culture Clash's Totally Fake Latino News, a series of videos produced for La Jolla Playhouse. He is thrilled to be working with Culture Clash again on Chavez Ravine, as this project has allowed him to incorporate his love of live theatre into a hybrid form. He has enjoyed working with Culture Clash and being a witness to their creative process.

STEVEN ROSALES (First Assistant Director, he/him) Steven attended the Arts Institute in San Francisco and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in film and video production. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay area, he was exposed to a wide range of expressions in art, making him an extremely versatile director and producer. He has led nationally syndicated car commercials, produced and directed major label music videos, and worked on product shots for fashion brands and household products. He is proficient in film equipment, Photoshop, video editing software, lighting, gaffing, location scouting and overall production operations. As a great communicator, he understands the importance of executing a vision in ways you never thought possible.

CENTER THEATRE GROUP (Michael Ritchie, Artistic Director; Meghan Pressman, Managing Director/CEO; Douglas C. Baker, Producing Director), one of the nation’s pre-eminent arts and cultural organizations, is Los Angeles’s leading nonprofit theatre company, programming seasons at the Ahmanson Theatre and Mark Taper Forum in Downtown Los Angeles, and the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City.

In addition to presenting and producing the broadest range of theatrical entertainment in the country, Center Theatre Group is one of the nation’s leading producers of ambitious new works through commissions and World premiere productions and a leader in community engagement and education programs that reach across generations, demographics, and circumstance to serve Los Angeles.

Find a complete staff list at CTGLA.org/Staff.

ADDITIONAL CREDITS FOR CHAVEZ RAVINE: IN 9 INNINGS The Band.......................................................................... Vaneza Calderón .....................................................................Randy Rodarte, Scott Rodarte Original Costume Design................................................ Christopher Acebo Costume Shop Manager............................................................ Brent Bruin Carpenter..................................................................................Ryan Fisher Prop Artisan.................................................................................Eric Babb Lead Compliance Offer..............................................................Niki Armato Covid Compliance Officer..........................................................Ben Shipley Covid Compliance Officer...............................................................Liv Scott Operations Support Staff......................................................Dean Grosbard Center Theatre Group is a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), the American Arts Alliance, the Broadway League, Independent Producers’ Network (IPN), National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT), and the Theatre Communications Group (TCG).