different strokes!
beneficiary:
performing arts collective
world premiere The Education of Ted Harris by Jamie Knox
september 12-28, 2019
tina mcguire theatre wortham center for the performing arts
directed by stephanie hickling beckman
ph oto by Ma s a Ogawa
2019/2020 SEASON More than 40 pe r form a n ce s by in te r n at i o n a l l y to u r i n g ar ti sts in m u sic , t heat re , da n ce a n d mo re
T h e Wor tha m Ce nte r for t he Pe r fo r m i n g A r t s is excite d to we lco m e D ifferent St r o kes! P er f o r m in g Ar t s C ol l e c t i ve as it s new compa ny in re s i d e n ce .
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Donation-based, all-levels yoga Sundays, 10–11am in Azalea Park (498 Azalea Rd) Private yoga lessons & Ayurvedic consultations by appointment with Jamie Knox, author of The Education of Ted Harris
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Wortham Center for the Performing Arts 18 biltmore avenue, 28801 live music auctions passed appetizers beer / wine / mocktails best mask contest formal attire requested $75 individual - $125 couple $1,000 sponsorship (1o tickets) tickets limited - rsvp required tickets: bit.ly/2ZjZiED
presents
The Education of Ted Harris by Jamie Knox
September 12–28, 2019 Directed by Stephanie Hickling Beckman cast
in order of appearance
Mom Ness Dad Ted Amber Doctor Pedge
Alexandra McPherson* Kaelyn Brandt* David Mycoff Daniel Henry Samantha Spiegel* Jim Abbott* Anna Lyles*
* first appearance with Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective
creative team
Production Manager Stage Manager Scenic & Properties Design Lighting Design Costume & Hair Design Sound Design Graphic Design
Kate Sullivan Jim Abbott Laura Lowe Jason Williams CJ Breland Stephanie Hickling Beckman Devyn Ray
crew
Technical Director Alex Smith Set Crew / Board Op Curran Clarke Photography Jenn McCormack
timeline: the education of ted harris Act 1
No Regrets. Newly-Old Memories. Experimental Treatment. Untouchable. College Bound. How I Met Your Other. Dissection. Things Said.
Flashback: 2015 Present: 2019 Present: 2019 Flashback: 2013 Flashback: 2013 Present: 2019 Flashback: 2014 Present: 2019
Act 2
Things Un-Said. Drinking Games. Honorable Mention. Games Are Fine. Game Over.
Present: 2019 Flashback: 2015 Present: 2019 Present: 2019 Present: 2019
jamie knox, playwright Since arriving in Asheville, Jamie Knox has thrown herself back onstage and into her writing. In her early twenties, Jamie made a living on the stage before moving to Hollywood, but, disenchanted, and several yoga classes later, she left Hollywood and the pursuit of stardom for a life more rooted in her values. She has studied, directed, and performed Shakespeare in England, and has a Master's degree in Theatre History & Theory. She is a brand new mom to a bright-eyed girl, and has a husband who reminds her not to take life too seriously—but she still does.
from the director What I’ve noted over the last few weeks about The Education of Ted Harris is that we all share responsibility for teaching, as well as culpability for examples that we set within our family or friend groups. It seems to me that every single person named in Ted Harris’ life plays some part in facilitating his education and subsequent actions. From his sister’s acceptance of Ted’s references to “floozies” and “slutty girls,” to the dated and sexist idealizations communicated by his mother, Ted receives all the wrong messages about what is and is not appropriate in how men and women can best co-exist outside the cave-man era. Our mission is to present theatre that is not only entertaining but provocative—and what is more thought-provoking than the everchanging state of human affairs? The Education of Ted Harris has been consistently referred to as an answer to the “#metoo campaign,” and represents the idea that there is a space between consent and nonconsent, called the “gray zone,” where one party believes that everything that happened was consensual and the other party believes otherwise. Whereas the star-studded parade of serial rapist situations that have overtaken the media seem pretty black and white to the majority of us, the world seems divided on how we feel about novice perpetrators like Ted Harris, who plead an arguably convincing “I didn’t know.” Yes, we can and should agree that consent is absolutely mandatory, that sex should not begin or continue without a (legal) unambiguous and audible go-ahead. But what happens when attraction and emotional intimacy are mistaken for non-verbal consent? Are Ted Harris and Aziz Ansari to be sorted into the same category as Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, or Jeffrey Epstein? Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this play is not that one more person gets added to the already startling statistics but that education is our best and most handy defense. Susana Amoah, founder of the "I Heart Consent" Campaign says, “To avoid gray areas, it’s important that people of all ages are educated about what sexual consent means and are able to have informed wider discussions about coercion, body language, and abuse of power.” —Stephanie Hickling Beckman, Director
donor roll call Different Strokes! has been fortunate to receive tremendous support from our local community, without which we would not be able to offer the high-quality, challenging repertoire we are known for. We owe tremendous thanks to all the individuals, businesses, and organizations listed below who have given generously over the past two and a half years. Thank you all.
$2,000+ Paula Beatty Owen & Barbara Bowers The Law Office of Barbara Bowers Jenny & John Hassler Honeybee Fund of the Common Counsel Foundation MADabolic Sona Merlin One Click Fix Oppenheimer & Co, Inc. Melissa Redwin
$1,000-$1,999 Erik Aasland Lauren Alleman Asheville Sun Soo, LLC Bonnie & Elizabeth Schell Purplecat Networks, Inc Kimberly Richardson
$500-$999 Patricia Hickling Beckman Crystalign Chiropractic Michelle Dorf James Gaines Amy Giles Elizabeth Jones Dara Kiely George Lefas John Mendenhall Peter & Pamela Millis Katherine Morosani Marsha Price Elizabeth Roseman Elliot Spicer
Studio Three Steven Worthing
$250-$499 Austin CPA, PC Blossom and Be Sandra Bradbury Braincore Therapy of Asheville CJ Breland & Frank Ash James Colvin Eleanor Cox Green Line Media Michael Greene Gregory Holden Deborah Scott Cynthia Sprau Rev. Sara K Wilcox & Dr. Jeffrey Wilcox Nan Williamson
$100-$249 Mary Alm Pamela Hillery Ator James Bearden Cathryn Carlson & Bill Parks David Boatwright Ann Bonnyman David Broshar Sally Broughton & Toby Ives Virginia Callaway William Carpenter Jean Castle Jim Colvin Laurie Corral Mignon Durham
Irwin Fayne David Feingold Abby Felder Nancy Fraser Blaine Greenfield Eva Hartman Lora Johnstone Kathryn Liss & Karl Katterjohn Eugene & Carol Katz Kimberly-Clark Foundation Rita Kole-Etter Douglas Lane Steve Livingston Michele Louzon & Jason Hadley David Mycoff Jeff Naparstek Jeanette Oliver Ruth Planey Elizabeth Preyer Carla Pridgen Robert MacDicken & Eileen Ross Charles McKinney Insurance Services Nimble Commerce EvaMichelle Spicer Elizabeth Stoneberg Heather Talley Tippin Lucia Del Vecchio Penny Ward Greg Walker Wilson
$1-$99 Coranna Adams Alison Tynes-Adams
donor roll call
Julia Akers Barbie Angell Shiner Antiorio Donald Barrier Marshay Proctor-Bates Erica Blige Deanna Braine Allen Brasington III Christopher Brunton Marguerite Brunton Shawna Bryce Burning Sage Yoga Nancy Burns Garrett Burrell Rebecca Bernstein & Calvin Tomkins Jeremy Carter Kathryn Cartledge Daniel Clancy LaNita & John Cloninger Loretta Cochran Jenni Cockrell Christina Cody Tracey Johnston-Crum Laurin Czyzyk Justin Day Mary & Roger Dillon Michelle Alvarez Dismukes Michelle Dorsey Hannah Early LaToya Eaves Karin Eckert Blair Fielding Judy & Theodore Figura Jr. Wendy Flynn Christy Fox Leah Fox
Salvatore Gadsden Tom Gadsden Andrew Gall Shelly Gilberto Nancy Golbeck Nora Goller James Graves Molly Graves Ralph Gurkin Jacquelyn D. Hallum Dr. William Hamilton Michael Harney Shuvonda Harper Kimberly Hartman Hayley Heninger Ryan Hessenius Jameson Hughes Janet Hurley Charles Jansen Tana Jencks Katie Jones Kenneth Jones Elizabeth Keel Gomes Trinity Keel Nancy Kehr Trissa King Christopher Kingsley Lise Kloeppel Kathryn Klvana Barbara Korenblit Laurie Kozar Maximilian Koger Zacary Landolt Laura Lane LaZoom Tour Company Ivan Lefkowitz Aubra Love Laura Lowe
Joseph Mancinelli Amy Mandel Gregory Mayer Jennifer McCormack Fred Morgan Jennifer Mullendore Kathleen O'Connor Aurora Ozzimo Brent Pack Melody Pajak Tracy Pearson Jason Phillips Deb Ramsey Colleen Riley Stan Robinson Kendryl Rogers Michelle Rogers Sarah Rubin Darlyne Sahara Elli Schmeltekopf Teri Sferlazza Amanda Shive Cyd Smith Aaron Snook Sadie Sondgerath Dana Spencer Joshua Suttles Coy Theobalt Robin Tynes Laura Westbrook Anthony Wilbanks Elizabeth Will Marta Alcala-Williams Elizabeth Ziegler
meet the cast alexandra mcpherson (mom) has appeared locally with The Autumn Players of Asheville Community Theatre in many of their Reader’s Theatre Showcase Productions, and also with The Montford Park Players—enjoying a variety of roles including Gertrude, Duchess of York, Agamemnon, and most recently Miss Prism. Alex is profoundly grateful to Stephanie and Jamie, and to her fellow cast and crew members, for the opportunity to make her Different Strokes! PAC debut with this powerful piece. kaelyn brandt (ness) is a wandering theatre artist and actor. Since receiving a degree in Theatre Performance from Bard College at Simon's Rock, she has studied and worked on-stage and on-camera in Berlin, Los Angeles, NYC, Boston, DC, and Minneapolis. During her studies, she also attended the National Theatre Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center in Waterford, Connecticut. Kaelyn is thrilled to be making her Asheville stage debut with Different Strokes. anna lyles (pedge) is an actor, musician, and artist based in Asheville. This is her first production with Different Strokes. She was most recently involved in The American Myth Center’s The Ballad of Romeo and Juliet in June 2018 and 2019, playing the roles of Rosaline and the Apothecary as well as playing music. samantha spiegel (amber) is new to the Asheville area. She is excited to be making her North Carolina stage debut in The Education of Ted Harris. Her most recent stage credit was as the Nurse in an Off-Off Broadway stage adaptation of Angel Heart. Funnily enough, she also played the lead role of Amber in an independent film Zero Tolerance in NYC. She has also been seen in the independent films Drawn and Flick’s Chicks. She studied at the T. Schreiber Studio in NYC. She graduated from Columbia University in 2007 majoring in Creative Writing and Dramaturgy. daniel henry (ted harris) is excited to be working with Different Strokes! again! This is his third production with them in the past two years. You may remember him from 12 Angry Jurors as Juror 5, or in Alabama Story as Thomas. Some other credits from other companies include: Tybalt/Paris in American Myth Center's production of The Ballad of Romeo and Juliet, Jeff in Ellipsis Theatre Company's production of Lobby Hero, and many more. He also likes to dabble in film acting as
meet the cast well. He thanks you for being here and appreciating the arts. Enjoy with an open mind! david mycoff (dad) teaches at Warren Wilson College and has performed in over eighty-five local theatre productions with a number of companies, including Hendersonville Community Theatre, Attic Salt Theatre Company, Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective, Magnetic Theatre, The Montford Park Players, and Warren Wilson Theatre. He appeared most recently earlier this season with the Montford Park Players as the title character in King Henry IV, Part One and the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Quest for Justice. jim abbott (doctor) is a newcomer to the stage. He is excited to appear in his first performance with Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective. He is usually found behind the scenes supporting the cast and crew to bring the show to life. He has previously worked on productions for Hendersonville Community Theater, Anam Cara Theater Company and the Asheville Fringe Arts Festival. stephanie hickling beckman (director) has worked, over the last twenty years, with several local theatre companies as an actor, stage manager, and director, and toured nationally and locally as an actor. She’s actually far too busy to count how many plays she has directed or appeared in. As the Founder and Managing Artistic Director for Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective, Stephanie is committed to directing and producing theatre that expresses the diversity we encounter in our everyday lives and finding ways to recognize and honor our differences in a safe and positive environment. Like Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective, she is committed to being an active part of her community and seeks every opportunity to champion diversity and inclusion. She fulfills her personal mission to change the world through her art, compassionate leadership, straight-forward communication, and a deep love of storytelling.
today's beneficiary
Our VOICE, Inc. is a non-profit crisis intervention and prevention agency which serves victims of sexual violence, age 13 through adult, in Buncombe County. In addition to providing direct client services, Our VOICE offers prevention, education, and outreach programs to raise awareness, address the root causes of sexual violence, advocate for positive social change, and empower individuals. The agency was founded in 1974 as an all-volunteer, grassroots organization. Now, more than 40 years and considerable growth later, Our VOICE employs 21 paid staff working both to support the healing of survivors and to prevent future acts of sexual violence. www.ourvoicenc.org | crisis line: 828 . 255 . 7576 or text “VOICE” or “VOZ” to 85511
20% of ticket sales from 'the eduation of ted harris' will be donated to our voice
special thanks to: Michelle Àlvarez, Asheville High School Thespians, Jean Castle, Phillipe Coquet, Summer Culbreth, Margaret Emery, Trish Hickling Beckman, Jamie Knox, Zach Knox, Laura Lowe, Travis Lowe, Jenn McCormack, Sylvia Pierce, Melissa Redwin, ZaKiya Bell Rogers, KP Whaley, Wortham Center for The Performing Arts
our company
different strokes! performing arts collective
Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to making theatre, building community, facilitating awareness, and changing the world, one play at a time. Motivated by the belief that the arts are capable of bridging cultural and social gaps, we work to increase and sustain opportunities for diversity within the WNC performing arts community, and to present works which confront issues of social diversity in a provocative way.
different strokes! board Barbara Bowers, Chair
Trish Hickling Beckman, Vice Chair CJ Breland, Secretary Meg Hale-Brunton Courtney Robinson Zakiya Bell-Rogers Sona Merlin
different strokes! staff
Stephanie Hickling Beckman Founder & Managing Artistic Director Melon Wedick Development Manager Kate Sullivan Production Manager Caroline Daniels House Manager
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