Alliance Theatre: The Wondrous Realities of Jasmine Starr-Kidd, March, 2023

Page 14

ALLIANCE THEATRE

1–APR
MAR
1, 2023
encoreatlanta.com | 1 THE MANY WONDROUS REALITIES OF JASMINE STARR-KIDD FROM THE PRODUCER Between Us ....................... 5 FEATURE Kendeda’s Stamp of Approval ....... 6 Playwright Stephen Brown on Jasmine , Creating Representation for Future Generations, and the Alliance’s Kendeda Program Story by Ashley Elliott Program Highlight 10 Onstage&Off ..................... 13 Program Notes 15 Your Story, Your Stage ........... 23 Synopsis 24 DEPARTMENTS About the Alliance Theatre ........ 25 Board of Directors 26 Sponsors ........................ 29 Annual Fund 31 Alliance Theatre Staff ............. 36 Page 6 Page 10 Page 23

ENCOREATLANTA.COM

PUBLISHER Brantley Manderson brantley@encoreatlanta.com

— CREATIVE — EDITOR-IN -CHIEF Robert Viagas robert@encoreatlanta.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Tamara Hooks tamara@encoreatlanta.com

DIGITAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Allie Johnson allie@encoreatlanta.com

PROGRAM PRODUCER Ashley Elliott ashley.elliott@alliancetheatre.org

ENCORE ATLANTA is published monthly by B2 MEDIA, LLC. P.O. Box 1377 | Columbus, Georgia 31902 Phone 678-837-4004

Copyright © 2023 Encore Atlanta. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. Encore Atlanta is a registered publication of B2 Media, LLC. The publisher shall not be liable for failure to publish an ad, for typographical errors, or errors in publication. Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising for any reason and to alter advertising copy or graphics deemed unacceptable for publication.

As one of the region’s largest Marketing Solutions Providers, Communicorp handles everything from print to digital to emerging technologies like clickable print or eCommerce storefronts. We guide clients through the maze of new marketing technologies and methodologies with a unique approach that always looks beyond yesterday’s solutions. Based in Columbus, GA, Communicorp is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aflac. To learn more about our award-winning solutions, visit Communicorp.com.

encore
Printed exclusively by Communicorp Our audience is your audience. Advertise with Encore and reach a targeted group of performing arts lovers. CONTACT Hila Johnston 305-978-2922 hila@encorecharlotte.com

Where authentic Christian mission and academic excellence aren’t mutually exclusive

MORE!

EXPLORE WESLEYAN AT WWW.WESLEYANSCHOOL.ORG/ADMISSIONS
SCAN TO LEARN

What if…

What if I had decided to have children? What if I had chosen a different career path? What if I had taken 400N instead of I-85 this morning and avoided that accident that made me miss my meeting?

The first line in Stephen Brown’s 2022 Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition winner, The Many Wondrous Realities of Jasmine Starr-Kidd, is “How many of you went to bed last night thinking about one thing you wish you had done differently that day?”

It’s unavoidable. No matter our age, no matter how much we are prone to overthink (or not), human beings are programmed to analyze their present life situation by way of studying (and often, regretting) the decisions and actions that got us there. Whether our regret is as innocuous as accidentally popping a cashmere sweater in the dryer or as significant as not nurturing a marriage, we are wired to spend an inordinate amount of time pondering the “what if’s” from the past, instead of the “what can be’s” in the future.

(Spoiler alert…)

Our magical heroine Jasmine invents a time machine and embarks on a journey to change the past. If you are a theatre person (and I know you are, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for that), you believe time travel is possible. We sit in a darkened room and are transported to an imagined place and time, willingly suspending our disbelief and allowing the fiction before us to become real — just for a brief moment. We know what we are watching isn’t real, but we allow the transport into this theatrical universe to crack open our hearts, to open our minds. In communion with our fellow audience members in this holy space, we allow this imagined circumstance to move energy from what we thought we knew to what might actually be possible.

I believe the old adage “the more things change, the more they stay the same” is false. Every time Jasmine (often stubbornly) tries to change her past, she is shifting the molecules and stripping away what she thinks she knows to be true, creating a vessel that is ready for the lesson. The lesson that we can’t control others’ free will; that sometimes regret and mistakes aren’t problems to be solved, but instead (in the words of our brilliant playwright), are the building blocks of who we are.

My hope is that the same will happen to you tonight. That you will leave this theatrical time travel, with a little less regret, a little more acceptance of others and yourself, and a lot more dedication to the “what can be.” That is the magic of theatre.

And then maybe it will be just fine that you decided not to have children, because you will see with new eyes the gift of your three gorgeous stepchildren. And your traffic-filled commute to work will be meant to be because it allowed you a different elevator ride with perhaps a co-worker who needed a smile or a word of encouragement.

So put on your space helmet, buckle in, and let go of regret. We are so glad you are here.

betweenus | 5

KENDEDA’S STAMP OF APPROVAL

If Stephen Brown could go back in time and change anything, he would go back to a few months ago when his wife was out of town and remember to water her plants.

“I definitely didn’t water them enough when she was out of town in August and I almost killed one of them and she burst into tears when she saw it and it was, like, the worst moment of my life,” Stephen says. “I would leave everything else the same. I’m one of those people who cherishes their mistakes and embarrassments and failures because they make you who you are. They also make great writing material if you happen to be a playwright… except for that plant-watering situation. Oh, man. I would definitely do that over.”

Stephen is the 2022/23 Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition Winner. His play, The Many Wondrous Realities of Jasmine StarrKidd, is an exploration of fate, second chances, and accepting what we can’t change. The titular character, Jasmine, is a twelveyear-old computer genius whom Stephen sees as almost his ideal child. He and his wife love to talk about what they think their kids will be like, when they eventually have them. “They always seem way smarter than us. Like we’ll always joke that they’ll be doing our taxes when they’re nine years old or teaching us how to invest in the stock market when they’re seven — but also be really annoyed at us for not knowing about investments yet.”

Stephen dreamed up Jasmine and her story because he and his wife wanted better stories to share with their children. His wife is also a playwright, so stories are very important to them and their future family. Stephen grew up with movies like Armageddon Back to the Future that made him feel understood “in a weird sort of way.”

| programfeature 6
Playwright Stephen Brown on Jasmine, Creating Representation for Future Generations, and the Alliance’s Kendeda Program Playwright Stephen Brown. Photo by Jenny Anderson Photography.

Unfortunately, those movies also featured mostly white casts.

“My wife and I are an interracial couple,” he explains, “and I wanted to be able to show our future kids adventure stories that centered characters that looked like them. Jasmine Starr-Kidd really came from a place of wanting to create characters for our future kids to identify with, [and] with families that look like their family.”

Although Stephen isn’t a twelve-year-old computer genius, he relates to Jasmine in that his parents also got divorced when he was younger. He says that the divorce was a “super healthy choice — shout out to my awesome parents!” but, like Jasmine, he always wondered how different his life would be if he could somehow put them back together.

“There’s an ache that forms in the sudden absence of certain parents or family members and you kind of feel it all the time. I think deep down that’s something that Jasmine is going through in the play: This desire to put things back together and bring everyone home.”

Most of Stephen’s plays are filled with longing, Jasmine Starr-Kidd especially. “Longing for that person that’s not around as much as we wish they were,” Stephen says. “Longing for that person that doesn’t love us as much as we wish they did. Longing for things to be different. Yes, it’s a story that’s filled with a lot of fun adventures, mishaps, and humor, but underneath it all, it’s a story about this young girl with an incredible ache in her heart. Who hasn’t felt that before? Who hasn’t wanted to be able to change reality to the one that’s less painful than your current one?”

The Impact of the Kendeda Award

Speaking of Stephen’s other works, he’s a very busy man. He is developing new plays, working on a TV show, and serving as a fellow at the Juilliard School’s Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program. However, he thinks it’s the Alliance’s Kendeda program that stands out.

“There’s not a particularly long history of sci-fi adventure plays getting produced across the theatre landscape, [so] I don’t think there were any other theatres out there that were going to produce this play,” Stephen says, laughing. “I’m so grateful to the Alliance for taking a chance on me and this play I love so much. Not only is this production going to be just the coolest thing ever, it was this production and the Kendeda Award that also directly led to a lot of the other things [I have going on].”

“The truth is that a lot of playwrights are very talented, but they’re waiting for someone to come along and legitimize their work by giving them their first big production,” he adds. “Once that happens, it’s kind of like they’ve

alliancetheatre.org | @alliancetheatre | encore 8

gotten a stamp of approval, which is when other theatres and companies start to take chances on them. This is the exact thing that the Kendeda Award does: It gives playwrights that first stamp of legitimacy and helps launch careers. This is true of so many Kendeda winners of the past and I will always be immensely grateful to be given the opportunity to work here at the Alliance.”

When asked what he would do if a future version of himself showed up to talk to him, he says he would quickly forget whatever was said. “First of all, [Future Me would] realize that I hadn’t sprayed my wife’s plants yet and would immediately help me out because there are 30 of them (yes, there are 30 plants in our apartment; shout out to my wife). And then after we were done spraying, we’d get distracted by sharing dog videos together. That would last for several hours. And then we’d probably geek out about how much fun we were having together and really just need to share that with one another. So, I really hope my future self doesn’t come back to save the world, because we would fail.”

For the full interview, visit alliancetheatre.org/stephen-brown-interview.

encoreatlanta.com | 9
Actor Sydney Terry, Director Tinashe Kajese-Bolden, and actor Penny Schick in rehearsal for The Many Wondrous Realities of Jasmine Starr-Kidd. Photos by Aniska Tonge.

THE FORCE BEHIND THESE BRAVE NEW PLAYS

Approaching its 20th year anniversary, the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition has been introducing new stories to the Hertz Stage and welcoming dozens of emerging playwrights to our campus for close to two decades.

Each year, the template for the selection process remains roughly the same. Graduate students from playwriting programs across the country submit a full length play to the competition. (This year we received 65 plays!) A first-round adjudication process ensues with the gracious assistance of eager volunteers, narrowing the initial play submission to five finalists. There is a second round of adjudication with a panel of national judges, and sometime mid-Winter, the winning play for the following season is selected for a world premiere.

There would be no Kendeda Competition without the dozens of playwriting programs across the United States. From University of California San Diego, to University of Iowa, to The University of Hawai’i at Mānoa (just to name a few), these institutions fuel the talents of writers and provide invaluable mentorship and training to our next generation of playwrights. Producing new plays takes a village, and with so many flourishing playwriting programs across the country, for us at the Alliance, often the foundation of the village lies in the incredible work happening at these institutions and with the folks who run the programs — the folks who understand that new work is the life-force of our industry.

Tonight’s play is written by Stephen Brown, a recent graduate of The Juilliard School’s Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program. This program offers tuitionfree, graduate-level fellowships to four or five writers per year, keeping the cohort intentionally small and allowing the writers an intimate immersive experience, equivalent to a “writers group.” Adam Szymkowicz (who is the Program Manager at The Juilliard School and is himself an impressively commissioned and produced playwright) recently mentioned in an interview that he has noticed an uptick in the amount of projects playwrights are working on, both inside and outside the program. A playwright might have a production being mounted while also juggling the demands of the program’s curriculum. “But that is what it is like to be a playwright. There is always more than one story happening.”

And lucky for us as audience members that these emerging playwrights from these esteemed programs are at any given time breathing life into multiple new stories for the

alliancetheatre.org | @alliancetheatre | programhighlight 10

stage. Here at the Alliance, the four finalist plays from The Many Wondrous Realities of Jasmine Starr-Kidd ’s competition year will be presented to our community in the form of public readings the week of March 6th. Like Stephen Brown’s magnificent work, each of these four plays beautifully aligns with the Alliance Theatre’s mission to expand hearts and minds.

Memorial (by Adam Ashraf Elsayigh from Brooklyn College and Arianna Gayle Stucki from The Juilliard School) chronicles the impact of the two mosque shootings that occurred at Christchurch in New Zealand in 2019; Ruth and Lydia (by Jamie Rubenstein from Hunter College) is centered around two women spending their last days in a retirement community and is a time-bending kaleidoscopic play about the sublime beauty of being alive; Ridgway (by Charlie O’Leary from University of Iowa) is a ghost story about who can live safely in rural America; and How to Bruise Gracefully (by Brittany Fisher from The Juilliard School) portrays a deep exploration of fear, trauma, and inner strength through the eyes of women who have both nothing and everything to lose.

The Kendeda New Work initiative is so much more than a play competition. It is just one part of the village that creates access and opportunity for writers. It is because of these spectacular playwriting programs and their leaders that our rehearsal halls and stages are continually enriched by the voices of the next generation of playwrights.

encoreatlanta.com | 11
Playwright Stephen Brown in rehearsal for The Many Wondrous Realities of Jasmine Starr-Kidd Photo by Aniska Tonge.

APR 1–15 2023

World Premiere // Musical

This play, inspired by the early life and influences of musical icon Jimi Hendrix, encourages us to dream big when it matters most.

by

Directed by TIM BOND

Coming Soon in the 2022/23 SEASON

JUN 4–JUL 9 2023

World Premiere // Musical Romance, deception, and magic beneath the big top of a traveling circus. A world-premiere musical based on the critically acclaimed and best-selling novel.

Book by RICK ELICE

Music & Lyrics by PIGPEN THEATRE CO

Based on the Novel by SARA GRUEN

Directed by JESSICA STONE

2023/24 Season to be announced soon!

Tickets and memberships available at alliancetheatre.org

SHARE YOUR STORY.

PRESERVE YOUR STAGE .

The posting of photos taken before the show, during intermission, or in our lobbies is not only allowed but strongly encouraged! We do kindly ask that you refrain from taking pictures, recording audio, or capturing video during the performance to allow our audiences and performers to stay connected with each other during our brief time together.

Our stories are
simply told
you,
you.
not
for
but with

TIME TRAVEL: MYTH, MOVIE, OR REALITY

Ever since humans have understood the concept of time, there has always been an obsession with it. How much time do we have? When is the right time for this thing? How do we get back time lost? The Greeks were so obsessed with time that they gave it human personifications: Chronos and Kairos. Chronos, the old-man time god, represented the linear idea of time; one event led to the next, so people’s lives weren’t random moments but rather building blocks that distinguish the past from the present from the future. Kairos, the young-man time god, represented opportunity and the right moment, even though they may be fleeting1. Although it may be hard to picture a world where time meant so much that we needed gods to define it, we may not be so far from that.

Constantly, as a people, there is a consistent questioning of how to use the most of our time. Whether it is how to use our time wisely to get the most out of a vacation, or how to get the most work done between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., the pressure remains present. Very often, people end up feeling like they have lost time, missed something, or regret something they did at that random age, so they want to go back. After seeing countless movies like Back to the Future, Avengers Endgame, and Interstellar where time-travel is accessible, the thought of defying the current timeline by hopping to the past or future has crossed my mind a few times too. But, I always come back to the question “is it possible?” Much to my surprise, the answer is yes. Well, kind of.

According to NASA Space Place, we know that time-travel is possible because of Einstein’s theory of relativity, which is the theory that time and space are linked together. This theory claims that the faster you travel, the slower you experience time. Skeptical scientists tested this theory by placing one clock on a plane that flew around the world while another one stayed on earth. When comparing the clocks, they found that the clock that stayed on Earth had gotten behind the clock on the fast-moving airplane² by less than a second. So yes, there is a form of time travel that happens. However, their research also states that we cannot time-travel in everyday life as that is something that only appears in movies. So, in movies, people can know how much time they have, when the right time is and even can get back lost time. In mythology, the gods held the power, mapping out linear lives filled with opportunity and “right” moments. But we live in this world without gods where we watch movies about time. Does that mean our time is out of our control? Arguably, no. The Greeks had gods to rely on. The movies have supernatural, fantastical science fiction to rely on. However, we as a people have ourselves and each other to rely on, which means that nothing else controls our time except for us.

1: https://oxplore.org/additional-resource/1002/1014#1014

2: https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/time-travel/en/

onstage&off | 13

THE ALLIANCE THEATRE

CHRISTOPHER MOSES

SCENIC & PROJECTION DESIGN CAITE HEVNER

LIGHTING DESIGN BEN RAWSON

CASTING

JODY FELDMAN

COSTUME DESIGN SHILLA BENNING

SOUND DESIGN

CHRISTOPHER DARBASSIE

STAGE MANAGER LIZ CAMPBELL*

DIRECTED BY TINASHE KAJESE-BOLDEN

This production is supported in part by the BOLD Theater Women’s Leadership Circle. Community Tickets provided by Georgia Power. KAJESE-BOLDEN
present
This production is generously supported by The Kendeda Fund for New Works.

*JEREMY AGGERS Doug

*BRANDON BURDITT Uncle Craig

*DANA DEVEAUX Kendra

*JOE KNEZEVICH Corporal Delmar/Todd

PENNY SCHICK Jasmine

SYDNEY TERRY Grace

BRIAN JOSEPH

CHRIS MAYERS

Delmar/Todd/Doug

ALIA SHAKIRA Kendra

STAGE MANAGERS

*LIZ CAMPBELL Stage Manager

AMANDA PEREZ Stage Management Production Assistant

PRODUCTION AND DESIGN ASSISTANCE

AMANDA WATKINS Line Producer

ASSATA AMANKEECHI

SYDNEY DYE

AMANDA PEREZ

HAYLEE SCOTT

FOR THIS PRODUCTION

Casting Assistant

Projection Design

Performer Supervisor

TAMIR EPLAN-FRANKEL Sound Programmer

CHARLES BEDELL Sound Operator

NIC STEPHENSON, CIARAN FLAKE Stagehands

GABRIELLE DRUM Light Board Operator

NEIL ANDERSON Deck Electrician

PATRICIA FULLER, JENN ROGERS Wardrobe

SPECIAL THANKS Science ATL

Atlanta Science Festival

CodeHouse

Girls Who Code

NPower/Command Shift Coalition

alliancetheatre.org | @alliancetheatre | encore 16
CAST
UNDERSTUDIES
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jasmine
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Grace
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Uncle Craig
MARISSA BONDURANT
KENEDI DEAL
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Corporal
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Associate
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Young
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . COVID Coordinator
| program
notes

* Denotes a member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States

The Alliance Theatre operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States, and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, an independent national labor union. The Alliance Theatre at the Woodruff is a member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre, and is a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young Audiences (ASSITEJ/USA), The Atlanta Coalition of Theatres, the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Midtown Alliance.

Photos may be taken in the theater before the performance, during intermission, and following the performance. If you share your photos, please credit the designers.

Photos, videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited, is a violation of United States Copyright Law, and is an actionable Federal Offense.

encoreatlanta.com | 17
This production is approximately an hour and a half long and has no intermission.

JEREMY AGGERS (Doug) is so happy to be returning to the Hertz Stage. Past Alliance credits include Edward Foote; Candide; Shakespeare in Love; Whipping Man; Ghost Brothers of Darkland County; The Wizard of Oz; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Small Mouth Sounds; A Christmas Carol: The Live Radio Play; and, most recently, Darlin’ Cory Other Atlanta credits include This Wonderful Life (Aurora Theatre), Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Georgia Ensemble), and Singles in Agriculture (Aurora Theatre). He has released three albums of his music (that you can stream just about anywhere) and has narrated around 500 audiobooks under Jeremy Arthur and other pseudonyms. All his love to KJW and AEWA. This one is for Brandon.

MARISSA BONDURANT

(u/s Jasmine) [she/her] is delighted to be making her Alliance Theatre debut in this exciting new production! Marissa’s love of performing started when she first took the stage as Chip in a summer camp production of Beauty and the Beast at the age of 6. Since that time, Marissa has appeared in productions of Frozen Jr., Lion King, Annie Jr., Alice In Wonderland, and Seussical. Some of her favorite credits include Matilda the Musical (Atlanta Lyric Theatre) and Best of Broadway (Atlanta Lyric Theatre). When she’s not on stage, Marissa enjoys reading, writing, singing and spending time with friends. Marissa would like to thank her family, Kara Noel Music Studio, and CYT Atlanta for always supporting her in pursuing her acting dreams. A special thanks to the Alliance Theatre team for making this exciting opportunity possible. Find her on Instagram: @marissavbondurant

BRANDON BURDITT

(Uncle Craig) [he/him] is blessed to be back in Atlanta creating at the Alliance Theatre. Burditt is a proud alum of Morehouse College (‘18). Past Alliance credits: Everybody (2022) and The New Black Fest’s Hands Up (2021). Additional credits: The Colored Museum (American Stage); Much Ado About Nothing, King Lear

(Illinois Shakespeare Festival); A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Cymbeline (Montana Shakespeare in the Parks); and Gem of the Ocean (Illinois Theatre) He received a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre from the University of Illinois. Proudly a Burditt. Proudly from the Pacific Northwest. Find him on Instagram: @brandonburditt

KENEDI DEAL (u/s Grace) is very excited to join the cast of The Many Wondrous Realities of Jasmine Starr-Kidd at the Alliance Theatre. This is Kenedi’s first production with the Alliance and she is so grateful for the opportunity. Her most recent role was Maureen in Rent (Pinch ‘N’ Ouch Theatre). Kenedi holds a BA in Acting/Directing from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. She would like to thank her family and friends for their continuous support. Find her on social media: @kenedideal

DANA DEVEAUX (Kendra) [she/her] is delighted to join the cast of The Many Wondrous Realities of Jasmine Starr-Kidd at the Alliance Theatre! Classically trained, Dana has played roles from Shakespeare to Noël Coward on beloved repertory theater stages in New York (Off-Broadway), Europe, East Asia, and The Bahamas, as well as indie films and television. A proud alum of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, she can be spotted in the recent campaign for Home Depot or your in-flight entertainment for Delta Airways. When not acting, she quietly dons her producer hat for award-winning shorts like Tell Me, Passage, and Doesn’t Fall Far with Oscar nominee Eric Roberts. Stories that spark the capacity for change by shining a spotlight on everyday heroes are what get Dana out of bed every day. She is endlessly grateful to her family and friends for their unwavering support. Find her on social media at @danadeveaux242

BRIAN JOSEPH (u/s Uncle Craig) A theatre graduate from Georgia Southern University, Brian has appeared in various film and theatre productions including NBC’s The

alliancetheatre.org | @alliancetheatre | encore 18

Blacklist, The Wizard of Oz, and August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. Training under several New York acting companies such as The Producers Club, Actors Connection, and The Barrow Group, Brian is excited to be able to further develop his craft at the Alliance.

JOE KNEZEVICH

(Corporal Delmar/Todd) is so happy to be back at the Alliance with this amazing creative team. Originally from Miami, Florida, Joe earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting from Florida State University and studied in London with members of the world-renowned Complicite. Joe was an associate artist at Georgia Shakespeare for sixteen seasons, where he appeared in over forty plays. He is also a frequent guest on the Alliance Stage (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, August: Osage County, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and Glengarry Glen Ross) and has appeared in regional theater all over the country. In addition to his work on the stage, Joe has appeared in dozens of film and TV projects, but his most important roles continue to be husband and father. Hiking, running, pool days, cooking, and cards.

CHRIS MAYERS (u/s Corporal Delmar, Todd, Doug) [he/him] is excited to be working for the first time at the Alliance Theatre! He lived at 23 different addresses growing up (thanks, The Military™) but is glad to call Atlanta home, except when he accidentally wears jeans during the summer. Training: SCAD, The Atlantic Acting School, The Robert Mello Studio, Second City. Favorite Theater: Benedick in Much Ado (Shakespeare on Draught), Applegate in Damn Yankees (Theatre Buford), Jesus in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. Favorite Film/TV: Ozark, Atlanta, The Resident, Woke. Thanks to his friends, family, and agents at AMT for their incredible support! Social media: @minimayers www.thekendrickacademy.com

PENNY SCHICK (Jasmine) [she/her] is excited to make her Alliance debut! Some of her favorite roles include Oliver u/s in Oliver! (Atlanta Lyric Theater), Teen Fiona in Shrek the

Musical (Firefly Theatrical), Rachel in The Song of the Winter (J.B. Playwrights Theater, New York), Ti Moune in Once on This Island Jr. (YAP), and Lilith in The Big One-Oh! Jr. (iTheatrics Workshop, New York). She is a homeschooled freshman in high school. Penny would like to thank Meredith and Alex for supporting her in her growth as an artist. She would also like to thank her siblings, Ben and Julia, for all of their love and support. The biggest thank you goes to her dad Greg who, through this whole process, has left the biggest impact by teaching her and guiding her development as an artist while also being a shoulder for her to lean on when she needs it. See what else she is up to on her Instagram:

@pennyjane630

ALIA SHAKIRA (u/s Kendra) is elated to be a part of her first Alliance Theatre production! She is a proud graduate of Howard University’s School of Fine Arts (BFA), the British American Drama Academy’s Midsummer in Oxford Conservatory, and Full Sail University (MS). Most recently, Alia has served as Associate Producer and Coordinator on several reality shows filmed in Atlanta. As she returns to her first love, the stage, she is also the inaugural winner of Atlanta’s 2021 Monologue Madness Competition. Credits include New Federal Theatre, Metropolitan Playhouse, TheatreWorks, and The National Black Theatre Festival. TV/Film Credits include The First Lady, The Color Purple, The Come Up, Woke, and Atlanta. Currently, Alia enjoys writing and looks forward to pre-production on her first original web series, Another Day. Giving all thanks to God, Alia also wishes much love to her family and friends for their continued support. “Though she be but little, she is fierce!” Social media @skinnyblackgirlproductions

SYDNEY TERRY (Grace) is thrilled and honored to be making her Alliance Theatre debut and in a production in which she finds such true connection! She is a native of Saginaw, MI and currently pursuing her Bachelor of Arts degree at Spelman College — double majoring in Theatre Performance and Documentary Filmmaking. Favorite credits include Sage in Restoration, Monterrey (Rattlestick

encoreatlanta.com | 19

Theatre), Beth in The Kidney Play (Eugene O’Neill National Theatre Institute), Champagna in Champagna (Eugene O’Neill National Theatre Institute), Isabella in Measure for Measure (Alliance College Night), and AC in Festival X (Spelman College). After attending the NTI TheatreMaker summer intensive, she was invited to become a Miranda Family Fellow — where she has furthered her collegiate education in all things artistic values, musical theatre, and peer collaboration. She is sending warm hugs to her Alliance family for their support, and the biggest of thank-yous to her mother, her forever fan, for not just giving her life but also consistent reminders of who and whose she is. To stay connected: @sydneyterr

TINASHE KAJESEBOLDEN (Director) is the Co-Interim Artistic Lead and BOLD Associate Artistic Director at the Alliance Theatre. Tinashe is a Princess Grace Award 2019 Winner for Directing, and Map Fund Award recipient for devised work. Select directing credits include Everybody (Alliance Theatre), Associate Director with Kenny Leon for Trading Places; Toni Stone (co-production Milwaukee Repertory Theater and The Alliance Theater), School Girls, Or the African Mean Girls Play (Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre), Ghost (Alliance Theatre), Native Gardens (Virginia Stage Company), Pipeline (Horizon Theater), Nick’s Flamingo Grill (World Premiere at Alliance Theatre, Hertz Stage), Eclipsed (Synchronicity Theatre, Best Director Suzi Bass Award). Tinashe held a salaried creative and Director’s Shadow position during the preproduction, pilot, and 2nd episode development of the TV Series Our Kind of People (Fox Studios) under Lee Daniel’s production company and was Director Shadow on the season finale of BMF. As a director and actor, she has worked on and off Broadway, including The Imperial Theatre, Primary Stages, 59E59 Theatre, Classical Theatre of Harlem; and regionally at Yale Rep, Woolly Mammoth Theater Co, Cincinnati Playhouse, The Geva Theatre, CTG’s Kirk Douglas Theatre, among others, as well as recurring roles on TV/Film (Guardians of The Galaxy, Suicide Squad 2, Marvel’s Hawkeye, CW’s Valor, Dynasty, HBO’s Henrietta Lacks, Ava Duverney’s Cherish the Day, among others.) She proudly serves on the ARTS-ATL Artist Advisory Council. “My mission is the pursuit of what connects our different communities and how we create art that

serves that.”

STEPHEN BROWN (Playwright) is currently a fellow at The Juilliard School’s Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program. His play The Many Wondrous Realities of Jasmine Starr-Kidd won the Alliance/Kendeda Playwriting Competition and is currently under option to be adapted into a film. His play everything is super great was produced at 59E59 Theaters by New Light Theatre Project, where it was a TimeOut NY Critic’s Pick. His other work has been developed and received readings by Primary Stages, MCC, Page 73, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Road Theatre, Barter Theatre, Theatre Lab, and the Aurora Theatre. He’s been a finalist for the Play Penn Conference, Seven Devil’s Playwrights Conference, the Blue Ink Award, the Neukom Prize, The Aurand Harris Award, and the Working Farm at SPACE on Ryder Farm. He was a member of Youngblood at EST, Page 73’s playwriting group I-73 and has had residencies with the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and SPACE on Ryder Farm. He’s currently developing a TV show based on his pilot Barbara.

CAITE HEVNER (Scenic & Projections Design) Previously at Alliance - Start Down. Broadway: In Transit; Derren Brown: SECRET; Harry Connick Jr., A Celebration of Cole Porter. Select New York: Sweatshop Overlord, NYTW; Between the Lines, Tony Kiser Theatre; Twenty Sided Tavern, DR2; Bella Bella, MTC; Collective Rage, MCC; Ugly Lies the Bone, Roundabout Underground; Fidelio, Heartbeat Opera; Parade and The Scarlet Pimpernel, Manhattan Concert Productions/Lincoln Center. Select Regional: Alley, Arena, Baltimore Center Stage, Dallas Theater Center, Guthrie, Kennedy Center’s Broadway Center Stage, Long Wharf, McCarter, MUNY, Pasadena Playhouse, Seattle 5th Avenue, TUTS, Woolly Mammoth. Video Coordinator for BC/EFA’s Broadway Bares since 2018. CoChair of USA829’s Respectful Workplace Committee. www.caitedesign.com Instagram: @caitehevner

SHILLA BENNING (Costume Design)

Regional Theatre: Working, Shakespeare’s R&J (Alliance Theatre); Pipeline (Cleveland Playhouse); Mudrow (People’s Light Theatre); Pipeline, Skeleton Crew (Actors Theatre of Louisville). Film: Fantasy Football, Do Revenge, Dear Evan Hansen, Like A Boss, What Men Want, SuperFly, Night School,

alliancetheatre.org | @alliancetheatre
| encore 20

Almost Christmas, Ride Along, Kevin Heart: Laugh At My Pain, Shaq’s All Star Comedy Jam, Reluctant Fundamentalist, S One Missed Call, Madea Goes To Jail, Zombieland, Footloose. Television: Bigger, Survivors Remorse, Being Mary Jane, Media, The House of Payne, The Originals, The Vampire Diaries, Drop Dead Diva, Dancing With The Stars. Recording Artist: Eryka Badu, Ciara, Lil Bow Wow, Andre 3000. Bronze Lens Film Festival Women’s Superstar Award Recipient.

BEN RAWSON (Lighting Design) is an Atlanta-based Lighting Designer for Theatre, Opera, and Dance, member USA 829. Theatrical/Opera design work can be seen at The Alliance Theatre (GA), Detroit Opera (MI), Florida Studio Theatre (FL), Glimmerglass Opera (NY), Utah Opera (UT), Atlanta Opera (GA), Theatrical Outfit (GA), Aurora Theatre (GA), Actors Express (GA), and others. Dance design work includes choreographers Ana Maria Lucaciu, Troy Schumacher, Danielle Agami, and Claudia Schreier as well as with Atlanta Ballet (GA), BalletCollective (NY), Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre (GA), Fly On A Wall (GA), and others. Ben has also worked across the country as an Associate & Assistant Lighting Designer for San Diego Opera (CA), The Alliance Theatre (GA), Berkshire Theatre Festival (MA), Atlanta Opera (GA), Utah Opera (UT), Glimmerglass Festival (NY), Playmakers Repertory Company (NC), and Atlanta Ballet (GA). www.benrawsondesign.com

CHRISTOPHER DARBASSIE (Sound Design) is an interdisciplinary artist. (Select Sound Credits): A Bright New Boise (Signature Theater), Camp Siegfried (2nd Stage), Patience (2nd Stage), A Case for the Existence of God (Signature Theater), This Beautiful Future (Cherry Lane Theater, TheaterLab), PS (Ars Nova), Fly Away (Petzel Gallery), Preparedness, Black Exhibition (The Bushwick Starr). Chris has designed for installations, devised works and theatrical productions in collaboration with The Movement Theater Company, The Public, New York Theater Workshop, Playwrights Horizons, The TEAM, Theater for a New Audience, The Atlantic, and The Shed. Wingspace 2019-2020 Sound Design Fellow. www.darbassiedesign.com

JODY FELDMAN (Producer/Casting Director) began her theater career as an actress in Atlanta before moving into administration as the Assistant General Manager at Frank Wittow’s Academy Theatre. It was at the Academy that Jody

realized the importance of theatre to a city’s cultural values and identity. Feldman started her career at the Alliance as casting director in 1991 and added producer to her title and responsibilities in 2001. She has cast and produced more than 250 productions at the Alliance, encompassing a range of world premieres that include The Last Night of Ballyhoo by Alfred Urey, Blues for An Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage, The Geller Girls by Janece Shaffer, In the Red and Brown Water by Tarell Alvin McCraney, more than 20 years of Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition-winning plays, such world and regional premiere musicals as Aida; The Color Purple; Sister Act: The Musical; Bring It On: The Musical; Tuck Everlasting; Ghost Brothers of Darkland County; Harmony, A New Musical; The Prom; Trading Places, and finally exciting new plays developed specifically for children and families, which is integral to the expansion of audience and mission for the Alliance. Jody is most proud of the thriving Alliance community engagement and partnerships that recognize theatrical work as a catalyst for civic conversation and connection.

LIZ CAMPBELL (Stage Manager) [she/her]

Local credits include: A Christmas Carol, The Incredible Book Eating Boy, Bina’s Six Apples, Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed, Max Makes a Million, The Wizard of Oz, Paige in Full, Winnie the Pooh, The Jungle Book, The Dancing Granny, Cinderella and Fella, Ugly Lies the Bone, Pancakes, Pancakes!, Tiger Style!, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical, James and the Giant Peach, Shrek, and Charlotte’s Web (Alliance Theatre); The Drowsy Chaperone, Camelot, The World Goes ‘Round, Million Dollar Quartet, Monty Python’s Spamalot, and Ragtime (Atlanta Lyric Theatre); Book of Will and It’s A Wonderful Life (Theatrical Outfit). She has been the Stage Manager for the GHSMTA (Shuler Awards) since 2015. She holds a BFA in Theatre from Niagara University. Member of Actors’ Equity Association. Co-founder of Atlanta Theatre Artists for Justice. Love to Ali and Maggie.

AMANDA PEREZ (Stage Management Production Assistant) [she/her] Alliance Theatre credits include: A Christmas Carol (2022), The Incredible Book Eating Boy, Bina’s Six Apples, DREAM HOU$E, A Christmas Carol (2021), Beautiful Blackbird Live!, A Christmas Carol (2019). Other Atlanta credits include: Assassins, Next to Normal, Chess, Nine (Jennie T. Anderson Theatre); Matilda, Drowsy Chaperone,

encoreatlanta.com | 21

The Best of Broadway, Luminous, Oliver (Atlanta Lyric Theatre); Leading Ladies, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Driving Miss Daisy, Bullets Over Broadway (Georgia Ensemble Theatre). Regional credits include: DREAM HOU$E (Baltimore Center Stage & Long Wharf Theatre). She’d like to thank her husband and daughter for all their love and support.

CHRISTOPHER MOSES (Dan Reardon Director of Education & Associate Artistic Director) has been working in professional theatre for 20 years. In January of 2011, Chris took on the position of Director of Education at the Alliance Theatre, overseeing the Alliance Theatre Institute (twice recognized as an Arts Model by the Federal Department of Education), Theatre for Youth & Families, and the Acting Program. Since taking over this position, Chris has expanded the reach and impact by making the Alliance Theatre Education department a vital resource for advancing the civic agenda of Atlanta. This work is accomplished through deep and sustained partnerships with social service organizations throughout the city. Under his leadership, the Alliance launched its Kathy & Ken Bernhardt Theatre for the Very Young program, which provides fully interactive professional theater experiences for children of all abilities from ages newborn through 5 years old, the Alliance Teen Ensemble, which performs world premiere plays commissioned for and about teens, and Alliance@work, a professional development program designed for the business sector — the latest offering of which uses theatre practice to create a culture of civility in the workplace. In 2014, Chris added the title Associate Artistic Director, and has continued to expand the Alliance’s education offerings. During his tenure in this position, the Alliance has produced over a dozen world premiere plays for young audiences, including Pancakes, Pancakes by Ken Lin, The Dancing Granny by Jireh Breon Holder, Max Makes a Million by Liz Diamond, and The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Madhuri Shekar. Currently, the Alliance serves over 100,000 students pre-k — 12 each season, as well as over 4,000 adults through its extensive education offerings.

MIKE SCHLEIFER (Managing Director)

joined the Alliance Theatre in 2014 as the General Manager and in 2016, assumed the role of Managing Director. During his time at the Alliance, Mike has led the administrative and producing team on over

100 productions including bringing Tuck Everlasting and The Prom to Broadway. He was one of the architects of the “On the Road” season while a multi-million dollar renovation of the Coca-Cola Stage was underway. Mike is excited to have started the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee at the Alliance and to serve on the board of the League of Resident Theatres and True Colors Theatre Company. Prior to Atlanta, he spent 13 years at Baltimore’s Center Stage working in several roles including Associate Producer, Production Manager and Resident Stage Manager. While in Baltimore, Mike was an adjunct faculty member at Towson University and has guest lectured all over the country. Mike began as a Stage Manager and has dozens of stage management credits between his time in New York and working regionally. Mike is married to theater director and educator Laura Hackman and the proud father of two boys, Jack and Ben.

ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION (AEA)

Founded in 1913, AEA is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional Actors and Stage Managers. Equity fosters the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actors’ Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. www.actorsequity.org

alliancetheatre.org | @alliancetheatre
| encore 22

The world’s 600 million adolescent girls have shown time and time again that, given the skills and the opportunities, they can be the changemakers driving progress in their communities, building back stronger for all, including women, boys, and men.

In The Many Wondrous Realities of Jasmine Starr-Kidd, Jasmine is a young woman who uses innovative technology to create a seismic shift in her world and break down barriers that are keeping her from her dreams. NPower and the Command Shift Coalition are doing the same by building the optimal world for women of color in tech and advancing racial and gender equity within the tech workforce.

Tech, as one of the nation’s most prominent, profitable, and fastest growing sectors, can offer women of color jobs that support economic empowerment. Yet, while women of color account for 20% of the U.S. workforce, they represent only 5% of the tech workforce today.

Command Shift, created by NPower, is a national Coalition of corporate, nonprofit, and community leaders advocating for strategies that invest in and inspire the advancement of young women of color in tech careers — with particular focus on women from underrepresented communities and non-traditional pathways.

The Command Shift Coalition is at the beginning of a very important journey. Command Shift is working to diversify the tech industry with a goal to double the number of women of color in tech careers from 5% to 10% over the next decade. The Coalition will accomplish this goal by attracting and inspiring young women of color to explore tech careers, bringing together a dedicated alliance of companies committed to hiring and retaining women of color, and motivating committed partners to help women of color achieve pay equity.

Jasmine’s journey is a reminder of the empowerment that comes from investing in women and girls and providing them with access to opportunities in tech, and STEM as a whole. The Command Shift Coalition and NPower are working to create an industry that not only invites girls like Jasmine, but also advances, compensates, and connects them with more opportunities for growth.

yourstoryyourstage | 23

SYNOPSIS

Jasmine Starr-Kidd is a 12-year-old computer genius who can hack into the AT&T mainframe, build an artificially-intelligent friend named Grace, and convince the Department of Defense to send her high-powered lasers. But when she realizes that time travel is a lot easier to figure out than trying to convince her parents to get back together (no matter how many statistics she shows them), she decides to take matters into her own hands.

GET SOCIAL

Connect with us and other audience members on your Alliance experience. Share your comments and photos on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter with hashtags #JasmineStarrKidd and #AllianceTheatre. Plus, search your social media platforms with those hashtags for fun, behind-the-scenes content from our cast, crew, and creative team.

www.alliancetheatre.org

| synopsis 24
alliancetheatre alliancetheatre alliancetheatre alliancetheatre

ABOUT THE ALLIANCE THEATRE

Founded in 1968, the Alliance Theatre is the leading producing theatre in the Southeast, reaching more than 165,000 patrons annually. The Alliance is a recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award® for sustained excellence in programming, education, and community engagement. In January 2019, the Alliance opened its new, state-of-the-art performance space, The Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre. Known for its high artistic standards and national role in creating significant theatrical works, the Alliance has premiered more than 116 productions including nine that have transferred to Broadway. The Alliance education department reaches 90,000 students annually through performances, classes, camps, and in-school initiatives designed to support teachers and enhance student learning. The Alliance Theatre values community, curiosity, collaboration, and excellence, and is dedicated to representing Atlanta’s diverse community with the stories we tell, the artists, staff, and leadership we employ, and audiences we serve.

OUR MISSION

To expand hearts and minds onstage and off.

OUR VISION

Making Atlanta more connected, curious, and compassionate through theatre and arts education.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

In the sincerest efforts to gain further understanding of the history that has brought us to reside on this land and to accept the knowledge that colonialism is a current and ongoing process under which we need to build our mindfulness of our present participation, we hereby acknowledge this native land of the Muscogee Creek Nation.

aboutthealliance | 25

OFFICERS

Chair

Jocelyn J. Hunter

Immediate Past Chair

Lila Hertz

Secretary

E. Kendrick Smith

Treasurer

LeighAnn Costley

Ex-Officio

Hala Moddelmog

LIFETIME DIRECTORS

Rita Anderson

Ken Bernhardt

Frank Chew

Ann Cramer

Linda Davidson

Laura Hardman

Hays Mershon

Richard S. Myrick

Helen Smith Price

Helen Regenstein

Bob Reiser

Jane Shivers

Ben White

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kristin Adams

James Anderson

Kim Ajy

Farideh Azadi

Alba Baylin

Kenny Blank

Brittany Boals Moeller

Terri Bonoff

Jennifer Boutté

Jeffrey Cashdan

Jane Jordan Casavant

Steve Chaddick

Madeline Chadwick

Miles Cook

LeighAnn Costley

Joe Crowley

Alison Danaceau

Fred Ehlers

Reade Fahs

Howard Feinsand

Rick Goerss

Latonda Henderson

Lila Hertz

Jocelyn Hunter

Malvika Jhangiani

Anne Kaiser

John Keller

Andjela Kessler^

Jim Kilberg

Jesse Killings

Mary Jane Kirkpatrick

Carrie Kurlander

Allegra Lawrence-Hardy

Robert Masucci

Jean Ann McCarthy

Alan McKeon

Dori Miller

Hala Moddelmog^

Phil Moïse

Allison O’Kelly

Vicki Palefsky

Paul Pendergrass

Jamal Powell

Ali Rahimi

Asif Ramji

Patty Reid

Margaret Reiser

Matt Richburg

Robyn Roberts

Maurice Rosenbaum

Kerri Sauer

Steve Selig

Kim Sewell

Mital Shah

Bill Sleeper

Bronson Smith

E. Kendrick Smith

Charlita Stephens

Chandra Stephens-Albright

Mark Swinton

Julie Teer

Dana Weeks Ugwonali

Benny Varzi

Roxanne Varzi

Rebekah Wasserman

Glenn Weiss

Cynthia Widner Wall

Todd Zeldin

ADVISORY BOARD

Advisory Board Co-Chair

Laura Hardman

Advisory Board Co-Chair

Phil H. Moïse

Joe Alterman

Luis Andino

Jonathan Arogeti

Kelli Bennett

Johanna Brookner

Merry Hunter Caudle

Elizabeth Wiggs Cooper

Candice Dixon

Malaika Dowdell

Anjali Enjeti

Everett Flanigan

Mary Beth Flournoy

Les Flynn

Jennifer Foster

Natalia Garzón Martínez

Lula Gilliam

Lydia Glaize

Meghan Gordon

Tevin Goss

Dr. Eve Graves, Ph.D.

Shauna Grovell

Della Guidry

Elizabeth Hollister

Zenith Houston

Mallika Kallingal

Debby Kelly

Joyce Lewis

Indira Londono

Theo Lowe

Carlton Mackey

Nelly Mauta

Monica McLary

Jamie McQuilkin

Nishant Mehta

Juan Meija

Caroline Moore

Laura Murvartian

Victoria Necessary

Zach Nikonovich Kahn

Amy Norton King

Kathy Palumbo

Aixa Pascual

Kisan Patel

Marion Phillips

Shirley Powell

Nancy Prager

Alexis Rainey

Kristin Ray

Daniel Regenstein

Kirk Rich

Ryan Roemerman

Fred Roselli

Wendy Schmitt

Dr. Shenara Sexton

Beverly Brown Shaw

Dan Silverboard

Brian Stoltz

Maria Storts

Ronald Tomajko

Kathy Tomajko

Robin Triplett

Emily Washburn

Angie Weiss

Stuart Wilkinson

VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP

President, STARS

Andjela Kessler

Chairman, Theater Advocates

Judy Feldstein

Susan Stiefel

Chairman, Theater Educators

Myra Medlin

Faye Windham

Chairman, Theater Ushers

Edwina Sellan

Chairman, Hospitality

Susan Stiefel

alliancetheatre.org | @alliancetheatre |
26
boardofdirectors

ALLIANCE SPONSORS

Alliance Sponsors are businesses, corporations, and institutions that have supported the work of the Alliance Theatre. We thank them for their generosity and support.

$500,000+

Lettie Pate Evans Foundation

Robert W. Woodruff Foundation

$250,000+

Anonymous

AT&T Foundation

Chick-fil-A Foundation | Rhonda & Dan Cathy

The Coca-Cola Company

Georgia Power

Helen Gurley Brown Foundation

WestRock

$100,000+

Accenture

Delta Air Lines, Inc.

The Home Depot Foundation

Invesco QQQ

John H. and Wilhelmina D. Harland Charitable Fund

Norfolk Southern

PNC

Rich Foundation

Shubert Foundation

Zeist Foundation

$50,000+

Bank of America ACTivate Awards

City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs

Google Kendeda Fund

Liz Blake Giving Fund

Molly Blank Fund of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

National Vision Theatre Forward

$25,000+

Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition, powered by AIDS Healthcare Foundation

Alston & Bird

Fulton County Board of Commissioners

Georgia Council for the Arts

Georgia Natural Gas

The Imlay Foundation, Inc.

Johnny Mercer Foundation

National Endowment for the Arts

Newell Brands

Peach State Health Plan

SCANA Energy

Southwire

$10,000+

AEC Trust

Do a Good Day Foundation

George M. Brown Trust of Atlanta

Georgia-Pacific Gulfstream

John & Mary Franklin Foundation

Macy’s Northern Trust South Arts

$5,000+ Anonymous

Camp Younts Foundation

Thalia & Michael C. Carlos Foundation

Frances Wood Wilson Foundation

Osiason Educational Foundation

Publix Super Market Charities

By attending our theater, you have made a powerful statement about how important the arts are to you. Make another statement of support louder than any standing ovation. Visit alliancetheatre.org and click on Donate.

sponsors | 29
alliancetheatre.org | @alliancetheatre | encore 30 government Official Hotel Official Research Partner Major funding for this organization is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners This program is supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. GCA also receives support from its partner agencythe National Endowment for the Arts. Major support is provided by the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.

Individual, foundation, and corporate donors contribute more than $10 million to the Alliance Theatre so that we are able to present exceptional theater and educational programming to our community. We are deeply grateful for your support. To find out more about the benefits of giving or to make your gift, visit us at alliancetheatre.org/waystogive or call 404-733-5157.

Listed below are pledges and gifts to the Alliance Theatre Annual Fund from June 1, 2021 — February 3, 2023.

PREMIERE SUPPORT

Spotlight $100,000+

The SKK Foundation

Spotlight $50,000+

Ann & Jeff Cramer

Starr Moore & James Starr Moore Memorial Foundation

Barbara & Steve Chaddick

Artistic Director’s Circle $35,000+

Anonymous

Antinori Foundation

David & Carolyn Gould

Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Ivester

Mr. & Mrs. E. Kendrick Smith

Rosemarie & David Thurston

Chairman’s Circle

$25,000+

Farideh & Al Azadi Foundation

Ken Bernhardt & Cynthia Currence

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

Ms. Stephanie Blank & Mr. David Williams

Jane Jordan Casavant

Roxanne & Jeffrey Cashdan

Katie & Reade Fahs

Ellen & Howard Feinsand

Heidi & David Geller

Jocelyn J. Hunter

Mr. Wayne S. Hyatt

Anne & Mark Kaiser

Jane & J. Hicks Lanier

The Naserian Foundation

Allison & Shane O’Kelly

Victoria & Howard Palefsky

Patty & Doug Reid

Patricia & Maurice Rosenbaum

Jane & J. Hicks Lanier

Linda & Steve Selig

Ms. Mital Shah

William & Margarita Sleeper

Tim & Maria Tassopoulos

Benny & Roxanne Varzi

Ramona & Ben White

Amy & Todd Zeldin

Leadership Circle

$15,000+

James Anderson

Deborah L. Bannworth & Joy Lynn Fields

Brian & Jennifer Boutté

Ezra Cohen Charitable Fund

LeighAnn & Chad Costley

Ms. Alison Danaceau & Mr. Tim McKinley

The Frances & Beverly DuBose Foundation, Inc

Mr. Fredric M. Ehlers & Mr. David Lile

Doris & Matthew Geller

Malvika Jhangiani

John C. Keller

James & Lori Kilberg

Jesse Killings

David & Mary Jane Kirkpatrick

Brian & Carrie Kurlander

Loeb Family Foundation

Mr. & Mrs. Barry McCarthy

Phil & Caroline Moïse

Daniel Marks & Keri Powell

Wade Rakes & Nicholas Miller

Mr. & Mrs. Asif Ramji

Bob & Margaret Reiser

Matt Richburg

Dean DuBose & Bronson Smith

Dr. & Mrs. Dennis Lee Spangler

Dana & Obi Ugwonali

Mr. & Mrs. Art Waldrop

Mark & Rebekah Wasserman

Director’s Circle $10,000+

Anonymous

Ms. Kristin Adams

In honor of Carol Jones

Mr.* & Mrs. Thomas J. Asher

The Balloun Family

Alba C. Baylin

Terri Bonoff & Matthew Knopf

Susan Booth & Max

Leventhal

Judge JoAnn Bowens

Laura Brightwell

Martha & Toby Brooks

Franklin & Dorothy Chandler

Madeline Chadwick

Collective Insights

Miles and Nicole Cook

Ann & Jim Curry

Linda & Gene Davidson

Eve Joy Eckardt

Doug & Lila Hertz

Andjela & Michael Kessler

Mr. & Mrs. David E. Kiefer

Mr. Jim Kieffer

Dr. & Mrs. John Lee

Kristie L. Madara

Ms. Evelyn Ashley & Mr. Alan B. McKeon

Burrelle Meeks

Dori & Jack Miller

Mr. & Mrs. Angus Morrison

Palmer Lee Foundation

Paul Pendergrass & Margaret Baldwin

Jamal & Tiffany Powell

Mr. & Mrs. Sean Reardon

Robyn Roberts & Kevin Greiner

Mr. George Russell, Jr. & Mrs. Faye Sampson-Russell

Lynne & Steve Steindel

Carol & Ramon Tomé Family Fund

Waffle House

Ms. Kathy Waller & Mr. Kenny Goggins

annualfund | 31

BENEFACTORS

$5,000+

Mr. & Mrs. George Ajy

Liz Armstrong

Ellen Arnovitz

The Asher Family Foundation

Lisa & Joe Bankoff

Mrs. Juanita Baranco

Mr. & Mrs. Roland L. Bates

Natalie & Matthew Bernstein

Lucinda W. Bunnen*

Mr. & Mrs. W. Kent Canipe

Joe Crowley & Phil Mack

Marcia & John Donnell

Diane Durgin

Eureka Foundation

Kathy & Jason Evans

Dr. Cynthia J. Fordyce & Sharon Hulette

The Robert S. Elster Foundation

Karen & Andrew Ghertner

Marsha & Richard Goerss

Mr. David F. Golden

Dr. & Mrs. Marvin Goldstein

Ariana L. Hargrave

Henry & Etta Raye Hirsch

Heritage Foundation

Mr. & Mrs. J. Michael Hostinsky

Tad & Janin Hutcheson

Boland & Andrea Lea Jones

Mr. Charles R. Kowal

Lubo Fund

Melanie & S. Alan McKnight, Jr.

Mr. & Mrs. Nathan Metzger

Hala & Steve Moddelmog

Steve & Tonya Paro

Sam & Barbara Pettway

Mr. & Mrs. Norman J. Radow

Ms. Kristin L. Ray

Paula Rosput Reynolds & Stephen Reynolds

Jane & Rein Saral

Sharon & David Schachter

Alan & Cyndy* Schreihofer

Sam Schwartz & Lynn Goldowski

Brian Shively & Jim Jinhong

Henry N. & Margaret P.

Staats

Chandra Stephens-Albright & Warren Albright

Charlita Stephens & Delores Stephens

Maria-Ruth Storts

Chuck & Lisa Cannon-Taylor

Julie Teer

Kathy & Ron Tomajko

Ms. Cathy Weil

$2,500

Anonymous

Alex and Betty Smith Foundation, Inc.

Dr. & Mrs. Raymond Allen

Ron & Lisa Brill Charitable Trust

Dr. Aubrey Bush & Dr. Carol Bush

Rita & Ralph Connell

Tim & Tina Eyerly

Mr. & Mrs. Paul A. Flexner

Mr. Mark Fogas

Dr. & Mrs. John B. Hardman

Linda & Richard Hubert

Jason & Laurie Jeffay

Anna & Hays Mershon

Stacia Minton

Clair & Thomas Muller

Debbie & Lon Neese

John & Helen Parker

Peg Petersen

Don & Rosalinda Ratajczak

Dr. & Mrs. Fredric Rosenberg

Mr. & Mrs. Mark Rosenberg

Ms. Donna Schwartz

Mr. & Mrs.* Charles B. Shelton III

Susan & Alan* Stiefel

Dr. & Mrs. Harry Strothers

G. Scott Thompson

Stan & Velma Tilley

Ms. Avril Vignos

Kim Boldthen & Carolyn Wheeler

William & Nancy Yang

The Zaban Foundation

$1,500+

Anonymous

Trent Anderson & Leandro

Zaneti

Judith Lyon & Ron Bloom

Candace Carson

Melodie H. Clayton

Susan & Ed Croft

Mr. & Mrs. Erik Curns

Mr. & Mrs. David Felfoldi

Andrew & Wendie Fisher

Andrea and Jerry Freeman

Sandeep Goyal & Taylor England

Della & Theo Guidry

Mrs. Elaine L. Hentschel

Drs. Cathie & Hugh Hudson

Ashley & Elton James

Randy & Connie Jones

Mark Keiser

Mr. & Mrs. Peter G. Kessenich

Sheri & Steve Labovitz

Ms. Margaret Petersen

Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Masucci

Raymond & Penelope McPhee

Joan Netzel & John Gronwall

Lynn & Galen Oelkers

Mr. & Mrs. Armond Perkins

Dr. Denise Raynor

Helen M. Regenstein

Lois & Don Reitzes

Deborah W. Royer

Kashi Sehgal

Mr. & Mrs. S. Albert Sherrod

Jane E. Shivers

Ann Starr & Kent Nelson

Starane Shepard

Jim & Janie Stratigos

Judith & Mark Taylor

Wayne & Lee Vason

Mr. & Mrs. Glenn Weiss

Lynne Winship

Adrienne Whitehead

Penn & Sally Wells

PATRONS

$1,000+

Anonymous

John & Lynn Ayers

Mr. George T. Baker

Mr. Robert L. Blondeau and Mrs. Kristen Nantz

Ms. Betty Blondeau*

Margo Brinton & Eldon Park

Michelle Burdick

Mark Callaway

David Cofrin & Christine

Tryba-Cofrin

Richard & Grecia Cox

Gail Crowder

Celeste Davis-Lane

Marla Jane Franks, MD

Richard Goodjoin & Kelvin Davis

Louise S. Gunn

Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Kelly

Greg and Gillian Matteson

Denis & Leah Ng

Susan C. Puett

Ryan Roemerman

Mr. Ronald Russell & Mr. Tommy Russell

Rochelle Shinn

Jenny Streeter

Andrea Strickland & N. Jerold Cohen

Brooke & Winston Weinmann

| encore 32

ALLIANCE THEATRE MONTHLY SUSTAINER SOCIETY

We would like to thank our donors who have committed to giving us a recurring monthly donation to the Alliance Theatre Annual Fund. Join today: www.alliancetheatre.org/sustainer

Anonymous

Dr. & Mrs. Marshall Abes

Mr. Faraz Ahmed

Mr. E. Scott Arnold

Dr. Evelyn R. Babey

Mr. & Mrs. John Bauer

Ms. Aparna Bhattacharyya & Mr. Paul Nilsson

Dr. Deloris Bryant-Booker

Jeff Burnham

Mr. Brandon Bush

Karen & Harold Carney

Mr. William Carroll

David Cashman

Ms. Jacquel Chambers

Ms. Sarah K. Chester

Ms. Mishelle Cirillo & Ms. Bryan Suttles

Mr. & Mrs. Joe Colonna

Elizabeth Corrie

Mr. Lawrence R. Cowart

Mr. & Mr. Christopher Cox

Marge & Gray Crouse

Nash Ditmetaroj

Derrick Doose

Whitney Fahner

Edward Feldstein

Judy and Stan Fineman

Eric Fisher

Brenda Fleming

Mr. Ken H. Foskett

Christine & Andrew Fry

Ms. & Ms. Katie S. Goodman

Mr. Bryant D. Gresham & Mr. Alexander Bossert

Shauna Grovell

Lauren & Jonathan Grunberg

Mrs. Jo Ann Haden-Miller & Mr. William Miller

Ms. Joy Hambrick

Ms. Wynette Hammons

Penn Hansa

Ms. Lindsey E. Hardegree

Ms. Linda L. Hare & Mr. Gerald A. Barth

Nancy A. Hatfield

Dr. & Mrs. David M. Hill

Ms. Becca Hogue

Ms. Jhazzmyn Joiner

Karen Jones

Kelley J. Jordan-Monne

Mr. & Mrs. Stephen J. Kalista

Mr. Barnabas Kane

Amy & Jeremy King

Ms. Lynne Kuhn

Sarah Latif

Dr. Andrea Lawrence

Mr. Darryl E. Lesure & Mrs. Candice Simon-Lesure

Ms. Karen Lightfoot

Ms. Alison Main

Ms. Jaime McQuilkin

Laurie McLaughlin

Mr. & Mrs. James Michael

Ms. Jeanette M. Morgan

Mr. Steve M. Peck

Chris J. Peterson

Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan K. Peterson

Ms. Kendrick Phillips

LOVED THE SHOW AND WANT MORE?

Your contribution allows everybody to experience world-class theatre at the Alliance, while giving you exclusive benefits!

From seeing your name in this playbill, Opening Night event invitations, to our keepsake season mug — there’s a perk for you. Become a donor today! It’s easy to scan and give.

Mr. & Mrs. Marc B. Pickard

Jacqueline Powe

Ms. Shannon L. Price

Mrs. Brenda Pruitt

Alexis Rainey

M. Corwin Robison

Mrs. Peggy Rogers

Mr. & Mrs. Peter S. Savitz

Barbara Schreiber

Eric Schwartz

Mr. Tom Slovak & Mr. Jeffery Jones

Ms. Carol Smith

Ms. Janet F. Smith

Ms. Lynn Stallings

Jessica Stewart

Laura Stordy

Mrs. Jill Strickland

Charles Thompson

Stephanie Van Parys

Ben Warshaw

Ms. Caitlin Way

Mr. & Mrs. David D. Whitley

Mr. & Mrs. Napoleon A. Williams

Ms. Janice A. Wolf & Mr. M. Barry Etra

Michelle Zinney

encoreatlanta.com | 33
alliancetheatre.org | @alliancetheatre

MATCHING GIFT COMPANIES

Many companies offer a matching gifts program for employees and retirees. You can double, or even triple, your gift at no additional cost to you simply by asking your employer! Think of how much further your donation can go.

We would like to thank the following companies who have matched contributions to the Alliance Theatre Annual Fund. To find out more about matching gifts, contact Toni Friday at toni.friday@alliancetheatre.org.

AIG Corporation

American Express

Aon Risk Solutions

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

AT&T

Bank of America/Merrill

BlackRock

Bryan Cave-Powell

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.

Chubb Charitable Foundation

The Coca-Cola Company

Deloitte

Equifax Inc. Foundation

LEGACY SOCIETY

GE Energy

Georgia Power

Goldman Sachs Matching Gift

Goldstein

Hearst Foundations

Home Depot Foundation

Honda Motor Co.

IBM

JPMorgan Chase

Kimberly-Clark

Lynch

Macy’s Foundation

McDonald’s Corporation

McMaster-Carr Supply

Microsoft Corporation

Norfolk Southern Corporation

Prudential Financial

Publix Super Markets

Salesforce.com, Inc.

Sprint

SunTrust Foundation

Thrivent Financial for Lutherns

Veritiv Corporation

Verizon Corporation

The Walt Disney Company

Wells Fargo

Yahoo!

Celebrating our supporters who have made a legacy gift to the Alliance Theatre.

The Legacy Society celebrates individuals who have made a planned gift to the Alliance Theatre. Making a planned gift is a wonderful way to show your support and appreciation for the Alliance Theatre and its mission, while accommodating your financial, estate planning and philanthropic goals. With smart planning, you may increase the size of your estate and/or reduce the tax burden on your heirs. Just as important, you will know that you have made a meaningful and lasting contribution to the Alliance Theatre.

To learn more about the Legacy Society, please contact Lindsay Ridgeway-Baierl at lindsay.ridgeway-baierl@alliancetheatre.org.

Anonymous

Rita M. Anderson

Roland & Linda Bates

Kathy* and Ken Bernhardt

Anne & Jim Breedlove

Ezra Cohen

Ann & Jeffrey Cramer

Susan & Edward Croft

Sallie Adams Daniel

Linda & Gene Davidson

Terry and Stacy Dietzler

Diane Durgin

Elizabeth Etoll

Ellen & Howard Feinsand

Laura & John Hardman

Nancy & Glen Hesler

P.J. Younglove Hovey

Lauren & David Kiefer

David Kuniansky

Virginia Vann* & Ken Large

Edith Love*

Lauren & John McColskey

Anna & Hays Mershon

Caroline & Phil Moïse

Winifred B. & Richard S. Myrick

Victoria & Howard L. Palefsky

Armond & Sharon Perkins

Jan Pomerantz

Helen Regenstein

Margaret & Robert Reiser

Betty Blondeau-Russell*

Tricia & Neal Schachtel

Debbie* & Charles B. Shelton III

Jane E. Shivers

Roger Smith & Christopher Jones*

Lee Harper & Wayne Vason

Terri & Rick Western

Ramona & Ben White

* deceased

matchinggifts&legacysociety | 35
ATLANTA’S FIRST MONTESSORI SCHOOL EXTRAORDINARY BY DESIGN. 18 MONTHS – 8TH GRADE Springmont’s authentic Montessori experience balances academic learning with social/emotional well-being. Highly experienced and caring teachers guide individualized learning that inspires students to become creative, independent and globally-minded. www.springmont.com TOURS BY APPOINTMENT 404.252.3910
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.