Alliance Theatre: Water For Elephants, June-July, 2023

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GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Tamara Hooks tamara@encoreatlanta.com

DIGITAL MEDIA DIRECTOR

Jennifer Nelson jennifer@encoreatlanta.com

PROGRAM PRODUCER

Ashley Elliott ashley.elliott@alliancetheatre.org

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“I’m going to run off and join the circus!”

That simple phrase continues to capture our collective imagination over a hundred years after it was first uttered. The very idea promises escape, spectacle, freedom.

Yes, most of all, freedom. At its heart, the circus was always a celebration of freedom — freedom from the mundane, freedom of thought, freedom of movement, and freedom to interact across identities that were often shunned in the mainstream. No wonder the idea of running off to join it remains so enticing!

The theater offers a similar promise — a chance to shake you out of your slumber, to free you from the constraints of everyday life or, rather, to see everyday life anew. How fitting then to merge these two forms, to find ourselves at the circus for the most ambitious play the Alliance Theatre has ever produced. We had to exponentially widen the creative tent for this one! We invited acrobats, puppeteers, giant puppets, musicians, and actors, all working under the sublime direction of Jessica Stone, to tell this particular story. And what a story it is! Among the jaw dropping spectacle lies a heartfelt love story — one filled with all of the surprise and liberation of the greatest show on earth.

So, welcome! It’s our honor to invite you to run off and join the circus with us for these next couple of hours. We promise you’ll leave with a renewed sense of possibility.

Christopher Moses

Dan Reardon Director of Education & Associate Artistic Director & Tinashe Kajese-Bolden BOLD Associate Artistic Director

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

How Lost Boys and Their Wendy Brought Water for Elephants to the Coca-Cola Stage

STORY BY Ashley Elliott & Mashaun D. Simon

Usually when someone references “the elephant in the room,” they are referencing an issue or topic everyone is trying incredibly hard to ignore. With a show like Water for Elephants, the elephant in the room is impossible to ignore because she is at the center of the story.

“Rosie’s not merely a character,” says book writer Rick Elice, “But our theatrical, metaphorical approach to Sara Gruen’s story, writ large.”

Writ very large; she is an elephant, after all.

“Like every other character in our story, she’s not what she appears to be when we first meet her,” Rick continues. “In fact, the plot of our story turns on that very misunderstanding. Just wait for the moment — such a great moment! — when we discover how much more she is than what her vicious caretaker describes as ‘the dumbest creature on God’s green earth.’ Without her, there’s not only no elephant, but there’s also no Water for Elephants.”

As far as Rick is concerned, Water for Elephants is an unexpected coming-of-age story.

“[Director Jessica Stone] and I like to say this show is about what you do when you lose everything. The unexpected part is the coming-of-age of an old man, near the end of his life,

Photography provided by Super Awesome Friends.

feeling there’s not much reason to keep going, who changes course, proving it’s never too late to start over. As I’m in the middle of my life, these characters pull me in different directions, which is surprising and, in the theater, surprisingly affecting.”

As the creative team breathed new life into Sara Gruen’s classic tale, they were also inspired during the process of bringing it to life. The music, created by PigPen Theatre Co, guides the audience on a journey through time. Daniel Weschler, one of the seven founding members and songwriters of PigPen, said their decision to view the narrative through the lens of memory afforded them the opportunity to mix their unique and somewhat more contemporary sound with the sounds and idioms that were more familiar to the time in which the show is set — the American Great Depression era.

When Rick was initially approached six years ago by producers Peter Schneider and Jennifer Costello to adapt Sara’s novel, he had one request — that PigPen be part of the project. He’d seen their production of The Old Man and The Old Moon and became “obsessed [with] them and their music.”

“It was a big ask,” Rick admits. “I mean, you don’t usually have eight writers on one show. But Peter and Jen are very smart and very brave and they like to take risks.”

Once confirmed, Rick and PigPen started the long, arduous process of adapting the novel into something that could be managed — and managed well — onstage.

“Part of the challenge has been adapting to the many changes the script has undergone,” Daniel says. “Thanks to the highly collaborative and egalitarian creative process we shared with Rick, neither we nor he are content to force a square peg into a round hole. Whenever we made a discovery in the book, we knew we had to ensure the songs kept pace with what we were learning.”

Daniel and Rick also consider Director Jessica Stone a consummate partner in the production.

“She’s brilliant. She’s funny. She’s totally prepared and fast on her feet,” Rick says. “We were eight guys writing a different kind of show, and we must have seemed a little like the Lost Boys desperately in need of a Wendy.”

Cast and creative team in rehearsal for Water for Elephants. Photography provided by Super Awesome Friends.

What audiences will see on the Coca-Cola Stage is an elaborate yet intimate spectacle. From a man on an empty stage to a train ride across Depression-era America to the spectacle of the circus, Daniel says that “the seamlessness with which we move between spectacle and grounded storytelling will be something [the audience hasn’t] experienced before.”

Rick has an interesting take on this journey the audience will take, saying he’s “a huge fan of theater’s ability to suggest and describe, rather than demonstrate.” Movies, he believes, require literal visuals — an actual train and an actual elephant, for instance.

“But in the theater, the opposite is true. We want to play along; we want to imagine in the theater.”

And if Rosie is as central to the story as Rick suggests, the story’s main character, Jacob Jankowski, is the perfect stand-in for us all.

“We all know what that’s like to ‘jump a train,’” Rick says. “To take a risk to find someplace, to belong somewhere, to be part of something — part of a group. So, while our show tells the story of this particular group, it’s hard not to be touched by those eternal issues of wanting to belong, wanting to achieve, wanting to be respected, wanting to find a home.”

Daniel is moved by Jacob’s drive to communicate with beings both human and animal.

“The sheer wonder he experiences whenever he meets an animal for the first time, from Queenie the mutt to Rosie the marvel — I find that very moving. That he and Marlena fall in love through their shared sense of extraordinary empathy is what first pulled me into the romance of the story.”

At the end of the day, Water for Elephants is a story about finding what it means to belong. While it’s set in the challenging years of the Great Depression, the story speaks to any and everyone who has felt marginalized and/or disenfranchised. If the phrase “water for elephants” is a metaphor for burdens one carries, the burdens are more easily carried when carried together.

“Life is more interesting, more challenging, more fulfilling, and more wonderful, when we are part of something bigger than ourselves,” says Rick. “This show is a dramatic reminder that it’s the people who help us with our heavy loads. They are, in fact, our home.”

Director Jessica Stone in rehearsal for Water for Elephants. Photography provided by Super Awesome Friends.

THE FORGOTTEN HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN CIRCUS

STORY BY Margarita Kompelmakher

Alliance Theatre’s Director of Community Partnerships and Engagement, Dr. Margarita Kompelmakher, sat down with Veronica Blair, circus historian for Water for Elephants , to discuss forgotten and unknown stories in the American circus and the stakes of remembering them today.

Margarita: What role did you play in the development of Water For Elephants?

Veronica: My job was to research Depressionera circus in America. I explored how people experienced and connected with the circus during that period, from roustabouts to elephant trainers. I also studied the life and legacies of America’s most famous elephants. I collected some unique storylines from a diverse array of performers and shared my findings with our actors, which provided texture and context in the development of their characters.

Veronica Blair

Margarita: What were the reasons that people ran away with the circus at that time?

Veronica: Circus is one of the earliest forms of popular entertainment in America. The circus used to be a day-long, large-scale event known as Circus Day. People who ran away with the circus found that they could take on a number of jobs as roustabouts, cooks, or even hoochie-coochie girls. For women with skill and ambition, running away with the circus was a path to stardom and many of America’s earliest celebrities worked in the circus. For those like the character Jacob Jankowski, who loses his parents and his livelihood, running away was an act of desperation. In the 1930s, there was a large workforce of Black-American roustabouts from the South who joined the circus because their options for work were limited.

Margarita: You’ve spoken about how the cruel treatment of animals and performers from different parts of the world is a documented part of the history of the circus in the early 20th century. Have these problems overshadowed other aspects of American circus history?

Veronica: I think so. As we distance ourselves from the problematic parts of circus

A Conversation with Circus Historian Veronica Blair

culture, we forget the amazing history of the circus in this country. At one point, we had the most traveling troupes in the world. The concept of the three-ring circus was invented here; a true testament to our country’s obsession with the idea that “Bigger is Better.” We have lost sight of the fact that Circus is an art form.

Margarita: Can you talk about the significance of remembering unknown, or lesser-known, stories of the American circus in your oral history project Uncle Junior?

Veronica: I’ve been a professional aerial performer since the age of 18. Early in my career, I spent five years with UniverSoul Circus, a circus based out of Atlanta, Georgia with a large-percentage of people of color performing. Through my travels with UniverSoul, I heard all these amazing stories about Black circus performers and pioneers in the industry, but they were not in the circus history books that lined the library walls at circus institutions. I started the Uncle Junior Project as an oral history project to collect the stories of my heroes that I think the circus world should know about and that African Americans should know about. We are now in our 12th year.

Margarita: Why is Water For Elephants an important story to tell at this moment?

Veronica: The history of the American circus is at the heart of our story, with all its complexities and paradoxes. It’s a fitting backdrop for a love story. Jessica Stone and Rick Elice have created a brilliant, relatable story that will resonate with everyone. Shana Caroll’s circus direction is fresh and contemporary. The artists perform tricks in non-traditional ways, adding dimension to an already extraordinary ensemble cast. I think American audiences haven’t experienced this form of circus yet. I hope people walk away from this production with a newfound appreciation for circus arts and that they are energetic about supporting this art form in this country.

THIS INTERVIEW HAS BEEN EDITED FOR LENGTH AND CLARITY. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE UNCLE JUNIOR PROJECT, VISIT UNCLEJRPROJECT.COM.

Cover of circus magazine depicting a starlet in an equestrian act, 1937.

JUL 1–28 2023

Howard Logan Stillwell Theatre at Kennesaw State University

Inspired by the hilarious book by award-winning children’s book author, Oliver Jeffers.

Book by MADHURI SHEKAR

Music by CHRISTIAN MAGBY

Lyrics by CHRISTIAN ALBRIGHT

Inspired by the book THE INCREDIBLE BOOK EATING BOY by OLIVER JEFFERS

AUG 16–SEP 17 2023

Obie Award Winner — Best New Play

Described as “a rich new play, both contemplative and comic” by THE NEW YORK TIMES, English examines what opportunities are gained and identities lost when assimilating into a new culture.

By SANAZ TOOSSI

Plus many more! 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 not simply told for you, but with you.

THE MAGIC IS IN THE MOVEMENT

An Interview with Camille Labarre, Puppet Designer for Water for Elephants

STORY BY Olivia Aston Bosworth & Kay Nilest

What is your earliest memory of building a puppet?

My earliest puppet must have been a model of the human arm for my middle school science class which my father and I built out of plexiglass in his workshop. I didn’t really find puppetry until adulthood. That said, a lot of the media we consumed as kids did involve live-action or stop-motion puppetry — Jim Henson, Aardman, Gumby, Shari Lewis, Tim Burton, etc. That was definitely my mother’s influence. Now, of her three daughters, two are puppet makers and one is an animator. Thanks, Mom!

Have you always wanted to be a maker in theatre?

Theater was a big part of my cultural awareness growing up thanks to my grandfather. He took us to see shows and made sure we knew all the classics. While I never intended to work in theater, I can’t say I’m totally surprised. I thought I wanted to be an art teacher — it seemed like a rewarding career that would allow me to continue making things. I quickly learned that finding a decent job was going to be really, really hard — welcome to being a millennial! So, I swallowed my pride and did an internship making stop motion puppets and props for an animation company in Soho. That job was a revelation — I enjoyed the work, I was very good at it, and I saw a career open up to me that I didn’t know existed. Once I started freelancing, all the stop motion gigs had moved to Portland, so I pivoted to stage and TV puppets and the rest is history. Today, I run my own puppet and prop shop with my sister Rose called LAB LAB, and that’s where all the puppets in Water for Elephants were made.

What excites you about puppetry? On the flip side, does anything scare you about working in this medium? Puppetry is just animation in real time. My sister Natalie, who is an animator, is naturally a very skilled puppeteer because the basic principle for both mediums is the same: The magic of illusion through movement. The most thrilling part of the process for me is the same as when I worked in stop motion — seeing your puppets come to life. All the care and attention that goes into making a puppet is in service of that movement, without which it wouldn’t be a puppet. I’m not a puppeteer — but it’s an art form that I deeply respect. The more I work with puppetry, the better I understand that my role as puppet designer is secondary to that of the puppeteer. Now, I do believe that good puppet design elevates the overall effect of the performance, but without a good puppeteer, a well-designed puppet is just a beautiful object. The magic is in the movement.

What is your typical process for designing a puppet?

I like to use Procreate on my iPad — I’ve never been all that tech savvy and it’s easy to use. The first step to designing is to ask a lot of questions — we all have different ways of describing what we see in our heads, so I need to make sure we’re speaking the same visual language. Once I get a sense of the overall look of the project and how it needs to perform, I’m able to suggest a set of options for the direction for the puppet. As soon as one of the sketches gets approved, we can start building. A lot of design decisions are made in the process of taking a theoretical 2D rendering and turning it into a practical 3D object. The builder actually does a lot of design work that almost always goes uncredited. That’s why I’m always sure to give design credit to my head builders and to do a lot of the building myself. The most joyful part of the process for me is in the building of puppets and of a community of people I choose to work beside every day.

Now, the elephant: How many hours has your team spent on this one puppet? Lucky for you, I’m very organized! Rosie has taken our team of 4-6 just under 1,800 hours to complete since October. I was very lucky to have assembled my dream team to make Rosie come to life, so I’d like to shout out my Head Builders: Rose Labarre (Associate Puppet Designer), Sierra Schoening (Assistant Puppet Designer), and Kenneth Rainey (Assistant Puppet Designer), without whom Rosie would not be the stunning elephant that she is today.

Any words of advice for aspiring designers and makers in Atlanta?

I recently watched a video about Orissa Kelly who is a foot archer — a gymnast who stands on her hands and shoots arrows with her feet. She figured that she didn’t have to be the best gymnast in the world to make a living — she just had to be the best foot archer. So, she practiced her craft for 6 months until she could hit the bullseye effortlessly. Today, she makes a great living shooting arrows with her feet. Two important lessons can be learned from Orissa about survival in the arts: to be very disciplined about your curiosity and to carve a niche for yourself to shine. That’s an actionable way to set yourself up for success.

Camille Labarre

MIKE SCHLEIFER

Managing Director

CHRISTOPHER MOSES

Dan Reardon Director of Education & Associate Artistic Director

TINASHE KAJESE-BOLDEN BOLD Associate Artistic Director

BASED ON THE NOVEL BY SARA GRUEN PROJECTIONS

SCENIC DESIGN TAKESHI KATA

PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER TIMOTHY R. SEMON*

CASTING

TARA RUBIN CASTING

CLAIRE BURKE, CSA

JODY

MUSIC SUPERVISION & ARRANGEMENTS

MARY-MITCHELL CAMPBELL & BENEDICT BRAXTON-SMITH

CHOREOGRAPHY

JESSE ROBB

&

SHANA CARROLL

DIRECTED BY JESSICA STONE

ALLIANCE

PRESENTING SPONSOR

*TAYLOR COLLETON

GABRIEL OLIVERA DE PAULA COSTA

*JOE DE PAUL

ISABELLA LUISA DIAZ

*GABRIELLE ELISABETH

*BRYAN FENKART

*SARA GETTELFINGER Barbara

*HARRY GROENER Mr. Jankowski

KEATON HENTOFF-KILLIAN

NICOLAS JELMONI Circus Ensemble

*CAROLINE KANE

JOEL MALKOFF

*MICHAEL MENDEZ

*JO’NATHAN MICHAEL

*ISABELLE MCCALLA

*WADE MCCOLLUM

Singer/Ensemble

SAMUEL RENAUD Circus Ensemble

*MARISSA ROSEN Sue/Ensemble

ALEXANDRA GAELLE ROYER Circus Ensemble

*SEAN STACK Ensemble

*MATTHEW VARVAR Swing/Ensemble

*RYAN VASQUEZ Jacob

*MICHELLE WEST Swing

Mr. Jankowski/Camel

*GABRIELLE ELISABETH

*MICHAEL MENDEZ

MICHAEL

*WADE MCCOLLUM August/Charlie

*MARISSA ROSEN Barbara

*SEAN STACK Jacob

MUSICIANS

MATT HINKLEY Music Director/Conductor/Guitar

ABEL GARRIGA Associate Music Director/Keys

MARY BRUNDRETT Violin MIKE DOBSON

Musician BILL HATCHER

DERRICK JACKSON

MARC MILLER

SAM SKELTON

RON TURNER

STAGE MANAGERS

*TIMOTHY R. SEMON Production Stage Manager

*JOANNE PAN Stage Manager

*KACIE PIMENTEL Assistant Stage Manager

*KATHERINE WALLACE Assistant Stage Manager

AMANDA PEREZ Stage Management Production Assistant

SAMANTHA HONEYCUTT Stage Management Production Assistant

LIZ BEATTY

BARBARA GANTT O’HALEY

PRODUCTION AND DESIGN ASSISTANCE

ROBIN VEST Assistant Scenic Designer

ERIK HANSEN Production Carpenter

AJ JONES Associate Costume Designer

GAYLE DAVIS Circus Wear Construction

PATRICK MEDLOCK-TUREK, JEREMY WAHLERS Production Electricians

MACK SCALES

KAT ZHOU

BRIDGET CHERVENKA

ELISABETH WEIDNER

SARAH FOX

Assistant Lighting Design

Lighting Designer

Sound Designer

Sound Mixer

ALESSANDRA CRONIN Associate Projections Designer

ANDREW GUSCIORA Projections Programmer

GEORGE DEAVOURS Wig Master

SUSAN CORRADO Wig Design Associate

ROSE LABARRE Associate Puppet Designer

KENNETH RAINEY, SIERRA SCHOENING Assistant Puppet Designers

JOSHUA HOLDEN Puppet Supervisor

GONZALO BREA, MIKE NORRIS Circus Riggers/Stagehands

CHELSEA ZALIKOWSKI Production Video

VERONICA BLAIR

BRANDON BLOCK

MICHELLE WEST

ADAM BESKIND

RANDY COHEN

Circus Historian

Dance & Fight Captain/Assistant Choreographer

Choreographer Assistant

Music Assistant

Keyboard Programmer

EMILY GRISHMAN Copyist

KEATON HENTOFF-KILLIAN Circus Captain

MICKEY ACTON Script Assistant

ERIC BATES Rehearsal Understudy

RAY WETMORE, JR GOODMAN, ZACK TOMILO NYC Props Support

FOR THIS PRODUCTION

BRYAN PEREZ Crew Chief

VICTOR MOULEDOUX

SKYLAR BURKS

WILLIE PARKS, NIC STEPHENSON, JJ WALLACE

TAMIR EPLAN-FRANKEL, EMMA MOULEDOUX

NEIL ANDERSON, GABRIELLE DRUM,

Stagehand

Properties Stagehand

Stagehands

Deck Sound

NATHAN PETERS Spotlight Operators

MARY TORRES Costume Draper

SCOTTIE ROWELL Costume Crafts Assistant

PATRICIA FULLER, JENNIFER ROGERS, IAN SAWAN,

ALANA SPACH, RODNEY WILLIAMS Wardrobe

SALLY JOERGER, JULIE KENNEDY, PATRICIA MCMAHON Stitchers

PRE-PRODUCTION PUPPETEERS

Dorothy James, Rose Labarre, Weston Chandler Long, Andy Manjuck, Emma Wiseman

SPECIAL THANKS

Jessica R. Aguilar, Tesia Childs, Cheyney Coles, Holly Coombs, Joel DeCandio, Abby Filiaggi, Cynthia Meng, Kenneth Rainey Les 7 Doigts & Jessica Hentoff

Katherine Wallace

Ryan Dutcher

* 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.

This production is approximately two and a half hours long and has a fifteen-minute intermission.

Are you telling the right story to reach your clients? alliancetheatre.org/work

BRANDON BLOCK (Swing/Dance & Fight Captain/Assistant Choreographer) is thrilled to be part of the world premiere of Water for Elephants. He’s recently been seen as Charles/Miss Higgins’ Servant in Lincoln Center’s My Fair Lady (US Tour), as Swing/Dance Captain in Miss Saigon (US Tour), in the pre-Broadway tryout of Roman Holiday (Golden Gate Theatre), the feature film Isn’t It Romantic, Oklahoma! (Muny, St. Louis), and others. Special love to OUMT, Ryan, Maria, and Tiffany for helping me get here. Instagram: @brandonblock1125

ANTOINE BOISSEREAU (Circus Ensemble) discovered the artistic world at an early age through the medium of contemporary dance. At six years old he dreamed of becoming a circus artist and began taking classes in theatre and fine arts alongside his dance training. Antoine moved to Paris and began his circus training at the Italo Medini Circus School, where he first performed in contortion acts and fell truly, completely in love with the art form and its multiple components. The stage then became his favorite playground. After completing his secondary studies at the National Circus School of Châtellerault (France) he moved to Canada and joined the National Circus School of Montréal to further specialize in aerial silks, along with hula-hoops and aerial straps. Graduating in June 2020, Antoine has since been performing in many various productions and venues, from a big top tour to intimate cabarets to the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain. @antoineboissereau

STAN BROWN (Camel) is the Director of Graduate Studies of the MFA in Acting program at Northwestern University where he holds the Inaugural W. Rockwell Wirtz Professorship. Stan has worked as a professional actor and vocal coach for over 30 years in the US, UK and Canada. His television credits include featured and recurring roles on NBC’s Homicide: Life in the Streets, In the Heat of the Night, and the critically acclaimed I’ll Fly Away. In film, Stan co-starred in Robby Benson’s Modern Love and Doug Liman’s directorial debut, Getting In. In 2015 he played the lead in the short film The Bespoke Tailoring of Mr. Bellamy. The film won the prestigious Louisiana Film Prize and was shortlisted for the Academy Award ballot. Stan also won the Louisiana Film Prize Best Actor award for his work.

PAUL CASTREE (Orderly/ Ensemble) began his career playing Harvey Johnson in the national tour of Bye Bye Birdie, starring Tommy Tune and Ann Reinking. On Broadway, Paul was an original cast member of Disaster!, 9 to 5, Young Frankenstein, High Fidelity, All Shook Up, Saturday Night Fever, Footloose, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Grease, and was the lead vocalist stand-by for Movin’ Out. National Tours: Andy Blankenbuehler’s Joseph... Dreamcoat, and 9 to 5. He was Jinx in the Off-Broadway, Los Angeles, and Toronto productions of Forever Plaid for which he received the L.A. Ovation award, and Canada’s Dora award. Regional productions include My Paris at Goodspeed, ...Forum

at Williamstown Theatre Festival, and The Last Ship at Pioneer Theatre. New York City Opera: The Most Happy Fella. Eight original Broadway cast recordings, the Grammy nominated Actors Fund concerts of Dreamgirls and Hair, and Broadway For Orlando’s recording of What The World Needs Now Is Love.

TAYLOR COLLETON (Swing) is thrilled to be a part of this production at the Alliance Theatre! Broadway: Hadestown

Off-Broadway: Henry Box Brown: The Musical (Children’s Theater Company). Regional: Beauty and the Beast (Ordway Center for the Performing Arts); Oklahoma (Denver Center for the Performing Arts); Drowsy Chaperone (Totem Pole Playhouse); Rock of Ages (Norwegian Cruise Line); Memphis (Midtown Arts Center). National Tour: Beauty and the Beast. Carnegie Hall: Harmonic Convergence Guest Artist. Training: BFA Dance Performance, The University of the Arts. IG: @ taylorcolleton.

GABRIEL OLIVERA DE PAULA

COSTA (Circus Ensemble) is from Brazil and has fifteen years of experience performing circus arts. He graduated from the National Circus School in Brazil and has worked for Cirque du Soleil (Paramour) and Les 7 Doigts de La Main (Duel Reality).

DAN DAILY (Swing, u/s Mr. Jankowski, Camel) Broadway: Tracy Letts’ The Minutes (Steppenwolf, RCI Theatricals), The Tenth Man (Lincoln Center Theater). Off-Broadway: The Cake (Manhattan Theater Club), Days to Come (The Mint), The Dining Room (Keen Company, Drama Desk Award). Eighteen seasons a member of The Pearl Theater Company. Roles: Richard (Richard III), Solness (The Master Builder), Tarleton (Misalliance), John (The Subject Was Roses), Undershaft (Major Barbara), Don Diego (The Gentleman Dancing Master), Rough (Angel Street), Agamemnon (Agamemnon and Iphigenia at Aulis), Sorn (Stupid Fucking Bird), Falsataff (Henry IV: Part 1), and many others. Film: Duplicity, Seabiscuit, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Kitchen, Blood and Wine, and others. TV: City on a Hill, Law and Order, Ed, House of Cards, and others. B.A. University of Notre Dame. M.F.A. University of Washington.

JOE DE PAUL (Walter) Canadian clown, actor, teacher, director Joe De Paul has performed in various productions across North America and Europe, ranging from classical theatre to new works, receiving the META award for Best Actor for Head À Tëte. Joe has appeared on screen in projects such as Bonnano, A God Father Story, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, Sirens, Space Cases, Sublet, Frankenstein and Me, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Clutch, Indoors, and Vendetta: The New Mafia. Joe began his career as a clown in 1999 and performed in numerous Cirque du Soleil productions, including his debut in the North American tour and in the Emmy award-winning film version of Dralion. Joe’s unique physical comedy has brought him critical acclaim in various circuses and cabarets in in North America and Europe including Salto Natale in Zurich,

Palazzo in Germany, and Cirque Zanzibar in France. Joe has toured from Spain to Finland with Los Galindos circus. Joe co-founded the “Collectif Clown International de Marseille” for the research and development of new works. He has taught at the Geneva Circus School, National Theatre School of Canada, L’École National du Cirque and Concordia University. He has directed clowns for Cirque du Soleil’s Ama Luna, Ka, and Drawn to Life, and directed and starred in over 15 productions of Teatro Zinzanni in Seattle, San Francisco, and Chicago. Joe has authored and toured internationally two full length productions, Placebo and Thank God for Tim and Joe.

ISABELLA LUISA DIAZ (Circus Ensemble) is a multi-disciplinary artist from Chicago, Illinois. From a young age they found a joy for movement through gymnastics and dance and proceeded to attend Western Michigan University and the Joffrey Ballet School. During school, they had the honor of performing works by Peter Chu, Ohad Naharin, and Manuel Vignoulle. In 2017, they began dancing for Pilobolus Dance Theatre and were a part of the collaborative team that created the work ‘Branches’ premiering at Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival. In 2021, they began working with The 7 Fingers and became a part of the original cast of Dear San Francisco, earning their first credit as a cocomposer for the song “Coming West.” Isabella truly enjoys the blend of musical performance with circus arts and got to continue that exploration performing with Midnight Circus. Isabella is thrilled to be a part of the debut of Water for Elephants!

GABRIELLE ELISABETH (Vera/ Ensemble, u/s Marlena, June) is very excited to be making her Alliance Theatre Debut. She is thankful to God and family, for their constant support and love.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Little Eva, Stephen Sondheim Theatre), Cabaret (Emcee, Townsend Theatre), Pericles (Marina, Townsend Theatre), Holidays Around the World (Ayanna, Disney World). TV: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime). @gabelisabeth

BRYAN FENKART (August/ Charlie) Broadway/1st National Tour: Memphis (as Huey Calhoun), Waitress (as Dr. Pomatter).

Regional World Premieres: My Very Own British Invasion (Paper Mill), Darling Grenadine and A Sign of the Times (Goodspeed), These Paper Bullets! (Yale Rep., Atlantic), Diner and Piece of My Heart (Signature), Nobody Loves You (Second Stage). TV: Manifest (NBC/Netflix), Harlem (Prime), Interview with the Vampire (AMC), Chicago Med (NBC), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC). Film: Red Hook, You Tell Me. Original Music Releases: Man of Make Believe (single), Brother (single), Moving Earth (single), We Are (single), Simple & Grey (full length LP), Imperfect Man (full length LP). Thanks to Cyrena, KMR, Mom, Dad, Greg, Casey, E11ie, and the Bluebird. Twitter/IG: @BryanFenkart

SARA GETTELFINGER (Barbara) Most recently starred in the regional premiere of The Cher Show (Star) at Ogunquit Playhouse. Broadway/First National Tours: The Addams Family (Morticia), A Free Man of Color (Dona Athene opposite Jeffrey Wright and Mos Def), 101 Dalmatians (Cruella DeVille), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (as Jolene Oakes opposite John Lithgow), Nine (as Carla with Antonio Banderas and John Stamos), The Boys from Syracuse, Seussical, Fosse. Other NYC/Regional: Atomic, Carnival, Tenderloin, Chicago, Grey Gardens, Anything Goes, Catch Me If You Can, Pippin. TV/Film: Guiding Light, Ed, Without a Trace, Georgetown, The Big C, Forbidden Love, Sex and the City: The Movie.

HARRY GROENER (Mr. Jankowski) is thrilled to be making his Alliance Theatre debut. Broadway: Crazy for You (Tony and Drama Desk Nom), Oklahoma! (Tony Nom and Theater World Award), Cats (Tony Nom), Harrigan & Hart (Drama Desk Nom), Oh Brother!, Is There Life After High School?, Sleight of Hand, George in Sunday in the Park with George, Imaginary Friends, Spamalot. Off-Broadway: Twelve Dreams, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, If Love Were All. Regional: William Tecumseh Sherman in The March (Steppenwolf Theater), title roles in The Madness of King George (Jeff Award) and Cyrano De Bergerac (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Lear in King Lear and Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with the Antaeus Company, Prospero in The Tempest (Shakespeare Orange County), Lincoln and LBJ in Appomattox, The Guthrie Theatre. Film: About Schmidt, Road to Perdition, Amistad, Patch Adams, Brubaker, Cure for Wellness, A Futile and Stupid Gesture, and the upcoming Oppenheimer, directed by Chris Nolan. Television: Over 70 TV credits including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dear John, Star Trek, How I Met Your Mother. He is a proud founding member of The Antaeus Company in Los Angeles and is happily married to his wife of 45 years, Dawn Didawick.

KEATON HENTOFF-KILLIAN (Circus Ensemble/Circus Captain) is a multi-disciplinary artist working with acrobatics, movement, and physical theater. Keaton has been working in the circus for the last 7 years after completing his studies at École National Du Cirque. He worked with an Australian circus company C!RCA as well as working with Cirque Du Soleil, Midnight Circus and Strut N Fret. His personal goals in life are to find a nice plot of land somewhere in the countryside in Tasmania to settle down and spend his days sipping tea, baking fresh bread, and throwing on a pottery wheel. Until then, however, he’s happy upside down and a part of the magical world of circus. Find him @keatonhk

NICOLAS JELMONI (Circus Ensemble) (Pippin Broadway & National Tour, Joyà Cirque du Soleil, Delirious, Step Up: All In, Duel Reality, Bohemia, France

Got Talent) Born and raised in Monaco, Nicolas is a proud graduate of the National Circus School in Montreal. After starting his career on Broadway with Pippin thanks to The 7 Fingers, Nicolas went on to tour the world, lucky enough to have been able to perform in London, Paris, Tokyo, Montreal, Amsterdam, Berlin, or the Sydney Opera House. Award-winning performer always looking for new challenges, he recently produced and created his own circus cabaret show Delirious, a celebration of the Art of the party for which he had to do years of “hands on” research going out and partying with his friends! Excited to bring to life this beautiful story with this wonderful cast and discover everything that Atlanta has to offer. Follow my adventures @NicolasJelmoni and send me recommendations for new exciting ones!!

CAROLINE KANE (Rosemary/ Torch Singer/Ensemble) [she/ her] is excited to be making her Alliance Debut! Regional credits include Goodspeed Musicals (Cabaret), Pittsburgh CLO (Oklahoma!, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Beauty and the Beast, Brigadoon), Sacramento Music Circus (Guys and Dolls), Utah Shakespeare Festival (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Guys and Dolls), Walnut Street Theatre (The Little Mermaid), The Rev (Mamma Mia!). Television/Film includes The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (seasons 4 and 5) and I am Wrath (Jenna). Thank you to Mom, Dad, and sisters for all of their love and support, Marc and Dustin at Daniel Hoff, and the incredible WFE team for having me. BFA Otterbein University. @carolinekane7

JOEL MALKOFF (Circus Swing) is a lifelong lover of acrobatic movement. Starting with skateboarding as a child and growing into a career as a junior Olympic-level gymnast, certified parkour instructor and eventually, a graduate of the national circus school of Montreal. Since completing his studies in Montreal Joel has had the privilege of sharing his talents in a wide range of contexts including German cabarets, performing alongside the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, researching new show concepts with Cirque Éloize, creating and performing a new show with his Collective “ILO” during the toughest part of the pandemic and even in Guadeloupe with ‘’Métis’Gwa,’’ a circus organization focused on social outreach on the island, to name a few. In addition to his acrobatic experience, Joel is also a lifelong musician and loves to find engaging ways to blend his love of music and circus arts. He wishes you a wonderful experience at tonight’s show, it is an honor to share the room with YOU!

MICHAEL MENDEZ (Caretaker/ Cop/Ensemble, u/s Walter) is thrilled to be making his Alliance Theatre debut! Broadway: Chaplin. Off-Broadway: Hey! Look Me Over! (Encores!), Fat Camp the Musical (American Theatre of Actors). Regional: Shrek (Arrow Rock Lyceum), Man of La Mancha (Westport Country Playhouse), How The Grinch Stole Christmas! (The Old Globe), Damn Yankees

(Goodspeed Opera House), Peter and the Starcatcher & The Music Man (Weston Theatre Company), Grease (North Shore Music Theatre), Billy Elliot (North Carolina Theatre), Paquito’s Christmas (The Kennedy Center). Michael received his BFA in Musical Theatre from The University of Arizona and his MFA in Directing from the University of Idaho. Michael is currently an Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre at Marymount Manhattan College. Special thanks to the entire team of Water for Elephants and to my amazing wife Marissa. IG: @mendezzzz

JO’NATHAN MICHAEL (Big Earl/Ensemble, u/s Wade) is a proud New Jersey native and was last seen @ the Gershwin in the Land of Oz in Broadway’s Wicked! Some other credits include New York: City Center Encores: The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds her Chameleon Skin (Chitty Chatty), Playwrights Horizons: Bella: An American Tall Tale (Mr. Dinwiddie). National Tours: Summer: The Donna Summer Musical (swing), Ragtime (ensemble, u/s Booker T. Washington), Dreamgirls (Jimmy Early), The Color Purple (ensemble), Aida (Radames), Arts Centric. Education: The University of the Arts (BFA Modern Dance Performance). Jo’Nathan is so happy to be a part of telling this wonderful story, Water for Elephants, and would like to thank his wonderful family; special thanks to Beau for the #JOGLOW, to the ATB family for holding it down, and to this amazing cast, crew, and creative team! Blessings! @Ponderful1

ISABELLE MCCALLA (Marlena/ June) is thrilled to return to the Alliance Theatre in the role of Marlena, after being in the ensemble of the 2016 production of The Prom. On Broadway, she originated the role of Alyssa Greene in The Prom. She also previously starred as Jasmine in Aladdin both on Broadway and the North American Tour. Most recently, she starred as Meg in Hercules at the Paper Mill Playhouse. Previous regional credits include Ariel Moore in Footloose at the Kennedy Center and Tink in Fly at La Jolla Playhouse. TV credits include Extrapolations (AppleTV+), And Just Like That (HBO), Law & Order (NBC), Bull (CBS). Special thanks to the entire team who helped build our circus! Love to my family and my lobster, Zack. @izzymccalla

WADE MCCOLLUM (Wade, u/s August/Charlie) Is excited to be making his Alliance Theatre debut! Broadway: Wicked, London’s West End: It Happened In Key West (World Premier), and numerous Off-Broadway shows, most notably his Lortel Award-nominated performance as Ernest Shackleton in Ernest Shackleton Loves Me, for which he garnered the Elliot Norton Award for Best Actor. Other notable performances: Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Garland Award, Los Angeles Drama Critic’s Circle Award, Ovation Nom.) Batboy in Batboy the Musical (Drammy Award), Charlotte in I Am My Own Wife (Drammy Award), The Emcee in Cabaret (Dallas

Fort Worth Critic’s Circle Award), Prior in Angels in America, Tick in the Broadway tour of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and most recently as Karpathy/Higgins in Lincoln Center Theatre’s tour of My Fair Lady. TV: The Knick, FBI: Most Wanted, Madame Secretary, Prodigal Son, Nightcap. In 2003, McCollum co-founded and was Artistic Director of Oregon’s Insight Out Theatre Collective, whose company focus was to create space for marginalized voices. As a composer and writer, McCollum’s work has been workshopped/produced nationwide on stages including Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Alchemy L.A, 59e59th Street, Sonnet Repertory Theatre, and Classic Stage Company. McCollum co-wrote and directed his first feature-length feature film to premier this fall, Secondary Dominance

SAMUEL RENAUD (Circus Ensemble) Spending his summers up north surrounded by the vast forests and lakes of Quebec, Samuel always had plenty of room to have fun and let his imagination run free. All of this freedom allowed him to explore and try many different things. After many years of competitive sports and a short career in plumbing, he stumbled upon the circus arts. He went on to graduate as a Russian Cradle and Hand to Hand porter from the National Circus School of Montreal in June of 2017. Since then, Samuel has been a part of many circus projects and worked for several companies, most notably with The 7 Fingers where he was a part of their new show creation, Passengers.

MARISSA ROSEN (Sue/Ensemble, u/s Barbara) is so thrilled to be joining this incredible team making her Alliance debut with this beautiful show. She can currently be seen touring the country singing backup for Kristin Chenoweth & Jessica Vosk! She recently had the pleasure of staying in Atlanta to film an episode of the HBO Max series Doom Patrol. Broadway: For the Girls w/ Kristin Chenoweth. Off-Broadway: R.R.R.E.D., The Marvelous Wonderettes, My Big Gay Italian Wedding, BedBugs the Musical, Tony & Tina’s Wedding. Favorite regional/International/Tours: A Taste of Things to Come, Jawbreaker, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Bare, Into the Woods, and Grease. TV: Modern Love, Law & Order SVU, Doom Patrol. She works as a recording artist and back up singer for some of New York City and Nashville‘s finest! She has had the honor of singing backup for Shoshana Bean, Patti LuPone, Betty Buckley, Ariana DeBose, Krysta Rodriguez, Jason Gotay, Marty Thomas, and Lillias White, to name a few. Marissa has also released her debut album, “The Award Winning Holiday Album” with Marty Thomas, which is available on all streaming platforms! She is proudly represented by The Talent House. Follow her at @themarissarosen on all platforms! For my grandpa... forever in the front row.

ALEXANDRA GAELLE ROYER

(Circus Ensemble) [she/her] is very happy to join the cast of Water for Elephants at the Alliance Theatre. It’s going to be her first experience in a musical and she can’t wait to discover this epic world. She graduated from the National circus school of Montréal and has been touring the world for the last 12 years, under

the banner of the most renowned circuses and also with some less mainstream contemporary projects. Alex would love to thank all the people who made it possible for her to take part in such an adventure. Especially her idols (including the multitalented circus director/trapeze artist Shana Carroll) who always gave her the faith that the world was full of poetry, if you manage to open your eyes (and ears, and heart) to it. Alex is also fascinated by the American enthusiasm and eager to be immersed in its daily energy. She has absolutely no skill at social media, so she gave it up, but you can find her in bookstore or wasting time in a coffee shop that has a good machine.

SEAN STACK (Ensemble, u/s Jacob) is a Miami-raised actor and maker. He is thrilled to be making his Alliance debut in Water for Elephants. Last summer, he appeared in the Off-Broadway production of Between the Lines at the Tony Kiser Theater. They’ve also worked on the Williamstown Theater Festival’s audio production of ROW, available on Audible. Other credits include Awkwafina is Nora from Queens (Comedy Central) and My Year of D**ks (Oscar Nominated Best Short 2023). Sean was granted a residency at MOtiVE Brooklyn for 2023, where he’s been developing a new intermedia work. A very, very special thank you his homies at DGRW, the folks at Tara Rubin Casting, and the (spectacular) WFE team. Sean is a graduate of the UNCSA School of Drama. Mom, Dad, Ali, xo. @miamisunshineboy

MATTHEW VARVAR (Swing/ Ensemble) is over the moon to be a part of the Water for Elephants family! Credits include: Tour: Joseph…Dreamcoat, Elf: The Musical. Regional: Kinky Boots (Hollywood Bowl), The Who’s Tommy (Kennedy Center). TV/ Film: Dispatches From Elsewhere (AMC). MM2 Modern Dance Company. Big thanks to all his loved ones, BlocNYC, W4E Team, and his little Reggie Man. @matthewvarvar

RYAN VASQUEZ (Jacob)

Broadway: Hamilton (Alexander Hamilton, standby for Aaron Burr, George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson, Hercules Mulligan/James Madison), Waitress (original Broadway cast), Wicked. Off-Broadway: The Wrong Man (The Man in Black, Drama Desk Award nomination). World Premiere productions of The Notebook (Noah Calhoun, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), and The Outsiders (Darrel Curtis, La Jolla Playhouse). Film/TV: The Good Fight (CBS), The Code (CBS), Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO), and Tick...Tick...BOOM! (Netflix). Voice work: Vivo (Netflix), In The Heights film version.

MICHELLE WEST (Swing/ Choreographer Assistant) is excited to be back at the Alliance!

Broadway: Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, NY/Tours: Aladdin (1st Nat’l), West Side Story (Carnegie Hall), Memphis, Sid the Science Kid Live!, Regional: The Prom,

Legally Blonde, The Wiz, Hello, Dolly!, Avenue Q, The Wizard of Oz. Endless love to my Husband Matt,

Kobe, my BIA community, Tim English, and Hudson Artists Agency. Follow me on insta @chelleywest

RICK ELICE (Book) On Broadway so far: Jersey Boys (Best Musical, 2006 Tony Award, 2007 Grammy Award and 2009 Olivier Award); The Addams Family; Peter and the Starcatcher (winner of five 2012 Tony Awards); and The Cher Show (currently on tour in the UK). In the pipeline: The Princess Bride for Disney; Smash for Robert Greenblatt, Neil Meron, and Steven Spielberg; Silver Linings Playbook, a musical adaptation of the popular film; The Marvels, a musical adaptation of the popular novel. In London, Rick’s new play, Doubting Tom, and an original musical, Treasure, written with 2021 Ed Kleban Award-winner Benjamin Scheuer, will be produced in 2024. From 1982-1999, as creative director at Serino Coyne Inc, Rick created and produced ad campaigns for more than 300 Broadway shows, from A Chorus Line to The Lion King. From 1999-2009, he served as creative consultant for The Walt Disney Studio. Charter member, American Repertory Theatre. Trustee, The Actors’ Fund. BA, Cornell; MFA, Yale Drama School; Teaching Fellow, Harvard University. Rick’s book, Finding Roger, An Improbably Theatrical Love Story, a tribute to his extraordinary husband, the late Roger Rees, is published by Kingswell.

PIGPEN THEATRE CO (Music & Lyrics) began creating their unique brand of theatre, music, and film as freshmen at the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in 2007. They have since performed, produced, and licensed their original plays in New York City and all over the world — earning them critic’s picks from The New York Times, Time Out New York, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Boston Globe, and many more, ranking them in the top ten theatrical events of 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2016. They were the first group to win the NYC Fringe Festival’s top honor for a play two years in a row (2010/11) and have gone on to win IRNE (2012, 2015) and Jeff Awards (2014) for their theatrical productions. In 2016, Sir Trevor Nunn invited PigPen to be a part of his first American acting company for a production of Shakespeare’s Pericles. PigPen’s debut album, “Bremen,” was named #10 album of the year in The Huffington Post’s 2012 Grammy preview sending PigPen on tour playing to sold-out crowds across the country. American Songwriter premiered their follow-up EP, “The Way I’m Running,” in 2013 while the band was playing a series of concerts that became one of the most popular residencies of the past decade at the legendary Schuba’s Tavern in Chicago. In 2015, PigPen released their sophomore album, “Whole Sun,” performed at Mumford & Sons’ return to the Gentlemen of the Road Festival, and made their feature film debut in Jonathan Demme’s Ricki and the Flash starring Meryl Streep. In 2018, PigPen announced that they are creating two stage musicals based on beloved novels: The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (in partnership with Universal Theatrical Group) and Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (in collaboration with Rick Elice). The Tale of Despereaux world premiered at The Old Globe in the summer of 2019 and transferred to Berkeley Repertory Theatre to close out the year. 2021 saw PigPen premiere their interactive theatrical experience, “The Phantom Folktales,” aboard Richard Branson’s groundbreaking cruise line, Virgin Voyages. That summer also marked the beginning of their three-year residency as artists and curators at New York City’s newest and most unique public park: Little Island.

SARA GRUEN (Novel) is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of At the Water’s Edge, Water for Elephants, Ape House, Riding Lessons, and Flying Changes. Her works have been translated into forty-three languages, and have sold more than ten million copies worldwide. Water for Elephants was adapted into a major motion picture starring Reese Witherspoon, Rob Pattinson, and Christoph Waltz in 2011. Originally from Canada, Sara now lives in Western North Carolina with her husband and three sons, along with their dogs, cats, horses, birds, and the sweetest ass — er, Jackass — donkey in the Western Hemisphere.

JESSICA STONE (Director) worked as an actress on and off-Broadway, in television, and in film for decades before transitioning to directing. Broadway credits included Anything Goes, Butley, The Odd Couple, The Smell of the Kill, Design for Living, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Grease. Her directing career began in earnest with her all-male 2010 production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum for the Williamstown Theatre Festival. She has since been directing all over the country at such theaters as The Old Globe, A.C.T, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Huntington Theatre Company, Two River Theatre Company, and the Williamstown Theatre Festival, among others. Productions include As You Like It, Kate Hamill’s Vanity Fair, Barefoot in the Park, Dancing at Lughnasa, Bad Dates, Ken Ludwig’s Robin Hood! (world premiere), Ripcord, Bad Jews, Arms and the Man, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Charlotte’s Web, June Moon, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Absurd Person Singular, and Kimberly Akimbo (Off-Broadway premiere at the Atlantic). Most recently, Stone directed the original Broadway musical Kimberly Akimbo, for which she received a 2023 Tony Nomination for Best Direction of a Musical. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two sons.

JESSE ROBB (Choreography) hails from Canada with a wide resume covering a variety of work across Broadway, Cirque Du Soleil, Disney, Cameron Mackintosh Ltd, Momix, Prime Video, Opera Philadelphia, and Turner Classic Movies. On Broadway, Jesse was the associate choreographer to Bob Avian for the Tony nominated revival of Miss Saigon and staged the subsequent North American tour and Austrian companies. Jesse is also the Associate Musical Stager for the North American tour of Les Miserables and will stage the upcoming South Korean production. His work has been produced regionally at Theatre Calgary, Ogunquit Playhouse, The 5th Avenue Theatre, The Ordway, Cape Playhouse, and the Berkshire Theatre Festival among others. His production of Spamalot is currently running through November 2023 at The Stratford Festival of Canada. Jesse is thrilled to help bring Water For Elephants to life at the beautiful Alliance Theatre. Many thanks to his parents, Les and Roberta Robb, for their unwavering support.

SHANA CARROLL (Choreography/Circus Design) is Co-Founding Artistic Director of the Montrealbased circus company The 7 Fingers. Since its founding in 2002, Carroll has written, directed and choreographed 12 of their touring and/or resident shows, 3 of which (Passengers, Duel Reality, Dear San Francisco) are currently running.

Carroll received a Drama Desk Nomination for choreography for their show Traces. Outside The 7 Fingers, Carroll directed Cirque du Soleil’s first-ever ice show Crystal, in addition to their performance at the Academy Awards in 2012. Also for Cirque du Soleil, Carroll was circus choreographer and designer for their shows Iris (Los Angeles) and Paramour (Broadway). Other credits include: Queen of the Night (Drama Desk recipient); Soul of the Ocean (Moment Factory); Cité Mémoire (Lemieux-Pilon); and the Sochi Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies (medieval segment). Prior to directing and choreography, Carroll was herself a trapeze artist, performing for over 20 years in the air with circuses and dance companies around the world, most notably as the original solo trapeze artist for Cirque du Soleil’s Saltimbanco. She also appeared in Cirque du Soleil produced television and film. Now based in Montreal, where she relocated in 1991 to attend l’École Nationale de Cirque, Carroll is originally from Berkeley, California.

CAMILLE LABARRE (Puppet Design) is Founder and Creative Director of LAB LAB, a puppet and prop shop in NYC that built the puppets for Water for Elephants. Broadway: The Skin of Our Teeth, Into the Woods (Associate Puppet Designer / Builder). Selected Off-Broadway: Encores!

At NYC Center - Into the Woods (Associate Puppet Designer / Builder). Selected Television: Sesame Street Season 53 - HBO Max, Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock Season 2 - Apple TV+ (Puppet / Prop Builder). Selected Commercials: Amazon Prime Day, Honda Holiday, Dunkin’ x NHL, Hershey’s (Puppet / Prop Builder). Selected Live Events: Thom Browne SS 2022 - New York Fashion Week (Puppet Builder), Thom Browne FW 2022 / Met Gala 2022 (Build Consultant).

TAKESHI KATA (Scenic Design) is a theatrical set designer based in Los Angeles, CA. He has worked on over 200 productions of plays, musicals, opera, and dance across the country and abroad. Recent Projects include Until the Flood (FIND festival, Shaubühne, Berlin), Clyde’s (Helen Hayes-Broadway), Derren Brown’s Secret (CortBroadway), Bug (Steppenwolf), Angels in America (Berkeley Rep), and Cambodian Rock Band. Kata is the recipient of the 2022 Michael Merrit Award for Excellence in Design and Collaboration, and has received Drama Desk, Obie, and Jeff Awards. He is an Associate Professor at University of Southern California, School of Dramatic Arts, where he currently serves as Chair of Design.

DAVID ISRAEL REYNOSO (Costume Design) [he/ him] Internationally renowned, scenic, costume, and exhibit designer; Obie Award–winning costume designer of Sleep No More (Boston, New York, and Shanghai) and The Burnt City (London); Other: Finnish National Ballet, La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, American Repertory Theater, American Conservatory Theater, Roundabout Theatre Company, Portland Center Stage, Arena Stage, Berkeley Rep, Seattle Rep, Signature Theatre; Founder, OPTIKA MODERNA; Creator of La Lucha, Teatro Piñata, Portaleza, Las Quinceañeras, and Waking La Llorona; Work includes designs for Meow Wolf, Museum of Us, and New Children’s Museum. www.davidreynoso.com

BRADLEY KING (Lighting Design) is a parent, proud union member, and lighting designer based in NYC. Broadway: Fat Ham (Tony nomination), Hadestown (Tony, Drama Desk winner), The Great Comet (Tony, Drama Desk winner), Flying

Over Sunset (Tony Nomination, Drama Desk Winner), Bernhardt/Hamlet. Recent Off-Broadway: Endlings (NYTW), Evita (City Center Encores), Alice by Heart (MCC), Apologia, The Last Match (Roundabout), The Treasurer (Playwrights Horizons), shows for Atlantic Theater Company, LAByrinth, The Kitchen, Signature Theater, the Vineyard, CSC, and many others. Regional: The Alley, ART, Berkeley Rep, The Guthrie, La Jolla, Long Wharf, The McCarter, The Old Globe, Yale Rep, and many others. International: UK, Canada, China. MFA, NYU. USA829 member. On the web at www.bradleykingld.com / @bradleykingld

JESSICA PAZ (Sound Design) Broadway: A Beautiful Noise; Hadestown (Tony, Drama Desk Awards); POTUS. Associate sound designer: Dear Evan Hansen; Bandstand; Disaster!; Assembled Parties (MCC); Fela! Off-Broadway: Little Shop (Westside); Ugly Lies the Bone (Roundabout); A Sucker EmCee, The Muscles in Our Toes (Labyrinth); The Kings Whore (Starcatcher); Becoming Dr. Ruth (Westside). The Public: Twelfth Night, Othello, Miss You Like Hell, Julius Caesar, Midsummer Night’ s Dream, As You Like It. Regional: A.R.T., Old Globe; Hartford Stage, Berkeley Rep.

CHA RAMOS (Fight Director) (she/ella) is a multidisciplinary theatre artist with a metric montón of books, swords, and altars in her NYC apartment. She is a fight director, intimacy director, dramaturg, playwright, performer, and instructor, with an MFA in Theatre from Columbia University. Notable credits include: fight and intimacy direction for Dom Juan at the Fisher Center at Bard College; associate intimacy direction for COMPANY on Broadway; dramaturgy for new works by José Rivera and Leslie Ayvazian; performing with the Vixens En Garde allfemale sword-fighting Shakespeare comedy troupe; teaching stage combat and intimacy work in-person and online; and ongoing development of her three original plays. More info at www.CallMeCha.com.

DAVID BENGALI (Projection Design) Broadway: The Thanksgiving Play; 1776; Off-Broadway including: Twilight: LA 1992 (Signature - Henry Hewes Award, Drama Desk Nom.); Anthony Rapp’s Without You (New World Stages); The Visitor (The Public Theater - Lortel Nom.); Circle Jerk (Fake Friends - Obie Award, Drama League Nom.); Einstein’s Dreams (Prospect/59E59 - Drama Desk Nom.); Van Gogh’s Ear (ERC - Drama Desk Nom.); The Great Leap (Atlantic); Regional including: La Jolla Playhouse, A.R.T, Yale Rep, Dallas Theater Center, Alliance; National Tours of: 1776; Rockin’ Road To Dublin.

LUC VERSCHUEREN (Hair & Makeup Design) of Campbell Young Associates. Select Credits: Broadway: A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, Bad Cinderella, Funny Girl, Almost Famous, The Music Man, Les Misérables, Hello, Dolly! Broadway/West End: Back to the Future, Leopoldstadt, To Kill a Mockingbird, Company, Girl from the North Country, A Christmas Carol, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical (Drama Desk Design Award), The Ferryman, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Groundhog Day, Matilda, Ghost, Billy Elliot. West End: Get Up Stand Up!, The Prince of Egypt; Film/TV: The Gilded Age, Only Murders in the Building, The Politician, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Orange Is the New Black, The Leftovers, Smash, Boardwalk Empire, Doctor Who, Will and Grace, Dirty Dancing. www.cyassocs.com

DANNY ZEN (Rigging Design) first arrived at

Cirque du Soleil in 1990 to work as a welder in the company’s workshops. That same year he went on the first European tour of Le Cirque Réinventé, then moved on to Nouvelle Expérience on which he worked as a welder, assembler, mechanic and head usher. In 1992 he toured with Saltimbanco as a tent technician. Since 1993 Danny has worked in the continuing development of the Creative Studio at Cirque du Soleil. His innovations as head rigger and technical expert are largely responsible for establishing Cirque’s demanding standards in training all its riggers, and maintaining the safety of the performers and technicians at all times. Danny has worked at the National Circus School in Montreal and has, over the years, contributed to the design of most of the aerial acrobatic equipment used in the Cirque du Soleil shows Alegría, Mystère, Quidam, Dralion, Varekai, “O”, La Nouba, and KÀ He was also Head Rigger for Quidam in 1996. In 2008, he designed the rigging and equipment for the acrobatics show at the Quebec City 400th anniversary celebrations. 2022 is Danny Zen’s fifth engagement as Acrobatic Equipment and Rigging Designer for a Cirque du Soleil show, following Corteo, KOOZA, Zarkana, KURIOS, Luzia, and Drawn to Life. Danny is also in charge of designing the acrobatic equipment and rigging elements for the joint CDS-Club Med CREACTIVE project and the 2015 Pan Am Games’ Opening Ceremony.

MARY-MITCHELL CAMPBELL (Co-Music Supervisor)

Broadway: Some Like It Hot, Mean Girls, The Prom, Finding Neverland, Big Fish, Company, Sweeney Todd, Tuck Everlasting, The Addams Family. Drama Desk Award for Best Orchestrations for Company.

TV: Girls5Eva, Homeschool Musical. Film: Mean Girls: The Musical (upcoming). Music director for City Center Encores! She is the founder of ArtsIgnite (artsignite.org) which helps young people develop agency through the arts and is passionate about arts education and equality in the arts.

BENEDICT BRAXTON-SMITH (Co-Music Supervisor/ Arranger) [he/him] is an Australian-made Music Director, Orchestrator, Composer and Pianist (among other things). His work has spanned styles, genres and mediums, with extensive experience in theatre, concerts, TV/Film, recorded music and streaming content. Benedict was most recently seen (and heard) on tour with Mean Girls. His Broadway/ NYC credits include Kristin Chenoweth’s For The Girls, My Golden Age (Jessica Vosk at Carnegie Hall), Cyrano (starring Peter Dinklage), Broadway Backwards, and Kristin Chenoweth’s Christmas At The MET. In TV & Streaming, Benedict’s work has been featured in Homeschool Musical: Class of 2020 (HBOmax), Stars on Stage: Gavin Creel (PBS), and Take Me To The World: Sondheim’s 90th Birthday Celebration. Recent albums include Wake Me When We Get There (Big Sky City Lights) and A Very Coco Christmas (Jessica Vosk). He is an NYU Tisch GMTWP Graduate, a proud immigrant, and a humanist come existentialist. I wouldn’t be here without Mum, Austin, UP&AG, and Erin. www.benedictbraxtonsmith.com

MATT HINKLEY (Music Director/Conductor/Guitar)

Most recently: The Outsiders (La Jolla Playhouse).

Broadway: SpongeBob, Bandstand, Finding Neverland, Violet, First Date, Godspell. Regional and other NYC credits include: Clint Black’s Looking For Christmas (Old Globe), Camelot (Bay Street Theatre, incl. orchestrations), Rooms (New World Stages), Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing (Signature Theatre, Helen Hayes nomination for music direction), The Circus In Winter (Goodspeed Opera House, incl. orchestrations), 35MM

(original NYC productions), Chess (Kennedy Center), Bloodsong Of Love (Ars Nova); original member of the Joe Iconis Rock ‘n’ Roll Jamboree. Film: The Last Five Years. Longtime music director for Caissie Levy; other concert work includes Jessica Vosk, Jason Gotay, Sutton Foster. Love to Kym and Madeline.

DARYL WATERS (Orchestrations) received the Tony and Drama Desk Orchestration awards for Memphis. Other Broadway credits include Music Supervision/Orchestrations/Arrangements for The Cher Show (Drama Desk nomination for Best Orchestrations); Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed (Tony nomination for Best Orchestrations); Holler If Ya Hear Me; Bring in ’da Noise, Bring in ’da Funk; and Street Corner Symphony. He was the Music Supervisor and Conductor for After Midnight and Dance Music Arranger for The Color Purple and Jelly’s Last Jam. His composing credits include Bring in ’da Noise, Bring in ’da Funk (Tony nomination for Best Original Score) and Drowning Crow. Mr. Waters is a graduate of Livingstone College, a Historically Black College in Salisbury, NC, and a proud founding member of MUSE (Musicians United for Social Equity), an organization that promotes diversity in the music departments of theatrical productions.

CLAIRE BURKE/TARA RUBIN CASTING (Casting) Selected Broadway and National Tours: Back To The Future (upcoming), Here Lies Love (upcoming), Bad Cinderella, Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, KPOP, Mr. Saturday Night, Six, Ain’t Too Proud, King Kong, The Band’s Visit, Prince of Broadway, Sunset Boulevard, Miss Saigon, Dear Evan Hansen, Cats, Falsettos, School of Rock, Bullets Over Broadway, Aladdin, Big Fish, Billy Elliot, Shrek, Spamalot, …Spelling Bee, The Producers, Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys, The Phantom of the Opera. Selected Off-Broadway: Sing Street, Trevor, Between the Lines, Clueless, Gloria: A Life, Smokey Joe’s Café, Here Lies Love. Regional: George Street Playhouse, Asolo Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe. Film: Here Today

JODY FELDMAN (Casting) 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.

RYAN EMMONS (Associate Director) is a founding member and Co-Artistic Director of No.11 Productions, with which he has developed and directed many shows over the past 12 years. No.11 directing credits include

original works such as Ye Bear & Ye Cubb, Friends Call Me Albert, Coosje, and Quest for the West. Broadway Associate/Resident director credits include Kimberly Akimbo, Groundhog Day, Matilda the Musical, and Ghost the Musical. Ryan was the Resident Director for the First National Tour of Matilda the Musical and Miss Saigon. Ryan directs productions regionally and is on faculty at the Institute of American Musical Theater. He is a proud member of the SDC and holds a BS in Theatre from Skidmore College. Love and gratitude to Brandon, Jane and Beckett. And of course the incredible Jessica Stone! www.ryanemmonsdirects.com

PAIGE PARKHILL (Associate Choreography) Alliance debut! Associate choreographer credits include productions on Broadway, at the Stratford Festival, Ogunquit Playhouse, Arena Stage, Theatre Calgary, Theatre Aspen, and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. TV/Film: 96th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Reefer Madness, the Movie Musical (Showtime). Additionally, Paige has worked globally for the Walt Disney Company for 20 years. Thank you to Jess, Jesse, Jen, Peter, WME, Zach, mom, dad, and sisters. Thrilled to be a part of the W4E family.

MARCO INGARAMO (Associate Circus Choreography) started circus at La Arena circus school in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2009. He trained acrobatics, fixed trapeze, flying trapeze, teeterboard, trampowall, aerial cradle, and Chinese pole. He’s worked in several different types of shows, from traditional circus to contemporary circus shows and musicals. Marco performed Chinese Pole and Teeterboard in Mystere, Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas for 2 years before joining The 7 Fingers with the shows Duel Reality and Passagers. Besides being on stage, Marco also helped The 7 Fingers in two Duel Reality remounts as a Line Director, teaching and coaching the new casts.

TIMOTHY R. SEMON (Production Stage Manager) Broadway: Company 2022, Network, Angels in America, Sunset Boulevard, Paramour, Lady Day…, 9 to 5, Collected Stories, A Chorus Line, High Fidelity, Three Days of Rain, Wicked, Assassins. National tours: Jersey Boys, White Christmas, Wicked. Other: Moonshine Off-Broadway/regional: yes. TV: Sweeney Todd, Company, Sondheim 80th Birthday Concert. BFA: UCCCM. Tim got his start professionally a few miles east of Atlanta at Trustus Theatre in Columbia, SC, where Rick, Kathy & Kay deserve a lot of credit and thanks.

JOANNE PAN (Stage Manager) [she/her] Broadway: Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Ohio State Murders, Six. Pre-Broadway Chicago: The Devil Wears Prada. Encores!: Tap Dance Kid, Songs for a New World Select Off-Broadway: NYTW, The Public, MCC Theater. National Tour: A Christmas Story, the Musical Proud first-generation Taiwanese-American.

KACIE PIMENTEL (Assistant Stage Manager) is excited to be at the Alliance Theatre this season as the BIPOC SM Fellow. She most recently worked on Everybody, A Christmas Carol, The Hot Wing King, and The Boy Who Kissed the Sky at the Alliance Theatre. Previous credits include The Hot Wing King, John Proctor Is the Villain, and White Noise at Studio Theatre. She has also worked in Stage Management at Casa Mañana Theatre, Chautauqua Theatre Company, and Sea World San Antonio. Kacie received her BFA in Theatre — Stage Management at the University of Houston.

KATHERINE WALLACE (Assistant Stage Manager) Broadway: How I Learned to Drive, Mean Girls, The

Father, Peter and the Starcatcher. Chicago: Hamilton (Eliza Company), National Tours: Mean Girls, Peter and the Starcatcher. Selected Off-Broadway: Space Dogs (MCC); Too Heavy For Your Pocket (Roundabout); Joan of Arc; Into The Fire (The Public); The End of Longing (MCC); Ride the Cyclone (MCC). Huge thanks to this amazing team and company.

LIZ BEATTY (Stage Management Production Assistant) Broadway: Mrs. Doubtfire, Company. Off-Broadway: Kinky Boots, Walking With Bubbles West End: Mad House (World Premiere). Regional: Williamstown Theatre Festival, Long Wharf Theatre. BFA: NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Much love to this team + the friends and family who paved the way.

AMANDA PEREZ (Stage Management Production Asisstant) [she/her] Alliance Theatre credits include: The Many Wondrous Lives of Jasmine Starr-Kidd, A Christmas Carol (2022), The Incredible Book Eating Boy, Bina’s Six Apples, Dream Hou$e, A Christmas Carol (2021), Beautiful Blackbird Live!, A Christmas Carol (2019). Other Atlanta credits include: Assassins, Next to Normal, Chess, Nine (Jennie T. Anderson Theatre); Matilda, Drowsy Chaperone, The Best of Broadway, Luminous, Oliver (Atlanta Lyric Theatre); Leading Ladies, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Driving Miss Daisy, Bullets Over Broadway (Georgia Ensemble Theatre). Regional credits include: DREAM HOU$E (Baltimore Center Stage & Long Wharf Theatre). She’d like to thank her husband and daughter for all their love and support.

SAMANTHA HONEYCUTT (Stage Management

Production Assistant) studied Stage Management at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro before beginning her career working across the country. Her credits include: Year of the Rooster, When January Feels like Summer, and Five Times in One Night (Ensemble Studio Theater). Legally Blonde, Hello, Dolly!, My Fair Lady, and Music Man (Cape Playhouse). Frankenstein, Hairspray, Penny Candy, American Mariachi, Supreme Leader (Dallas Theater Center). Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous (Hartford Stage), and Trading Places the Musical, Everybody, A Gift of Love with Adam L. McKnight, and The Hot Wing King (Alliance Theatre).

CHRISTOPHER MOSES (Dan Reardon Director of Education & Associate Artistic Director) has been working in professional theatre for 20 years and was awarded the Governor’s Award for Arts in Humanities for his body of work. 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.

TINASHE KAJESE-BOLDEN (BOLD Associate Artistic Director) is the BOLD Associate Artistic Director at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. Tinashe is a Princess Grace Award 2019 Winner for Directing, and Map Fund Award recipient to develop her devised new work All Smiles centering the experience of children on the Autism Spectrum. Most recently, she was Co-Director with Susan V. Booth for Everybody. Tinashe held a salaried creative and Director’s Shadow position during the pre-production, 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.” Select directing productions include Toni Stone (co-production Milwaukee Repertory Theater and the Alliance Theatre), 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 the Alliance Theatre, Hertz Stage), Eclipsed (Synchronicity Theatre, Best Director Suzi Bass Award). As a director and actor, she has worked on + 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 (Suicide Squad 2, Marvel’s Hawkeye, CW’s Valor, Dynasty, HBO’s Henrietta Lacks, Ava

SYNOPSIS

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.”

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

Running towards a new life, Jacob Jankowski hitches a ride on a mysterious train. He finds himself in the heart of a traveling circus, the Benzini Bros Most Spectacular Show On Earth, with a new job, a new home, and a new family. When charismatic ringmaster August brings Rosie the elephant on as the new star attraction, Jacob and August’s wife Marlena join forces to train her. As Jacob and Marlena’s shared compassion develops into love, August’s cruel nature surfaces, threatening to derail Jacob’s life once more.

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 #JoinTheCircus, #W4EMusical and #AllianceTheatre Plus, search your social media platforms with those hashtags for fun, behind-the-scenes content from our cast, crew, and creative team.

Water for Elephants is a story of love, adventure, and intrigue within a traveling circus. However, darker things linger in the shadows of this tale. Beyond the reach of the the glittering tent lights, there is abuse, neglect, and harm to both animals and people. One example is the dangerous marriage between ringleader August and starlet Marlena.

Most people witnessing August’s behavior would easily recognize it as harmful. We often think of physical abuse when we think of domestic violence. It is important to note that domestic violence is not limited only to physical harm. Animal cruelty, emotional manipulation, and financial restriction are also among the ways that control and choice are wrested from survivors of intimate partner violence. Bruises and broken bones cannot be our only gauge of harm. We must all do a better job of recognizing and rejecting all forms of violence, supporting those who are harmed and calling in those who cause harm.

Cruelty and abuse are not merely fiction confined to Water for Elephants. This story is painfully real in homes and communities all around us. According to the Georgia Crime Information Center, there were more then 42,000 domestic violence related calls to law enforcement in 2020. Undoubtedly, many more incidents went unreported. Domestic violence is a deeply rooted cultural problem with direct and indirect impacts on everyone, without exception. Domestic violence is also preventable. Will it be easy? No, but living in violent homes and communities is harder. It is up to us to decide that we are willing to do the hard work of remaking a world that is safe for ourselves and each other. Not sure where to start? The Women’s Resource Center to End Domestic Violence is here if you need help or want to help.

Since 1986, the Women’s Resource Center has provided supportive services and advocacy for adults and children experiencing domestic violence. Services include the Safehouse for survivors (a refuge for those fleeing domestic violence), Camp PEACE (an 8-week peace education summer camp for children impacted by domestic violence), legal advocacy for those seeking temporary protective orders against abusive partners, safety planning, supervised visitation, and Exchange, which is a 24-hour crisis line (call 404.688.9436 for supportive listening, resources, and referrals) and support groups. To learn more about our work and how you can give or get help, visit www.wrcdv.org.

Barbara Gibson

Housing Services Director

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Statewide Hotline: 1-800-33HAVEN

Partnership Against Domestic Violence (Fulton/Gwinnett Counties): 404.873.1766

LiveSafe Resources (Cobb County): 770.427.3390

Men Stopping Violence: 404.270.9894

Ahimsa House (rescuing pets from domestic abuse): 404.496.4038

Women’s Resource Center to End Domestic Violence

Photo by Jenni Girtman

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.

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

Maggie Blake Bailey

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

Patricia Walsh

Chairman, Theater Ushers

Edwina Sellan

Chairman, Hospitality

Susan Stiefel

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

King & Spalding

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

Kaiser Permanente

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

Graphic Packaging

The Imlay Foundation, Inc.

Johnny Mercer Foundation

National Endowment for the Arts

Newell Brands

Peach State Health Plan

Southwire

$10,000+

AEC Trust

Alexander Babbage

Do a Good Day Foundation

George M. Brown Trust of Atlanta

Georgia-Pacific

Gulfstream

John & Mary Franklin Foundation

Macy’s Northern Trust

SCANA Energy

South Arts

$5,000+

Anonymous

Camp Younts 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.

Production Sponsors

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.

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 January 1, 2022 — May 4, 2023.

PREMIERE SUPPORT

Spotlight $100,000+

The SKK Foundation

Spotlight $50,000+

Ms. Stephanie Blank & Mr. David Williams

Ann & Jeff Cramer

Katie & Reade Fahs

Rosemarie & David Thurston

Artistic Director’s Circle

$35,000+

Roxanne & Jeffrey Cashdan

Chairman’s Circle

$25,000+

Anonymous

The Antinori Foundation

The Around the Table Foundation

Jane Jordan Casavant

Ellen & Howard Feinsand

David & Carolyn Gould

Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Ivester

Jesse Killings

Daniel Marks & Keri Powell

Starr Moore & the James Starr Moore Memorial Foundation

Allison and Shane O’Kelly

Paul Pendergrass & Margaret Baldwin

Robert & Margaret Reiser

Leadership Circle

$15,000+

Ms. Kristin Adams

Farideh & Al Azadi Foundation

Alba C. Baylin

Ken Bernhardt and Cynthia Currence

Brian & Jennifer Boutté

Judge JoAnn Bowens

Barbara & Steve Chaddick

Joe Crowley & Phil Mack

Ms. Alison Danaceau & Mr. Tim McKinley

Dean DuBose & Bronson Smith

Mr. Fredric M. Ehlers & Mr. David Lile

Heidi & David Geller

Doris & Matthew Geller

In honor of Carol Jones**

John C. Keller

David & Mary Jane Kirkpatrick

Jane & J. Hicks Lanier

Kristie L. Madara

Mr. & Mrs. Barry McCarthy

Phil & Caroline Moïse

Victoria & Howard Palefsky

Wade Rakes & Nicholas Miller

Patty & Doug Reid

Robyn Roberts & Kevin Greiner

Linda & Steve Selig

Ms. Mital Shah

William & Margarita Sleeper

Mr. & Mrs. E. Kendrick Smith

Dr. & Mrs. Dennis Lee Spangler

Mark Swinton

Tim & Maria Tassopoulos

Benny & Roxanne Varzi

Mark & Rebekah Wasserman

Suzy Wilner

Amy & Todd Zeldin

Director’s Circle $10,000+

James Anderson

The Balloun Family

Lisa & Joe Bankoff

Deborah L. Bannworth & Joy Lynn Fields

Mr. & Mrs. Roland L. Bates

Laura Brightwell

Martha & Toby Brooks

Madeline Chadwick

Ezra Cohen Charitable Fund

Miles and Nicole Cook

LeighAnn & Chad Costley

Linda & Gene Davidson

Kathy & Jason Evans

Marsha & Richard Goerss

Doug & Lila Hertz

Jocelyn J. Hunter

Mr. Wayne S. Hyatt

Malvika Jhangiani

Anne & Mark Kaiser

Mr. James Kieffer

James & Lori Kilberg

Dr. & Mrs. John Lee

Ms. Evelyn Ashley & Mr. Alan B. McKeon

Dori & Jack Miller

Jamal & Tiffany Powell

Mr. & Mrs. Norman J. Radow

Mr. & Mrs. Asif Ramji

Matt Richburg

Patricia & Maurice Rosenbaum

Lynne & Steve Steindel

Carol & Ramon Tomé Family Fund

Dana & Obi Ugwonali

Waffle House

Ms. Kathy Waller & Mr. Kenny Goggins

BENEFACTORS

$5,000+

Mr. & Mrs. George Ajy

Anonymous

Liz Armstrong

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas* J. Asher

Mrs. Juanita Baranco

Natalie & Matthew Bernstein

Chuck & Lisa Cannon-Taylor

Franklin & Dorothy Chandler

Ann & Jim Curry

Diane Durgin

Eve Joy Eckardt

Dr. Cynthia J. Fordyce & Sharon Hulette

Dr. & Mrs. Marvin Goldstein

Mr. & Mrs. J. Michael Hostinsky

Tad & Janin Hutcheson

Jason & Laurie Jeffay

Boland & Andrea Lea Jones

Mr. Charles R. Kowal

Melanie & S. Alan McKnight, Jr.

Burrelle Meeks

Paula Rosput Reynolds & Stephen Reynolds

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

Alan & Cyndy* Schreihofer

Brian Shively & Jim Jinhong

Charlita Stephens & Delores

Stephens

Susan & Alan* Stiefel

Maria-Ruth Storts

Julie Teer

Ron & Kathy Tomajko

$2,500

Dr. & Mrs. Raymond Allen

Trent Anderson & Leandro Zaneti

Anonymous

Ellen Arnovitz

Susan Booth & Max Leventhal

Ron & Lisa Brill Charitable Trust

Mr. & Mrs. W. Kent Canipe

Candace Carson

Rita & Ralph Connell

Susan & Ed Croft

Marcia & John Donnell

The Robert S. Elster Foundation

Mr. Mark Fogas

Karen & Andrew Ghertner

Mr. David F. Golden

Dr. & Mrs. John B. Hardman

Ariana L. Hargrave

Mrs. Elaine L. Hentschel

Henry & Etta Raye Hirsch Heritage Foundation

Andjela and Michael Kessler

Debbie & Lon Neese

John & Helen Parker

Mr. & Mrs. Armond Perkins

Sam & Barbara Pettway

Don & Rosalinda Ratajczak

Ms. Kristin L. Ray

Dana Rice

Mr. & Mrs. Mark Rosenberg

Jane & Rein Saral

Sharon & David Schachter

Ms. Donna Schwartz

Sam Schwartz & Lynn Goldowski

Henry N. & Margaret P. Staats

Chandra Stephens-Albright & Warren Albright

Ms. Cathy Weil

Mr. & Mrs. Glenn Weiss

The Zaban Foundation

$1,500+

Dawn & Michael Adamson

Anonymous

Dr. Aubrey Bush & Dr. Carol Bush

Melodie H. Clayton

Tim & Tina Eyerly

Mr. & Mrs. David Felfoldi

Andrew & Wendie Fisher

Mr. & Mrs. Paul A. Flexner

Sandeep Goyal and Taylor England

Della & Theo Guidry

Ashley & Elton James

Randy & Connie Jones

Mark Keiser

Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Masucci

Greg & Gillian Matteson

Clair & Thomas Muller

Joan Netzel & John Gronwall

Steve & Tonya Paro

Peg Petersen

Dr. Denise Raynor

Dr. & Mrs. Fredric Rosenberg

Kashi Sehgal

Mr. & Mrs.* Charles B. Shelton III

Mr. & Mrs. S. Albert Sherrod

Dr. & Mrs. Harry Strothers

Judith & Mark Taylor

G. Scott Thompson

Stan & Velma Tilley

Ms. Avril Vignos

Penn & Sally Wells

Kim Boldthen & Carolyn Wheeler

William & Nancy Yan

PATRONS

$1,000+

Anonymous

Mr. E. Scott Arnold

John & Lynn Ayers

Mr. George T. Baker

Jay Bernath

Jill Blair

Robert Blondeau & Kristen Nantz, in memory of Betty Blondeau Russell

Michelle Burdick

David Cofrin & Christine Tryba-Cofrin

Richard & Grecia Cox

Gail Crowder

Celeste Davis-Lane

Dr. Marla Franks & Rev. Susan Zoller

Richard Goodjoin & Kelvin Davis

Louise S. Gunn

Drs. Cathie & Hugh Hudson

Dr. William M. Kahnweiler

Veronica Kessenich

Judith Lyon & Ron Bloom

Anna & Hays Mershon

Stacia Minton

Margo Brinton & Eldon Park

Susan C. Puett

Lois & Don Reitzes

Ryan Roemerman

Deborah W. Royer

Starane Shepherd

Jane E. Shivers

Amy Speas

Ann Starr & Kent Nelson

Andrea Strickland & N. Jerold Cohen

Caitlin Way

Adrienne Whitehead

Lynne Winship

$500+

Valerie Adair Anonymous

Ms. Marjorie H. Anderson & Mr. Richard A. Oliver

Dr. Evelyn R. Babey

Rob & Suzanne Boas

Ms. Jennifer L. Calvert

Rebecca Carfagna

Karen and Harold Carney

Dr. & Mrs. S. Wright Caughman

Mark Christensen

Mr. Derrick Doose

Mrs. Eleanor H. Finley

Les Flynn

Robert Forbes

Jill Gapper

Shelley & Bruce Gaynes

Ms. Maira Goytia

Richard & Debbie Griffiths

Mr. Alan H. Halpern

Ms. Joy Hambrick

Ronald L. Harris & Jacqueline Pownall

Ms. Jo Ann Hayden-Miller

Mr. & Mrs. Phillip S. Hodges

Sheri & Steve Labovitz

Ms. Lauren Linder & Mr. Jonathan Grunberg

Bill and Jennifer Kahnweiler

Jenny and Kevin Lyman

Ms. Theresa McCabe

Raymond & Penelope McPhee

Ms. Jaime McQuilkin

Gayle & Peyton Morgan

Mr. William Morgan

Denis & Leah Ng

Errol & Kathleen Nichols

Dr. & Mrs. Stephen I. Oppenheimer

Mr. Mark A. Pallansch

Lori & Jonathan Peterson

Rishi Renjen

Mr. and Mrs. James Robson

Mr. & Mrs. David W. Scheible

Darshana Shah

Stephen & Eloise Shepherd

Michelle & Gary Simon

Lynda Smith & Travis Boatright

Ms. Martha Solano

Karen & Alex Stickney

Lisa & David Switzer

Ed Tam

John & Bunny Underwood

Wayne & Lee Vason

Mr. and Mrs. Ted Verren

Kaniaru Wacieni

Brooke & Winston Weinmann

Mr. Brian C. Wolfgram

$250+

Alfred G. & Sarah H. Adams

Anonymous

Nate Bayer

Bonny Breuer

Dr. Deloris Bryant-Booker

Lee Buechele

Mr. Brandon Bush

Kristina Cheng

Carol Comstock & Jim Davis

Elizabeth Wiggs Cooper and Larry Cooper

Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence R. Cowart

B.J. Erb, M.D. & Bruce I. Crabtree III

Gray & Marge Crouse

Peter de Boor & Geneva Moores

Drs. Bryan & Norma Edwards

Richard & Su Ellis

Eric and Leah Fisher

Brenda Fleming

Ms. Nathalie Fleury

Louise B. Franklin

Steve & Peggy Freedman

Homer S. French

Christine & Andrew Fry

Betty F. Furst

Lin Geiselman

Ms. Tiffany Rosetti

Hannah Goldberg

Judith & Robert Golomb

Dale R.F. Goodman

Katie Goodman

Bryant Gresham

The Gutenberger Family

Wynette Hammons

Mr. Alfred Hanner

Anne Hansen

Dr. & Mrs. David M. Hill

Rebecca Jarvis

Betty Jeter

Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Kalista

Elena Kaplan

Ms. Jacquel Kelly

Amy & Jeremy King

Lucy Kinnaird

Elizabeth Kosbab

Dale & Sallie Lawrence

Faith & Howard Levy

Barbara Lincoln & Gary Rosenshein

June M. Morrison

Amy Neff

Leonard Pallats

Smita M Patel

Joan & Neal Patton

Marc & Jean Pickard

Ginny & Alan Plummer

Ilana R. Preis

Ms. Shannon L. Price

Rodney & Sharon Raines

Dr. Cecil Reeves & Mr. Alonzo Daniel, Jr.

Tom & Lisa Regan

Miss Lillie M. Robbins

Gloria J. Rodgers

Drs. Maria Rosso & Paul Gastanaduv

Barbar Schreiber

Bob & Jeanne Shulman

Ben Simms

David & Virginia Sjoquist

Mr. Fred B. Smith

Mrs. Jill Strickland

Donna and David Tillis

Simmie Walker

Mr. & Mrs. Napoleon A. Williams

Kiki Wilson

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

Stephanie Abes

Mr. Faraz Ahmed

E. Scott Arnold

Dr. Evelyn Babey

John & Gina Bauer

Aparna Bhattacharyya

Deloris Bryant-Booker

Lee Burson & Dean Jordan

Brandon Bush

Harold & Karen Carney

David Cashman

Jacquel Kelly Chambers

Mishelle Cirillo

Elizabeth Corrie

Lawrence R. Cowart

Christopher Cox

Marge & Gray Crouse

Nash Ditmetaroj

Derrick Doose

David & Jessica Felfoldi

Martha Fineman

Stanely Fineman

Eric & Christina Fisher

Brenda Fleming

Ken Foskett & Catherine S. Williams

Christine & Andrew Fry

Katie Goodman

Bryant Gresham & Alexander Bossert

Shauna Grovell

Jo Ann Haden-Miller & Mr. William Miller

Joy Hambrick

Wynette Hammons

Penn Hansa

Lindsey E. Hardegree

Lisa Hare and Mr. Gerald Barth

David & Christy Hill

Jim Johnson

Karen Jones

Stephen & Pamela Kalista

Amy King

Dr. Andrea Lawrence

Darryl Lesure & Candace

Simon-Lesure

Karen Lightfoot

Lauren Linder & Jonathan Grunberg

Christian & JoJasmin

Lopez

Alison Main

Jaime McQuilkin

Heather & James Michael

Jonathan & Lori Peterson

Kendrick Phillips

Jean & Marc Pickard

Jacqueline Powe

Shannon Price

Brenda Pruitt

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.

Alexis Rainey

Corwin Robison & Daisy Pareja

Peggy Rogers

Peter & Margo Savitz

Barbara Schreiber

Tom Slovak & Jeffery Jones

Laura Stordy

Jill Strickland

Charles Thomspon

Stephanie Van Parys

Ben Warshaw

Caitlin Way

David & Amy Whitley

Napoleon & Karen Williams

Barry Etra & Janice Wolf

matchinggifts&legacysociety

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

John and Mary Franklin Foundation

GE Energy

LEGACY SOCIETY

Georgia Power

Goldman Sachs Matching Gift

Goldstein

Google

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* & Ken Bernhardt

Anne & Jim Breedlove

Ezra Cohen

Ann & Jeff Cramer

Susan & Edward Croft

Sallie Adams Daniel

Linda & Gene Davidson

Terry & Stacy Dietzler

Diane Durgin

Elizabeth Etoll

Ellen & Howard Feinsand

James Edward Gay*

Laura & John Hardman

Nancy & Glen Hesler

P.J. Younglove Hovey

David A. Howell*

Lauren & David Kiefer

David Kuniansky

Virginia Vann* & Ken Large

Edith Love*

Lauren & John McColskey

Anna & Hays Mershon

Caroline & Phil Moïse

Winifred & Richard Myrick

Victoria & Howard Palefsky

Armond & Sharon Perkins

Jam Pomerantz

Helen Regenstein*

Margaret & Robert Reiser

Betty Blondeau-Russell*

Tricia & Neal Schachtel

Debbie* & Charles Shelton III

Jane E. Shivers

Roger Smith & Christopher Jones*

Ron & Kathy Tomajko

Lee Harper & Wayne Vason

Terri & Rick Western

Ramona & Ben White

* deceased

THE WOODRUFF CIRCLE

Woodruff Circle members have contributed more than $250,000 annually to support the arts and education work of the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and High Museum of Art. We are deeply grateful to these partners who lead our efforts to help create opportunities for enhanced access to the work.

$1MILLION+

A Friend of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

$500,000+

The Antinori Foundation

Bank of America

A Friend of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

$250,000+

Accenture

AT&T Foundation

Farideh & Al Azadi Foundation

The Molly Blank Fund

Helen Gurley Brown Foundation

Chick-fil-A Foundation | Rhonda & Dan Cathy

The Goizueta Foundation

Invesco QQQ

Novelis

PNC

Mr. & Mrs. Shouky Shaheen

The Home Depot Foundation

Sarah and Jim Kennedy

The Rich Foundation, Inc.

Alfred A. Thornton Venable Trust

Truist Trusteed Foundations:

Florence C. and Harry L. English Memorial Fund

Thomas Guy Woolford Charitable Trust

UPS

WestRock

The Zeist Foundation, Inc.

THE LEADERSHIP CIRCLE

Leadership Circle corporations have committed to a contribution of $1,000,000 over one or more years to support the arts and education work of the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and High Museum of Art.

Accenture

The Coca-Cola Company

Chick-fil-A

Delta Air Lines

Georgia Power

Graphic Packaging

Novelis

UPS

WestRock

THE BENEFACTOR CIRCLE

Benefactor Circle members have contributed more than $100,000 annually to support the arts and education work of the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and High Museum of Art. We are deeply grateful to these partners who lead our efforts to help create opportunities for enhanced access to the work.

$100,000+

1180 Peachtree ACT Foundation, Inc.

Alston & Bird

Atlantic Station

John Auerbach

Sandra & Dan Baldwin

BlackRock

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs

The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta

Melinda & Brian Corbett

Sheila L. & Jonathan J. Davies

Barney M. Franklin & Hugh W. Burke Charitable

Fund

Georgia-Pacific

Google

Graphic Packaging

Mr. and Mrs. James S. Grien

Louise S. Sams and Jerome Grilhot

The John H. & Wilhelmina D. Harland Charitable Foundation

The Hertz Family Foundation, Inc.

Mr. & Mrs. Hilton H. Howell, Jr.

The Imlay Foundation Institute of Museum & Library Services

Jones Day Foundation & Employees

Kaiser Permanente

Abraham J. and Phyllis Katz Foundation

King & Spalding, Partners & Employees

The Sartain Lanier Family Foundation

Charles Loridans Foundation, Inc.

The Henry Luce Foundation, Inc.

The Marcus Foundation, Inc.

John W. Markham III*

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Morris Manning & Martin LLP

National Endowment for the Arts

Newell Brands

Norfolk Southern Foundation

Amy W. Norman Charitable Foundation

Northside Hospital

Victoria & Howard Palefsky

Patty and Doug Reid

The Shubert Foundation

Carol & Ramon Tomé Family Fund

Dr. Joan H. Weens

Kelly and Rod Westmoreland

Ann Marie and John B. White, Jr.

wish Foundation

The David, Helen & Marian Woodward Fund

*notates deceased

ARTISTIC

BOLD Associate Artistic Director Tinashe Kajese-Bolden

Producer & Casting Director Jody Feldman

Distinguished Artist in Residence Pearl Cleage

Associate Producer Amanda Watkins

BOLD Producing Associate Kay Nilest

Spelman Leadership Fellows Raiyon Hunter, Assata Amenkeechi

Spelman Leadership Interns Jayla Dyas, Sydney Terry, Mikayla Walters

Kenny Leon Intern KeShawn Mellon

Director of Community Partnerships & Engagement Rita Kompelmakher

Reiser Lab Artists

Round 8 Jeff Mather, John Doyle, Jr., Marquetta Johnson, Dwight Andrews, Louis Massiah, Ben Polite, Frankie Mulinix, Humlao Evans

Production Management

Director of Production Lawrence Bennett

Associate Directors of Production Phil Baranski, Courtney O’Neill

Education Production Manager/COVID Coordinator Haylee Scott

Costumes

Costume and Wardrobe Director Laury Conley

Associate Costume and Wardrobe Director Melanie Green

Design Assistant Kayli Warner

Drapers Tonja Petersen, Cindy Lou Who

Crafts Master Diana L. Thomas

1st Hands/Stitchers Lyudmila Fesenko, Brett Parker, Mary Cruz Torres

Wardrobe Supervisor Hauzia Conyers

Wardrobe Monica Speaker

Wig Master Lindsey Ewing

Director of Lighting & Projections

Electrics

Rachael N. Blackwell

Associate Director of Lighting & Projection Joy Diaz

Head Electrician Steve Jordan

Staff Electricians Neil Anderson, Gabrielle Drum, Benjamin Strickland

Properties

Out of School Program Manager Robyn A. Rogers

Artist in Residence & Teen Program Manager Sam Provenzano

Resident Artist & Allyship Program Director Maya Lawrence

Head of Education Advancement Kristen Silton

BIPOC TVY Stage Management Fellow Autumn Stephens

Teaching Artists

Jae Ahn, Jimez Alexander, Will Amato, Chase Anderson, Jasmine Anthony, Ricardo Aponte, Imani Banks, Kim Bowers-Rheay Baran, Olivia Aston Bosworth, Jared Brodie, Chelsea Brown, Lon Bumgarner, Sara Burris, Dan Caffrey, April Andrew Carswell, Katie Causey, Lina Chambers, Hannah Lake Chatham, Hannah Church, Megan Cramer, Kelly Criss, Nakeisha Daniel, Peyton McDaniel Davis, Theresa Davis, Shelli Delgado, Sarah Donnell, John Doyle, Laurin Dunleavy, Suehyla El-Attar, Amitria Fanae, Shelby Folks, Sharon Foote, Spencer Ford, Daryl Funn, Allison Gardner, Neeley Gossett, Ilasiea Gray, Meg Grey, Amber Hamilton, Meg Harkins, Robert Hindsman, Julissa Sabino Hobbs, Deja Holmes, Renita James, Meg Johns, Kendra Johnson, Carole Kaboya, Ashe Kazanjian, Chris Lane, Maya Lawrence, Antonia LeChe, Anja Lee, Kathleen Link, Amy Lucas, Ansley Lynn, Christian Magby, Barry Stewart Mann, Cara Mantella, Gloria Martin, Mari Martinez, Dalyla McGee, Candy McLellan, Karin Mervis, Erika Miranda, Mary Moccia, Courtney Moors-Hornick, Amanda Wansa Morgan, Jenna Jackson Morris, Kevin Moxley, Audrey Myers, JD Myers, Patrick Myers, Amor Owens, Mary Michael Patterson, Tafee Patterson, Sydney Patton, Zuri Petteway, Rebecca Pogue, Michelle Pokopac, Samantha Provenzano, V Reibel, Morgan Rysdon, Daniela Santiago, Riley Schatz, Erin Schaut, Avery Sharpe, Caitlin Slotnick, Alexandria Joy Smith, Lucy Smith, Taryn Spires, Destiny Stancil, Autumn Stephens, LeeAnna Lambert Sweatt, Megan Tabaque, Jasmine Thomas, Callie Timme, Sariel Toribio, Ebony Tucker, Julia VanderVeen, Jeremy Varner, José Miguel Vasquez, Rachel Wansker, Megan Wartell, Andrea Washington, Davia Weatherill, Ayana Williams, Jay Williams, Vallea Woodbury, Melissa Word

Teen Ensemble Members

Caleb Vaughn, Sam Yates, Caroline Chu, Naia Morgan, Cydnee Waltower, Andrew Holmes, Aria Armstead, Reagan Kelley, Adler Horstemeyer, Julianna Pillsbury, Anna Schwartz, Tomi Fawehinmi, Bailey Rodgers, Francesca Fogle, Morgan Stamper, Zariya Hargett, Monteze Sutton, Isabela White, Jada Gorgor, Amari Lewis, Imari Welcher, Tylia De’Armond

Props Department Director

Suzanne Cooper Morris

Props Artisans Kathryn Andries, Bruce Butkovich

Props Artisan/Buyer Kimberly Townsend

Scenery

Technical Director Kyle Longwell

Assistant Technical Director Rigel Powell

Shop Supervisor Patrick Conley

Lead Welder Chris Seifert

Carpenters Kevin Dyson, Parker Ossmann, Marlon Wilson

Charge Scenic Artist Kat Conley

Additional Scenic Artist Amanda Nerby, Amy Jackson

Sound

Sound Director Clay Benning

Assistant Sound Director Aaron Vockley

Sound Engineers Tamir Eplan-Frankel, Emma Mouledoux, Graham Schwartz

Stage Management

Resident Stage Manager Liz Campbell

Stage Managers R. Lamar Williams

National Vision Stage Management Fellow

Kacie Pimentel

Stage Management Production Assistants Samantha Honeycutt, Amanda Perez

Stage Operations

Stage Operations Manager

Scott Bowne

Assistant Stage Operations Manager Kate Lucibella

Flyman

Automation Stagehand

Willie Palmer Parks

John Victor Mouledoux Jr.

Crew Chief Bryan Perez

Properties Stagehand Skylar Burks

EDUCATION

Dan Reardon Director of Education & Associate Artistic Director

Naserian Foundation Head of Early Childhood Programs

Head of Youth & Family Programs

Head of Secondary Curriculum & Partnerships

Education Administration & Finance Assistant

Education Accounting Assistant

Christopher Moses

Hallie Angelella

Olivia Aston Bosworth

Liz Davis

Dacey Geary

Isabella Aguilar Irias

Administrative & Adult Program Manager Robert Hindsman

Camp Administrative Manager Jayson T. Waddell

MANAGEMENT

Managing Director Mike Schleifer

Company Manager

Assistant Company Manager

Director of Finance

Administration & Finance

Laura Thruston

Thomas D. Powell

Valerie Thomas

IDEA Director TeKeyia Amaru Rice

Controller & Head of Administration

Accounting Coordinator

Accounts Payable Lead

Senior Data Analyst

Management Assistant

Director of Development

Development

Associate Director, Strategic Institutional Advancement

Elecia Crowley

Julie Hall

Sharette Driver

Christina Dresser

Joseph Quintana

Trent Anderson

Collins Desselle

Associate Director, Corporate Partnerships & Donor Engagement Toni Friday

Director of Individual Giving

Manager, Annual Fund & Donor Relations

Development Coordinator for Board Relations & Special Events

Coordinator, Development Operations & Institutional Giving

Director of Sales Operations

Patron Services Manager

Patron Services Associate

Sales

Edward McCreary

Lindsay Ridgeway-Baierl

Kailan Daugherty

Tanesha Ferguson

Danielle Hicks

Genesis Gates

Zuri Petteway

Box Office Supervisor James G. Smith

Box Office Supervisor

Nicholas Johnson

Box Office Associate David Posada

Season Ticket Concierge

Ken McNeil

Education Sales Coordinator Quintara Johnson

Group Sales & Student Matinee Manager

Marketing

Director of Marketing & Communications

Marketing & Promotions Coordinator

Jocelyn Rick

Kathleen Covington

Ashley Elliott

Social Media Manager & Content Producer Aniska Tonge

Marketing & Public Relations Manager Mashaun D. Simon

Manager of Web & Digital Communications

Anna Birtles

Graphic Designer Felicity Massa

Lead Front of House Manager

Part Time House Managers

Sydney Patton

Brittany Mangham, Robyn E. Sutton-Fernandez, Bryshan White