"An Inspector Calls" Guest Artist Pack 2019

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FLORIDA REPERTORY THEATRE

GREG LONGENHAGEN, Artistic Director • JOHN MARTIN, Executive Director

2019-2020 SEASON HISTORIC ARCADE THEATRE • FORT MYERS RIVER DISTRICT PRESENTS

SPONSORED BY NAOMI BLOOM & RON WALLACE MEDIA SPONSOR: ABC7 (WZVN)

STARRING

ensemble members KATE HAMPTON* • V CRAIG HEIDENREICH* WILLIAM McNULTY* • BRENDAN POWERS* with COLE FRANCUM* • ELLYN HEALD* • BAILEY TYLER DIRECTED BY MICHAEL MAROTTA** SET DESIGNER DENNIS C. MAULDEN*** SOUND DESIGNER KATIE LOWE

COSTUME DESIGNER STEFANIE GENDA*** ensemble member PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER PHILL MADORE*

LIGHTING DESIGNER TYLER M. PERRY*** ASST. STAGE MANAGER KATIE WILHELM

An Inspector Calls is presented by special arrangement with Robert A. Freedman Dramatic Agency, Inc. Any taping, filming, recording or broadcast of this play (musical or otherwise) is strictly prohibited

2019-20 GRAND SEASON SPONSORS

IN THE KNOW. IN THE NOW.

This entire season sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.

Florida Repertory Theatre is a fully professional non-profit LOA/LORT Theatre company on contract with the Actors’ Equity Association that proudly employs members of the national theatrical labor unions. *Member of Actors’ Equity Association. **Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. ***Member of United Scenic Artists.

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT

THE CAST

(in order of appearance)

Arthur Birling............................William McNulty*† Gerald Croft.................................Brendan Powers*† Sheila Birling............................................Ellyn Heald*† Sybil Birling.......................................Kate Hampton*† Edna..............................................................Bailey Tyler*† Eric Birling..........................................Cole Francum*† Inspector Goole...............V Craig Heidenreich*† The Working Poor............................Hunter Clarke, Thomas Hadzeriga, Bethany Mansfield, Kylie Gray Mask, Asher Van Meter

TIME AND PLACE:

All three acts, which are continuous, take place in the dining-room of the Birlings’ house in Brumley, an industrial city in the North Midlands.

It is an evening in Spring, 1912.

Wardrobe Supervisor: Kelsey Waller Lighting/Sound Board Op: Drew Kobus Sound Engineer: Ansley Gayton Understudies: Bethany Mansfield (Sheila Birling/Edna) Hunter Clarke (Eric Birling) Thomas Hadzeriga (Gerald Croft)

AN INSPECTOR CALLS will be performed with one 15-minute intermission.

The video and/or audio recording of this performance by any means whatsoever is strictly prohibited.

†Member of Florida Repertory Theatre’s Ensemble of Theatre Artists.

See page 31 for the entire ensemble.

* The Actors & Stage Manager employed in this

production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

**

***

J.B. PRIESTLEY Born in Bradford, J.B. Priestley was educated there and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. His reputation as a dramatist was established by Dangerous Corner (1932), Time and the Conways (1937), and other plays on space-time themes, as well as popular comedies such as Laburnam Grove (1933), and his psychological mystery, An Inspector Calls (1947). Best known as a writer of novels, Priestley was also master of the essay form.

He was an astute, original, and controversial commentator on contemporary society —Journey Down the Rainbow (1955) was written with his archaeologist wife, Jacquetta Hawkes.

FROM THE DIRECTOR

Welcome to the world of J.B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls, a play first presented in 1946 at the Old Vic, at the height of WWII and set in 1912 just before the outbreak of WWI, two of the most significant moments in the history of the 20th century.

The play takes place on a single night in the prosperous upper middle-class family home following the celebration of their daughter’s engagement. Highly successful after its first and subsequent London productions, it is now considered one of Priestley’s greatest works.

While the play may be interpreted as a morality tale, something new to the Florida Rep audiences, it’s appeal to the Downton Abbey fans out there couldn’t be more relevant today. It focuses on four timeless primary themes: responsibility, class distinction, generational differences and the definition of capitalism. And while the protagonist is a character we never meet but learn quite a bit about, it peels back the curtain on cause and effect, and how what we do or what we say might trickle down to places we never imagine.

Take a seat in the dining room of the Birling home and let’s see what surprises are in store when an inspector calls!

-Michael Marotta

WHO’S WHO

COLE FRANCUM* (Eric Birling) NYC: Between Fire and Smoke (Signature Theatre); Troilus & Cressida (Columbia Stages).

Regional: Romeo and Juliet (Westport Country Playhouse); Candide (Opera National de Bordeaux/Theatre du Capitole); La Cage Aux Folles (Virginia Musical Theatre); Kiss Me Kate (Summer Theatre of New Canaan); Peter Pan (Syracuse Stage), Punk Rock, Parade, Twelfth Night, Avenue Q (Syracuse U.); The Magic Flute (Glimmerglass Festival); Chicago, Mary Poppins (Broadway Palm); Cinderella (Edinburgh Fringe Festival).

“The Hosts” Webseries. Proud BFA Syracuse University. As always, for his family and Nathaniel. colefrancum.com KATE HAMPTON*† (Sybil Birling) is very glad to be back at Florida Rep. Past shows here: A Fox on the Fairway, The Miracle Worker, How the Other Half Loves, The Cocktail Hour, Social Security, Lend Me a Tenor.

Broadway: The Best Man, The Deep Blue Sea. First National Tour: Spring Awakening. More NYC: The Master Builder (BAM), All My Sons (Roundabout), Have You Seen Steve Steven?

(13P), The Typographer’s Dream (Clubbed Thumb), Over the River and Through the Woods. Regional: A Doll’s House, Part 2, Noises Off, Fallen Angels, God of Carnage, Once in a Lifetime, Las Meninas, Boeing Boeing, La Bête, Pride and Prejudice, Expecting Isabel (Asolo Rep), Gidion’s Knot (Florida Studio Theatre), Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Palm Beach Dramaworks), God of Carnage, The Ladies Man, Talley’s Folly (Peterborough Players), Absurd Person Singular (Bristol Rep), Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom (Humana Festival), Loot (The Arden), The Real Thing (Olney), All My Sons, Hard Times (Williamstown). TV: Bones, The Law & Order trifecta, The Education of Max Bickford, and Sex and the City.

ELLYN HEALD* (Sheila Birling) is delighted to be making her Florida Rep debut with An Inspector Calls. Currently based in New York City, Ellyn trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art where she received her MA in Classical Acting for the Professional Theater. She was most recently seen as Lady Macbeth in Stairwell Theater’s production of Macbeth in New York City.

Other selected theater credits include Romeo and Juliet (Lady Capulet), Triumph of Love (Phocion) at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey; Antony and Cleopatra (Cleopatra) at LAMDA; The Merchant of Venice (Jessica) at Southwest Shakespeare Company; and Passing Strange (electric bass player in the onstage rock band) at The Wilma Theater in Philadelphia, PA. As a musician and singer-songwriter, she has composed original music for productions of Twelfth Night, As You Like It, Cymbeline, and The Winter’s Tale. She is also a producer at KernoForto productions, and is a proud member of Actor’s Equity & SAG-AFTRA. ellynheald.com.

V CRAIG HEIDENREICH*† (Inspector Goole) has appeared at Florida Rep as Frank Butley in Native Gardens, Adolph Freitag in The Last Night of Ballyhoo, Juror Eight in Twelve Angry Men, Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, and recently directed Damascus, Disgraced, Best of Enemies, and, for the PlayLab Festival, Echo Location.

He also appeared in The Pitmen Painters for American Stage in St. Petersburg and directed Freak for the Urbanite in Sarasota. He has produced, directed, and/or performed in more than 200 professional productions throughout the country including: 15 seasons and more than 80 productions with Actors Theatre of Louisville, three seasons with the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, two seasons with the Asolo in Florida, five with Shakespeare Santa Cruz in California, and three years as artistic director of the Complete Theatre Alliance and Infinite Space, as well as the first three seasons of the Banyan Theater in Sarasota—of which he is a founder. He currently splits his time between theatre work and coaching for Banyan Voice and Speech in which he and his wife, Tess Hogan, are partners..

WILLIAM McNULTY*† (Arthur Birling) has been an ensemble member at Florida Rep since 2013. In that time, he has appeared in such roles as Rothko in Red, Frank in Educating Rita, and Bob Ewell in To Kill a Mockingbird, and this season’s A Fox on the Fairway. The bulk of his career has been with Actors Theatre of Louisville, dating back to 1976. With that company he has directed over 30 productions and acted in more than 150. He has also performed with other major theaters such as the Public Theatre in New York, Cincinnati Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse, Arena Stage, and Milwaukee Rep.

WHO’S WHO

Representative roles include Jamie in Moon for the Misbegotten, Alceste in The Misanthrope, Charlie in The Foreigner, Enobarbus in Antony and Cleopatra, and Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. He is a 2009 recipient of the prestigious Theatre Communications Group Distinguished Artist Grant.

BRENDAN POWERS*† (Gerald Croft) Select Florida Rep credits over the past decade include Million Dollar Quartet, Hay Fever, A Christmas Carol: The Tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, How the Other Half Loves, Outside Mullingar, The Cocktail Hour, A Christmas Story, The Unexpected Guest, Dividing the Estate, Around the World in 80 Days, The Fantasticks, Doubt, Opus, Boeing-Boeing, and The Glass Menagerie.

He is married to fellow Florida Rep ensemble member Rachel Burttram and also serves as Community Outreach Coordinator. Other credits include the Tony Award-winning play, Art, and The Big Knife, both with Alec Baldwin, the Noël Coward revue, Oh, Coward! at OffBroadway’s Irish Repertory Theatre, God of Carnage, August: Osage County, Our Town, Arsenic and Old Lace, and numerous others.

TV work includes FBI Agent Rick Cranston on Graceland (USA Network) and David Weller in the Netflix original series, Bloodline, starring Sissy Spacek. His cartoon captions have been winners for various contests including The New Yorker, Hartford Courant, Denver Post, Moment Magazine, Clinical Psychology, Inside Higher Ed, and the Greensboro News-Record.

BAILEY TYLER (Edna) is a recent graduate of The South Carolina School of the Arts with a degree in Musical Theatre. She is a current acting intern with Florida Rep, touring the TYA shows Junie B. Jones (Lucille/Mother), The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (White Witch/Mrs. Beaver), and Twelfth Night (Olivia).

Some of her past roles include Elle Woods in Legally Blonde: The Musical, Penny Pingleton in Hairspray, Heather Duke in Heathers: The Musical, and Betty Haynes in White Christmas.

Love goes out to family and friends, and thank you to Florida Rep! MICHAEL MAROTTA** (Director) proudly returns to Florida Rep where he has been a visiting artist since its inception. He directed here on the mainstage during that very first season with The Decorator. Soon after he took the position of Artistic Director at The Theater Barn in the Berkshires, a title he held for 10 years.

He returned to acting, appearing in dozens of

regional theaters (Cincinnati Playhouse, The Rep of St. Louis, Tennessee Shakes, STAGES St. Louis, The MUNY, the Signature Theater in NYC, Cincinnati Pops, and Florida Studio among others) and returned here in last season’s ArtStage hit, Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical, playing everyone who wasn’t Rosemary, and in Cabaret on the mainstage.

Favorite Florida Rep directorial credits include I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti! and A Grand Night for Singing – The Music of Rodgers & Hammerstein. A NYC native, winner of two MAC Awards and three BACKSTAGE Bistro Awards, Michael is currently visiting your living rooms nightly as the Eliquis Hero of 2019. Visit his ‘how to’ series on YouTube: What Would Michael Do? STEFANIE GENDA***† (Costume Designer) Florida Rep: Damascus, Cabaret, Disgraced, Best of Enemies, Twelve Angry Men, The Unexpected Guest, One Slight Hitch, Clybourne Park, Alone Together. Regional: Crossing Swords, tick, Tick…BOOM!, Marry Harry (American Theater Group); The New Moon, Sweethearts (Light Opera of New York); Othello (American Shakespeare Center) and Kiss Me Kate, My Fair Lady, Die Fledermaus (Ohio Light Opera). Film/TV: How You Look at It (Short Film, Winner USA Film Festival Award for Best Experimental Film), The Americans (FX, shopper, Season 3). Stefanie is also the Assistant Costume Supervisor for Manhattan Theatre Club and has worked at Lincoln Center Theater, The Public, SoHo Rep and MCC Theater. She holds a BA in theatre from the College of Wooster and an MFA in Costume Design from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University.

KATIE LOWE (Sound Designer) served as resident sound designer last season at Florida Repertory Theatre. Previously, she has been an electrics intern at Florida Repertory Theatre and sound apprentice at Endstation Theatre Company after graduating from the University of Kentucky. Previous credits include Matilda, Spring Awakening, Disney’s Newsies (Sound Engineer, Florida Repertory Theatre Education), Always…Patsy Cline, Romeo and Juliet, Hay Fever, August Wilson’s Fences, Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical, A Christmas Carol: The Tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, Damascus, Steel Magnolias, Becoming Dr. Ruth, Refugee, The Cat in the Hat (Sound Designer, Florida Repertory Theatre), Cabaret (Florida Repertory Theatre, A2), Million Dollar Quartet (Endstation Theatre Company, A2), Sense and Sensibility (University of Kentucky, Sound Designer). Katie would like to thank her parents and Ben for their endless support and love!

PHILL MADORE* (Stage Manager) is celebrating his first production at Florida

WHO’S WHO Repertory Theatre. A resident of Pittsburgh, PA, he has worked with every major theater company in the area. Phill served as the resident stage manager for Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre for seven seasons where he worked on over 75 productions including the complete stage works of Samuel Beckett and J.M Synge.

He has also worked at many other theaters around New England, including North Shore Music Theatre, Long Wharf Theatre, Weston Playhouse Theatre Company, New Rep and Westport Country Playhouse. Phill is an alum of Point Park University and a proud member of the Actors’ Equity Association for 15 years!

DENNIS C. MAULDEN*** (Set Designer) is delighted to be working with Florida Repertory Theatre again after having designed Dividing The Estate. He has served since 1985 as the Resident Scene Designer at Flat Rock Playhouse, the State Theatre of North Carolina where he also serves as Apprentice Administrator. He has headed design programs at the University of Florida and the University of South Carolina, where he also was Departmental Director of Graduate Studies. Maulden, a scene designer since 1970, has designed in other university, community, and regional theatres as well as in New York. In addition to a long list of theatre classics, he considers himself privileged to have designed many premiere productions of straight plays, musicals, and operas. He received his MFA in Design from UNC-Greensboro in 1977 and is a member of USA, NY Local #829.

TYLER M. PERRY*** (Lighting Designer) is a Manhattan-based designer and is excited to join the company at Florida Rep! NYC: The Wild Party, Adding Machine: a Musical, A Man of No

Importance (b-side Productions), Schooled (FringeNYC, Time Out New York’s Critics’ pick), The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek, Learned Ladies, The Crucible, Spring Awakening (Atlantic Acting School). Selected Regional: Trick or Treat (Northern Stage), Avenue Q, Damn Yankees (Ocean State Theatre), The Fantasticks, Hairspray, Smokey Joe’s Cafe (Hope Summer Repertory Theatre), Dancing Lessons (Geva Theatre Center), Peter and the Starcatcher, I and You, Venus in Fur, The Motherf**ker with the Hat, The Whipping Man, Opus (Kitchen Theatre Company), Urinetown, The 39 Steps, Stage Kiss, Lend Me Tenor (Cider Mill Playhouse). Web & TV: Fox Sports 1, AOPA Live, ABC, Bravo TV, and Monumental Sports Network. BFA Ithaca College. Member: United Scenic Artists Local 829. www.tylermperrydesign.com KATIE WILHELM (Assistant Stage Manager) is thrilled to be serving as the Assistant Production Manager and Stage Management Intern for her first season here at Florida Repertory Theatre.

Previous credits include company management at Maine State Music Theatre, assistant stage manager at Tecumseh! Outdoor Drama and Concert Venue, assistant stage manager at Unto These Hills Outdoor Drama, and stage manager for ACT Inc. Repertory Theatre.

Favorite educational credits: Mary Poppins, The Musical; Avenue Q; The Cripple of Inishmaan; The Rocky Horror Picture Show; A Piece of My Heart; Legally Blonde, The Musical; and A Christmas Carroll. Katie graduated with a BFA in Stage Management from Lindenwood University in St. Louis, Missouri. She would like to thank her parents, Bob and Ellen, for their wonderful support and endless love.

SPECIAL THANKS Tim Milligan, The Hartt School ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION (AEA) was FLORIDA PROFESSIONAL founded in 1913 as the first of the American THEATRES ASSOCIATION (FPTA) Actor unions. Equity’s mission is to advance, is a statewide organization of promote and foster the art of theatre as an professional theatre companies essential component of our society. Today, and theatre professionals interested in the Equity represents more than 40,000 actors, development and promotion of professional singers, dancers and stage managers working in theatre throughout Florida. Florida Repertory hundreds of theatres across the United States.

Theatre is a proud FPTA member theatre.

Equity members are dedicated to working in the theatre as a profession, upholding the highest Florida Repertory Theatre artistic standards. Equity negotiates wages and is a member of THEATRE working conditions and provides a wide range of COMMUNICATIONS GROUP benefits including health and pension plans for (TCG), the national organization its members. Through its agreement with Equity, for the American Theatre. this theatre has committed to the fairPreviews treatment $20 of the actors and stage managers employed in this production. AEA is a member of the AFLFlorida Repertory Theatre CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international is a proud Associate Member organization of performing arts unions. For more of the NATIONAL NEW PLAY information, visit www.actorsequity.org.

NETWORK.

TICKETS $45 •

2019-2020 SEASON A Hot Broadway Musical, a Rolling World Premiere, an Award-Winning Thriller, Gut Busting Comedies, and MUCH MORE!

AN INSPECTOR CALLS

by J.B. Priestley

DEC 3-22, 2019

A wealthy British family is forced to examine their own morality in this chilling, Olivier and Tonywinning masterpiece! An electrifying and suspenseful thriller filled with twists and turns!

“Superbly tense. Breathtaking!” –Daily Telegraph • In the Historic Arcade Theatre •

ALABASTER A National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere

by Audrey Cefaly

DEC 17, 2019-JAN 26, 2020

A darkly comic southern drama about love, art, and the power of women. Funny, heartbreaking, and earth-shattering, this new play begins a 10-Theatre National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere at Florida Rep! Chosen from the 2018 PlayLab Festival!

• In the ArtStage Studio Theatre •

BAREFOOT IN THE PARK

by Neil Simon

JAN 7-29, 2020

A hilarious romantic comedy from the author of Rumors and Lost in Yonkers! Newlyweds decide to play matchmaker and everything that could go wrong, does in this multiple Tony-nominated play! “A bubbling, rib-tickling comedy!” –New York Times • In the Historic Arcade Theatre •

SUBSCRIBE NOW! PACKAGES ARE AVAILABLE FOR 7or 6 SHOWS! *All Titles and Dates Subject to Change

2019-2020 SEASON SUBSCRIBE NOW to Florida Rep’s THIRD DECADE OF NATIONALLY-RECOGNIZED PROFESSIONAL THEATRE! SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER

book & lyrics by Robert L. Freedman • music & lyrics by Steven Lutvak

FEB 11-MAR 4, 2020 Can young Monty Navarro juggle his fiancée, his mistress, and knock off all of the heirs ahead of him in the line of nobility without being caught? Find out in this fresh, irreverent, and multiple Tonywinning BEST MUSICAL! • In the Historic Arcade Theatre •

EVERY BRILLIANT THING

by Duncan Macmillan, with Jonny Donahoe • FEB 25-MAR 29, 2020

A touching, funny, and intimate one-person tour-de-force! An exhilarating and inventive NEW PLAY that takes audiences on an unexpected, funny, and emotional journey of healing and selfdiscovery. “Charming! Captivating!” –New York Times • In the ArtStage Studio Theatre •

A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2

by Lucas Hnath

MAR 17-APR 8, 2020

This smart and sophisticated new comedy raises fascinating questions about marriage and the ways the roles of women have – and have not – changed. One of the hottest plays in America!

“Smart, funny, and utterly engrossing!” –New York Times • In the Historic Arcade Theatre •

RIPCORD

by David Lindsay-Abaire • APR 21-MAY 10, 2020

From the twisted and brilliant mind of the Pulitzer Prize & Tony-winning author of Rabbit Hole comes a high-stakes comedy about two women of a certain age locked in a no-holds-barred battle to the death! “Deeply satisfying and vastly entertaining!” – Deadline Hollywood • In the Historic Arcade Theatre •

FLORIDA REP IS

“One of America’s TOP Repertory Companies!”

—The Wall Street Journal

Contains strong language, adult situations, & brief nudity.

Thrilling, enjoyable ‘An Inspector Calls’ at Florida Rep fortmyers.floridaweekly.com/articles/thrilling-enjoyable-an-inspector-calls-at-florida-rep/ | December 11,

December 11,

2019

2019

Florida Weekly Audio Stories brought to you by Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre. Visit broadwaypalm.com to book show tickets today!

Right: Kate Hampton and Ellyn Heald as Sybil and Sheila.

A psychological thriller?

A “Downton Abbey”-esque period piece?

A morality tale?

“An Inspector Calls,” playing at the Florida Repertory Theatre’s mainstage is all that and more. Not only does it combine all of these genres but it checks all the boxes for good theater: it keeps you guessing, makes you laugh and also makes you think.

1/6

It also, at times, sent chills down my spine.

You might think a play set entirely in a dining room in 1910 England (with women in gowns and men in white tie and tails) would be a snooze, but you’d be wrong.

It starts slowly, but gradually picks up more and more speed, until it’s barreling like a runaway train downhill. I couldn’t wait for intermission to be over, to see what would happen next.

This J.B. Priestly play begins with the Birling family celebrating the engagement of their daughter Sheila (Ellyn Heald) to Gerald (a gallant Brendan Powers). She’s virginal and charming, in a white gauzy dress, while he strikes a dashing figure in his tux.

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Above: William McNulty, V Craig Heidenreich and Cole Francum in ‘ An Inspector Calls.”

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They’ve just finished dinner in a green-and-cream-colored dining room with wainscoting, fireplace, chandelier and heavy drapes with fringe (set design by Dennis C. Maulden.) The walls slant to a double-door upstage, the scene for more than one dramatic entrance. On either side of the room, behind the red brick walls, we can see the gray of factories; they also loom behind. But the house’s inhabitants are sheltered from the outside world.

The Birlings, and Gerald, are all prosperous and more than well satisfied with themselves.

Sybil (Kate Hampton) and Arthur (William McNulty) head the family, which in addition to Sheila includes a younger son, Eric (Cole Francum).

Eric is impetuous and undisciplined, but his parents seem to overlook his shortcomings.

When we meet him he’s seated with his back to us. He sits askew on his chair. Sheila, we learn, has a temper.

Their father lectures them about how it’s not their job to look after others and help the poor and working poor; it’s a speech you could hear coming out of the mouth of Ebenezer Scrooge. But Mr. McNulty’s Arthur is more jolly and sociable.

BRYELLE DAFELDECKER / FLORIDA REPERTORY THEATRE

The port, too, has been flowing freely on this happy occasion.

Then the maid (Bailey Tyler) announces that an inspector is at the door.

And once the police inspector (V Craig Heidenreich) steps into their dining room, their lives are irrevocably changed.

He’s an odd character, and I wasn’t sure what to make of Mr. Heidenreich’s performance, which seems sometimes mannered. He’s somewhat taciturn and yet walks around the dining room making pronouncements and asking questions as if they’re in a courtroom and he’s the chief prosecutor. He likes to poke his thumbs in his vest pockets and puff his chest out, resting far back on his heels.

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At times he displays an odd smile, as if he’s toying with the others and enjoying himself. And the audience laughs, because we’re in on the joke with him; we realize things before the characters do and see how cleverly the inspector is laying a trap for them.

It seems as if everyone is hiding secrets they’d rather not reveal and this high-society family isn’t as proper as it initially appears.

Arthur is a factory owner, but becomes vindictive when his workers strike for slightly higher wages.

He refuses them, putting profits above people, not realizing how much his employees struggle to live on the wages he gives them.

Sybil is gracious and appears kind, but as time passes, we see how self-righteous and un-Christian she truly is.

The inspector draws back the curtain on the hypocrisy of all the characters.

Nancy STETSON

“An Inspector Calls,” which was first presented at the Old Vic in 1946, is like the flip side of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” released on film that same year.

Instead of seeing how small acts of kindness and thoughtfulness change people’s lives, we see how small — and larger — acts of neglect and cruelty harm people.

Director Michael Marotta — last seen acting at Florida Rep in “Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Story,” (playing, as he says, “everyone who wasn’t Rosemary,”) does a superb job with this production, winding the tension tighter and tighter. The incidental music (sound designer Katie Lowe) and lighting (Tyler M. Perry) are used sparingly, but to great effect.

Costume designer Stefanie Genda has clothed the characters in classy outfits of the time, befitting their roles in society and their ages. (The spats on teenage Eric are a nice touch.

And Sybil is dressed almost like money herself, in gold.)

This is a true ensemble piece, with everyone at the top of his or her game. It’s so interesting to note the little touches these actors give their characters — a side look, the wringing of hands, a faltering half-step backwards. At times, they have the difficult task of expressing an emotion while simultaneously trying to hide it. They glean laughs or gasps from how they intone a single word or phrase.

5/6

And not to be as guilty as the Birlings, I want to also acknowledge the five actors who appear as “The Working Poor” at the beginning of the play. They are: Hunter Clarke, Thomas Hadzeriga, Bethany Mansfield, Kylie Gray Mask and Asher Van Meter.

Though set in 1910, the themes in “An Inspector Calls” are contemporary and argued about today. What is our responsibility to others, especially those who are poor and struggling?

What is our responsibility to each other, period? Is politeness a sign of weakness? Is it ever OK to run roughshod over others emotionally?

I hope this doesn’t make the play seem preachier than it is, because “An Inspector Calls” is a fun, gripping night at the theater. It contains layer upon layer.

Suspenseful, powerful and slyly clever, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable rollercoaster ride of emotions. Hang on tightly and enjoy the twists and turns. ¦ “An Inspector Calls” When: through Dec. 22 Where: Florida Repertory Theatre, 2268 Bay St. in the Arcade Theatre, downtown Fort Myers Cost: $49-$55 Information: 239-332-4488 or www.floridarep.org

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6/6

2's Review: 'An Inspector Calls' sends a powerful message It shines a light on the need for social justice, class inequality, and tolerance that should leave all who see it questioning their own morality at a time our own social and political climate is center stage.

Monday, December 9th 2019, 11:23 AM EST by Dave Elias Updated: Monday, December 9th 2019, 11:35 AM EST

FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Florida Repertory Theatre has taken the 1945 thriller, 'An Inspector Calls," hoisted it onto the stage, and given it deep new meaning and understanding.

It shines a light on the need for social justice, class inequality, and tolerance that should leave all who see it questioning their own morality at a time our own social and political climate is center stage.

This production is under the talented hand of director Michael Marotta who allows us to take a seat at the Birling Family table for an in-your-face reality check, which effectively makes everyone attending examining their own daily actions and how they can impact others.

This J.B. Priestly play is set in 1912 just before World War I which crippled the British Empire but don't let the preface fool you into believing this is an old fashioned thriller, as it is anything but.

The show begins with society's less desirables watching from the streets as the Birling family is celebrating their daughter's engagement inside their upper-middle-class home. A mysterious inspector abruptly crashes the party to inform the family that a young woman has just committed a horrible suicide. Unbeknownst to each of the family members, they all appear to have had some tie to the young woman, which may have lead to her death.

Using the victim's diary, the elusive inspector begins to unravel bizarre coincidences and chance meetings that leave some family members feeling responsible and shattered for the young ladies' misery, while others completely deny any guilt.

This self-described perfect family fears they could somehow be culprits in this set of unfortunate circumstances and fears the odd and looming Inspector Goole could ruin them.

Every actor in this show turned in a powerful performance with convincing and strong emotions of shock, guilt, and denial. It's this level of acting that demands a show become real life for each of us and even perhaps force us to examine our own conscience. Two thumbs up for Kate Hampton, Cole Francum, Ellen Heald, William McNulty, Brendan Powers, and Bailey Tyler.

However, it is perhaps the mysterious Inspector played by V Craig Heidenreich, whose job it is to deliver the most powerful blow to the gut for each of us, also known as, the most powerful line of the show.

He said, "We don't live alone. We are members of one body.

We are responsible for each other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson,

then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish." The stage then fades to black, and he exits the stage.

The hardy applause is proof enough that Heidenreich perfectly delivered each word with the right amount of timing, passion, and emotion that should leave everyone understanding the meaning of the show and its relevance today.

But it's what happens next that will leave many jaws dropping and heads shaking after the inspector leaves. I

don't like to give away shows and plots so I encourage you to go see the show, and not be left out on this one.

It is by far the best thriller I have seen in many years. It is without a doubt a gripping production that will overwhelm the senses.

The entire crew, including the magnificent grand-scale set design by Dennis Maulden, should be proud of this production.

An Inspector Calls runs through December 22. Click here for more information about tickets and showtimes. © Copyright 2019 WBBH/WZVN (Waterman Broadcasting).

All rights reserved.

BWW Review: AN INSPECTOR CALLS at Florida Repertory Theatre is Meaningful and Mysterious!

by Emily Yorgey Dec. 11, 2019

Florida Repertory Theatre's production of AN INSPECTOR CALLS, directed by Michael Marotta, brings a mysterious and chilling twist to a story about morality and the lessons one must learn about kindness.

The plot revolves around an inspector who pays visit to the Birling family, who is celebrating their daughter's engagement. He reveals to them that a young woman has just committed suicide, then begins to question each of them regarding their knowledge of her. I thoroughly enjoyed figuring out all of the connections each character had to the girl who died as the inspector slowly revealed them; there was a lot of foreshadowing right from the beginning of the show, and you had to pay close attention to figure it out, which I found incredibly captivating. The show is like a puzzle, and it's one I was thrilled to try and piece together.

The family includes William McNulty as Arthur Birling, Ellyn Heald as Sheila Birling, Kate Hampton as Sybil Birling, Cole Francum as Eric Birling, and Brendan Powers as Gerald Croft, the man Sheila had just gotten engaged to. Inspector Goole is played by V Craig Heidenreich.

I really enjoyed each of their performances, but especially Heald's portrayal of Sheila and Francum's portrayal of Eric. Though each of the characters in the show really does have some unlikable qualities, I found that their two particular characters experienced the most evolution through the plot, which made me feel for them in some ways, and I appreciated that.

This show is on the darker, more dramatic side, but it did also have a good amount of humor, particularly from Heindenreich's Inspector Goole. He made many blunt statements that you couldn't help but laugh at, and I think that added a lot to the production.

Not only is this show a thriller that really challenges you with its clever twists and turns, but it also makes you take a step back and think about your interactions with the people around you. Although the show emphasizes that kindness can make a big difference in someone's life, do all of the characters end up learning that by the end? That's the big question, and I guess you will have to see AN INSPECTOR CALLS to find out the answer.

AN INSPECTOR CALLS is playing in Florida Rep's Historic Arcade Theatre now through December 22. Performances are TuesdayThursday at 7 PM, Friday-Saturday at 8 PM, with 2 PM matinees on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. To buy tickets, you can visit www.floridarep.org, call Florida Rep at 239-332-4488, or stop by the box office at 2268 Bay Street, Fort Myers, FL, 33901.

Patron Feedback Highlights Great set! Loved the show. Very thought provoking.

12/13/2019 12:42 AM Fabulous Fabulous Fabulous!!!

12/12/2019 5:13 PM Always very wonderful to be there.

12/12/2019 3:59 PM Wonderful experience — enjoyed immensely. We’ll be back!

12/11/2019 3:56 PM Fabulous. We gave a standing ovation and the cast never came back out. Is that something you'd be doing? s 12/11/2019 3:48 PM We always enjoy going to the theater. We always have something enjoyable to see.

12/9/2019 10:51 PM Fabulous all.

12/9/2019 9:01 PM Great place. Love coming to the shows 12/9/2019 4:50 PM Florida Rep never disappoints. Im always very impressed with the choice of shows and with the Actors. Im proud to promote The Florida Rep and the Arcade Theatre on our tours.Gina Taylor True Tours 12/9/2019 4:02 PM

as always staff and volunteers great 12/9/2019 4:01 PM I really like the ease of using Flex Passes the fact that the theater keeps track of how many you've use, the fact that you can add more shows, and ease of reserving and picking up tickets.

12/9/2019 3:57 PM Well acted show and beautiful set. A few surprises that were fun. Not your more usual lighter comedy, romance, etc., But it was fun.

Keep up the good work.

12/8/2019 7:26 PM It’s such a warm welcoming atmosphere đ&#x;¤— 12/8/2019 12:19 AM I love the whole place. Everything!

12/7/2019 8:05 PM Exceeds expectations 12/7/2019 7:24 PM Excellent production, especially loved the Inspector.

12/6/2019 5:23 PM Volunteers and staff were very helpful to my husband who is in a wheelchair.

Great set, direction and acting.

12/5/2019 4:24 PM

Fantastic! Great play! Every actor was excellent in their roles!

12/5/2019 4:03 PM

Classic play with timely theme, fresh-feeling production 12/13/2019 1:36 AM

Excellent performance and venue.

12/5/2019 3:09 AM

A very thought provoking play. It should be required viewing/reading for all teens and any adult that has missed this! The acting was wonderful and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

12/12/2019 9:11 PM

Your staff is just so pleasant.

12/4/2019 10:12 PM The set was absolutely beautiful 12/4/2019 4:28 PM Everything about this play was outstanding. I was struck by how relevant it is to life in the U.S. today, although it took place in 1912 and was first performed in 1946.

12/13/2019 4:20 PM One of the best plays we've ever seen at the Rep. A great job by all involved!

12/13/2019 4:08 PM The acting was exceptional & the storyline very thought-provoking.

12/13/2019 2:55 PM Obviously, I loved this production.

12/13/2019 11:34 AM I totally enjoy my season tickets to the Rep. 12/13/2019 3:37 AM I liked the open speculative ending.

Everyone gets io imagine how it can ends.

12/13/2019 2:24 AM

The actors did an excellent job! I was so surprised at the end I thought perhaps it wasn't the end. Really enjoyed the performance!

12/12/2019 8:28 PM It was thought provoking, which I like.

12/12/2019 7:22 PM I selected all as excellent because everything truly was! The cast was SUPERB and I loved the ending. I clapped but didn't realize the cast wasn't going to do the normal curtain call. So i was a bit sad I didn't get to give them a standing ovation and clap and hoot and holler but this was a very effective way to end the play. Please tell the cast how much we enjoyed them â?¤ 12/12/2019 5:20 PM Absolutely love your productions!!!! Top notch theater!!!!

12/12/2019 4:06 PM A marvelous production....very appropriate as a pre-holiday theatre choice!

MARVELOUS SET & ACTTING! 12/12/2019 4:01 PM

Great performance . Wonderful actors. And of course i always love that theater.

12/12/2019 3:59 PM great acting--great play 12/12/2019 3:55 PM It was humorous and thought provoking at the same time. I really enjoyed the performance.

12/11/2019 9:38 PM One of the best I've seen there 12/11/2019 4:40 PM All actors were great Set was beautiful 12/11/2019 4:16 PM I always enjoy the way that you pick themes that are not easy ones. The denial for instance in that upper-class family last night and having it Stripped Away and then watching the characters attempt to escape the truth. You have such brilliant people working in all aspects from the set to the sound to the direction to the performance.

Always leaves me with many things to think about. Many of the plays are uncomfortable and I believe that is true artistry 12/11/2019 4:11 PM Absolutely loved the feel of the set and the action worked perfectly in it without us with far right seating not missing a single thing.

So enjoyable!!!

12/11/2019 4:02 PM

A terrific evening The set was particularly well done Acting was outstanding It’s a pleasure to attend your productions 12/11/2019 2:49 AM Fantastic play and performances!! Would like more of this type of play as it had a great twisted ending!!!

12/11/2019 12:11 AM Loved the set.

12/10/2019 5:58 PM A great play, well acted on a striking set.

12/10/2019 4:45 PM It was a very cleverly written play with important lessons that were well hidden but clear at the same time.

The set was magnificent.

12/10/2019 12:48 PM It was an interesting supposition to think about.

12/9/2019 10:54 PM Our Punta Gorda friends who attend Florida Rep a little less often than we do, commented, after the performance, that they thought the last year or so of plays have been the best of many past years, that the quality of the performances has just soared.

'Can't say we disagree. 'Just passing it on fyi.

12/9/2019 9:20 PM The production was excellent!

12/9/2019 4:00 PM

loved everything about the play.

12/9/2019 3:49 PM Enjoyed the ending leaving us to our own opinions on the finale -- very good discussions!

12/9/2019 3:17 PM Loved it! Great script, fantastic acting, and thought the dining room scene was outstanding. Overall, a great afternoon of entertainment.l 12/9/2019 2:54 PM Amazing how this period play is so relevant today. Class, gender, generational differences, ethics of the rich (or lack thereof). Gives the word “inspector� multiple meanings and sum total became a haunting metaphor. Excellent play. Won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but variety is what makes the Rep great.

12/9/2019 1:59 PM Acting as usual was excellent and lived up to the Rep’s reputation. The set was far better than previous years.

12/9/2019 12:12 PM We saw this play years ago in London. The production at Florida Rep compares favorably and was one of the best performances we have seen at the Arcade Theater.

12/9/2019 12:01 PM

Made us think! We talked about it afterward at length and wanted to understand it better.

Also, amazing set!

12/9/2019 11:19 AM WONDERFUL SHOW!! Really liked the set!

12/9/2019 11:12 AM Excellent choice for a play and it was extremely well acted!

12/9/2019 11:01 AM This is an excellent production!

12/9/2019 11:00 AM A ++ on the set. Outstanding!

12/9/2019 10:56 AM I missed the "real" curtain call where one has a chance to give the actors a standing ovation. I liked that the curtain call was the whole ensemble as most of the parts were stars.

12/8/2019 2:28 PM Probably one of the best non musical productions I‘be seen at Florida Rep. Excellent acting!!

12/8/2019 12:38 PM LOVE THE CLOTHES always in the Era of the time frame đ&#x;˜?

12/7/2019 7:24 PM Great morality piece! Excellent directing, terrific dialogue merged with on-point acting made for a delicious mystery! The blatant

misogyny frustrating the women added a great edge. I loved that each character except the mother took responsibility for his or her part of the situation. I left the theatre still wondering if any of the characters are responsible for the fate of the dead woman.

Did they learn anything from their past behavior?

12/7/2019 4:25 PM I thought it was FABULOUS!!

12/7/2019 3:22 PM

overall well executed. Thank you for another great performance!

12/6/2019 3:49 PM Although it was not my kind of play, (too English, although I am English) the set, costumes and actors were very good.

12/6/2019 2:45 PM What an incredible story & great production!!

AMAZING!!!

12/6/2019 2:19 PM

Excellent! On par with any Broadway production I’ve seen.

12/7/2019 2:25 PM

The actors did an excellent job of maintaining their English accents throughout.

Bravo!

12/6/2019 12:16 PM

As old as that story is, it really presents well.

So many wonderful twists and turns. The last one was especially unexpected and thought provoking. Good choice of play. Loved it.

12/7/2019 9:59 AM

Casting was superior. Set was perfect.

Priestly would have been pleased with this production. Goole was spot on as the avenging angel.

12/6/2019 10:17 AM

Unfamiliar with play. The story held my attention beginning to end. Loved the set, beautiful period clothes. While seated off to side still able to see and hear all the action.

That's not always so. All actors did a fine job.

12/6/2019 5:40 PM

A different type of show - we thought we knew the ending but we didn't. Great acting!

12/6/2019 8:31 AM

Thought provoking. Startled by voice, intrigued by positioning of actors and staging of play ending, Very good, Inspector Goole was a strong lead. Very accurate. Very accurate and well staged. I sat at the back and was able to understand all speech, music was a little overwhelming at points.

Very romantic, stark when it needed to be;

I loved the fact I am still pondering the ending!

12/5/2019 8:09 PM Love this theater have been coming for 7 years 12/5/2019 4:57 PM fantastic set to walk in on 12/5/2019 3:54 PM

Great performance! Kept us on the edge of our seat.

12/5/2019 2:11 PM This was our first time in this specific theatre, but it Won’t be our last. We absolutely LOVED the play and everything about our experience. The free parking is a real plus, too. My husband and I attend a great many plays in Minneapolis, MN, and we both felt this theatre surpassed many venues in our home state. We were hesitant to go to a preview, but 2-3 weeks ago lucked out with excellent tickets, I’m guessing on a cancellation or move to another showing.

There was no reason to be hesitant about a preview. Thanks for giving us an enjoyable afternoon.

12/5/2019 12:41 PM Set was very beautiful. I thought I was inside the manor house!

12/5/2019 12:20 PM The set for this play was beautiful! Always fun to revisit a classic.

12/5/2019 12:11 PM This play was fantastic and I highly recommend it to our friends. There was no political motivation that was so pronounced and the language was spot on. I know of neighbors that won't go to FR because of the swearing for no unnecessary reason within the play. The staging was spectacular and I thought the last play was great but this one even beat that last play I attended.

12/5/2019 11:02 AM

WOW! 12/5/2019 10:43 AM an EXCELLENT performance of a play we've seen once before, and enjoyed this one even more! Thank you!

12/5/2019 10:40 AM Excellent performance.

12/5/2019 8:35 AM We were in a group of 6 and all of us thought the entire evening was superb. An excellent choice.

12/4/2019 10:10 PM I thought about calling the Theater today because I was embarrassed at the audience reaction to the play. I don't believe it was intended to be a comedy and was surprised at their reactions throughout the play. It was a thought-provoking production and amazingly current. Still pondering the reaction.

12/4/2019 5:15 PM I thought the actors were superb!

Intermission came just at the right time and the ending was great!

12/4/2019 4:28 PM Acting was wonderful....great cast!

12/4/2019 3:26 PM The set and costuming were extraordinary! (as always!)

12/4/2019 2:25 PM

Great performances by all! Good pace, high interest through out.

12/4/2019 1:27 PM Have criticized some older plays before. You choice here was excellent. Could have been written very recently. Bravo 12/4/2019 11:43 AM View respondent's answers Loved the layers of moral reflection...some very surprising twists! Acting was excellent, although I wish the voices projected better...especially The Inspector. And I know I'm being picky...only because I love Florida Rep! Thank you...

12/4/2019 11:20 AM