Congo Square Theatre - KING HEDLEY II

Executive Director TaRon Patton

Artistic Director

Samuel Roberson Jr.

PRESENTS

KING HEDLEY II By: August Wilson Director* Daniel Bryant

Sound Design Rick Sims

Stage Manager * Razor Wintercastle

Fight Choreographer Jordan Smith

Scenic Design Andrei Onegin

Prop Design Christopher Neville

Costume Designer Sharlet Webb

Dramaturg Fran Hoepfner Michael Gonzalez

Lighting Design Richard Norwood

Production Manager James Webb

*Actor’s Equity Association Congo Square Ensemble Member Congo Square Theatre Company (Administrative Offices) 2936 N. Southport Suite 210 Chicago IL 60657 Office: 773 296-1108 Fax: 773 472-6637 www.congosquaretheatre.org fax # 773-296-0968

The 2013-2014 Season is graciously funded in part by Illinois Tool Works, The Joyce Foundation, Target, The MacArthur Fund for the Arts and Culture at Richard H. Driehaus Foundation and the Donnelly Foundation.

All performances are at the Athenaeum Theatre 2936 N. Southport Chicago IL 60657 (Box Office) www.athenaeumtheatre.org King Hedley II is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. Congo Square Theater

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S U P P O R T S TA F F Assistant Director *Ericka Ratcliff

Media Associate Stanton Long

Assistant Stage Manager Nicole Cobb Oliver

Graphic Design Intern Mariah Beavers

PR/Social/Marketing Consultant Tanya Ward SPECIAL THANKS Michelle T. Boone,

Commissioner, City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events

Sylvia Ewing Actor’s Equity Association League of Chicago Theaters

DuSable Museum of African American History The Chicago Sun-Times

Torri Johnson

Vanessa Lanier

FRIENDS OF CONGO Robin Beaman CAST LIST *Ron Conner...........................................................................................................................................King *Taron Patton.........................................................................................................................................Ruby * Anthony Irons..................................................................................................................... Stool Pigeon *Trinity Murdock...................................................................................................................................Elmore Marc Rogers............................................................................................................................................. Mister Tiffany Addison.......................................................................................................................................Tonya Olivia Charles................................................................................................................. Understudy (Ruby) David Adams.................................................................................................. Understudy (Stool Pigeon) Darren Jones.............................................................................................................. Understudy (Elmore) *Member of Actor’s Equity Association  Congo Square Ensemble

C O N G O S Q UA R E E N S E M B L E M E M B E R S *Will Sims II * Ann Joseph *Monifa Sims * Aaron Todd Douglas * TaRon Patton *Aimee K. Bryant * Javon Johnson Derrick Sanders *Anthony Irons

*Bakesta King *Daniel Bryant *Ericka Ratcliff *Ron Conner *Alexis J. Rogers *Tracey Bonner *Allan Gilmore *Samuel Roberson

ARTISTIC ASSOCIATES *Chad Boseman *Malkia Stampley *Kelvin Roston, Jr. *Member of Actor’s Equity Association

C O N G O S Q UA R E B OA R D O F D I R E C TO R S Sylvia Ewing Perika Sampson Kirkland Townsend 2

King Hedley II

Hugh Williams James Wooten

Congo Square Theatre Company proudly salutes our 2013-2014 donors and patrons.

Thank you for your donations and continued support of culturally-specific theatre.

AU T H O R AUGUST WILSON (April 27, 1945 October 2, 2005) authored Gem of the Ocean, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Piano Lesson, Seven Guitars, Fences, Two Trains Running, Jitney, King Hedley II, and Radio Golf. These works explore the heritage and experience of African-Americans, decade-by-decade, over the course of the twentieth century.

His plays have been produced at regional theaters across the country and all over the world, as well as on Broadway. In 2003, Mr. Wilson made his professional stage debut in his one-man show, How I Learned What I Learned. Mr. Wilson’s works garnered many awards including Pulitzer Prizes for Fences (1987); and for The Piano Lesson (1990); a Tony Award for Fences; Great Britain’s Olivier Award for Jitney; as well as eight New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Fences, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, The Piano Lesson,Two Trains Running, Seven Guitars, Jitney, and Radio Golf. Additionally, the cast recording of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom received a 1985 Grammy Award, and Mr. Wilson received a 1995 Emmy Award nomination for his screenplay adaptation of The Piano Lesson. Mr. Wilson’s early works included the one-act plays The Janitor, Recycle, The Coldest Day of the Year, Malcolm X, The Homecoming and the musical satire Black Bart and the Sacred

Hills. Mr. Wilson received many fellowships and awards, including Rockefeller and Guggenheim Fellowships in Playwriting, the Whiting Writers Award, 2003 Heinz Award, was awarded a 1999 National Humanities Medal by the President of the United States, and received numerous honorary degrees from colleges and universities, as well as the only high school diploma ever issued by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. He was an alumnus of New Dramatists, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a 1995 inductee into the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and on October 16, 2005, Broadway renamed the theater located at 245 West 52nd Street - The August Wilson Theatre. Additionally, Mr. Wilson was posthumously inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in 2007.

Mr. Wilson was born and raised in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and lived in Seattle, Washington at the time of his death. He is immediately survived by his two daughters, Sakina Ansari and Azula Carmen Wilson, and his wife, costume designer Constanza Romero.

Congo Square Theater

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D I R E C TO R DANIEL BRYANT Daniel Bryant is always grateful to be directing at his artistic home Congo Square Theatre Company where he is an ensemble member and has served as Artistic Director for the past 4 years. He was recently a featured director in HoliDaze at Step Up Productions directing Nambi Kelly’s For My Brothers…Wherever I May Find Them. Prior to that, he produced the citywide event Mosley on the Square Festival and directed the Chicago premiere of Walter Mosley’s

The Fall of Heaven as well the awardwinning Brothers of the Dust by new voice, Darren Canady. Other producing credits include: The Colored Museum, The Nativity and Congo Square’s multi-faceted celebration of art, Festival on the Square. Daniel also enjoys a healthy freelance acting and voiceover career and is an associate artist at Chicago Dramatists, where he’s acted and directed for their Saturday Series as well as their showcase of new work. When he’s not acting, directing or producing theater, Daniel is teaching it to youth as a teaching artist.

PROFILES RON CONNOR (KING) Ron Conner is a St. Louis native, currently residing with his beautiful wife and 2 kids in Chicago. Ron is a proud Congo Square ensemble member and is happy to be returning home for King Hedley II. This marks Conner’s 8th play in August Wilson’s 10 play cycle. Other August Wilson credits include: Gem of the Ocean (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati), Joe Turner’s Come and Gone and Ma Rainey ‘s Black Bottom (St. Louis Black Rep), Seven Guitars (Court Theatre), Fences (New Harmony Theatre),Two Trains Running (Geva Theatre of Rochester), and he’s brought the character of Boy Willie to life for three separate productions of The Piano Lesson for Portland Stage Company in Maine, The St. Louis Black Rep, and the Court Theatre, where he received the 2009 Black Theatre Alliance Award for Best Lead Actor. Ron’s most notable television and film credits are the Coors Light - NFL Campaign (20072010) and The Dark Knight.

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TARON PATTON (RUBY) TaRon is excited to be returning to the Congo Square stage. Directing credits include: Saturday Night, Sunday Morning (Steppenwolf Garage Rep) and Bulrusher (Congo Square Theatre). Acting credits include: By the Way, Meet Vera Stark (Goodman Theater), Hot L Baltimore (Steppenwolf ); the Chicago and New York adaptations of Toni Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eye (Steppenwolf ), St James Infirmary (Congo Square Theatre Company), Black Nativity and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Goodman Theater).

Television credits: Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, A Different World and the Emmy awardwinning CBS After-School special, What About Your Friends. Film credits: Of Boys and Men and Stitches. TaRon received her MFA in Acting from UCLA. “I would like to thank Tania, Kayla and my family for their constant motivation, and my C2 family for keeping me grounded with their unconditional support!”

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ANTHONY IRONS (STOOL PIGEON) Anthony is a Congo Square ensemble member. Performance credits include King of Coons (BTAA and AfricanAmerican Arts Alliance Award), The African Company Presents Richard III, Top Dog/Underdog, Elmina’s Kitchen, Brothers of the Dust and Fall of Heaven (African American Arts Alliance Award). Directing credits include: The Colored Museum (Congo Square), In Livid Color and BarackO-lypse Now (Second City’s Outreach & Diversity). This is Anthony’s professional debut in an August Wilson play. If anyone told him the debut role would be Stool Pigeon, he would have told them, “Quit smoking.” He’s always excited to share the stage with fellow Congo Square ensemble members. Anthony’s debut music album, “After the Fires” is now available on major online music stores - Please check it out!

TRINITY MURDOCK (ELMORE) Trinity has a B.A. in Child Development from Morehouse College, but his theatric debut was in the summer of 2008 in Get Ready (eta). He began to hone his passion with a string of consecutive principle roles with The Black Ensemble Theater: I Gotcha: The Story of Joe Tex, A Tribute to The Black Crooners, The Message In The Music, Nothing But The Blue, The Other Cinderella, and The Jackie Wilson Story. He has also served as vocal arranger for BET. Other stage credits include: Rent (NightBlue Performing Arts), The Ghosts of Atwood, The Last Saint On Sugar Hill (MPAACT), My Kind of Town (TimeLine Theater), The Story of Us (Willow Creek Community Church), and most recently, a tour of DREAMGIRLS (Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire, Fulton Opera House, and Maine State Music Theatre).

TIFFANY ADDISON (TONYA) Tiffany Addison has gained a range of professional experience in the entertainment industry on stage and on camera. Tiffany is best known for the hit play Cut Flowers performed at the Nobel Fool Theatre, directed by the late Douglas Alan Mann, American Menu at Chicago Theatre Company, a sketch comedy stage play, Reality Check at MPAACT Theatre, and most recently Theatre 47’s The Wiz at the Arie Crown Theater. Tiffany’s standout movie credits includes: Barbershop 2 and The Break Up as well as a host of national TV commercials and voiceovers. Tiffany is honored and so overjoyed to make her debut in King Hedley II as Tonya with Congo Square Theatre.

During this journey, Tiffany has discovered a deep passion for the industry as well as a solid commitment to educating through the opportunities of bringing creative concepts to life.

MARC ROGERS (MISTER) Marc is very excited to work in his first main stage production with Congo Square. Marc has appeared in numerous plays, commercials, print ads, and independent films. Some of his past credits include; Leaves, Trees, Forest, Once on this Island and The Legend Of Buster Neil. Marc is currently performing in the children’s musical, When Good Broccoli Goes Bad as Brother Garlic, Chicken and Corn Syrup at the DuSable Museum. He thanks God for his gifts and opportunities as well as support from family and friends.

OLIVIA CHARLES (Understudy - RUBY) Olivia Charles’ first Chicago production was eta Creative Arts Organization’s production of Fathers and Sons. Since then, she Congo Square Theater

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has played Aubrey in a radio production of As You Like It; worked with St. Martin’s Repertory Theatre for their premiere of Karma. She has also been the understudy for eta’s production of Amen Corner. Recent productions include Hoodoo Love (eta) and a web series based on Hamlet. The most recent being The First Woman with Halcyon Theatre for their Alcyone Festival.

DAVID ADAMS (Understudy - STOOL PIGEON) David Adams is a native of New York City.

He is no stranger to the Congo Square stage, working on such productions as The African Company Presents Richard III, Elmina’s Kitchen, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone and Before It Hits Home. Other Chicago credits include Leaves, Trees, Forest with MPAACT Theatre, The Cherry Orchard and Radio Golf (Best Actor nomination – Black Theatre Alliance, Special Recognition- African American Arts Alliance) with Raven Theatre, Pill Hill (Best Ensemble, Best Play, Best Direction – Aaron Todd Douglas and Best Featured Actor nomination – Black Theatre Alliance), “Robert Johnson-Trick the Devil”, directed by Ron O.J. Parsons, “Why Black Men Play Basketball” ( Black Excellence Award – African Arts Alliance, Best Featured Actor nomination – Black Theatre Alliance) and “In The Wine Time” (Best Direction – Charles Michael Moore) at ETA Creative Arts Center. Other works of note include Timeline Theatre’s production of “Weekend” and Steppenwolf Theatre’s production of “Carters Way”. David thanks

the production team at Congo Square and Daniel Bryant for his faith. All honor to God, for without him, as Stool Pigeon would say “we are lost.” God Bless.

DARREN JONES (Understudy - ELMORE) Darren is extremely thrilled about this association with Congo Square Theater. Having worked throughout the Chicago area, he is humbly appreciative for his over two decades in theater, which began with a role as Howard Benedict in the FleetwoodJourdain Theater production of Applause!

This past summer, Darren completed a well-received run as Hoke in a classic rendition of Driving Miss Daisy for PR Productions in Yorkville, IL. Favorite characters portrayed on stage include Winin’ Boy in The Piano Lesson, Rudolph in Anna Lucasta, Meridian Henry in Blues for Mister Charlie, Papa Shakespeare in The African Company Presents Richard III, and Joachim in Mud River Stone (lead actor nomination BTAA).

Productions in which he has performed include Art, The Pawnbroker, The Cave Dwellers, Nina Simone: The High Priestess Speaks, Talking Bones, and Master Harold…and the Boys, among others. He has played on the stages of the Chicago Theater Company, Mary-Arrchie Theater, Black Ensemble Theater, eta Creative Arts Foundation, and the Timeline Theater Company. He appeared in the films Mo’ Money and No Chaser, and plays the role of a Chicago alderman in the independent action film Hood, scheduled for release in Spring 2014.

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King Hedley II

PRODUCTION TEA M RAZOR WINTERCASTLE (Stage Manager) Razor has worked in the Chicago area for quite some time with various theatre, dance, and production companies. Razor has also worked in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, South America, Central America, Canada and all over the place doing everything from theatre, film dance, concerts, bands, you name it. It is a pleasure to work with Congo Square. Stay Sharp.

ERICKA RATCLIFF (Assistant Director) Ericka has been an ensemble member with Congo Square since 2005. Her acting credits with Congo Square include Stickfly, African Company Presents Richard III, Talented Tenth, The Colored Museum, 365 Plays/365 Days, and Bulrusher, Other Chicago and regional credits include Black Diamond: The Year the Locusts Have Eaten, Around the World in 80 Days, Peter Pan A Play (Lookingglass Theatre Company); Court Martial at Fort Devens (Victory Gardens Theater); Sketchbook (Collaboraction); Ruined (Mixed Blood); Raisin in the Sun (Milwaukee Rep); Seven Guitars (Pittsburgh Playwrights); Funk It Up About Nothin and the inaugural Shakespeare In The Park production, Taming of the Shrew in the title role; both with Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Outside of acting, Ericka is also an certified yoga instructor. She is a graduate of The Theatre Conservatory at Roosevelt University.

JAMES WEBB (Production Manager) James Webb has been producing various different styles of show for 15 years. At 13, he produced one of the largest local metal music festivals in the west suburbs to date. Since then, he has founded, produced, and teched 10 of Chicago’s best weekly independent stand-up comedy and variety shows, and 30+ theatrical productions. He currently runs Stand Up Stand Up, Wicker Park’s premier comedy show every Thursday night, and owns and operates UnnamedComedyNetwork. com, a virtual meeting place, media hub, and info center for all of the top stand-up shows, open mics, and other funny happenings in Chicago.

ANDREI ONEGIN (Scenic Design) During the 33 years of Andrei’s theater career he has participated in and accomplished more than 120 productions, and worked for such legendary companies as Moscow Art Theater, Kabuki and ComédieFrançaise. He received his MFA in 1992 from The Moscow Art Theater School with a concentration on set design, engineering and production. Andrei has been successfully designing and fabricating as a general contractor, developer, scene shop foreman and project manager in the Chicagoland since 1998. He is currently the owner of Seagull Works Chicago Scene Shop, one of the construction resources serving the Chicago theater community. Andrei’s work in the US has included designing sets for The Playboy of the Western World, A Soldier’s Play, Bang the Drum Slowly, Cherry Orchard, Radio Golf, Death of a Salesman and Hedda Gabler (Raven Theatre), Tigers Be Still (Theatre Wit), Laramie Project: 10 Years After (Redtwist), Clutter (MadKap Productions), The Colored Museum, The Nativity and Brothers of the Dust (2011 BTA Award nomination for Best Set Design), Bulrusher, The Fall of Heaven (Congo Square), Cat’s Cradle (Lifeline), Princess Club, The Balloon Man and The Golden Truffle (Redmoon), The Day of Knowledge (Stage Left), Hamlet (Yamaworks), Flood and Rosmersholm (Alchimia). He designed objects and was technical director for the operas The Tales of Hoffman, Cosi Fan Tutte, The Crucible and the legendary Waa-Mu Shows in 1999 and 2000 (for Northwestern University). Andrei is a 2013 Equity Wing Jeff Award nominee for Best Midsize Set Design, the 2013 Black Excellence Award winner for Outstanding Technical Support (set) and the 2013 BTA Award winner for Best Set Design for Bulrusher (Congo Square).

SHARLET WEBB (Costume Design) Miss Webb is delighted to work as costume designer with this production of King Hedley II. Previous costume credits include: 2014 Young Playwright’s Festival with Pegasus Players, Blacula, Once on This Island (Broadway in Naperville); Radio Golf, 12 Angry Men at Raven’s Theatre; Last Saint Congo Square Theater

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on Sugar Hill, Ghosts of Atwood at MPAACT, Crowns, Smokey Joe’s Cafe at Open Door Theatre of Oak Park; to name a few. Miss Webb is president and founder of Ancestral Attic Costume Collective, a not for profit since 2003. Miss Webb has received nine nominations for outstanding costume design, BTAA and AAAC. In 2007, she received the Black Excellence Award from African American Arts Alliance for Stoops at eta Creative Arts Foundation. Miss Webb holds a B.A. in Technical Theatre from Columbia College and is a proud member of the technical staff for the National Black Theatre Festival, a bi-annual event in Winston Salem. Thank you to my children and grand greats for sharing me with the arts.

Continue to dream and find your passion.

NEVER GIVE UP! RICK SIMS (Sound Designer) Rick has designed sound for numerous Chicago area theatres such as Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, Congo Square, Writers Theatre, Lifeline, Griffin, Chicago Children’s Theatre, The Hypocrites, The House, Court, ATC, Victory Gardens, The Raven, Steep, Northlight and About Face. Out of town credits include Icarus at the Getty in L.A. with Lookingglass, and Gary at Boston Playwrights.

Rick has won a Jeff Award for lyrics in Hepheastus and a BTAA award for Congo Squares’ Brothers In the Dust and Bulrusher, and has received several nominations for both awards. Rick is an artistic associate of Lookingglass Theatre Company and an associate designer with Aria Music Designs (Ray Nardelli and Josh Horvath). Rick also wrote the book, music and lyrics for Lookingglass’ Hillbilly Antigone.

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RICHARD NORWOOD (Lighting Design) An award-winning designer, some of Richard’s designs include Beethoven As I Knew Him at The Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, staring Hershey Felder and directed by Joel Zwick. Other recent designs include Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story for Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook IL. Bronte for Remy Bumppo, A Passage to India, for Vitalist Theatre, and The Beastly Bombing for Trap Door Theatre. Richard holds the position of Performance Coordinator at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Recent designs include Vitalist Theatre’s Presents pool (no water), and Ruth Margraff’s ANGER/FLY. JORDAN SMITH (Fight Choreographer) Jordan is excited to once again be working with Congo Square in capacity as Fight Choreographer for King Hedley II. Jordan has worked on productions ranging from professional to middle school (and everything in between) as director, producer, TD, fight choreographer, and actor. He has worked with Congo Square on productions of St. James Infirmary and Bulrusher.

Recently, Jordan worked with UIC as fight choreographer on their production of When You Comin’ Back, Red Ryder? Jordan would like to thank all the members of Congo Square Theatre Co. for their collaboration and to his wife, Elaine, for her support and coping with his less than regular schedule.

CHRISTOPHER NEVILLE (Prop Design) Christopher is excited to work with Congo Square Theatre on this project. He has also worked with Victory Gardens Theater, Theatre at the Center, Silk Road Rising, and Griffin Theatre. Christopher is also a Properties Artisans at Paramount Theater in Aurora, IL and an Artistic Affiliate with American Blues Theater. Studying costume and properties design at Oakland University in Rochester, MI, he is thankful to be a young designer in Chicago theatre community.