WELCOME TO
ARTISTIC
DIRECTOR
TARELL ALVIN MCCRANEY
I thought I knew how hard it might be to ask the love of your life to marry you… until I saw Table 17
Every story previous made it feel simple, an easy step you fall into, much like you read in the romance novels. Something so intimate but often performed for the world, and all goes well (or it doesn’t), but the doing is… cut and dried, right?
Table 17 reminds us, well me, that time is of the essence. But while time waits on no one, it will make an exception for two. It also reminds us that love takes the time it takes.
This incredible play feels like a perfect meal between folx who need to remember that love, and loving, is hard. It’s a practice. And sometimes no matter how earnestly we approach our practice, we fail.
But that doesn’t mean love is over. You come back, you step in, and you fail better. Table 17, with this incredible cast, allows us to see so many versions of ourselves in and out of love. The play joyfully, as only Douglas Lyons can do, piques our interest in the spicy, sweet, and bitter taste of romance, betrayal, and reignition. It’s delightful, its place setting so enticing, we invite you to come back for more.
Welcome.
Tarell Alvin McCraney Artistic Director
PHOTO BY JEFF LORCH
BLACK PARTNERS APPRECIATION NIGHT
TABLE 17 • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21
THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS
In the spirit of Broadway’s Black Out Nights, we welcome Black audiences to experience Table 17 alongside passionate community partners in a celebratory environment, with a post-show party that includes DJ, desserts, and drinks! 100% of single ticket proceeds for this performance benefit these community partner organizations. FOR TICKETS AND FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT geffenplayhouse.org/blackpartners
GIL CATES, JR.
Welcome to the West Coast premiere of Table 17!
On behalf of our Board of Directors and everyone at the Geffen, I’d like to extend heartfelt thanks to all who joined us for Backstage at the Geffen on Sunday, October 19. It was a truly unforgettable evening as we honored Frank Marshall, Danielle Pinnock, and Matt Bomer—and thanks to your generosity, we raised vital funds to support our artistic and educational programming.
As we continue through this season, we’re also looking ahead to the 2028 Olympics. With the Games arriving in Los Angeles in just a few years, we see a rare and exciting opportunity to think boldly and creatively. We’re committed to using this moment as a launchpad for the future of theater— exploring new ideas, expanding our reach, and deepening our impact.
And you—right here, right now—are a vital part of that future. Whether you’re seated in the theater, mingling in the lobby, or enjoying the courtyard, your presence brings this space to life. Theater thrives not only because of the artists and crew, but because of you—your energy, your reactions, your voice in the shared experience.
We’re grateful for the time you spend with us and encourage you to share this experience with others. The more voices we bring into the fold, the richer the story becomes.
Thank you for your continued support of live, local theater. Enjoy the show!
Gil Cates, Jr. Executive Director / CEO
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Adi Greenberg CHAIR
Gil Cates, Jr.
Executive Director / CEO
Mary Ann Cloyd
Vice Chair
Merle Dandridge
Dr. Brad Edgerton
Bonnie E. Eskenazi
Mark Fleischer
Susan Nahley Fleishman
Dr. Julio Frenk
Brenda Garcia
Patricia L. Glaser
John Horn
Carla Malden
Brian Mann
Tiffany Mayberry
Tarell Alvin McCraney
Artistic Director
Mary Osako
Danny Passman
Holly Rice
Linda Bernstein Rubin
Matt Shakman
Richard Sherman
Howard Tenenbaum
Chair Emeritus
Miranda Tollman
JaHan Wang
Marc Weinstock
FOUNDING TRUSTEES
Harold A. Brown
Kirsten Combs
Robert A. Daly
David Geffen
Jeffrey Katzenberg
Frank G. Mancuso Chair Emeritus
Ron Meyer
Bruce M. Ramer Founding Chair
Victoria Mann Simms
Andy Spahn
Steven Spielberg Steve Tisch IN MEMORIAM
Gilbert Cates Founder
Marcia Israel-Curley
Herbert M. Gelfand
Quincy Jones
Glorya Kaufman
Audrey Skirball Kenis
Charles Kenis
Karl Malden
Ginny Mancini
Jerry Moss
Jerry Perenchio
Edie Wasserman
Lew Wasserman
Dr. Charles E. Young
LEGAL COUNSEL
Nikki Kerman Venable LLP
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13,
Jada
TABLE 17
CAST OF CHARACTERS
(IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
GAIL BEAN
Dallas BIKO EISEN-MARTIN
River, Eric & Others
UNDERSTUDIES
MICHAEL RISHAWN
u/s Jada IMANI BRANCH
u/s Dallas / River, Eric & Others ................................... CALVIN M.
THOMPSON
Understudies never substitute for listed players unless specified.
The Actors and Stage Managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
SETTING/TIME
Yesterday, Today & Forever
RUNNING TIME
85 minutes, no intermission.
PLEASE NOTE
There is no photography or filming of any kind allowed during the performance. Please turn off all electronic devices, including cell phones. Thank you!
SPONSOR
PRODUCTION
Assistant Scenic Designer
Carter Vickers
Assistant Costume Designer
Lawrence Henry
Associate Lighting Designer
Claire Chrzan
Casting Consultant
Jamila Webb
Production Assistant
Siena Viviano
On-Book Production Assistant
Ryan Foreman
Automation Operator
Enrique Garcia
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Michael Svolos, Mo Tandrow ADDITIONAL
Wardrobe Supervisor
Michayla Van Treeck
Scenery Built & Painted By F&D Scene Changes
Lighting Equipment Provided By PRG
Sound Equipment Provided By DnB Design
Wigs
Haley Ruby
Wigs Swing
Kassidy Klinesmith
Dresser
Maya Channer
Light Board Operator
Jesús Cambero Elias
A2
Mo Tandrow
Carpenters
Oliver Brink, Enrique Garcia, Ryan Howard, Mason Irwin, Claudia Peterson, Kalika Reece, Sam Sully, Zach Young
Scenic Painter
Chandish Nester
Properties Artisans & Carpenters
Sigourney Chin, Danny Dolan, Ryan Howard, Josh Hunt
Stitchers
Lucy Black, Mekhell Cassagnol
Electricians
Nikki Alday, Bianca Bishop, Ezra Fisher, Ben Loudermilk, Juan Lozano, Ezra Muthiah, James Tatsch, Sketkh Williams
Sound Technicians
PRODUCTION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Production Photographer
Jeff Lorch
Media Filming
Ramon Garcia
Design + Art Direction
Base Design
Photography
Corey Olsen
SPECIAL THANKS
UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television Scene, Prop, Sound, and Costume Shops; The teams at MCC Theater and New Works Provincetown;
This theater operates under agreement between the League of Resident Theaters and Actors Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.
The Stage Managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
This theater operates under agreement between the League of Resident Theaters and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, an independent national labor union.
The Director is a Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union.
The scenic, costume, lighting, and sound designers in LORT theaters are represented by United Scenic Artists Local USA-829, IATSE.
Geffen Playhouse is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture.
Geffen Playhouse, a not-for-profit theater company, is proudly affiliated with the University of California at Los Angeles.
GAIL BEAN (she/her)
Jada
Gail Bean is an NAACP Image Award–winning actress best known for her roles in television and film. Though her start was on stage, she gained widespread recognition for her performance as “Wanda Bell” in the hit FX series Snowfall. Bean has also appeared in notable favorites P-Valley, Harlem, and Insecure, to name a few. With a passion for storytelling, she brings a vibrant and authentic energy to all her roles. Known for her versatile acting skills, she has built a reputation for portraying complex characters with depth and authenticity. Bean continues to rise in prominence within Hollywood, taking on more significant roles across various genres. She recently returned to stage and will have her LA theater debut at Geffen Playhouse with Tony Award–winning director Zhailon Levingston for Douglas Lyons’ Table 17 this winter. Gail Bean is the current generation of young Hollywood. She’s not just dynamic onscreen, Bean is equally amazing off camera—with her non-profit, Dream Above the Influence, Bean uplifts the community through youth mentorship, resources and exposure to greater opportunities.
BIKO EISEN-MARTIN (he/him)
Dallas
Off-Broadway: MCC Theater world premieres of Table 17 (AUDELCO Award winner) and soft (Lucille Lortel and AUDELCO nominations); The Public Theater, LAByrinth Theater Company, Rattlestick Theater, Ensemble Studio Theatre, 59E59, and more. Regional: “Hamlet” in Hamlet at Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival; The Old Globe, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Studio Theatre, Folger Theatre, Crossroads Theatre Company, Arden Theatre Company, Syracuse Stage, Long Wharf Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Chautauqua Theater Company, Campo Santo, and more. TV/ Film: East New York (CBS), Buck (Sundance), Modern Love (Amazon Prime Video), Power Book II: Ghost (Starz), Blue Bloods (CBS), Dietland (AMC). Biko's artwork has been in various publications and films, as well as a mural in San Francisco's landmark Clarion Alley. B.A./M.A.T. Brown University; M.F.A. National Theatre Conservatory. @saybiko
MICHAEL RISHAWN River, Eric & Others
Michael Rishawn is an award-winning, classically trained actor whose work spans Broadway, television, film, voiceover, and performance capture. He is the recipient of a Lucille Lortel Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, and Drama Desk recognition, celebrated for bringing emotional truth and commanding presence to every role. Stage highlights include originating roles in Table 17 (MCC Theater), Handjob (Echo Theater Company), and Broadway’s Ain’t No Mo’, produced by Lee Daniels. On screen, he has appeared in FBI: Most Wanted, BUNK’D, And Just Like That…, Raising Dion, Survival of the Thickest, and Crutch, alongside indie gems like The Send Off. His versatility extends to audiobook narration for Audible, performance capture in the WWE 2K22 franchise, and commercial campaigns for nationally recognized American brands. He holds an M.F.A. from UC San Diego and has also performed at Carnegie Hall.
IMANI
BRANCH (she/her)
u/s Jada
Imani Branch is thrilled to be making her Geffen Playhouse debut with Table 17! Imani is an actor, singer, and writer and at the heart of her work, she loves to explore layered, humanizing, and joyful stories centered around black and brown folks. Favorite credits include: “Desi/ Renata/Sherry” in Passing Strange and “Ensemble/ Maureen u/s” in Rent with Signature Theatre, and Blood at the Root with Theater Alliance which won her a best ensemble Helen Hayes Award. She has a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from Howard University and recently completed the two-year Meisner training at Baron Brown Studio. She would like to thank her teachers Elaine Williams and Eddie Singletary as well as her amazing support group of family and friends. Glory to God! More at www.imanibranch.com.
IG: @imanibranch
CALVIN M. THOMPSON
(he/him)
u/s Dallas / River, Eric & Others
Calvin M. Thompson is a 2025 AUDELCO Award nominee for his role in the Off-Broadway revival of Ceremonies in Dark Old Men (Negro Ensemble Company, directed by Clinton Turner Davis), a New York Times Critic's Pick. His Off-Broadway credits include Harlem Hellfighters on a Latin Beat, The Falling Season, Couriers and Contrabands, The Two Roberts, and At Buffalo. NY Theatre: A Soldier’s Play, Staged, Fly. Regional: The Hot Wing King (Alliance Theatre, Hartford Stage, Baltimore Center Stage), Hurt People (Eugene O’Neill Theater Center), The Mountaintop, The Bluest Eye, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, The Piano Lesson, Seven Guitars, Flyin’ West, and Voodoo Macbeth. Film/TV: Ophelia, Ying and Yang, Power Book III: Raising Kanan. A 2019 American Black Film Festival Star Project semifinalist. All gratitude to God and to his incredible family for their love and support.
www.calvinmthompson.com
IG: @mr.callycal
DOUGLAS LYONS (he/him) Playwright
Douglas Lyons is a two-time Emmy–nominated multi-hyphenate artist. As a writer, he earned a GLAAD Media Award nomination for his Broadway playwriting debut, Chicken & Biscuits, which was the second-most produced play in America in 2022-2023. His most recent play, Table 17, which premiered Off-Broadway at MCC Theater, was deemed a New York Times Critic’s Pick and won two 2024 AUDELCO Awards for Best Playwright and Outstanding Ensemble, two Lucille Lortel Awards, and an Outer Critics Circle Award. Douglas served as a writer on both seasons of Apple TV+’s Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock. His Broadway acting and touring credits include The Book of Mormon, plus the original casts of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, the recent Tony Award–winning Broadway revival of Parade, RENT, and Dreamgirls. As a composer-lyricist, his music and lyrics have been featured on Nickelodeon, BET+, Apple TV+, CBS, Audible, and more. His other written stage works include Don’t Touch My Hair (IAMA Theatre Company), Polkadots (Off Broadway Alliance Award Winner Best Family Show, Atlantic Theater
Company), Beau the Musical (Out of the Box Theatrics), the world premiere of Five Points (Theater Latté Da), and more. He is currently developing television with Skydance and Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort. www.douglaslyons.net IG: @chocolatehipster
ZHAILON LEVINGSTON (he/him) Director
Zhailon Levingston is an Obie and Lucille Lortell Award–winning storyteller and director. He is a board member for the Broadway Advocacy Coalition, which received an honorary Tony Award in 2021. Zhailon is also the Artistic Director of Inheritance Theatre Project. Select credits include: Tina: The Tina Turner Musical (Broadway), Hadestown (Korea), The Wiz Jr. (The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati), Chicken & Biscuits (Broadway), Patience (Second Stage Theatre), Little Miss Perfect (Goodspeed Musicals), Cats: The Jellicle Ball (Perelman Performing Arts Center).
JASON SHERWOOD
Scenic Designer
Jason Sherwood is a two-time Emmy Award–winning designer. He has designed world premiere plays and musicals at New York Theatre Workshop, Atlantic The-
ater Company, The Playwrights Realm, Signature Theatre, ART, The Old Globe, Alliance Theatre, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and more. His TV production design work includes the Oscars, Rent: Live, the Kennedy Center Honors, the Grammy Awards, and performances for Elton John, Eminem, Billie Eilish, Camila Cabello, Cynthia Erivo, and Janelle Monae. Sherwood also designed world tours for Sam Smith, the Spice Girls, and Sara Bareilles. He is the recipient of Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Award nominations and a Henry Hewes Design Award. NYU grad. @JasonSherwoodDesign
DEVARIO D. SIMMONS (he/him)
Costume Designer
Devario D. Simmons is an American costume designer. His credits include Broadway: Thoughts of a Colored Man; Off-Broadway: Beau the Musical, Table 17 (MCC Theater); The White Chip, Bees & Honey, Tumacho, Between the Bars, EMERGENCY!, and P.S. Additionally, Simmons has had the pleasure of being a guest artist at Santa Fe Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Metropolitan Opera, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. His regional credits include MCC Theater, Geffen Playhouse, Clarence Brown Theatre, Center Theatre Group, Asolo Repertory Theatre, TheatreSquared, Geva Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Bucks County Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, Jean’s Playhouse, Syracuse Stage, and
Baltimore Center Stage. Other credits include Rustin (Netflix), three seasons of AMC’s television show TURN: Washington’s Spies, the 2nd National Touring production of In the Heights, and two seasons of PBS television series Mercy Street. Member of United Scenic Artist 829.
BEN STANTON (he/him)
Lighting Designer
Ben is a lighting designer for theater, concerts, dance, installations, and events. He is a five-time Tony Award nominee as well as an Obie, Lucille Lortel, Henry Hewes Design, IRNE, and Ovation Award winner. Ben’s work is currently represented on Broadway in the Tony Award–winning musical Maybe Happy Ending; in London in Good Night, Oscar starring Sean Hayes; and on the North American tour of the musical The Notebook. Recent Broadway credits include The Notebook; Mary Jane; Days of Wine and Roses; Good Night, Oscar; The Collaboration; A Christmas Carol; The Rose Tattoo; Derren Brown: Secret; Regina Spektor: Live at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater; Junk; Six Degrees of Separation; Deaf West Theater’s Spring Awakening; Fully Committed; and Fun Home (Broadway, Off-Broadway, 1st National Tour, London).
Ben is an assistant professor at Brooklyn College where he teaches lighting design and programming, and lives in Brooklyn with his partner, the projection designer Lucy Mackinnon, and their two children.
CHRISTOPHER DARBASSIE Sound Designer
Off-Boadway (select): The Antiquities, Amusements (Playwrights Horizons); The Counter (Roundabout Theatre Company); Caroline, Table 17 (MCC Theater); Six Characters (LCT3); Grangeville, A Bright New Boise, A Case for the Existence of God (Signature Theatre NYC); The Apiary, Camp Siegfried, Patience (Second Stage Theater); I’m Almost There (Audible’s Minetta Lane Theatre/ Francesca Moody Productions at Edinburgh Festival Fringe); This Beautiful Future (Cherry Lane Theatre); the Uncle Vanya in a loft, Heaux Church, P.S. (Ars Nova); Black Exhibition, demons. (The Bushwick Starr); and work at Petzel Gallery, Goodman Theatre, Alliance Theatre, PlayMakers Repertory Company, Brooklyn Museum, Studio Museum in Harlem, and more.
NIKIYA MATHIS (she/her)
Har & Wig Designer
Nikiya Mathis made Broadway history as the first wig designer to receive a Special Tony Award for Jaja’s African Hair Braiding by Jocelyn Bioh. A classically trained actress with an M.F.A. from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, she has recurred as “N’Kiyah Franklin” in Power Book III: Raising Kanan (Starz) and appeared in Snowfall (FX), The Blacklist, Chicago Med, BrainDead, New Amsterdam, Blue Bloods, and The Night Of. Her Broadway wig design credits include Liberation, Purpose, Home, The Heart of Rock and Roll, Once Upon a One More Time, Death of a Salesman, Topdog/Underdog,
and Chicken & Biscuits. Upcoming: Cats: The Jellicle Ball Off-Broadway credits include Goddess, Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole, Primary Trust, This Land Was Made, A Raisin in the Sun, Nollywood Dreams, and Stew. She has earned the Obie, Henry Hewes Design, Drama Desk, and Black Women on Broadway’s Kathy Perkins Awards and teaches nationwide.
TRE
MATTHEWS (he/him) Composer
Tre Matthews is a versatile music producer blending hip hop, R&B, gospel, and jazz into dynamic, genre-crossing soundscapes. Born in Detroit and based in the DMV (DC/MD/VA), he brings both authenticity and innovation to every project. A graduate of American University with a degree in audio production, Tre combines technical precision with a creative ear, making him a sought-after collaborator for artists aiming to elevate their sound. Beyond the studio, he draws inspiration from his Christian faith, grounding his work in purpose and connection. With more than two decades immersed in music, Tre continues to push boundaries, shaping fresh sounds that resonate across audiences and genres.
ROSALIND
BEVAN (she/her) Associate Director
Rosalind is a director and producer. She has co-produced and directed independent projects in LA including a workshop production of How to Have Sex Again by Louis Reyes McWilliams and a staged reading of Kira Rockwell’s Oh, To Be Pure Again. She asso-
ciate directed tiny father at Geffen Playhouse; and Arrowhead and Don’t Touch My Hair at IAMA Theatre Company. As a member of the Drama League, she was the associate to Whitney White on White’s original piece Macbeth in Stride at Yale Repertory Theatre and Brooklyn Academy of Music. Selected directing credits include Stuck at the Hollywood Fringe Festival; Stew at Gloucester Stage Company; No Child… and Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 at Newton Theatre Company; Echoes and The 54th In ‘22, two short audio plays at The Huntington; and Marcus; or The Secret of Sweet, The Moors, and Proof as a guest director at Boston University. www.rosalindbevan.com
JOY D E MICHELLE (she/her) Intimacy Director
Joy DeMichelle is a multi-hyphenate artist, who specializes in sensual connection and emotionally heightened storytelling. Joy’s most recent intimacy direction includes: Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (A Noise Within); Bacon (Rogue Machine Theatre); Jelly’s Last Jam (Pasadena Playhouse); Choir Boy (Dezart Performs); Hedda Gabler, The Winter’s Tale (Bedlam); Apartment Living (Skylight Theatre Company); and TJ Loves Sally 4 Ever (Theatre Horizon). Film/Television: Wild Rose (ALLBLK); We’re Not Married? (Independent). University: Numerous student productions and Guest Lecturer at USC and CSULB. As an actress, this year Joy has appeared on Matlock, Grey’s Anatomy; Macbeth at A Noise Within and as “Fannie Lou
Hamer” at the Greenway Court Theatre in Greenwood 1964
Education: B.F.A., North Carolina
A&T State University and M.F.A., Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts. www.joydemichelle.com
SAM ALLEN (they/them)
Production Stage Manager
Sam Allen is freelance stage manager, director, and producer currently based in Los Angeles. Off-Broadway: The Brothers Size (The Shed). Regional: Not About Nightingales (Williamstown Theatre Festival); Furlough’s Paradise, Noises Off, The Brothers Size (Geffen Playhouse); La Cage aux Folles (Pasadena Playhouse); Me and the Devil, Fat Ham, King James, Pleasant, The Merry Wives of Windsor, All Day (The Old Globe); Animals Out of Paper, Flowers of Hawaii (Chautauqua Theater Company); #SLACabaret (Salt Lake Acting Company); Cherry Wine in Paper Cups (Sackerson); The Audacity, Flora Meets a Bee, P.G. Anon (Plan-B Theatre). A recipient of the 2024 Charlie Blackwell Symposium Scholarship and the 2023 Cody Renard Richard Scholarship. Education: B.F.A. in Stage Management and Directing from Westminster University (2020), M.F.A. in Stage Management from University of California, Irvine (2024). Upcoming projects include A Doll’s House (Two River Theater) to kick off 2026!
LYDIA RUNGE (she/her)
Production Stage Manager Geffen Playhouse debut. Select credits include: La Cage aux Folles, Sanctuary City, Head Over
Heels, The Great Leap (Pasadena Playhouse); Our Dear Dead Drug Lord (Center Theatre Group); An American in Paris, Cinderella, Grease, Ragtime (Musical Theatre West); Jersey Boys (Pioneer Theatre Company); Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Singin’ in the Rain, On Your Feet!, Kinky Boots, Jersey Boys, Million Dollar Quartet, Honky Tonk Angels (Riverside Theatre); The Little Foxes, Our Town (South Coast Repertory); Assassins, Mamma Mia!, Man of God, As We Babble On, Allegiance (East West Players); Two Mile Hollow (Artists at Play). Graduate of the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse with a B.A. in Theatre Stage Management.
PHYLLIS SCHURINGA,
CSA (she/her)
Los Angeles Casting
Phyllis is an Artistic Associate and the Casting Director for Geffen Playhouse. Recent productions include: The Inheritance: Part 1 & Part 2 (Artios Award), Every Brilliant Thing, The Power of Sail, Witch, and Barbecue. Before joining the Geffen, she cast for Steppenwolf Theater Company in Chicago where her favorites include Frank Galati’s adaptation of The Grapes of Wrath (also La Jolla Playhouse, National Theatre in London, and Broadway, where it received the Tony Award for Best Play) and the original production of Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile. Broadway transfers include One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Tony Award for Best Revival), The Song of Jacob Zulu, and The Rise and Fall of Little Voice
MARK CORTALE (he/him)
Producer
Mark Cortale (Artistic Director, New Works Provincetown) recently produced the Broadway premiere of the six-time Tony–nominated musical Floyd Collins by Adam Guettel and Tina Landau with Lincoln Center Theater. In September of 2024 he produced Table 17 at MCC Theater starring two-time Tony–winner Kara Young which won an Outer Critics Circle Award, two Lucille Lortel Awards, amd two AUDELCO Awards. Also in 2024, he produced the three-time Tony–nominated musical Days of Wine and Roses on Broadway, with music and lyrics by Adam Guettel and book by Craig Lucas. In 2020, Mark founded the developmental theatre lab New Works Provincetown. In conjunction with producing partners Jonathan Murray and Harvey Reese, he has commissioned five works to date including Beautiful Little Fool with a book by Mona Mansour and music and lyrics by Hannah Corneau. This new musical directed by Michael Greif will have its world premiere at the Southwark Playhouse in London this January. www.markcortalepresents.com IG: @cortalemark
MCC THEATER
Originating Producer
MCC Theater is one of New York’s leading nonprofit Off-Broadway companies, driven by a mission to provoke conversations that have never happened and otherwise never would. Founded in 1986 by Bob LuPone (1946-2022) and Bernie
Telsey, and later joined by co-Artistic Director Will Cantler, MCC fulfills its mission through producing new plays and musicals that challenge artists and audiences to confront contemporary issues. Celebrated MCC Theater productions include Emmanuelle Mattana’s Trophy Boys, Douglas Lyons’ Table 17, the world premiere of Jason Robert Brown’s The Connector, Gavin Creel’s Walk on Through: Confessions of a Museum Novice, Hansol Jung’s Lucille Lortel Award–winning Wolf Play, Jocelyn Bioh’s School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play; Robert Askins’ Hand to God (Broadway transfer; five 2015 Tony Award nominations), and many more. MCC’s playwright development initiatives foster the next generation of theater artists, and education initiatives impact thousands of students through innovative programs and partnerships.
TARELL ALVIN M c CRANEY
(he/him)
Artistic Director
Tarell Alvin McCraney is Artistic Director of Geffen Playhouse. In this role, he is responsible for identifying, developing, and programming new works and re-envisioned classics. He sets the strategic artistic course for the Geffen’s Gil Cates and Audrey Skirball Kenis Theaters.
McCraney is an award-winning writer, producer, and educator, best known for his acclaimed trilogy, The Brother/Sister Plays. His script In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue is the basis for the Oscar–winning film Moonlight directed by Barry Jenkins, for which McCraney and Jenkins also won a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar. He is an ensemble member at Steppenwolf Theatre and a member of Teo Castellanos D-Projects in Miami, a graduate of New World School of the Arts, The Theatre School at DePaul University, and the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Warwick. He was recently Co-Chair of Playwriting at the David Geffen School of Drama, where he remains on faculty. He is an associate at the Royal Shakespeare Company, London, and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Writers Branch).
GIL CATES, JR. Executive Director / CEO
Gil Cates, Jr. is Executive Director / CEO of Geffen Playhouse. In this role, he is responsible for managing the Geffen’s day-today operations; developing new, ongoing theater partnerships and leading its mission to inform, entertain and inspire diverse
audiences with live theater of the highest caliber. Prior to being named Executive Director in 2015, Cates served as Geffen Playhouse Board Vice Chairman since 2012 and served as a producer and director in theater, film and television. His theater credits include the award-winning Names (Matrix Theatre Company) and Three Sisters and David Mamet’s A Life in the Theatre (both at Syracuse Stage). Cates’ film credits include The Surface (starring Sean Astin and Geffen Playhouse alumnus Chris Mulkey), Jobs (starring Ashton Kutcher, Josh Gad, Dermot Mulroney, as well as Geffen Playhouse alumni Matthew Modine and Ron Eldard) and the 2011 feature film Lucky (starring Colin Hanks, Ari Graynor and Ann-Margret). In addition, Cates co-produced and co-directed the critically acclaimed Life After Tomorrow, featuring Sarah Jessica Parker, which premiered on Showtime. His other films include Deal (starring Burt Reynolds, Bret Harrison and Charles Durning) and The Mesmerist (starring Jessica Capshaw and Geffen Playhouse alumnus Neil Patrick Harris). Cates’ television directorial debut was an episode of the NBC comedy Joey, starring Emmy winner Matt LeBlanc. He recently directed Displaced, a documentary short chronicling the journey of one of the first refugee families to flee Ukraine and arrive in the U.S. after escaping the Russian invasion. He studied at the National Theatre Institute in Waterford, Connecticut, and holds a B.F.A. in Drama from Syracuse University.
THE NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Supporting artists is central to the mission of the Geffen Playhouse, and play commissions are a cornerstone of that support. To commission a playwright to write a play means making a commitment to their voice, craft, and vision, with the hope of sharing the fruits of their work on our stage.
We are proud to have the following artists under commission:
LUIS ALFARO
MICHAEL GOLAMCO
MEGHAN KENNEDY
KATIE LINDSAY, TOVA KATZ & ALEXANDRA KALINOWSKI
MATTHEW LÓPEZ
MARTYNA MAJOK
Co-Commission with Atlantic Theater Company
TARELL ALVIN M c CRANEY & YORK WALKER
QUI NGUYEN
Co-Commission with Manhattan Theatre Club
STACY OSEI-KUFFOUR
JIEHAE PARK
SARA PORKALOB & BRIAN QUIJADA
JEN SILVERMAN
N’YOMI ALLURE STEWART
Co-Commission with New York Theatre Workshop, supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation
DAVID WIENER
CRAIG WRIGHT
LAUREN YEE
For more information on this program, please visit geffenplayhouse.org/newplays.
THE WRITERS’ ROOM
A group for Los Angeles-based playwrights, The Writers’ Room is a product of the Geffen’s deep commitment to supporting new plays and specifically to fostering bold, relevant work by the vibrant artistic community of this city. During this one-year residency, playwright members gather monthly at the Geffen to share their work and receive feedback from their peers and the Geffen’s artistic staff, culminating in a play reading series.
We are proud to have the following artists in the 2025/2026 Writers’ Room:
DIANA YIFEI DAI
LOUIS REYES
M c WILLIAMS
ZHARIA O'NEAL
FRANK PAIVA
RYN STAFFORD
HABIB YAZDI
The Writers’ Room is made possible through the generous support of the William Randolph Hearst Foundation.
For more information on this program, please visit geffenplayhouse.org/thewritersroom.
GEFFEN AT A GLANCE
CONTACT
Geffen Playhouse 10886 Le Conte Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90024
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES
310.208.6500
Monday–Friday, 10:00am–6:00pm
AUDIENCE SERVICES
310.208.2028
Tuesday–Sunday, 12:00pm–6:00pm
Please visit geffenplayhouse.org for hours, parking and more information.
BOX OFFICE WINDOW
Tuesday–Sunday, 12:00pm–6:00pm, as well as on performance days up until 15 minutes after curtain.
Please note: the box office window is unable to process exchanges or future sales one hour prior to curtain time on performance days.
ACCESSIBILITY
Geffen Playhouse is fully committed to providing access to patrons with mobility, visual and hearing impairments. Parking spaces directly outside the theater are zoned for drop off and pick up, as well as disabled parking spots for patrons with appropriate placards and plates. For more information, visit geffenplayhouse.org/access or call Audience Services.
LATE SEATING
Should you arrive late to the theater or vacate your seat during the performance, please expect to be held in the lobby until an appropriate pause in the action on stage. Some productions or circumstances may not allow for late or return seating. To minimize disturbances to other patrons, you may be seated in the first available location by the house staff even if it is different from your assigned seat.
NO PHOTOGRAPHY
There is no photography or filming of any kind allowed during the performance. Please turn off all electronic devices, including cell phones.
UCLA SCHOOL OF THEATER, FILM AND TELEVISION
Geffen Playhouse is affiliated with the University of California at Los Angeles, specifically the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Geffen Playhouse values its role as an important educational resource by providing students with master classes, workshops and internships. Students are also able to work and learn from distinguished visiting Geffen artists in areas of directing, playwriting, acting, design, dramaturgy, management and production. Geffen Playhouse also draws upon the distinguished experts in the university to enhance the theater’s programs and research.
A WORD FROM THE WRITER
Laugh openly with us. Love with us. Let this play remind you of that ex you wanna strangle and the one you can't stop thinking of. Unbutton your top button, the pants too, and be free. The characters will ask you for advice, don't be shy, talk to 'em. This restaurant is lively and we're oh so glad you're here.
—DOUGLAS LYONS, PLAYWRIGHT, TABLE 17
BY
PHOTO
COREY OLSEN
LEAVE THEM LOVING
AN INTERVIEW WITH PLAYWRIGHT DOUGLAS LYONS
BY AMY LEVINSON, GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
AMY LEVINSON: The romantic comedy feels like such a rarity in the theater these days, and a welcome offering. What inspired you to pursue this genre?
DOUGLAS LYONS: I was raised on the Black ’90’s-early 2000’s rom com—Love & Basketball, Poetic Justice, Two Can Play That Game, Love Jones, and more. Those films were such an iconic chapter in Black cinematic brilliance, and I wanted to bring that levity and love to the American stage.
AL: What do you want Geffen audiences feeling when they leave Table 17?
DL: Complete and utter joy. It is so rare to witness unapologetic Black love like this in the theater. I want couples from all backgrounds falling deeper in love after they see this play. I want folks reaching out to the exes they still think about. I want people to ask themselves if they’re getting what they need from their current partners. In the tough times we’re currently living in, I want this play
“[I WANT AUDIENCES TO FEEL] COMPLETE AND UTTER JOY. IT IS SO RARE TO WITNESS UNAPOLOGETIC BLACK LOVE LIKE THIS IN THE THEATER.”
— PLAYWRIGHT DOUGLAS LYONS
AL: We always enjoy having a second production in house as we know how much can change from the world premiere. Can you speak to one or two discoveries you made during the first production that you knew you wanted to delve into for this incarnation?
DL: In my rewrite for the Geffen production my goal was to equal the scale of accountability between Jada and Dallas. Audiences at MCC Theater were extremely vocal—in the best way—and taught me where I could make the story even more complex. With Table 17, I never want to offer concrete answers, instead I want to offer various points of view about relationships and let the audience decide what feels right for them.
to be a beacon of light, a tickle to the gut, and a reminder to love fearlessly.
AL: What or who inspires you as an artist?
DL: I have a collection—Doechii, Ziwe, Ts Madison, Viola Davis, Mr. [Tyler] Perry, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Issa Rae, Quinta Brunson, and more. I love distinct, intentional human beings who own who they are and what they want. They don’t wait for the world to hand them anything, they go out and build it for themselves. I’m also very inspired by funny people. They’ve taught me not to take myself too seriously.
To read more about Table 17, visit geffenplayhouse.org/blog.
THEATER IN EDUCATION HAS THE POWER TO IGNITE CHANGE
Geffen Playhouse is deeply committed to creating powerful and impactful arts education and engagement experiences that amplify, inspire, and encompass our diverse Los Angeles community. Our programs provide unique, in-depth access to theater and the arts for determined and ambitious youth and adults coming from historically excluded communities. We invite all Angelenos to come home here. When you support our education and community engagement programs, you create a world of greater understanding, increased expression, and deeper compassion while enjoying your home away from home at this historic playhouse.
PHOTO
Above: Student Q&A with Dragon Lady star Sara Porkalob after a student matinee.
ANNUAL DONORS
Geffen Playhouse recognizes the following individuals and organizations for their generous support of our Annual Fund. Donors are listed at the Partner’s Circle level and higher for gifts made between August 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025. A full listing of our supporters can be found at geffenplayhouse.org/thankyou.
Directors ^ Geffen Playhouse Founding Trustees
In appreciation, Annual Fund donors enjoy a host of special benefits including concierge ticketing services, complimentary drinks, receptions, and much more.
For more information, please call Anika Waco at 310.208.6500 ext. 195.
PREMIERE CIRCLE
$100,000+
Anonymous
The Ahmanson Foundation
Jana & Trevor Bezdek
Edgerton Foundation
Louise & Dr. Brad† Edgerton
Patricia Glaser† & Sam Mudie
The Adi† and Jerry Greenberg Foundation
William Randolph Hearst Foundation
Jerry & Terri Kohl
Linda Bernstein Rubin† & Tony Rubin
Jayne Baron Sherman
Shubert Foundation
The Simms/Mann Family Foundation^
S. Mark Taper Foundation
Jodi & Howard† Tenenbaum
Miranda† & Brett Tollman
UCLA
UCLA Health
INNOVATOR CIRCLE
$50,000 – $99,999
City National Bank
Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture
Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation
Holly Rice† & Vince Gilligan
Richard† & Barbara Sherman
PRODUCER’S CIRCLE
$25,000 – $49,999
Anonymous
The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation
Capital Group
Marcy Carsey
City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs
Dwight Stuart Youth Fund
Dr. & Mrs. Paul Eisenberg
Bob & Diana Friedman
Carol & Paul Frimmer
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation
Kirsten Hansen & Allen Shay
Noble & Jacquelynn Hansen
Martha Henderson
Cindy & Alan Horn
Marcia Israel-Curley Foundation^
Carol & Bill Ouchi
Judith & Bruce Stern
Shel & Cynthia Stone
Wolfen Family Foundation
PLAYWRIGHTS’S
CIRCLE
$10,000 – $24,999
Anonymous
Eva Aaronson— In Memory of Bucky Hazan
The Berlanti Family Foundation
Katherine Brown & Rene Mendoza
Cast Iron Entertainment
Mary Ann Cloyd†
Ellyce R. Cooper & Barry Cohen / Sidley Austin LLP
Bonnie Eskenazi†
Robyn Field & Anthony O’Carroll
Susan & Mark† Fleischer
Sue & Steve Glusker
In Memory of Morris A. Hazan
Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation
Stanley Iezman & Nancy Stark
David & Martha Kadue
Julie & David Kavner
Karen & Walter Loewenstern
Carla Malden† & Norman Beil
Mid-America Arts Alliance in Partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts
Soundis & Danny† Passman
Cheryl Petersen & Roger Lustberg
Yvonne Randle
Thomas L. Safran
Chris T. Schmidt
Marcia & Robert Shuwarger
The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust
Deborah Tavlin
U.S. Bank
Waterman and Glicksteen Families
Aurora & Marc† Weinstock
Robert Wilson, Jr. / Select Equity Group Foundation
CREATOR’S CIRCLE
$5,000 – $9,999
Laura & Harvey Alpert
Margaret Campbell Arvey and The Arvey Foundation
Shelly & Libby Bergen
Laurie Bernhard
Susan Bloch-Kay & Stephen Kay
Dr. Adrienne Brandriss
Robert Brook & Jacqueline Kosecoff
Jay Butterfield & Susan Ewert
Dr. Fanya Carter, Ph.D.
Marissa Caudill & David Merrill
Steven Cerasale & Mary Katherine Cocharo
Donna & Steven Chisolm
Cindy Clark
Linda & John Coleman † Geffen Playhouse Board of
Allen Blue & Kira Snyder
Steward Family Foundation
Ginger Conrad
In Loving Memory of Ed Cypert
Marisa & Adam Davis
Dr. Joan Denson & Dr. Victoria Berck
Anne Dougherty & David Dobrikin
Barbara & Ed Dreyfus
Lisa Field, Field Family Foundation
In Memory of Lucas Simon Foster
Lynn T. Franklin
Sonia & Robert Freedman and Family
G2 Graphic Service, Inc.
Dr. Cara Gardenswartz & David Melnick
Fariba Ghaffari
The Goldenberg Family
Jill Grey
Marc & Erica Hankin
Monique & Jonathan Kagan
Mannon Kaplan
Glorya Kaufman^
Kelton Fund
Laura Kennedy
Leslie King & Robert Welther
Ann & Jonathan Kirsch
Kling Family Foundation / Allen & Jessica Kling
Norman Koplof & Leslie Falick
David Lee Foundation
Rena & Craig Leeds
Tania Lotia & Tamar Tokat
Marcia E. Williams & Gene Lucero
Renee & Meyer Luskin
Mara W. Breech Foundation
Laura Maslon
Cookie Miller
Haley Pigman
Carolyn A. Poer & John M. Poer
Richard Rasiej & Joan Herman
Joyce Rey
Carol Risher
Susan Rogers
The Ross Family
Cooper Roth
Dinah C. Ruch & Bill Birdsall
David A. & Karen Richards Sachs
Nancy & Ted Sanborn
Stephen Sass & Steven Hochstadt
John Shustitzky & Rev. Christine Chakoian
Anne C. Taubman
William & Karen Timberlake
Daniel & Shauna Valenzuela
Julie & Peter Weil
Joanne & Ken Weinman
Gelena & Seth Weissman
Alison Whalen & Steve Marenberg
Susan & Dan White
Lisa Yen & Tom Bajoras
DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE
$2,500 – $4,999
Aversa Foundation
Robert E. & Maria H. Barron
Madelyn Bennett & Eric Gibson
Susan J. Booth & Christopher Wadden
Paula Brand
Diana Buckhantz and the Vladimir and Araxia Buckhantz Foundation
Joanne Cohen
Tim Curtis & Shandon Youngclaus
Lucy Farber & Jim Bright
Dennis & Jackie Fox
In Memory of Jane F. Hall
Harris Family Foundation
Joseph & Kathy Hartley
Barbara Herman
Jack Hileman & Roxanne Huddleston
Rand Hoffman & Charlotte Robinson
Lynn Hunt & Margaret Jacob
Linda Janger
Katherine Kleindienst & Marc Goldsmith
Nancy Koven
Tim McNeal
Thaine & Elizabeth Morris
Susan Oka
Joyce & Harvey Reichard
Snyder Family Foundation
Eric Strom & Eileen Goodis
Leslie White & Al Limon
DESIGNER’S
CIRCLE
$1,000 – $2,499
Anonymous (2)
Jan & David Altemus
Patti Amstutz
Bonnie & Bill Apfelbaum
Randy & Michael Bayard
Yvette Bergeron & Dean Bailey
Wendy & John Bergquist
Beverlee Bickmore & James Kelly
John Bjorge & Mary McKelvey
Laura & Jerry Callaway
Peter & Heidi Cartmell
The Christal Family
Michael De Luca
Jacki & Murray Drechsler
Dr. & Mrs. William M. Duxler
Jeff Eckerle & Marilyn Osborn
Colleen M. Ellis
Terri & David Elston
David & Joyce Evans
Melanie Flamminio
In Honor of Frank & Betty Fouce
Anita Dann Friedman & Harvey Friedman
Catherine A. Froloff
Richard & Lori Goldman
Ellie Goodman
Deidre Hall
Pauliana Cheung Hall
Richard Hart
Scott Hartle
Jackson Henry
Hella Hershson
Dr. John D. Hofbauer & Dr. Laura E. Fox
David Israeli & Dr. Marie Mazzone
Brenda Marie Izzi
Victoria Jackson & Bill Guthy
Nancy & Len Jacoby
Sally & Dr. Manny J. Karbelnig
Louis Kempinsky & Corrinne Mann Kempinsky
Sharon Kerson
Dr. Phyllis H. Klein
Delores Komar & Susan Wolford
Trice Koopman & Mark Freund
Cori Lable
Lena & Mark Labowe
Mindy Lauerlevin & Ed Levin
Christo & Jeanne Lavagnino
Trulee Lee
Carl Levinger & Karen Siscoe
Lawrin & Linda Lewin
Cathleen Fitzpatrick Linder
Judith Locke
Susan & Peter Mallory
Barbara Marshall
Kathy & Jim McCaffery
S. McQueen & D. Whalen
Norma & Larry Meyers
Andrew & Laura Mintzer
Thomas W. Mitchell
Lon Morse & Toni Hollander Morse
In Memory of Elliott Myron
Mark & Diane Neubauer
Julie Nichols
Ornest Family Foundation
Ralph Page & Patty Lesh
Phil & Agnes Peters
Ruth Popkin
Clark & Kathryn Porter
Lise Ransdell & Eric Augusztiny
Jeffrey S. Rapp & Neil S. Silverman
Dolores Rogers
Allison & Bennett Rosenthal
Oren Rosenthal & Craig Kwiatkowski
Gary & Karen Schneider
Susan Schwarz
In Memory of Pippa Scott and In Honor of Miranda Rich Tollman
Sylvan & Sandra Seidenman
John Shaw
Janne Shirley
Rita & Jose Sigal
Ron Silverman & Soraya Ross
Ronald Smith
Kirk & Mei-lan Stark
Andrew Stearn
The Tatasciore Family
Catherine & Leonard Unger
Leon & Stephanie Vahn
Marcia & Charles Wasserman Ph.D
Westmount Asset Management
Herbert Wolas
Cherie Wrigley
Richard Yaffe
Arnold & Tricia Zane
Ellen & Arnold Zetcher
Bobbi & Walter Zifkin
PARTNER’S
CIRCLE
$500 – $999
Anonymous (7)
Toshka & Norman Abrams
Linda Adams & Ken Larson
Loren Adams
Robert C. Anderson
Frances & Thomas Booth
Philip & Phyllis Colman
Steven & Linda Darling
Dr. Van Anh & Nariman Dastur
Kristin Diehl
Linda Dozier
Kay & Larry Driscoll
Terry Feuerborn & Connie Whitley
Burt & Nanette Forester
Bruce Fortune & Elodie Keene
Elaine & Larry Friedman
Olga Garay-English
Daniel Giesberg & Carol Lifland
Francine Golden & Marvin Schlossman
Marcy Gross
Eve Haberfield & David N. Johnson
Roberta L. Haft
Murray & Gail Heltzer
Michael & Candie Herman
Dr. Shelley Hill
Ana Hubner
Eric Hyman & Teri Kennady
Drs. Sharon & Lou Ignarro
Robert & Gail Israel
Stephen A. Jones & Victoria A. Walker
Arnedra Lorraine Jordan
Jessica Kaltman & Robert Reznik
Avi Kamienny
Leana Kleinman & Jerald Johnson
Deborah Lacusta & Daniel Castellaneta
Jalyn Lang
John & Sandra Langfitt
Rhonda K. Lawrence
Nancy Hytone Leb
Gina Maria Leonetti
Marla E. Levine
Littleton Road Productions
Leslie & Adam Lobel
Renee Lonner
Christina Medigovich
Anne & Ronald Mellor
Cynthia Melville
In Memory of Gregory Millar
Joan & Phil Miller
Dr. Gail Devlin Moradi
John Moschitta, Jr.
Ron Myrick
Louise Olin
Carol F. Phillips
Gary & Gail Rachelefsky
Robert Rosania
Mary Ann Rosenfeld & Sheldon Kadish
Brad Ross
Linda Sandrich
Cliff & Linda Schaffer
Nancy & Steven Schneider
William Schreiber
John Schunhoff
Tina & John Scott
Marc Seltzer
Nancy & Bruce Silverman
Marlene Sklar & Joel Moskowitz
Barbara Smith
Mr. & Mrs. David Tann
Barbara & Larry Tenan
William G. Tierney & Barry H. Weiss
Maud & Tonis Tilk
Brigitta Troy
Linda & Rich Turco
Shirah & Jim Vollmer
Deborah & Glenn Weinberg
Michelle & Steven Windmueller
CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE
The Chairman’s Circle acknowledges the historical contributions of the following individuals, whose support of Geffen Playhouse made the original vision of our founder, Gil Cates, Sr., possible:
Anonymous
Annenberg Foundation
Mrs. Carol K. Block & Chancellor Gene D. Block† City National Bank
Kirsten^ & Donald Combs
Marcia Israel-Curley & Jim Curley
Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman, Inc.
The David Geffen Foundation
Herbert M.^ & Beverly J. Gelfand
Rabbi Uri D. Herscher & Dr. Myrna Herscher
Audrey & Charles Kenis
Lincy Foundation
Fay & Frank^ Mancuso
Tina & Jerry^ Moss / The Moss Foundation
Perenchio Foundation
The Shubert Foundation
The Simms/Mann Family Foundation
Skirball Foundation
University of California, Los Angeles
Wasserman Foundation
Judy & Chancellor Charles^ E. Young
If your name has been misspelled or omitted from the list in error, please contact Anika Waco, Donor Relations Coordinator at 310.208.6500 ext. 195.
BACKSTAGE AT THE GEFFEN DONORS
Geffen Playhouse recognizes the following individuals and organizations for their generous support of this year's Backstage at the Geffen fundraiser, honoring Frank Marshall, Danielle Pinnock, and Matt Bomer, held on Sunday, October 19, 2025.
Event photos and tribute messages can be found at geffenplayhouse.org/backstage.
† Geffen Playhouse Board of Directors
PRESENTING SPONSORS
The Adi† and Jerry Greenberg Foundation
UCLA Health
PLATINUM SUPPORTERS
Amblin Entertainment
Alan Hergott & Curt Shepard
K Period Media
Linda Bernstein Rubin† & Tony Rubin
GOLD SUPPORTERS
Cindy & Alan Horn
Paramount Pictures
Miranda† & Brett Tollman
SILVER SUPPORTERS
Marcy Carsey
City National Bank
Disney
Patricia Glaser† & Sam Mudie
Steve Tisch
BRONZE SUPPORTERS
The Archer School for Girls
Claudia & Kevin Bright
CBS/CBS Studios
Cherie & Steve Crowe
Bonnie E. Eskenazi† & Greenberg Glusker LLP
Marcy Gross
John Horn† & Linda Burrow
Laura & Jarred Kennedy
Karen & Walter Loewenstern
Holly Rice† & Vince Gilligan
Chris T. Schmidt
Richard† & Barbara Sherman
Marcia & Robert Shuwarger
Joanne & Ken Weinman
Rita Wilson & Tom Hanks
SUPPORTERS
Bonnie & Bill Apfelbaum
Jay Butterfield & Susan Ewert
Gil Cates, Jr.†
Barbara Chiodo
Comcast NBCUniversal
Ellyce R. Cooper and Barry Cohen / Sidley Austin LLP
Creative Artists Agency
Merle Dandridge†
Devine D’Amico
Rich & Suzy Eisen
Field Family Foundation
Stephen Fisch
Catherine Froloff
Lorie Furie
Brenda Garcia†
Carla Gardini
Robert & Carrie Glicksteen
MaryAnn & Irwin Gold
Corinne Hayoun
Lynn James Heacox
Kate Imel
Nikolette Jacob
Omi Jones & Sharon Bridgforth
Larry Kaufman
Sharon Kerson
Carla Malden† & Norman Beil
Pam Martin
John McClure
Tarell Alvin McCraney†
Regina & Wayne Miller
Olympus Theatricals
Soundis & Danny† Passman
Brett Paul
Karen Peter
Cheryl Petersen & Roger Lustberg
Jane Rissman & Richard Sondheimer
The Rosenthal Family Foundation
Tom Saporito Productions
Lauren Shuler Donner
Ronald Smith
Sarah Sturdivant
Jennifer D. Sturtz
Greg & Michelle Suess
Theodore H. Sweetser & Jane L. Valentine
Paula Wagner
Tarell Alvin McCraney ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
ARTISTIC
Amy Levinson
Associate Artistic Director
Daniel Ionazzi Producer
Phyllis Schuringa
Artistic Associate / Casting Director
Bella Luna Company Manager
Olivia O’Connor
Literary Manager & Dramaturg
Lexy McAvinchey Associate Producer
Dionn Richardson
Assistant to the Artistic Director
PRODUCTION
Matt Sweeney Director of Production
Liz Brohm Hanrahan
Associate Production Manager / Resident Production Stage Manager
Melissa Hartman
Technical Director
Philip Rossi
Lead Scenic Carpenter
Greg Mueller
Stage Operator
Rick Gilles
Properties Master
Sarah Lindsley
Costume Shop Supervisor
Spencer Doughtie
Lighting & Projection Supervisor
Jesus Cambero-Elias
Assistant Lighting Supervisor
James Grabowski
House Sound Supervisor
Bob Gilmartin
Resident A1
ADMINISTRATION
Sarah Sturdivant Chief Financial Officer
Erick R. López
General Manager
Berenice Campos Director of Human Resources
Janice Gompers
Payroll Manager & HR Admin
Youra Kim
Accounting Manager
Jake Jones
Staff Accountant
Clay Dzygun
Office Coordinator
Chloe Shi
General Management Associate
DEVELOPMENT
Elizabeth Kegley
Director of Institutional Giving
Cody Metzger
Gil
Cates, Jr. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / CEO
Grace Allen, Tori Eriavez, Peyton Fleming, Cat Hayes, Miranda Heath, Gabrielle Johnsen, Jeffrey Limoncelli, Kayla Page, Camila Robles Ruiz
Box Office Staff
Theater Direct Outbound Sales
OPERATIONS
Advancement & Creative Partnerships
Rachel Jacoby
Data Management Coordinator
Anika Waco
Donor Relations Coordinator
Zoila Lopez
Development Assistant
EDUCATION
Brian Allman
Director of Education & Community Engagement
Mark J. Chaitin
Manager of Education & Community Engagement
Paloma Nozicka
Education Associate
Sean Michael Boozer, Paris Crayton III,
DeJuan Christopher Conner, Sidney Edwards, Margot Fitzsimmons, Aja Houston, Erròn Jay, BJ Lange, Tiffany Oglesby, Tara Ricasa, Ashley Denise Robinson, Gerry Tonella
Teaching Artists
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Patrick Brown
Director of Marketing
Zenon Dmytryk
Director of Communications
Karen Gutierrez Director of Advertising & Audience Development
Brian Dunning
Director of Content & Creative
Zack Hamra
Director of Audience Services & Ticketing
Isaak Berliner
Social Media & Communications Manager
Alyssa Tyson
Audience Services Manager
Jacob Feller, Jon-Paul Schaut
Box Office Managers
Jeni Pearsons
Director of Operations
Mel Yonzon
Front of House Manager
Amy Farkas
Lead Concierge
Marlon Campos
Concierge
Rob Mersola
Event Manager
Sarah Chute, Anya Pryjmak
Part Time House Managers
Vanessa Bradchulis, Jonathan McGill, Autumn Oyemade, Karl Perry, Carsen Schroeder
Guest Services
Savanna Chute, Ryan Foreman, Stephen Johnson, Dylan La Rocque, Shannon Noel Concessions
Brynn Allen, Emma Cort, Lauren Curet, Enzo De Cunto, Tyler DeLoatch, Camille Edwards, Sydney Fleischman, Alejandro Hernandez, Cassidy LeClair, Jalen McKoy, Austin Merrill, Luvina Navarro, Elena Scaringe-Peene, Cody Smith, Lanae Wilks, Myles Williams Ushers
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Abdelkrim Bouzzit
Cloud System Administrator
Dream Warrior Group
System Administrator
FACILITIES
MANAGEMENT
Art Guillen
Facilities Manager
Felipe Ayala, Juan Santillan
Building Maintenance
Mario Santillan
Custodial Lead
Juan Carlos Umaña, Camerina Martinez
Cleaning Custodial