Hipp Unplugged: White

The Hipp unplugged:

A Staged Reading Series

WHITE

by James Ijames Directed by Company member

Ryan George WHITE is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.

Produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. (www.playscripts.com)

The Hipp unplugged:

A Staged Reading Series

WHITE

by James Ijames Directed by Company member

Ryan George^ Stage Manager Julia Schack Actors’ Equity Association Actors’ Equity Association (“Equity”), founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 50,000 actors and stage managers. Equity seeks to foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actors’ Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. #EquityWorks

Hippodrome programs are sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts & Culture; by a Tourist Development Tax Grant from the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners in conjunction with the Alachua County Tourist Development Council, and by the City of Gainesville, Dept. of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs.

Playbill by Deanna Natour.

Please do not use the entrances and exits during the performance.

The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

WHITE

by James Ijames Directed by Company member

Ryan George^

The cast Elaina Walton-------------------------Vanessa Minh Nguyen------------------------Tanner Gregory Mallios-----------------Gus Lauren Nordvig*^-----------------Jane *Appearing through an Agreement between the Hippodrome Theatre and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. ^ Member of the Hippodrome Theatre’s company of actors.

Developed at the PlayPenn New Play Conference The development of this play was supported by Philadelphia Theatre Company through the Terrence McNally New Play Award.

WHO’S WHO AT THE HIPP Stephanie Lynge (Artistic Director) is an accomplished

actor, director, producer, teacher and coach. Stephanie has enjoyed a career of more than 27 years in professional theater and education. Since 2013 she has worked on more than 40 productions at the Hippodrome either as an actor, director, choreographer, or dramaturg. She was seen on stage this season in The Wolves and Let The Right One In. Her other acting credits include performances in New York City on Broadway and Off Broadway at Lincoln Center, BAM, Jean Cocteau Rep, and the York Theater Workshop. Regional theaters include Freefall, Goodspeed Opera House, Sacramento Music Circus, Pasadena Playhouse, Rep Theater of St. Louis, Flat Rock Playhouse, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Seaside Music Theater, as well as several National Tours. Directing credits include the Hippodrome’s Every Christmas Story Ever Told, The Legend of Georgia McBride, and The Ultimate Christmas Show as well as plays at the 45th Street Theater (NYC), New York Musical Theater Festival, and the University of Florida. Stephanie has served as a Visiting professor at Indiana University, and an Adjunct professor at New Jersey City University and University of Florida.

After receiving her BA in Musical Theater from Indiana University, Stephanie lived and worked as an actor in New York City for over 20 years. Stephanie holds a Master of Fine Arts in acting from University of Florida and is a proud member of Actors Equity Association since 1996.

Nicole Daenzer (Managing Director) is excited to be leading the

Hippodrome’s administrative team, after spending six years as the director of finance and operations. Prior to her time at the Hippodrome, she lived in San Francisco, where she worked in financial planning and earned her degree in classical languages and literatures. aut inveniam viam aut faciam.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR James Ijames (Author) James Ijames is a Philadelphia-based performer and playwright. He has appeared regionally in productions at the Arden Theatre Company, the Philadelphia Theatre Company, InterAct Theatre Company, the Wilma Theater, Baltimore Center Stage, Mauckingbird Theatre Company, and People’s Light and Theatre. James’ plays have been produced by Flashpoint Theatre Company, Orbiter 3, Theatre Horizon (Philadelphia), the National Black Theatre (NYC), and Ally Theatre Company (Washington, D.C.) and have received development with PlayPenn’s New Play Conference, the Lark, Playwrights Horizons, Clubbed Thumb, Villanova Theatre, the Gulfshore Playhouse, the Wilma Theater, Azuka Theatre, InterAct Theatre Company, and Victory Gardens. James is the 2011 recipient of the F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist, and he also won two Barrymores for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play for SUPERIOR DONUTS and ANGELS IN AMERICA and one Barrymore for Outstanding Direction of a Play for THE BROTHERS SIZE with Simpatico Theatre Company. James is a 2011 Independence Foundation Fellow, a 2015 Pew Fellow for Playwriting, the 2015 winner of the Terrance McNally New Play Award for WHITE, the 2015 Kesselring Honorable Mention Prize winner for MIZ MARTHA, and a 2017 recipient of the Whiting Award. James is a founding member of Orbiter 3, Philadelphia’s first playwright producing collective, and a mentor for the Foundry. He received a B.A. in Drama from Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, and a M.F.A. in Acting from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. James is Assistant Professor of Theatre at Villanova University and resides in South Philadelphia.

DIRECTOR STATEMENT Ryan George^ (Director) The past few years as a company member of The Hipp I’ve strived for us as a theatre to become more inclusive and diverse in the work we do. And more importantly expand our reach to the communities who we have underserved. Thanks to all of us here, we have begun embarking on truly doing that. By becoming more involved as company members and taking advantage of what The Hipp can truly offer. That includes talkbacks, readings, workshopping new plays from around the country and even locally by our current company members as well as Gainesville community artists.

By starting at the ground level with our audiences and allowing access to the creative process we will all benefit. And I’m hoping with this wonderful play WHITE by James Ijames we will continue our march into the future.

Ryan George^ (Director) is a BFA graduate from UF and Hipp Company Member. Credits include THIRST (Contemporary American Theater Festival), THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG (St. Louis Rep), and OTHELLO (7 Stages). Last seen at the Hipp co-directing and performing in THE ROYALE.

Lauren Nordvig*^ (Jane) is a Gator Grad, a Hipp Company Member, and UF Fine Arts Mentor. OffBway: The Woodsman, Sarah Ruhl’s Passion Play, The School for Husbands (NYClassical), The Misanthrope and The Rivals (The Pearl). Last seen at The Hipp directing The Mother Line Story Project and as Ophelia in Hamlet, she also appeared in Sirens and Venus in Fur.

WHO’S WHO IN WHITE Gregory Mallios (Gus) is so excited to be working with such a talented group of artists in his new home of Gainsville. Previous Regional Credits Include: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, The Shakspeare Theatre of New Jersey, People’s Light and Theatre Company, The Human Race Theatre Company, and Know Theatre of Cincinnati to name a few. Gregory is a current MFA Acting candidate at The University of Florida, and a proud graduate of Wright State University’s Professional Actor Training Program.

Minh Nguyen (Tanner) is a sophomore in the BFA Acting program at the University of Florida. You might have seen him recently in Columbinus (AP) with the Florida Players.

Minh would like to thank everyone that supports him.

Elaina Walton (Vanessa) is a 3rd year MFA Acting student at UF’s SOTD. Her credits include: Once On This Island, Chasing George Washington, Dreamgirls, Rent, The Colored Museum, and Hairspray. Elaina is thrilled to be making her Hipp debut, and would like to thank her family, friends, and her beautiful daughter for all of their love and support! Instagram: @itselainawalton