IRT Program: The Folks at Home/Frida ... A Self Portrait

Original artwork by Tasha Beckwith

Photo by Brian Paulette

A Round of Applause for Local Art

Invested in our community

For many years, OneAmerica ® has been proud to support the Indiana Repertory Theatre. The arts contribute to overall well-being, and so does sound financial planning.

Our legacy began in the heart of Indy 145 years ago — and it lives on in the hearts of our associates and the people we’re committed to serving.

CELEBRATING LOCAL ART

ONEAMERICA FINANCIAL | 2023-2024 SEASON SPONSOR

A vibrant community is a healthy community. OneAmerica is proud our sponsorship ranks among the longest-running in community theater nationwide. As a legacy supporter of Indiana Repertory Theatre, OneAmerica Financial celebrates IRT as a champion of imagination and inspiration. We hope you enjoy the 2023-2024 season.

—Scott Davison Chairman, President and CEO OneAmericaFinancial,2023-2024seasonsponsor

Through its community outreach efforts, the Navient Community Fund supports organizations and programs that address the root causes which limit financial success for all Americans. The Navient Community Fund is proud to support the Indiana Repertory Theatre as the Education Partner for the 2023-2024 Season.

Navient is a leading provider of asset management and business processing solutions to education, healthcare, and government clients at the federal, state, and local levels. Millions of Americans rely on financial support to further their education and improve their lives. We work hard each day to help our customers navigate financial challenges and achieve their goals.

We at Navient have a deep appreciation for the arts and for the hard work, passion, and emotion that go into them, as well as the positive influences the arts have on individuals and their communities. Our employees in central Indiana are proud to support our community through amazing programs like those offered by IRT.

Enjoy the show.

OUR MISSION & VISION

MISSION

Rooted in the heart of Indiana, Indiana Repertory Theatre is committed to building a vital, vibrant, and informed community through the transformational power of live theatre. The Indiana Repertory Theatre produces inclusive, top-quality, professional theatre and community programming to engage, surprise, challenge, and entertain members of the whole community.

VISION

The Indiana Repertory Theatre will welcome the whole community, becoming a place of belonging for an ever-expanding audience of all ages and backgrounds seeking meaningful and enjoyable experiences. Using theatre as a springboard for both personal reflection and community discussion, our productions and programs will inspire our neighbors to learn about themselves and others. As the largest nonprofit theatre in the state of Indiana, IRT’s goal is to help make Indiana a dynamic home of cultural expression, economic vitality, and a diverse and engaged citizenry.

AS AN INSTITUTION, WE VALUE...

SUSTAINING A PROFESSIONAL, RESPECTFUL, INCLUSIVE, & CREATIVE ATMOSPHERE

• Producing diverse plays, we strive to provide insight and celebrate human relationships through the unique vision of the playwright.

• Employing professional artists of the highest quality, we nurture an environment that allows them to grow and thrive on our stages and in our communities.

• We foster a creative environment where arts, education, corporate, civic, and cultural organizations collaborate to benefit our community

BUILDING INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND ACCESS (IDEA)

• Our community thrives when diverse voices and peoples gather to make, watch, and support theatre.

• It is our responsibility as a community resource to open our doors wide, welcoming all to our high-quality, relevant art.

• We acknowledge our history of privilege as a predominantly White institution as an initial and necessary step toward effectively supporting the dismantling of systems of oppression.

• To be an anti-racist organization we must seek knowledge and understanding to identify discriminatory practices and increase cultural awareness in collaboration with, and learning directly from, BIPOC, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex (LGBTQI+), functionally diverse, and other historically excluded communities.

PRUDENT STEWARDSHIP OF OUR RESOURCES

• As a public-benefit organization, we focus on community service, artistic integrity, and creating a range of ticket prices that allow all segments of our community to attend.

• Fiscal responsibility and financial security fuel our institutional sustainability.

• To ensure institutional longevity, we continue to grow our endowment fund as a resource for future development.

POLICY

ACKNOWLEDGING THE LAND

Every community owes its existence and vitality to generations from around the world who contributed their hopes, dreams, and energy to making the history that led to this moment. Some were brought here or removed from here against their will, some were drawn to leave their distant homes in hope of a better life, and some have lived on this land for more generations than can be counted. Acknowledgment of the land which the IRT now occupies is critical to building mutual respect and connection across all barriers of heritage.

We want to acknowledge that what we now call Indiana is on the ancestral lands of many indigenous peoples including the Miami, Piankashaw, Wea, Potawatomi, Kickapoo, Delaware, and Shawnee. We pay respects to their elders past and present. Please take a moment to consider the many legacies of displacement, migration, violence, and settlement that bring us together here today.

This land acknowledgment was created in collaboration with Scott Shoemaker, PhD (Miami Tribe of Oklahoma). Portions of this acknowledgment come from the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture (usdac.us).

ACKNOWLEDGING OUR BUILDING’S HISTORY

The Indiana Repertory Theatre moved to its current site on Washington Street in 1980, renovating and reopening a building that had been shuttered for nearly a decade.

The historic Indiana Theatre was built in 1927, a time when the shameful practice of racial segregation was the standard in movie theatres and public buildings across the United States. The Indiana Theatre building was originally segregated and at some point in its history this practice ceased. Many Indiana residents and their families’ heritage stories recall being treated as less than equal citizens in this building, with some even being barred from entering. We cannot erase this history.

We honor and respect all those who have faced discrimination and harm in this building. We strive every day to make the IRT a place that welcomes all people.

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE PROFILE

HISTORY

The Indiana Repertory Theatre was founded in 1972 by Ben Mordecai, Greg Poggi, and Ed Stern. Since then, it has grown into one of the leading regional theatres in the country, as well as one of the top-flight cultural institutions in the city and state. In 1991 Indiana’s General Assembly designated the IRT as “Theatre Laureate” of the state of Indiana. The IRT’s national reputation has been confirmed by prestigious grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Lila Wallace–Reader’s Digest Fund, the Theatre Communications Group–Pew Charitable Trusts, the Shubert Foundation, and the Kresge Foundation, and by a Joyce Award from the Joyce Foundation.

The IRT remains the largest fully professional resident not-for-profit theatre in the state, providing 100,000 live professional theatre experiences for its audience in a typical season. The Theatre regularly serves thousands of students from more than half of Indiana’s 92 counties, making the IRT one of the most youth-oriented professional theatres in the country. A staff of year-round employees creates seven productions exclusively for Indiana audiences. Actors, directors, and designers are members of professional stage unions.

The IRT’s history has been enacted in two historic downtown theatres. The Athenaeum Turners Building housed the company’s first eight seasons. Since 1980 the IRT has occupied the 1927 Indiana Theatre, which was renovated to contain three performance spaces (OneAmerica Stage, Upperstage, and Cabaret) and work spaces, reviving this historic downtown entertainment site.

To keep ticket prices and services affordable for the entire community, the IRT operates as a not-for-profit organization, deriving more than 50% of its operating income from contributions. The theatre is generously supported by foundations, corporations, and individuals, an investment which recognizes the IRT’s mission-based commitment to serving central Indiana with top-quality theatrical fare

PROGRAMS

The OneAmerica Season includes five productions from classical to contemporary.

Young Playwrights in Process The IRT offers Young Playwrights in Process (YPiP), a playwriting contest and workshop for Indiana middle and high school students.

Community Gathering Place Located in a beautiful historic landmark, the IRT offers a wide variety of unique and adaptable spaces for family, business, and community gatherings of all types. Please email Jacob Lang, House Manager, at jlang@irtlive.comor call 317.916.4872 for more information.

Opportunities The IRT depends on the generous donation of time and energy by volunteer ushers; please email Jacob Lang, House Manager, at jlang@irtlive.comor call 317.916.4872 to learn how you can become involved.

Meet the Artists Regularly scheduled pre-show chats and post-show discussions offer audiences unique insights into each production.

Student Matinees The IRT continues a long-time commitment to student audiences with live school-day student matinee performances of all IRT productions. These performances are augmented with educational activities and curriculum support materials.

Educational Programs Auxiliary services offered include workshops on demand, study guides, pre- and post-show discussions, and detailed discussions with artistic staff and community leaders.

Classes The IRT offers classes inspired by the works we see to continue learning for a wide variety of ages, including our IRT Theatre Camp. Email education@irtlive.com or call 317.635.4841 for further information.

PROUD

JOIN

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE: WELCOMING THE WHOLE COMMUNITY

We strive to celebrate and serve the diverse people and cultures that make up our whole community. The IRT is committed to creating and maintaining an antiracist theatre that is inclusive, safe, respectful, and accessible.

Whether you have been coming for years or are here for the first time—welcome to your Theatre!

VALUES

• Our community thrives when diverse voices and peoples gather to make, watch, and support theatre.

• It is our responsibility as a community resource to open our doors wide, welcoming all to our high-quality, relevant art.

• We must acknowledge our history of privilege as a Predominantly White Institution in order to effectively support dismantling systems of oppression.

• In order to be an antiracist and inclusive organization we must seek knowledge and understanding to identify discriminatory practices and increase cultural awareness in collaboration with, and learning directly from, BIPOC, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex (LGBTQI+), functionally diverse, and other historically excluded communities.

COMMITMENTS

• We will represent and engage the diverse people, cultures, and communities of central Indiana.

• We will employ more people of color, with a goal of 40% of all new hires being BIPOC, and foster an inclusive culture of artists, staff, board, and vendors.

• We will continue and deepen our Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) training for all board and staff.

• We will be accessible to all audiences inviting those who have been unheard or unseen in the past, including functionally diverse people, BIPOC, LGBTQI+, and under-resourced communities.

If you would like to read more about our Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) work, go to irtlive.com/about/idea.

Indiana Repertory Theatre proudly partners with Indiana Youth Group (IYG) for The Folks at Home, supporting IYG’s mission to create safer spaces and empower LGBTQ+ youth. Since 1987, IYG has championed the wellbeing of LGBTQ+ young people, offering free, supportive services and fostering a community where individuals can thrive. This collaboration celebrates the power of inclusive storytelling and the importance of affirming spaces for all. Join us in uplifting the voices and lives of LGBTQ+ youth through this meaningful partnership

Indiana Repertory Theatre is thrilled to announce La Plaza as our Spotlight Partner for the production of Frida... A Self Portrait. As the premier Latino nonprofit in Central Indiana, La Plaza has played a pivotal role since 1971, initially established as El Centro Hispano, in advocating for and supporting the Latino community’s educational and social service needs. This partnership with La Plaza underscores our shared commitment to celebrating culture and fostering understanding across communities. Frida... A Self Portrait brings to life the bold, vibrant spirit of Frida Kahlo, a figure of immense resilience and creativity, themes that resonate deeply with La Plaza’s mission to empower Latinos in Central Indiana.

Spotlight Partnerships

LEADERSHIP: BENJAMIN HANNA

Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director

Ben is thrilled to embark on his first season as IRT’s Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director, following six years as the company’s Associate Artistic Director. At IRT he has directed Clue, Fahrenheit 451, The Book Club Play, A Christmas Carol, and Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!,” among others. This season he looks forward to directing our first musical in a decade: Little Shop of Horrors.

As a director, educator, and community engagement specialist, Ben is guided by the belief that access to high-quality theatre helps build creative, empathetic people and healthy communities. Across his career, he has focused on building the next generation of artists and audiences by creating and advocating for multigenerational, multicultural, and family-oriented programming. Prior to his role at IRT, he spent five years at Berkeley Repertory Theatre and directed shows at the Bay Area Children’s Theatre. In his native Minnesota, he served on the education staff of Penumbra Theatre Company and was an artistic associate at Children’s Theatre Company. He is the recipient of the prestigious Theatre Communications Group Leadership University Award funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and is a recent graduate of the Stanley K. Lacy Leadership Program—Class XLVI.

Ben holds a degree in theatre arts from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. He fell in love with telling stories at the age of eleven at the Prairie Wind Players community theatre in rural Minnesota, and he continues to create for his favorite audience: his five nieces and nephews.

The cast of the IRT’s 2023 production of Clue. Photo by Zach Rosing.

MARGOT LACY ECCLES WAS A LEADING PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORTER OF THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES. THE INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE CHERISHES ITS HISTORY WITH MRS. ECCLES AS A SUBSCRIBER, BOARD MEMBER, DONOR, AND CHAMPION OF OUR ORGANIZATION IN BOTH ITS EDUCATIONAL AND ARTISTIC LEADERSHIP. IN RECOGNITION OF MRS. ECCLES’S LEGACY AS BENEFACTOR AND ADVISOR, THE INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE IS PROUD TO HAVE NAMED ITS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR POSITION THE MARGOT LACY ECCLES ARTISTIC DIRECTOR.

LEADERSHIP: SUZANNE SWEENEY

Managing Director

Suzanne is a 25-year veteran of the IRT and is excited to work with Benjamin Hanna as co-CEO of the company, where she oversees its administrative functions. During her tenure, the IRT has secured a long-term lease for the building with the City of Indianapolis, renovated the Upperstage Lobby and restrooms, and raised $20 million for its Front and Center campaign.

Suzanne was elected Treasurer of the national League of Resident Theatres, where she serves as a board member. She has been a panelist for Shakespeare in American Communities in cooperation with Arts Midwest. She was the treasurer of Irish Fest for nine years, a member of the board of directors and treasurer of the Day Nursery Association (now Early Learning Indiana) for three years, and treasurer of Indy Fringe.

Suzanne is a graduate of the College of William & Mary and Indiana University. She has worked in finance in Washington DC, Texas, Germany, Hawaii, and New Zealand. She is an alum of the Stanley K. Lacy Leadership Program (Class XXXI). She lives in Lockerbie with her son, Jackson, and spends some of her downtime in Palatine, Illinois, with her partner, Todd Wiencek.

Cereyna Jade Bougouneau, Claire Kashman and Devan Mathias in the IRT’s 2022 production of Sense and Sensibility. Photo by Zach Rosing.

IN 2017, SARAH & JOHN LECHLEITER CREATED THE JAMES STILL PLAYWRIGHT-IN-RESIDENCE FUND, PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR THE PLAYWRIGHT-IN-RESIDENCE AS WELL AS THE CREATION OF NEW WORK FOR THE IRT.

Playwright-in-Residence

This is James’s final season as the IRT’s Playwright in Residence: an unprecedented relationship between an artist, a theatre, and audience that has seen 17 of James’s plays in 23 productions, as well as the more than 20 additional productions he has directed on both of the IRT stages. His work has been produced throughout the United States, Canada, China, Japan, Europe, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

James is a member of the National Theatre Conference in New York, and a Kennedy Center inductee of the College of Fellows of the American Theatre. Other honors include the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award for drama, the Todd McNerney New Play Prize from the Spoleto Festival, and the William Inge Festival’s Otis Guernsey New Voices Award. Three of his plays have received the Distinguished Play Award from the American Alliance for Theatre & Education, and his plays have been nominated four times for the Pulitzer Prize.

James also works in television and film and has been nominated for five Emmys and a Television Critics Association Award; he has twice been a finalist for the Humanitas Prize. James grew up in Kansas and lives in Los Angeles.

Below: Jennifer Johansen, Aaron Kirby, Constance Macy, and David Shih in the IRT’s 2021 production of The House That Jack Built written by James Still. Photos by Zach Rosing.

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE STAFF & ASSOCIATES

Benjamin Hanna

Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director

Suzanne Sweeney Managing Director

Ariana Fisher Office Administrator

Malia Argüello Production Manager

Hillary Martin Company Manager

Richard J Roberts

Resident Dramaturg

Jane Robison General Manager

James Still

Playwright-in-Residence

Tara Parchman

Robin Reid

Toni Bader

Edith McDonnel

Dameon Cooper

Building Manager

Housekeeping

Roger Cunningham

Carlton Foster

Steven Robinson

Erica Bascom

Costume Shop Manager

Lane Fiorini

Wardrobe Supervisor

Heather Hirvela

Draper

Niamh Langfitt

First Hand

Brady Clark

Development Systems

Tracy Heaton de Martinez

Development Associate for Strategic Initiatives

Eric J. Olson

Institutional Giving Manager

Steven MacPherson Stolen Director of Development

Kay Swank-Herzog Individual Giving Manager

Anna E. Barnett Education Manager

Claire Wilcher Education Assistant

Paully Crumpacker Electrician

Beth A. Nuzum Lighting Manager

Megan Stockreef Electrician

Crowe Horwath

External Auditors

Faegre Drinker Legal Counsel

Jeffrey Bledsoe Director of Finance

Jen Carpenter

Payroll & Benefits Specialist

Amanda Keen Business Manager

Devon Ginn

Director of Inclusion &

Kerry Barmann

Associate Director of Marketing

Geneva Denney-Moore Design & Communications Manager

Danielle M. Dove

Director of Marketing & Sales

Megan Ebbeskotte Audience Development Manager

Noelani Langille

Multimedia & Design Manager

Claire Dana Charge Scenic Artist

Jim Schumacher

Scenic Artist

Assistant House Managers

Grace Branam

Stacy Brown

Preston Dildine

Dieter Finn

Christine Gordon

Marilyn Hatcher

Lexi Hudson

Sarah James

Jacob Lang

Claire Martin

Alicia McClendon

Phoebe Rodgers

Kathy Sax

Karen Sipes

Sam Stucky

Katy Thompson

House & Events Manager

Bartender

Tina Weaver

Customer Service Representatives

Ashlee Lancaster

Melody Lindner

Owen Louden

Chelsea Senibaldi

Cara Wilson

Courtney Plummer

Ticket Office Manager

Molly Wible Sweets

Tessitura Administrator

Eric Wilburn

Assistant Ticket Office Manager

Jen Blue Hands

Kristin Boyd

Oz Casile

LB Clark

Ryan Dafforn

Ben Dobler

Lee Edmundson

Andrea Haskett

Katharine Ivey

Louie Kaufman

Amanda Keen

Bailey Lewis

Madelaine Foster

Emma Littau

Jackie Mahon

Christopher Nelson

Axel Osborne

Rebekah Radloff

Rebecca Reyes

Jacob Spencer

Anthony Stultz

Abbie Wagner

Jackie Walburn

Assistant Properties Shop Manager

Rachelle Martin

Properties Shop Manager

Nick Chamberlain Stage Operations Supervisor

WonJun Brendon Choi Operations Carpenter

Chris Fretts Technical Director

Nick Kilgore Automation Supervisor/Carpenter

Samantha-Rae Oliver Carpenter

David Sherrill Master Carpenter

Brittany Hayth

Lead Audio Engineer

Todd Mack

Head of Audio and Video

Stage Managers

Nathan Garrison

Erin Robson-Smith

Janine Vanderhoff

Assistant Stage Manager

Becky Roeber

Production Assistants

Isabella Garza

Emma Littau

Natalie Stigall

Doug Sims

Group Sales & Teleservices Manager

Left: The cast of the IRT’s 2023 production of Oedipus.

Above: Mi Kang in the IRT’s 2022 production of The Chinese Lady

Below: Belle Taylor-Moore and Rob Johansen in the IRT’s 2022 production of A Christmas Carol. Photos by Zach Rosing.

Welcome to the Indiana Repertory Theatre. As we move into our 51st season, we are delighted to welcome Ben Hanna in his new position as Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director.

In this busy world, with so many demands on our time and our dollars, we appreciate not only your presence and your participation, but also your continuing financial support, which makes our work possible. On behalf of the Board of Directors, thank you for choosing the IRT.

Your contribution is a vital part of our success. If you enjoy this production, please encourage your friends to come see it. If you do not already have a season ticket or a smaller ticket package, why not join the family? Consider a membership in the Repertory Society, too.

Great art doesn’t just happen. It takes committed patrons such as yourself in tandem with talented artisans. Enjoy the show!

–AndrewMichie,IRTBoardChair

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CHAIR

Andrew Michie

OneAmerica Financial

VICE CHAIR & CHAIR ELECT

Jill Lacy

The Lacy Foundation

TREASURER

Joy Kleinmaier

American Specialty Health

SECRETARY

Julian Harrell

Faegre Drinker

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR

Mark Shaffer* KPMG LLP

Kathryn Beiser

Eli Lilly & Company

Kathy G. Cabello

Cabello Associates

Michael P. Dinius

Noble Consulting Services, Inc.

Laurie Dippold

KAR Auction Services, Inc.

Brooke Dunn

Faegre Drinker

Dan Emerson*

Indianapolis Colts

Troy D. Farmer

FORVIS

Tom Froehle*

Faegre Drinker

Patricia Gamble-Moore

PNC

Ashley Garry

Viatris Inc.

Ron Gifford

RDG Strategies LLC

BOARD EMERITUS

Robert Anker* (in memoriam)

Rollin Dick

Berkley Duck*

Dale Duncan*

James W. Freeman

Nadine Givens*

Ricardo L. Guimarães Indiana University

Kelley School of Business

Michael N. Heaton

Katz Sapper & Miller, Retired

Brenda Horn

Ice Miller LLP, Retired

Lauren James

Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation

Elisha Modisett Kemp

Corteva Agriscience

Alan Mills

Barnes & Thornburg LLP

Nicholas C. Pappas

Frost Brown Todd

Rita Patel

Jane Pauley Health Center

Brian Payne

Central Indiana Community Foundation |

The Indianapolis Foundation, Retired

Michael Lee Gradison* (in memoriam)

Mike Harrington*

Margie Herald (in memoriam)

David Klapper

David Kleiman*

Sarah Lechleiter

Tammara D. Porter American Electric Power

Peter Racher

Plews Shadley Racher & Braun LLP

Peter N. Reist

Oxford Financial Group, Ltd.

Susan O. Ringo Community Volunteer

Myra C. Selby Ice Miller LLP

Darshan Shah BioCrossroads

Shelly Smith

Ernst & Young LLP

Sue Smith Community Volunteer

E. Kirk McKinney Jr. (in memoriam)

Michael Moriarty

Richard O. Morris* (in memoriam)

Jane Schlegel*

Wayne Schmidt

Jerry Semler* (in memoriam)

Jack Shaw*

Mike Simmons

William E. Smith III*

Eugene R. Tempel*

David Whitman*

Dear Audiences,

The grey of Indiana winter has us all longing for the sun. While we wait for her to come out from behind the clouds, we share two pieces to warm your heart and stir your imagination.

In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, as a part of our virtual season, we produced R. Eric Thomas’s haunting play Mrs. Harrison. You may know his writing from TV, Elle magazine, or one of his bestselling books. I love the way he writes people: real language that feels natural and organic, yet stylized and just a bit larger than life. When dreaming of this season, we wanted audiences to be in the room with more of R. Eric’s joyful, heart-filled characters. Enter The Folks at Home: a delightful new comedy perfect for these last grey days of winter.

Growing up, I saw very few representations of LGBTQ+ people in supportive, loving family relationships. Most of the stories in the ’80s, ’90s, and early ’00s centered on the difficulty of “coming out” and other painful aspects of the queer experience. And while a global struggle still persists for equal rights, it’s also necessary to experience stories where sexuality and gender identity aren’t the central conflict. Today, we are blessed with a more robust and diverse exploration of the intersections of age, race, class, and sexuality in our modern American families, and The Folks at Home infuses that discussion with uproarious laughter, rigorous thoughtfulness, and paradigmshifting compassion.

Last season I saw Frida: A Self Portrait in Cincinnati, and I left the theatre with a renewed commitment to our art form. I’ve known playwright and actor Vanessa Severo for years and have marveled at her genius and radiance. In this production she brings Frida and many other characters to life, in an epic telling that is both intimate and highly theatrical.

Vanessa—like Frida—is a force. They both command our attention, push past perceived boundaries, and lead us to deeper truths about ourselves as artists and as consumers of art. What do we love and why do we love it?

Together, these two plays broaden the range of whose stories get told. The Folks at Home is multigenerational and multi-racial, with queer characters at the center of our story. Vanessa is the first Latine playwright we have ever produced in our 50-year history, and she is also one of very few disabled actors who have graced our stages. It is our honor to produce these stories. Everyone should have the profoundly meaningful and joyous opportunity to see themselves reflected on stage.

I hope that these plays bring you much joy and illuminate new perspectives and new ideas, opening the doors to our theatre even wider.

BENJAMIN HANNA, MARGOT LACY ECCLES ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

EXPLORE INDY ARTS.

DISCOVER THE BEST OF CENTRAL INDIANA ARTS AND CULTURE.

ClaireWilcher andBeethovan Oden in the IRT’s 2023 production of Clue.

ONEAMERICA MAINSTAGE

FEBRUARY 20 – MARCH 16

Director______________________

REGGIE D. WHITE

Scenic Designer_______________________ LINDA BUCHANAN

Costume Designer___________________________ YAO CHEN

Lighting Designer_______________________ JARED GOODING

Sound Designer________________________ SHARATH PATEL

Composer__________________________ DEREK A. GRAHAM

Intimacy_________________________ SAMANTHA KAUFMAN

Dramaturg_________________________ RICHARD J ROBERTS

Stage Manager______________________ ERIN ROBSON-SMITH

Casting____________________________ CLAIRE SIMON CSA

Share your review on social media by tagging us at @IRTLIVE, using #IRTLIVE or by emailing REVIEWS@IRTLIVE.COM

SCENIC DESIGNER: Linda Buchanan

LIGHTING DESIGNER: Jarod Gooding

Brandon Littlefield Harrison _______________________________________ GARRETT YOUNG

Roger Harrison_________________________________________________ KEITH ILLIDGE

Pamela Harrison_____________________________________________ OLIVIA D. DAWSON

Vernon Harrison_________________________________________________ SEAN BLAKE

Maureen Littlefield________________________________________ TRACY MICHELLE ARNOLD

Alice______________________________________________________ CLAIRE WILCHER

Brittany Littlefield______________________________________________ CLAIRE WILCHER

A small South Baltimore row home. Present day.

APPROXIMATERUNTIME: 2 hours and 15 minutes, including one 15 minute intermission.

The world premiere of The Folks at Home was produced by Baltimore Center Stage, Stephanie Ybarra, Artistic Director.

Performance permission for The Folks at Home is granted by A3 Artists Agency, Empire State Building, 350 Fifth Avenue, 38th Floor, New York, New York 10118. All inquiries concerning rights to the play shall be addressed to the above.

Wig Designer: Dennis Milam Bensie

Assistant Wig Designer: Amanda Keen

Dialect Coach: Henry McDaniel

Actors and stage managers in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. The director is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union.

The scenic, costume, lighting, and sound designers are represented by United Scenic Artists Local 829, IATSE.

Photography and recording are forbidden in the theatre. The videotaping of this production is a violation of United States Copyright Law and an actionable Federal Offense.

BENJAMIN HANNA Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director

SUZANNE SWEENEY Managing Director

OriginalartworkbyTashaBeckwith

Watching Together

BY R. ERIC THOMAS, PLAYWRIGHT

On the evening of May 14, 1992, my mother and I were at Security Square Mall in my home town of Baltimore. This was a problem because May 14 was a Thursday and that meant Must-See TV. On this particular Thursday, A Different World’s Whitley (Jasmine Guy) was to marry Byron (Joe Morton) even though she was supposed to be with Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison). It was an event that rivaled the moon landing in importance—and I will defend that point in a court of law. At the mall, we passed by the Baltimore Gas & Electric store, where a bank of TVs in the front window was playing the show. A crowd had gathered, and we joined them. On TV, a minister began the ceremony, and then Dwayne Wayne burst into the wedding, confessing his love! The crowd at the mall screamed! Dwayne cried, “Please, baby, please!” And then … the manager of the store turned the TVs off because they were 5 minutes to closing.

Well, we just about rioted. I haven’t paid my electric bill since, out of protest. Got a solar roof for spite.

I was 11 and that was the first time I’d experienced TV as a communal event. What I began to piece together was that these characters and the emotions they provoked were creating a shared vocabulary in tens of millions of homes every night. I later learned that the vocabulary has a name—monoculture—and that we are probably past the age when things like that happen. We are almost never watching the same thing at the same time anymore.

The question that I often ponder about TV from the age of monoculture is this: Did we identify with Whitley and Dwayne, et al., because the TV screen acts as an imperfect mirror in a society determined to erase us? Or was it because art has the power to translate the ineffable? Honestly, I think it’s both (and as a writer I’m contractually obligated to do so). Even if you didn’t watch A Different World, we’re all attuned to the rhythms, tropes, and archetypes that made up the TV landscape. This play is animated by the echoes of those archetypes, as well as another monocultural idea: the American Dream.

I wanted to dig into the place where sitcom possibilities don’t match up with lived realities. Where the options are few and the math in the budget ain’t mathing right. What then? How do these characters find joy, hope, and their own dreams?

The people in this play are struggling against a feeling of invisibility in America. It’s connected to what they do for money, how they see themselves reflected in culture, and their proximity to the dream. But it’s answered, I hope, by what waits for them at home.

The beauty and the magic of theatre, in an age when so often we’re not watching the same thing, is that we don’t have to be content to search for our reflections in the mirror of the screen. We get to be in the room with these people and each other. Together.

Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) interrupts the wedding of Byron (Joe Morton) and Whitley (Jasmin Guy) on A Different World, 1992)

Pieces of Ourselves

BY REGGIE D. WHITE, DIRECTOR

It seems today that all you see is violence in movies, and it’s a rare condition in this day and age to read any good news on the newspaper page. So, no one told you life was gonna be this way, but you take the good, you take the bad, you take them both, and then we’ll make it better, the second time around.

Our favorite sitcoms, and their hopelessly catchy theme songs, have always held a unique ability to capture our collective imaginations. From well-loved bars in Boston, where everybody knows your name, to high schools in California ruled by students who always seem to be saved by the bell, these shows, with their hilarious and charmingly flawed characters, effortlessly transport us from our world into theirs through the singular power of comedy.

But it wasn’t all “dyn-o-mite” and “kiss my grits.” Classic sitcoms also showed our favorite characters tackling complicated socioculture issues like peer pressure, mental illness, and substance abuse. These shows understood that if you could make someone laugh, you would have a much easier time making them think. And week after week, we saw little pieces of ourselves reflected in these characters chasing their own version

of the American Dream—from aliens named Mork to teenage girls named Moesha.

The Folks at Home is built exactly like your favorite classic sitcom. There’s a house. A newly married couple, wacky inlaws, an Alice who’s … well, she’s Alice. Each of them chasing their version of the American Dream—but American life keeps getting in the way.

And, though it does send up our favorite sitcoms of yesteryear, R. Eric Thomas’s gorgeous play also walks in the footsteps of classic American plays like Death of a Salesman and A Raisin in the Sun—plays that deeply question the assumptions with which those American Dreams are built, plays that leave us yearning to live fuller, more authentic versions of our own lives. Lives that require bravery and honesty, because when you’re lost out there and you’re all alone, the tide is, in fact, waiting to carry you home, but sometimes you have to ask for help. Sometimes you have to pick yourself up and dust yourself off. Sometimes you have to start over. But you never have to do it alone.

Thank you for coming to the theatre tonight.

Enjoy The Folks at Home.

TRACY MICHELLE ARNOLD | Maureen Tracy has appeared at the IRT in Shakespeare’s Will and A Doll’s House Part 2. She is a member of the Core Acting Company at American Players Theatre, where her roles have included Kate in TheTamingoftheShrew, Cleopatra in AntonyandCleopatra, Jacques in As You Like It, Lady M in Macbeth, Olivia in Twelfth Night, Judith Bliss in Hay Fever, Beatrice in Much Ado about Nothing, Malaprop in The Rivals, and Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire. Other regional credits include the Goodman Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. “Love to M & G.”

SEAN BLAKE | Vernon Sean has appeared in the IRT’s A Christmas Carol for the past two seasons. Broadway/National Tour: Hal Prince and Susan Strohman’s Show Boat. Regional credits: the Goodman Theatre, the Court Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the Kennedy Center, Seattle Rep, Asolo Rep, Alabama Shakespeare Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse, and many more. Sean can be heard on the original cast recording of Hal Prince and Stephen Sondheim’s Bounce. Television credits: Empire (FOX), ChicagoP.D. (NBC), and Mixtape (Netflix). Sean is a proud member of AEA and SAG, and is represented by Gray Talent. “Enjoy.”

OLIVIA D. DAWSON | Pamela Olivia made her IRT debut in Oedipus. She has worked regionally with Steppenwolf Theatre, the Louisville Orchestra, Portland Center Stage, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, New Stages Theatre, Atlanta Shakespeare Company, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Madison Repertory Theatre, Theatre Lila, Forward Theatre, Horizon Theatre, Robey Theatre, and Barter Theatre, to name a few. Film/TV: Honk for Jesus, Dopesick, Chicago Med, Empire, Wolfpack (recurring), and Cobra Kai, among others. Olivia was part of the inaugural cohort of the 2020 Arts and Social Justice Fellowship at Emory University and a Spring 2021 Fellow with the Hambidge Center. oliviaddawson.com

KEITH ILLIDGE | Roger Keith is honored and thrilled to be making his IRT debut in The Folks at Home. Some of his favorite theatre credits include As Much as I Can tour (Harley&Co.), Marie Antoinette and the Magical Negroes (Story Theatre), The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington (Steppenwolf), The Last Pair of Earlies (Raven), The Meeting (FleetwoodJourdain), and Untitled:AOne-ManShow(Inis-Nua). Keith is a proud graduate at the Theatre School at DePaul and is represented by Gray Talent. “Seek God first!” @klou_theartist

CLAIRE WILCHER | Alice & Brittany Claire was last seen at the IRT as Mrs. Peacock in Clue. This past holiday season, Claire was the director and head writer of (and acted in) A Very Phoenix Xmas Returns at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Center. Various other fave credits: Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Phebe in As You Like It (Indianapolis Shakespeare Company); Storyteller in Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Trekkie Monster/Lucy in Avenue Q (Phoenix Theatre). Directing: Love’s Labor’s Lost (IndyShakes), The Diary of Anne Frank (Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre). Claire is also a certified Intimacy Director with IDC Professionals. clairewilcher.com

GARRETT YOUNG | Brandon Garrett is honored to be making his IRT debut with this delicious play. Other theatre credits include Lynn Nottage’s Clyde’s (Goodman Theatre/Mark Taper Forum), Trayf (Geffen Playhouse—LA Drama Critics Nomination), My Father’s War (TheatreSquared), Q Brothers’ Christmas Carol (St. Louis Shakespeare Festival—St. Louis Theatre Circle nomination). TV credits include J.J. Abrams’ Duster & NBC’s ChicagoFire,NewAmsterdam,ChicagoMed, and ChicagoJustice. Garrett is a founding member of the Santa Fe–based immersive collective the Exodus Ensemble. Training: the Theatre School at DePaul University & the British American Drama Academy. @garrettryoung

R. ERIC THOMAS | Playwright Playwright: Mrs. Harrison (produced by the IRT in 2021), Safe Space, Backing Track, Merland, The Ever Present, Human Resources, and Always the Bridesmaid. Author: Here for It, or How to Save Your Soul in America; a biography of Rep. Maxine Waters, Reclaiming Her Time, written with Helena Andrews Dyer. Television: AppleTV+’s Dickinson, FX’s Better Things. For four years he was a senior staff writer for Elle.com. He won the 2016 Barrymore Award for Best New Play (Time Is on Our Side) and the 2018 Dramatists Guild Lanford Wilson Award. He has been published multiple times in the New York Times, TIME, Philadelphia Inquirer, and others.

REGGIE D. WHITE | Director

Reggie is delighted to return to IRT after appearing in A Christmas Carol as Fred/Ghost of Christmas Future in 2018. Selected directing credits—Off-Broadway: And in ThisCorner,CassiusClay (Atlantic Theater Co), Buzzer (Public Theater—Associate Director); regional: Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, the Williams Project, Bay Street Theater, AlterTheater Ensemble. Selected Acting Credits—Broadway: The Inheritance (winner of four Tony Awards); Off-Broadway: New York Theatre Workshop, Public Theater, 59E59. Training: Atlantic Acting School, Cal State Hayward. Senior Artistic Producer at Arena Stage and Associate Artistic Director at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. reggiedwhite.com

LINDA BUCHANAN | Scenic Designer At the IRT, Linda has designed You Can’t Take It with You, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The 39 Steps, and more. She has designed hundreds of stage productions at regional theatres across the country and abroad. Awards include the Merritt Award for Design and Collaboration, Jeff Awards for House and Black Snow at the Goodman and I Hate Hamlet at the Royal George, and a Helen Hayes Award for Dancing at Lughnasa at Arena Stage. Linda is a professor emerita of the Theatre School at DePaul University, where she was associate dean and head of the scene design program.

YAO CHEN | Costume Designer IRT: The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin, The House That Jack Built, The Diary of Anne Frank. Recent projects: Mozart l’opéra rock (Seven Ages, Ltd, Beijing China), Mr. Parent (Boston Playwright Theatre, Geva Theatre Center). Active collaborator with Seattle Children’s Theatre; Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey; Berkshire Theatre Group; Trinity Repertory Company; Merrimack Repertory Theatre; New Repertory Theatre; Contemporary American Theatre Festival; Children’s Theatre of Charlotte; Lyric Company of Boston; Theatre Square; Orlando Repertory Theatre; Orlando Shakespeare Theatre; Don Gong Theatre in Beijing, China; Expresso Theatre in San Jose, Costa Rica; Cayman Culture Foundation, Cayman Island. yao-chen.com, USA 829

JARED GOODING | Lighting Designer IRT: TheReclamationofMadisonHemings and Clue. Regional: Writers Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Bristol Riverside Theatre, Florentine Opera Company, First Stage, DePaul University, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Victory Gardens, TimeLine Theatre, Madison Children’s Theater, University of Illinois Chicago Theatre, University of Indiana Northwest, Remy Bumppo Theatre, Strawdog Theatre, The Hypocrites, Definition Theatre, First Floor Theater, About Face Theatre, MPAACT, and Pegasus Theatre. Jared was the lighting assistant for TheWiz Live on NBC, and associate designer for Lookingglass Theatre’s tour of Lookingglass Alice in Miami and Denver. Based in Chicago, Jared spends weekends as a professional DJ. goodingdesigns.com

SHARATH PATEL | Sound Designer Based in Portland, Oregon, Sharath works nationally and internationally focusing on experimental, commercial, academic, political, and socially conscious theatre. IRT: The Book Club Play. Recent designs: Cleveland Play House, Theatrical Outfit, Portland Center Stage, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Seattle Children’s Theatre, ACT, American Rep, Artists Rep, Seattle Rep, Yale Rep, Alabama Shakes. Additional work: New York City, San Francisco, L.A., India, France, England, Germany, Romania. Affiliations: USA829, Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association, Arts Envoy for the U.S. Department of State, Resident Artist at Artists Rep. B.F.A.: Ohio University. M.F.A.: Yale School of Drama. sharathpatel.com

DEREK A. GRAHAM | Composer Derek is pleased to be collaborating with Indiana Rep for the first time. Composer credits include Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (Cleveland Play House), Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Asolo Repertory Theatre), In Every Generation (TheatreWorks Silicon Valley), Toni Stone (Milwaukee Repertory Theatre/Alliance Theatre), Protocol (Portland Center Stage), The Chinese Lady (Artists Repertory Theatre). Derek holds an M.F.A. in sound design from Ohio University and a B.A. in music with an emphasis in sound recording technology from Elizabeth City State University.

SAMANTHA KAUFMAN | Intimacy Samantha is an intimacy director, fight director, actor, and teaching artist. She is based in Chicago and works internationally. Samantha is a Certified Intimacy Director with Intimacy Directors and Coordinators. A Certified Teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors. A Jeff Award nominated fight choreographer. An award winning actor. She has been a resident artist with Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Prague Shakespeare Company. Regionally, Samantha has worked with theatres such as Lyric Opera of Chicago, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Cleveland Play House, and others. SamanthaJKaufman.com

RICHARD J ROBERTS | Dramaturg This is Richard’s 34th season with the IRT, and his 26th as resident dramaturg. He has also been a dramaturg for the New Harmony Project, Write Now, and the Hotchner Playwriting Festival. He has directed IRT productions of A Christmas Carol, The Cay, Bridge & Tunnel, The Night Watcher, Neat, Pretty Fire, The Giver, The Power of One, and Twelfth Night. Other directing credits include Actors Theatre of Indiana, the Phoenix, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, and the Edyvean. Richard studied music at DePauw and theatre at IU and was awarded a Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship from the Arts Council of Indianapolis.

ERIN ROBSON-SMITH | Stage Manager Since moving to Indianapolis in 2013, Erin has had the pleasure of working with IRT and its incredible staff. Favorite productions include AChristmasCarol, ThePaperDreamsofHarryChin,Pipeline, and FindingHome with IRT; TheHotelNepenthe and Love Bird with the Phoenix Theatre; The Convent with Summit Performance Indianapolis; Sometimes a Great Notion and Frost/Nixon with Portland Center Stage; and Metamorphoses and Frozen with Artists Repertory Theatre. Erin spent the summers of 2008 and 2009 working with the JAW Festival at Portland Center Stage.

CLAIRE SIMON | CSA Based in Chicago, Claire Simon CSA has worked with the IRT for the past 24 years on casting more than 40 productions, including A Christmas Carol, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Clue, Oedipus, Sense and Sensibility, Murder on the Orient Express, Twelve Angry Men, You Can’t Take It With You, Holmes and Watson, and many more. Other regional credits include Syracuse Stage, Asolo Theatre, Lyric Opera, Milwaukee Rep, and the Tony Award–winning Million Dollar Quartet. TV credits include Empire,Easy,Sense8,ChicagoFire,ChicagoPD,Crisis, and Betrayal. Film credits include Divergent,Contagion,Unexpected, and Man of Steel. Claire has won two Artios Awards.

ANSWERING THE WORLD’S MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION: WHAT’S FOR DINNER?

Corteva Agriscience is on a mission to help nourish the world.

KEEP GROWING.

SARAH & JOHN LECHLEITER SEASON SUPPORTERS OF JAMES STILL

& AMY MICHIE SEASON SUPPORTERS OF BENJAMIN HANNA

CRAIG & BETSY DYKSTRA SEASON SUPPORTERS OF SUZANNE SWEENEY

SUSAN & CHARLIE GOLDEN SEASON SUPPORTERS OF ROB JOHANSEN

We're in Your Corner

People today can spend nearly half their lives over the age of 50. That’s a lot of living. So, it helps to have a wise friend and fierce defender like AARP in your corner and in your community so your money, health and happiness live as long as you do.

AARP offers caregiving supports, programs that help make Hoosier communities more livable, and more to help you achieve your goals and stay connected.

Find us at aarp.org/in.

Indiana Repertory Theatre 2024

Entering the Portals of Imagination

Faegre Drinker cheers the IRT for expanding imaginations and introducing new generations to the theatre and the world’s storytelling old and new! We are grateful for Indiana’s largest nonprofit theatre, which helps us see our lives more clearly, and reminds us to live with compassion and intention.

With 1,200 attorneys and consulting professionals licensed in nearly every state in the U.S., and with strategic offices in London and Shanghai, we also are committed to imagination and justice in our communities.

BACK TO THE FUTURE CAMPAIGN

In June, 2023, the IRT announced that the Upperstage Theatre would be renamed in honor of Janet and her indelible impact on the community, presenting a dazzling variety of creative work, innovative ideas, and an unswerving commitment to quality and the Theatre’s audience and staff.

Since 2021, the BACK TO THE FUTURE CAMPAIGN has received support from generous supporters. These friends and contributors have made gifts and commitments to honor Janet Allen and the important work that continues at the IRT. This work includes:

The creation of dedicated resources to attract and retain creative, artisan, and production talent so deeply impacted by the pandemic since 2020. You know well how important these talented professionals are to our commitment to world-class theatre here in Indiana.

If you were able to see the season opening production of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, you experienced some of the early investment

The Upperstage Theatre, soon to be the Janet Allen Stage, represents a legacy that you and countless others know well. The IRT would be delighted and honored to include your name as a contributor to the Back to the Future Campaign recognition. Your commitment powerfully notes Janet’s legacy and will be an ongoing reminder of your role in making her long IRT career a remarkable success. Your gift will place your name in the listing of others that honor Janet, the IRT, and your family. Honoring her legacy can also be part of your legacy when you consider a gift in your estate plans, making you an Ovation Society member. Janet’s legacy…Your legacy…worthy of an “ovation” indeed.

Join the dozens of IRT supporters and Janet Allen enthusiasts and consider making your gift or commitment to the Back to the Future Campaign and honoring Janet today. The world class theatre you have enjoyed, Janet has so deftly and passionately led, and the future to make the IRT even more impactful in its next 50 years have been possible in part by friends like you. A great celebration in the spring awaits us, we’ll hope to have you there to rename one of Janet’s “houses.”

MEDITATIONS ROOM

ROOM

Welcome to the home of IRT’s debut podcast, Green Room Meditations!

Hosted by Devon Ginn, IRT’s Director of Inclusion & Community Partnerships, this podcast holds space for theatre makers and lovers to examine the industry through a lens of justice and defiant mindfulness.

New episodes of the podcast will drop on the third Friday of every month!

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE HOSTED BY DEVON GINN

BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.

COMMUNITY IS IMPORTANT TO WILHELM.

We continuously seek opportunities to build and support the communities in which we live and work.

UPPERSTAGE THEATRE

MARCH 12 – APRIL 7

Director______________________

JOANIE SCHULTZ

Scenic Designer_____________________ JACQUELINE PENROD

Costume Designer______________________ KATHERINE DAVIS

Lighting Designer_______________________ RACHAEL CADY

Sound Designer & Original Music______________ THOMAS DIXON

Dramaturg_________________________ RICHARD J ROBERTS

Stage Manager______________________ JANINE VANDERHOFF

Share your review on social media by tagging us at @IRTLIVE, using #IRTLIVE or by emailing REVIEWS@IRTLIVE.COM

SCENIC DESIGNER: Jacqueline Penrod

LIGHTING DESIGNER: Rachael Cady

Frida’s bedroom, Casa Azul. July 13, 1954.

APPROXIMATERUNTIME: 1 hour and 30 minutes, with no intermission.

The actor and the stage manager in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. The director is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union.

The scenic, costume, lighting, and sound designers are represented by United Scenic Artists Local 829, IATSE.

Photography and recording are forbidden in the theatre. The videotaping of this production is a violation of United States Copyright Law and an actionable Federal Offense.

BENJAMIN HANNA Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director

SUZANNE SWEENEY Managing Director

Frida Kahlo_________________________________________________ VANESSA SEVERO

OriginalartworkbyKyleRagsdale

PLAYWRIGHT VANESSA SEVERO

IN 2019, WHEN KANSAS CITY REPERTORY THEATRE PRODUCED FRIDA … A SELF PORTRAIT, THE THEATRE’S INTERIM DIRECTOR OF NEW WORKS, LISA ROTHE (WHO HAS DIRECTED IRT PRODUCTIONS OF JAMES STILL’S INTERPRETING WILLIAM AND AMBER WAVES), DISCUSSED THE PLAY WITH PLAYWRIGHT VANESSA SEVERO.

LISA ROTHE: When did you first become excited by Frida Kahlo? And what was it that sparked your excitement?

VANESSA SEVERO: My interest in Frida Kahlo began around 2011 when my good friend told me he saw Frida Kahlo in me. This very statement made me curious, and I began researching her. The more I learned about Frida Kahlo, the more I felt I was seen and understood, and the world became a less lonely place. I became excited about the possibility of telling her story, because here was a woman that was seemingly unafraid of any challenge, and that spoke to me on all creative levels.

LISA: How did her work and life connect to you as an artist?

VANESSA: Frida was pretty much the first woman to do selfies; but instead of finding the right angle and filter for her face, Frida instead painted herself and her situations unapologetically. This is the very reason her art still connects to all of us today. Frida is celebrating authenticity in marriage, politics, infidelities, pain, and loss, and we can see that and understand it in our own lives, as an artist, as a human.

LISA: You have been working on this play for several years. What is it like to carve out a story over time?

VANESSA: Working on this play for five years has really given me the gift of growth. When I first presented Frida ... A Self Portrait at the Living Room Theatre in 2014, I was limited in my knowledge of her. What I knew about Frida was from what I read. Since then, I have traveled to Mexico City, spent time in Frida’s house—La Casa Azul—and talked to the locals there about their experience and connection to her. The funny thing that happened in the last five years that I did not anticipate was, I have changed: my writing, my thoughts, and my connection to Frida have deepened.

LISA: How is it to build your performance of Frida physically as you are in the process of writing it?

VANESSA: Learning to embody Frida presented a challenge that changed the way this story needed to be told. In learning to live in Frida’s skin, I realized I was learning to live in my own. I had to be 100% honest with all elements of this story, and as a result, it has become “our” story.

LISA: What does sharing the imagined voice of Frida give to others?

VANESSA: What we leave behind can sometimes supersede who we truly were. Sharing an imagined voice of Frida Kahlo, I feel, gives us the chance to see that she was a living, breathing person ... just like us.

LISA: How does Frida’s continued self-examination through self portraiture offer a window for the viewer to consider her position in the world? And by extension, the world of the viewer?

VANESSA: We all share some aspect of Kahlo’s life. When we look at her paintings, we feel she is talking directly to us. You might be a wife, a mistress, bisexual, your partner may have cheated on you, you might have disabilities, or struggling with addiction. Whatever your experience, there is an element of Frida’s story you can relate to.

LISA: How has this experience surprised you along the way?

VANESSA: On this journey to find Frida, I was surprised that in order to tell her story I had to tell mine. This was something that surprised me, and I fought with internally. Then I realized my journey to find Frida was one of the most integral parts of the story, and ultimately, I was painting Vanessa ... a self portrait.

Vanessa Severo photographed by Jim Barcus.

Not Disappearing

BY JOANIE SCHULTZ, DIRECTOR

Women disappear. We have to search hard to find women in our history books, the literary canon, classical music, art history, and the history of drama, where women are footnotes, if there at all. Their work was “amateur” (because they weren’t allowed to be professional) and was neither respected nor documented. And therefore, they disappear.

Frida Kahlo, obfuscated by her “genius” husband for most of her life, was too feisty to allow herself to disappear. She wasn’t a “nice” woman or a “good girl.” She made herself seen. She forced herself to look at herself. She studied and painted and saw herself “as she truly is.” Frida reached a level of realness with herself, both inside and out, that few women had documented before her. She showed the world her truth, her vulnerability, and her humanity. That was a revolutionary act.

We are drawn to self-portraits, memoirs, and other forms of autobiography because they make us feel seen and not so alone. This becomes even more important when history tries to make some of us disappear. Women, people of color, people with disabilities, queer people, and trans people across the world look at Frida’s self-portraits and see themselves because they recognize the pain she articulates so well in her work. Frida has given the world a gift by being so authentically herself. She is all of us, and we can see that we exist because she existed. She gives us permission to value ourselves, our lives, our pain, our thoughts, and our feelings just as she did.

Frida … A Self Portrait is a self portrait of both the historical figure and the performer Vanessa Severo. An actor expresses themself by interpreting others. As an actor, what better way to create a self-portrait than to perform someone else? This self-portrait—which is as beautiful and honest as Frida was— is created with the paints of an actor’s toolbox: language, characters, accents, movement, puppetry, and creative play. In this highly theatrical world on stage, we witness a conversation that Vanessa has been having with Frida for years. As the piece unfolds, there are moments when the lines become blurred between the actor and the character. What we are left with is pure Frida and pure Vanessa, both searching to be seen and understood, reaching a hand out to all the other “strange” people in the world through their honest expression of self. Not disappearing … and urging us not to disappear.

Frida Kahlo 1907-1955

BY RICHARD J ROBERTS, RESIDENT DRAMATURG

Frida Kahlo was one of Mexico’s greatest artists. Surrealist André Breton described her work as “a ribbon around a bomb.”

Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón was born in 1907 in Mexico City. Her father was a German photographer who immigrated to Mexico; her mother was indigenous Mexican and Spanish. Frida was the third of four daughters growing up in the family home, la Casa Azul (the Blue House).

At the age of six, Frida was struck with polio, affecting her right leg and foot. She was bedridden for nine months, and it left her with a lifelong limp. Her father encouraged her to recover through sports: swimming, soccer, wrestling. She was always close to her father, and as a girl assisted him in his photography studio, where she developed a sharp eye for detail.

Young Frida was interested in science, and at 15 she was one of only a few female students at the elite Escuela Nacional Preparatoria, planning to study medicine. As a student, she first met Diego Rivera, who was painting a mural for the school auditorium.

In 1925 Frida was seriously injured in a bus accident. She was in a full body cast for three months. To pass the time, she studied the Old Masters, and she started painting. She completed her first self-portrait the following year. Of the 143 paintings she would create in her lifetime, 55 would be self-portraits. She once said, “I paint myself because I am often alone, and I am the subject I know best.”

In 1927 Kahlo joined the Mexican Communist Party, where the following year she encountered Rivera once again. They married in 1929. He was 21 years her senior and already had two common-law wives. For the first few years of their marriage, the couple traveled extensively as Rivera moved around Mexico and the United States painting his famous murals. Desperate for a child despite her severely injured pelvis, Kahlo endured three difficult pregnancies, none of which went to full term.

The couple eventually settled in Mexico City, in separate but adjoining houses and studios connected by a bridge. Theirs was a tumultuous relationship. Both had fiery temperaments, and both had numerous affairs. Kahlo

The

was openly bisexual. Rivera tolerated her affairs with women, but was jealous of her affairs with men. Kahlo was outraged by Rivera’s affair with her younger sister, Cristina.

In 1938 Kahlo met famed surrealist painter André Breton, who encouraged her work. She had an exhibition in New York City in 1938, selling about half of the 25 paintings on display and receiving two commissions, including one from Clare Booth Luce. In 1939 Breton took Kahlo to Paris, where she became friends with Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Piet Mondrian, Marcel Duchamp, and other famous artists. Her Paris exhibition was not as successful as the one in New York, but the Louvre acquired one of her paintings, making her the first Mexican artist in its collection.

Kahlo and Rivera divorced in 1939, but the next year they remarried and moved into Casa Azul, Kahlo’s childhood home. In 1942 Kahlo was one of the founding members of the Seminario de Cultura Mexicana, an important cultural forum created by presidential decree. In 1943 she was appointed professor of painting at Le Esperelda, the Mexican Education Ministry’s School of Fine Arts.

As her health continued to decline, Kahlo turned to alcohol and drugs for relief. She suffered through many surgeries and prolonged hospital stays. In 1950 she developed gangrene in her right foot and was bedridden for nine months. In 1953 her right leg was amputated at the knee. That same year she had a solo exhibition in Mexico City. She arrived at the opening in an ambulance and greeted attendees from a four-poster bed in the gallery.

Despite poor health and depression, Kahlo remained politically active, participating in a demonstration just two weeks before her death. In 1954 she died at Casa Azul. The official cause was a pulmonary embolism, but some suspected she died from an overdose that may or may not have been accidental. In 1958 Casa Azul was opened to the public as a museum of Kahlo’s life and art. After years of relative obscurity, she was rediscovered by feminists in the 1970s, and since then her paintings have received growing acclaim.

Frida Kahlo’s work was inspired by Mexico’s natural beauty, native artifacts, and popular culture. She explored gender, identity, race, class, and postcolonialism using a naïve folkart style. Her work is strongly autobiographical and often features her own experience of chronic pain. Today she is one of the best-known artists of the 20th century.

Frida Kahlo photographed by Nickolas Muray, 1941.

VANESSA SEVERO | Frida Kahlo & Playwright Vanessa is a Round 11 recipient of the Theatre Communications Group’s Fox Foundation Actor Fellowships (2017), as well as the Carlsbad, California, Artist in Residency (2022). Vanessa is certified in Suzuki Method and Viewpoints under the instruction of Ellen Lauren, SITI company. She is the playwright and actor of Frida ... A Self Portrait (2020 Kilroys List). Other works include Dracula in collaboration with Joanie Schultz (world premiere at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, 2024) and Rubik (world premiere, Spinning Tree Theatre, 2024). vanessasevero.com

JOANIE SCHULTZ | Director Associate Artistic Director of Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Regional: Portland Center Stage, Pittsburgh Public, Everyman Theatre, Kansas City Rep, Studio Theatre, Cleveland Play House, Goodman, Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens, Philadelphia Theatre Company. Opera: Chicago Opera Theater, Bayview Music Festival, Chicago Cultural Center, New Millennium Orchestra. Former Artistic Director of WaterTower Theatre, Dallas. Former Associate Artistic Producer at Victory Gardens as part of the TCG/Mellon Foundation Leadership U One-on-One Fellowship. Ensemble at Steep Theatre Company, Chicago; artistic cabinet at Studio Theatre, Washington DC. Teaching: Steep Theatre, Steppenwolf, WaterTower Theatre, Columbia College Chicago, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and Roosevelt University. joanieschultz.com

JACQUELINE PENROD | Scenic Designer Jacqueline has previously designed the set for Frida: A Self Portraitat GEVA, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Portland Center Stage, and Kansas City Rep. She is an Associate Professor at Columbia College Chicago. Her award-winning design work has been seen in Chicago and regionally. Some of her favorite collaborators include Lookingglass Theatre, Pegasus Players, Northlight Theatre Company, Steppenwolf Theatre, Next Theatre Company, and Remy Bumppo Theatre. She recently designed Big River for the Mercury Theater Chicago and Out Going Tide for the Buffalo Theatre Ensemble. She is a member of United Scenic Artists local 829. penroddesign.com

KATHERINE DAVIS | Costume Designer Katherine is pleased to help bring this show to Indianapolis. Aside from Frida … A Self Portrait, her recent designs include Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Johnson County Community College), Milking Christmas (Black Box Theatre), Sonnets for an Old Century (TTU-SOTD), Dracula: A Song of Love and Death (UMKC Theatre and KCAT), Brother Toad (OriginKC; New Works Festival), and more. When not designing, Katherine has been delving into the world of puppetry with Simple Mischief Studios, and playing Roller Derby. katherinedavis.org

RACHAEL CADY | Lighting Designer IRT debut. Kansas City Rep: The Ripple,The Wave That Carried Me Home, Ms.HolmesandMs.Watson—Apt2B,Frankenstein,OfMiceandMen,BrotherToad,ManinLove,Evita,Sundayin the Park with George,AChristmasCarol.Elsewhere: Oklahoma!(Theatreworks); Fellowship!(NYMF); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Theatre League); Love Janis (Zach Theatre, Austin); The Effect of GammaRaysonMan-in-the-MoonMarigolds,TheCrippleofInishman (Kansas City Actors Theatre). Rachael lives in Kansas City with her partner of 19 years, Margaret, and their three dogs Cassie, Tessa, and Harley.

Right: Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, 1940

THOMAS DIXON | Sound Design & Original Music Thomas makes their IRT debut. Based in Chicago and an ensemble member at Steep Theatre, Thomas’s work has been seen across the country at companies such as Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Kansas City Rep, Cleveland Play House, Geva Theatre Center, Jacob’s Pillow Dance, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and more. Recently, Thomas provided sound and music for Joanie Schultz and Vanessa Severo’s production of Dracula at Cincinnati Playhouse, and contributed work to the Chicago Architecture Biennial in collaboration with Theatre for One and the Poetry Foundation. Thomas teaches at DePaul University and Columbia College Chicago. thomasdixonsound.com.

RICHARD J ROBERTS | Dramaturg This is Richard’s 34th season with the IRT, and his 26th as resident dramaturg. He has also been a dramaturg for the New Harmony Project, Write Now, and the Hotchner Playwriting Festival. He has directed IRT productions of A Christmas Carol, The Cay, Bridge & Tunnel, The Night Watcher, Neat, Pretty Fire, The Giver, The Power of One, and Twelfth Night. Other directing credits include Actors Theatre of Indiana, the Phoenix, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, and the Edyvean. Richard studied music at DePauw and theatre at IU and was awarded a Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship from the Arts Council of Indianapolis.

JANINE VANDERHOFF | Stage Manager Janine has been a stage manager and production manager for more than 20 years on Broadway, Off-Broadway, regionally, and on tour. Most recently, she had the pleasure of returning to the tour of TheLionKing, having formerly been a member of the Original Broadway Company. Janine has stage managed more than 30 shows in the past eight seasons at Portland Center Stage. She has production managed at multiple regional theaters as well as TheDaily Show with Jon Stewart “Democalypse 2012 Republican National Convention.” “Thanks to Vanessa and Joanie for keeping me in the Frida Family!” Proud NYU graduate and AEA member.

THE SUPPORTING CAST

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE DONORS

Bob & Toni Bader

David & Jackie Barrett

Scott & Lorraine Davison

Rollie & Cheri Dick

The Michael Dinius & Jeannie

Regan-Dinius Family Fund, a fund of the Indianapolis Foundation

Nancy & Berkley Duck

Craig & Betsy Dykstra

Dan & Ginny Emerson

David & Ann Frick

Tom & Jenny Froehle

Susan & Charlie Golden

Mike & Judy Harrington

Phil & Colleen Kenney

Sarah & John Lechleiter

John & Laura Ludwig

Bill & Susie Macias

Andrew & Amy Michie

David & Leslie Morgan

Jackie Nytes & Patrick O’Brien

Sue & Bill Ringo

Mary Frances Rubly & Jerry Hummer

Wayne & Susan Schmidt

Cheryl Gruber Waldman

Dave Whitman & Donna Reynolds

Don Anderson

Kathryn Beiser & Mick Domagala

Susie & Joel Blum

Dave & Nancy Breitweiser

Gary Denney & Louise Bakker

Don & Dolly Craft

Drs. Cherryl & Shelly Friedman

Dr. and Mrs. Gregory Gaich

Marta Gross & Richard M. Barnes

Tom & Nora Hiatt

Ann Hinson

Bill & Nancy Hunt

David & Robin Miner

Mr. & Mrs. Kimball Morris

Carl Nelson & Loui Lord Nelson

Mr. Stephen Owen Sr. & Dr. Cheryl Torok Owen

Jill Panetta & Leo Bianchi

Joan Perelman

Dr. Christine Phillips

Noel & Mary Phillips*

Drs. Eric Schultze & Marcia Kolvitz

Mark & Gerri Shaffer

Marguerite K. Shepard, M.D.

The Michael L. Smith and Susan L. Smith Family Fund, a fund of Hamilton County Community Foundation

Catherine M. Turner*

John & Kathy Vahle

Lainie Veenstra

James & Linda Wesley

Dr. Christian Wolf & Elaine Holden Charitable Fund

John Workman

Dan Bradburn & Jane Robison

Paul & Renee Cacchillo

Mary A. Findling & John C. Hurt

Dick & Brenda Freije

Mr. Jim Gawne*

Charles Goad & James Kincannon

Donald & Teri Hecht

Brenda Horn

Daniel T. Jensen & Steven Follis

Pegg & Mike Kennedy

Max Kime

David Kleiman & Susan Jacobs

John & Susan Kline

Kevin Krulewitch & Rosanne Ammirati*

Jill & Peter Lacy

Kellie McCarthy

Rob & Sara Norris

N. Clay & Amy McConkey Robbins

Tim & Karen Seiler

Rosie Semler

Joe & Jill Tanner

Gene & Mary Tempel

Jeff & Benita Thomasson

Lynne & Alex Timmermans

Carol Weiss

Bob & Dana Wilson

Ricardo & Beatriz Guimarães

Emily F. (Cramer) Hancock*

Benjamin Hanna

A.J. Allen

Janet Allen & Joel Grynheim

Katy & Tim Allen

Anonymous (4)

Trudy W. Banta

Sarah C. Barney

Daniel & Rita Blay

Victoria Broadie

Sheila Brown & Juan Gonzalez

Amy Burke

David & Judith Chadwick

Steve & Kim Chatham

Shaun Healy Clifford

Alan & Linda Cohen Family Foundation

Sonya Cropper & Ajay Patel

Daniel & Catherine Cunningham

Frank & Norah Deane

Dr. Gregory Dedinsky & Dr. Cherri Hobgood

Fred W. Dennerline

Laurie Dippold*

Paul & Glenda Drew

Craig Dunkin

F. Brooke Dunn

Dr. & Mrs. John & Sheryn Ellis

Troy D. Farmer

Drs. Richard & Rebecca Feldman

Joan M. FitzGibbon

Mary L. Forster, M.D.

Jim & Julie Freeman

Daniel Fulmer & Brian Stockman

Future Keys Foundation

Ashley & Andrea Garry

Garth & Christine Gathers

Robert & Christy Gauss

Dorothea & Philip Genetos

Phylis & Paul Gesellchen

Robert Giannini

Ron & Kathy Gifford

Bruce Glor

Walter & Janet Gross

Bill & Phyllis Groth

Chad & Kelli Grothen

Jeffrey Harrison

Michael N. & Karen E. Heaton

The Hedges-Dillman Family

William & Patricia Hirsch

Richard & Elizabeth Holmes

Randy & Becky Horton

Drs. Meredith & Kathleen Hull

Rebecca Hutton

The Indianapolis Fellows Fund, a fund of the Indianapolis Foundation

Colette Irwin-Knott & Gary Knott

Lauren James

Patrick & Barbara James

Tom & Kathy Jenkins

Andrew & Brianna Johnson

Mrs. Janet Johnson

Denny & Judi Jones

Elisha Kemp

Joy Kleinmaier

Steve & Bev Koepper

Dr. Michael & Molly Kraus

Kurt & Judy Kroenke

Dr Loretta Kroin Ph D & Mr Julian S Kroin

Dr. & Mrs. Alan Ladd

Edward & Ann M. Ledford

Dan & Martha Lehman

James & Sara Lootens

Joe & Deborah Loughrey

Barbara MacDougall

Steven & Rob MacPherson Stolen

Kathryn Maeglin

Marlene & Bob Marchesani

Mike & Pat McCrory

Sharon R. Merriman

Lawren Mills & Brad Rateike*

Dr. David H. Moore & Dr. Kris Beckwith

Michael D. Moriarty

Tammie L Nelson & David McCaskill

Linda & Don Neel

The Blake Lee and Carolyn Lytle

Neubauer Charitable Fund, a fund of Hamilton County Community Foundation

Dr. & Mr. Nichols

Dr. Joseph M. Overhage & Dr. Mary R. Brunner

Nicholas & Tracy Pappas

Rita Patel

Larry & Louise Paxton

The Payne Family Foundation, a fund of CICF

Lora Peloquin Donor Advised Fund, a Donor Advised Fund of Renaissance Charitable Foundation

Kenneth A. & Joan C. Peterson

Gail & William Plater

Bob & Kathi Postlethwait

Phil & Joyce Probst

Scott & Susan Putney

Ken Qualls

Peter Racher & Sarah Binford

Roger & Anna Radue

Michael & Melissa Rawlings

Peter & Karen Reist

Ken & Debra Renkens

Karen & Dick Ristine

Chip & Jane Rutledge

Paula F. Santa

Jane W. Schlegel

Tom & Barbara Schoellkopf

Darshan & Rebecca Shah

Thomas & Teresa Sharp

Jack & Karen Shaw

Lee Shevitz

Michael Skehan

George & Mary Slenski

Linda & Carl Smith

Cheryl & Bob Sparks

Edward & Susann Stahl

Ed & Jane Stephenson

Robert & Barbara Stevens

Jim & Cheryl Strain

Jeff & Janet Stroebel

Kay Swank-Herzog & Robert Herzog

Suzanne Sweeney & Todd Wiencek

Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan Tempel

John & Deborah Thornburgh

Jennifer C. Turner

Jennifer & Gary Vigran

THE SUPPORTING CAST

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE DONORS

Amy Waggoner

Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Washburn

Beverly Watkins

Dr. Rosalind Webb

Bob & Susan Welch

David & Mary Allen

Mark K. Bear

John Champley & Julie Keck

Brady Clark

Megan McKinney Cooper & Doug Cooper

Peter Furno & Pamela Steed

Richard & Sharon Gilmor

Marianne Glick & Mike Woods

Diane Hall

Don & Carolyn Hardman

Tracy Heaton de Martinez

The Steven Herker Charitable Fund, a donor-advised fund

Dr. & Mrs. Ronald Iacocca

Terren B. Magid & Julie Manning Magid

Lyle & Deborah Mannweiler

James M. McMechan

John & Carolyn Mutz

Bob & Dale Nagy

Mr. & Mrs. Robert M. & Kelli DeMott Park

Troy Payner & Cara Peggs

The David and Arden Pletzer Endowment Fund, a fund of Hamilton County Community Foundation

Emily A. West

Alan & Elizabeth Whaley

Cliff Williams

John & Margaret Wilson

Jean Richcreek

Timothy & Johanna Root

Judy Roudebush

Nanette Schulte

Stephen J. Shideler Charitable Fund, a donor-advised fund

Mary Ann Thiel

Philip & Shandon Whistler

David Andrichik

The Todd A. Andritsch Family Fund

Anonymous (4)

Frank & Katrina Basile

Constance C. Beardsley*

Dan & Barb Bickel

Mr. & Mrs. Joseph B. Black III

Jesse L. & Carolynne Bobbitt

Barbara & Christopher Bodem*

Louise & Joseph Boling

William Capello M.D.

Vince & Robyn Caponi

Allen B. Carter & Patricia Hester

Robert Cedoz

Jeffrey & Jeni Christoffersen

Jerry & Carol Collins

Shane and Andrea Crouch*

Kathleen A. Custer

Karen Dace*

Jim Winner

Frederick & Jacquelyn Winters

William Witchger, II & Kimberly Witchger

John & Linda Zimmermann

Bill & Shirley Daley

Carolyn Daly

Fr. Clem Davis*

Mary & Steve DeVoe

Tom Dorantes & Sunah C Kim Dorantes*

Rosemary Dorsa

Patricia Edwards

Nikki Eller

Sherry Faris

Drs. Eric Farmer & Tate Trujillo & Christopher Scott*

Margie & Amy Ferguson*

Hank & Nanci Feuer

Arthur Field IV

Esther Fogle

Roger & Susan Frick

The David T. & E. Jean Fronek Charitable Fund, a fund of Hamilton County Community Foundation

Thecla Gossett

John & Mary Ann Grogan

Greg Grossart

Ron & Ellie Hackler

Mr. & Mrs. David J. Hamernik

Emily F. (Cramer) Hancock*

Don & Elizabeth Harmon

Mark & Laurie Hartman

Andrea Hatch & Rich Dionne

Steve & Kathy Heath

Sandra Hester-Steele

Eleanor & Joseph Hingtgen

Katie, Tim & Jennifer Holihen

David Jackoway

Kyle & MaryBeth Jackson

Greg & Pat Jacoby

Patricia Johnson & Michael Wilson

Michelle Korin*

Steven & Kathleen Krusie

Hitch & Sandy Learned

Kathy & David Lentz

Andra Liepa Charitable Fund, a fund of The Indianapolis Foundation

Carlos & Eleanor Lopez

Linda Lough*

Donald & Ruth Ann MacPherson

Mark Magee*

Gayle Mayne

William McNiece

Mr. & Mrs. David McPherson

Dr. Frank Messina & Robin Reagan

Rev. Mary Ann Moman*

James Monn & Valerie Purcell-Monn

Jim & Shantel Morris

Jim & Judi Mowry

Mr Electric Solar

Terry & Lew Mumford

John & Beth Murphy

Sharon & Dan Murphy*

Dr. LeeAnne M. Nazer

Deena J. Nystrom

Ann Marie Ogden & Brian Murphy

The Ostergaard Family

Risheet & Aimee Patel

Gerald & Dorit Paul

Judy & Sidney Pellissier

Deb & Greg Perkins

Davie & Dorian Poole

Greg Pugh & Jill Woerner

Richard & Diane Rhodes

Richard & Ann Riegner

Richard & Christine Scales

Linda J. Shinn

Doug Sims

Blair & Helen Snead

Kimberly Sorg-Graves

Spence Family Vision Fund

Luke Stark*

Nela Swinehart*

Dr. Tim & Tina Tanselle

Steve & Barb Tegarden*

Garrett & Elaine Thiel

The Lori Thompson & Ben Downing Charitable Fund

Eric & Carolyn Tinsley

Randall & Jennifer Todd

Donald & Shirley Trapp

Dr. James & Linda Trippi

Robert & Barbetta True*

Barbara S. Tully*

Bill & Janet Wakefield

Norma B. Wallman

Paula Taylor Whitfield and Sherman L Whitfield

Angie & Andy Wilkinson

Reba Boyd Wooden*

Zionsville Physical Therapy*

*Denotes sustaining donors

IN HONOR OF JANET ALLEN AND THE RENAMING OF THE UPPER STAGE THEATRE

Pat Anker | Charles Goad & James Kincannon | Michael L. Lincoln | Michael Sample & Jhani Laupus | Jack & Karen Shaw

IN MEMORY OF MARSHA DUNKIN | Craig Dunkin

IN MEMORY OF CATHERINE SCOTT MCKINNEY | Megan McKinney Cooper & Doug Cooper

IN MEMORY OF ROBERT E. MORR JR. | Robert & Julie Anger

IN MEMORY OF JERRY SEMLER | Dr. Ned & Martha Lamkin

IN MEMORY OF GENE & MARY TEMPEL | Anna Fender

IN MEMORY OF WILLIAM VARANKA | Lora Peloquin Donor Advised Fund, a Donor Advised Fund of Renaissance Charitable Foundation

THE SUPPORTING CAST

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE DONORS

The Ovation Society is an exclusive program that recognizes donors that have made a legacy gift to the IRT. The IRT truly appreciates those individuals whose gift will ensure that the Theatre can continue to provide meaningful and inspirational experiences for future generations.

Gary Addison

Janet Allen & Joel Grynheim

Bob & Pat Anker

Bob & Toni Bader

Frank & Katrina Basile

Charlie & Cary Boswell

Ron & Julia Carpenter

John R. Carr (in memoriam)

John & Mary Challman

Megan McKinney Cooper & Doug Cooper

Sergej R. Cotton

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Dapp

Nancy Davis & Robert Robinson

Rollie & Cheri Dick

Nancy & Berkley Duck

Dale & Karen Duncan

Troy D. Farmer

Jim & Julie Freeman

Meg Gammage-Tucker

David A. & Dee Garrett (in memoriam)

Michael Gradison (in memoriam)

Marta Gross & Richard M. Barnes

Emily F. (Cramer) Hancock*

Mike & Judy Harrington

Michael N. & Karen E. Heaton

Bruce Hetrick & Cheri O’Neill

Tom & Nora Hiatt

Brenda Horn

Bill & Nancy Hunt

David Kleiman & Susan Jacobs

Frank & Jacqueline La Vista

Andra Liepa Charitable Fund, a fund of The Indianapolis Foundation

Barbara MacDougall

Donald & Ruth Ann MacPherson

Stuart L. Main (in memoriam)

Michael R. Maine

Sharon R. Merriman

David & Leslie Morgan

Michael D. Moriarty

CORPORATE

AARP Indiana

Barnes & Thornburg LLP

Citizens Energy Group

Corteva Agriscience

Faegre Drinker

Frost Brown Todd

KERAMIDA Inc.

KPMG LLP

Navient Community Fund of the Delaware Community Foundation

OneAmerica Financial

The Ackerman Family Foundation

Elba L. & Gene Portteus Branigin Foundation, Inc.

Allen Whitehill Clowes

Charitable Foundation

Christel DeHaan Family Foundation

Richard & Lila Morris

Mutter Marines--Jim & Carol

Rob & Sara Norris

Deena J. Nystrom

Marcia O’Brien (in memoriam)

Brian & Gail Payne

George & Olive Rhodes (in memoriam)

Pat Garrett Rooney

Jane W. Schlegel

Myra C. Selby & Bruce Curry

Michael Skehan

Jeff & Janet Stroebel

Michael Suit (in memoriam)

Suzanne Sweeney & Todd Wiencek

Gene & Mary Tempel

Jeff & Benita Thomasson

Christopher J. Tolzmann

Alan & Elizabeth Whaley

John & Margaret Wilson

The Margot L. Eccles Arts & Culture Fund, a fund of CICF

Efroymson Family Fund, a fund of CICF

The Glick Family Foundation

The Indianapolis Foundation, a CICF affiliate

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Lacy Foundation

Lilly Endowment, Inc.

Nicholas H. Noyes, Jr. Memorial Foundation, Inc.

The Penrod Society

The Shubert Foundation

GOVERNMENT

Indiana Arts Commission

Indy Arts Council and the City of Indianapolis

IN-KIND/TRADE

National Institute of Fitness & Sport

THE ALAN AND LINDA COHEN EDUCATION FUND

Marta Gross & Richard M. Barnes

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Pat Anker

Charlie & Cary Boswell

Risa Brainin & Michael Klaers

Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation

Mike & Irene Curry

Ann & Kenneth Dee

Gary Denney & Louise Bakker

Rollie & Cheri Dick

The Michael Dinius & Jeannie Regan-

Dinius Family Fund, a fund of the Indianapolis Foundation

Troy D. Farmer

Jim & Julie Freeman

Tom & Jenny Froehle

Charles Goad & James Kincannon

Mike & Judy Harrington

Michael N. & Karen E. Heaton

Bruce Hetrick & Cheri O’Neill

Brenda Horn

Rebecca Hutton

Michael Keck

David Kleiman & Susan Jacobs

Jill & Peter Lacy

Barry Landy

Sarah & John Lechleiter

Michael L. Lincoln

David & Leslie Morgan

Rob & Sara Norris

Nicholas H. Noyes, Jr. Memorial Foundation, Inc.

Jackie Nytes & Patrick O’Brien

Brian & Gail Payne

Sue & Bill Ringo

Pat Garrett Rooney

Michael Sample & Jhani Laupus

Dan & Patty Schipp

Tim & Karen Seiler

Rosie Semler

Jack & Karen Shaw

Shiel Sexton Company

Sue & Mike Smith

Jeff & Janet Stroebel

Suzanne Sweeney & Todd Wiencek

Gene & Mary Tempel

Cheryl Gruber Waldman

Alan & Elizabeth Whaley

Dr. Christian Wolf & Elaine Holden

Charitable Fund

Henry Woronicz, John Taylor Philips, Emily Berman, and Eric Sharp in the

2023 production of Clue. Photo by Zach Rosing.