IRT Program: "Murder on the Orient Express" & "The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin"

2019-2020 SEASON

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Agatha Christie’s

Murder on the Orient Express adapted by

Ken Ludwig

ONEAMERICA MAINSTAGE MARCH 3 - MARCH 29

The

Paper Dreams of Harry Chin

by Jessica Huang

UPPERSTAGE MARCH 25 - APRIL 19

IRTLIVE.COM | 317.635.5252

Original artwork by Kyle Ragsdale

Origami model by Brian K. Webb

PROUD SPONSOR OF THE IRT SINCE 1997

At Printing Partners, we look at the bigger picture.

To us, print is more than simply putting ink on paper.

It’s the act of transforming your thoughts, feelings and hard work into something tangible. Similarly, organizations like the Indiana Repertory Theatre aren’t just organizations, but educational journeys to a broadened mindset and an open heart.

And we’re proud to support it.

Offset & Digital Printing • Packaging • Games & Puzzles • Plastic Substrate Printing Mailing Services • Publishing • Signage • Promotional Products • Apparel • Marketing

PrintingPartners.net

APPLAUSE TO A TRUE COMMUNITY CHAMPION ONEAMERICA | 2019-2020 SEASON SPONSOR

OneAmerica is proud to support the IRT as one of Central Indiana’s most vibrant cultural institutions. Our strong partnership reflects one of the longest running sponsorships in community theater nationwide. On behalf of OneAmerica, we hope you enjoy the 2019-2020 Season.

—Scott Davison, OneAmerica chairman, president and CEO

Through its community outreach efforts, the Navient Foundation supports organizations and programs that address the root causes which limit financial success for all Americans. This season, the Navient Foundation is proud to support the Indiana Repertory Theatre as the Student Matinee Sponsor of The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 and the Production Partner for Murder on the Orient Express.

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

CONTENTS

MISSION Live theatre connects us to meaningful issues in our lives and has the power to shape the human experience. The mission of the Indiana Repertory Theatre is to produce top-quality, professional theatre and related activities, providing experiences that will engage, surprise, challenge, and entertain people throughout their lifetimes, helping us build a vital and vibrant community.

3.................................................Mission & Values 5..................................................................Profile 6......................................................... Leadership 10 ������������������������������������������������������������������Staff 12............................................ Board of Directors 22................................................... Murder on the Orient Express 32.............................................Company bios for Murder on the Orient Express 38.........................................................Interview: Stephenie Soohyun Park 40...................................... The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin 49............................................Company bios for The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin 58................................................... Donor Listing

VISION The Indiana Repertory Theatre will be a life-long destination of choice for an ever-expanding audience of all ages and backgrounds seeking enjoyable and meaningful 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 an arts leader in the state of Indiana, the IRT's goal is to make Indiana a dynamic home of cultural expression, economic vitality, and a diverse, informed, and engaged citizenry.

AS AN INSTITUTION, WE VALUE...

SUSTAINING A PROFESSIONAL, CREATIVE ATMOSPHERE The professional production of plays that provide insight and celebrate human relationships through the unique vision of the playwright • Professional artists of the highest quality working on our stages in an environment that allows them to grow and thrive • Our leadership role in fostering a creative environment where arts, education, corporate, civic, and cultural organizations collaborate to benefit our community.

PRUDENT STEWARDSHIP OF OUR RESOURCES Our public-benefit status, where the focus is on artistic integrity, affordable ticket prices that allow all segments of our community to attend, and community service • Fiscal responsibility and financial security based on achieving a balanced budget • Growing our endowment fund as a resource for future development and to ensure institutional longevity.

INCLUSIVENESS The production of plays from a broad range of dramatic literature addressing diverse communities • The involvement of all segments of our community in our activities • Using theatre arts as a primary tool to bring meaning into the lives of our youth, making creativity a component of their education • The employment of artists and staff that celebrates the diversity of the United States.

HERITAGE AND TRADITION Our role as Indiana’s premiere theatre for more than 40 years, recognized by the 107th Indiana General Assembly in 1991 as “Indiana’s Theatre Laureate” • The historic Indiana Theatre as our home, as a cultural landmark, and as a significant contributor to a vital downtown • Our national, state, and local reputation for 40+ years of quality creative work and educational programming • Our board, staff, volunteers, artists, audiences, and donors as essential partners in fulfilling our mission.

REVIEWS! FACEBOOK/TWITTER: #irtlive EMAIL: reviews@irtlive.com

CONTACT US IRTLIVE.COM TICKET OFFICE: 317.635.5252 ADMIN OFFICES: 317.635.5277 140 W. Washington Street Indianapolis, IN 46204

PHOTO POLICY Photography of the set without actors and with proper credit to the scenic and lighting designers is permitted.

Due to union agreements, photography, video, and audio recording are not permitted during the performance. The videotaping of productions is a violation of United States Copyright Law and an actionable Federal Offense.

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OVATION SOCIETY: CREATE A PERSONAL LEGACY AT THE IRT For 48 seasons, the IRT has produced professional, world-class theatre in Indianapolis.

You can play a vital role in supporting the next 48 seasons by making a legacy gift to the Theatre.

From a simple bequest to charitable trusts, there are a variety of ways you can include the IRT in your estate plans. Our staff will work with you and your financial advisor, tax professional or family attorney to determine how a planned gift can help you meet your financial and charitable goals.

Include the IRT in your estate plans and help ensure one of Indiana’s great cultural institutions continues to thrive for generations to come.

Have you already included the IRT in your plans?

Please let us know so that we can recognize you in the Ovation Society!

READY TO CREATE YOUR LEGACY?

Contact Jennifer Turner, Director of Development: jturner@irtlive.com | 317.916.4835 Milicent Wright and Robert Elliott in the IRT's 2019 production of You Can’t Take It With You. Photo by Zach Rosing.

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE PROFILE HISTORY Since the Indiana Repertory Theatre was founded in 1971, 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-forprofit theatre in the state, providing more than 100,000 live professional theatre experiences for its audience last season. These experiences included 35,000 students and teachers from 55 of Indiana’s 92 counties, making the IRT one of the most youthoriented professional theatres in the country. A staff of more than 100 seasonal and year-round employees creates nine 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 Mainstage, 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 nine productions from classical to contemporary, including the INclusion Series, which has lead support from the Margot L. Eccles Arts & Culture Fund.

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. Call Margaret Lehtinen at 317.916.4880 for more information.

Opportunities The IRT depends on the generous donation of time and energy by volunteer ushers; call 317.916.4880 to learn how you can become involved.

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

Student Matinees The IRT continues a long-time commitment to student audiences with school-day student matinee performances of all IRT productions. These performances are augmented with educational activities and curriculum support materials. This season The Little Choo-Choo That Thinks She Can, A Christmas Carol, and The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 offer extensive opportunities for student attendance.

Educational Programs Auxiliary services offered include visiting artists in the classroom, study guides, pre- and post-show discussions, and guided tours of the IRT’s facilities.

Classes From creative dramatics to audition workshops to Shakespeare seminars, the IRT offers a wide array of personal learning opportunities for all ages, including our Summer Workshops for Youth. Call 317.916.4841 for further information.

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IN HONOR OF FORMER IRT BOARD MEMBER AND COMMUNITY PHILANTHROPIST MARGOT LACY ECCLES, IRT’S ARTISTIC DIRECTOR POSITION HAS BEEN NAMED THE MARGOT LACY ECCLES ARTISTIC DIRECTOR. ESTABLISHED BY M. E. AND KATIE ECCLES, THIS GENEROUS GIFT NAMES AND ENDOWS THE IRT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR POSITION IN PERPETUITY. THIS GIFT WAS MADE TO HONOR BOTH THE LEGACY OF MARGOT ECCLES AND JANET ALLEN’S SIGNIFICANT TENURE AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AS WELL AS THEIR LONGTIME FRIENDSHIP.

LEADERSHIP: JANET ALLEN

Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director

Creating world-class professional theatre for Central Indiana audiences of all ages has remained a career-long passion for Janet Allen. She began at the IRT in 1980 as the Theatre’s first literary manager—dramaturg. After four years in New York City, she returned to serve ten years as associate artistic director under mentors Tom Haas and Libby Appel. Named the IRT’s fourth artistic director in 1996, she is now in her 23rd season in that role.

During Janet’s tenure, the IRT has significantly diversified its programmatic and education services to both adults and children, expanded its new play development programs, solidified its reputation as a top-flight regional theatre dedicated to diverse programming and production quality, and established the IRT as a generous content partner with organizations throughout central Indiana. Janet’s passion for nurturing playwrights has led to a fruitful relationship with James Still, the IRT’s playwright-in-residence for 22 years, and the creation and production of 16 new works—the Indiana Series—that examine Hoosier and Midwestern sensibilities (seven of them

by James Still). Her collaboration with playwrights has brought the theatre prestigious grants from the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Joyce Foundation, and the Doris Duke Foundation, as well as numerous grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and Shakespeare for a New Generation.

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Among the memorable productions she has directed on the IRT’s stages are The Glass Menagerie (1999), Ah! Wilderness (2002), The Drawer Boy (2004), James Still’s The House That Jack Built (2012), To Kill a Mockingbird (2016), Looking Over the President’s Shoulder (2008 & 2017), and The Diary of Anne Frank (2011 & 2019). This season she directs Morning After Grace.

Janet studied theatre at Illinois State University, Indiana University, University of Sussex, and Exeter College, Oxford.

As a classical theatre specialist, she has published and taught theatre history and dramaturgy at IUPUI and Butler University.

Janet’s leadership skills and community service have been recognized by Indianapolis Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” Award, the Network of Women in Business–IBJ’s “Influential Women in Business” Award, Safeco’s Beacon of Light in Our Community Award, a Distinguished Hoosier Award conferred

by Governor Frank O’Bannon, Girls Inc.’s Touchstone Award for Arts Leadership, and the Indiana Commission on Women’s “Keeper of the Light” Torchbearer Award. She is a proud alum of the Stanley K. Lacy Leadership program (Class XIX) and the Shannon Leadership Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is a 2013-2014 Arts Council of Indianapolis Creative Renewal Arts Fellow. In 2015 Janet was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Theatre at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and received a Medallion Award for significant national contributions from the Children’s Theatre Foundation of America. In 2017 she was named an Indiana Living Legend by the Indiana Historical Society. In 2018 she was inducted into the National Theatre Conference, a gathering of distinguished members of the American theatre community.

Janet is a member of the Indianapolis Woman’s Club, the Gathering, and Congregation Beth-El Zedeck. She serves on the board of Summit Performance, a fledgling professional theatre company that produces work by and about women. She lives in an historic house built in 1855 in the Chatham Arch neighborhood with her husband, Joel Grynheim, and a lovely canine mutt. They enjoy following the adventures of their children, Daniel, Leah, and Nira, all now safely out of the nest and thriving!

LEADERSHIP: SUZANNE SWEENEY Managing Director

Suzanne is a 21-year veteran of the IRT and is proud to work alongside her mentor and friend, Janet Allen, as co-CEO of the Theatre. She oversees all of the administrative functions of the organization, including marketing, fundraising, ticket office, house management, finance, human resources, information technology, and building operations.

During her tenure, the Theatre has secured a long-term lease for the building with the City of Indianapolis, raised funds for our Front and Center campaign that we expect will culminate in excess of the $18.5 million goal by June 2020, and most recently renovated the Upperstage Lobby and restrooms. (While we know our patrons will miss the “early elementary school” vibe to the former restrooms, we are pleased to have increased the number of facilities to improve audience amenities. We think you will like the changes!)

Recently, Suzanne was appointed associate treasurer of the League of Resident Theatres, the IRT’s national association. In 2016, she was honored to serve as a panelist for Shakespeare in American Communities in cooperation with Arts Midwest.

Suzanne is active in the community, having been 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 seven years, and a past treasurer of IndyFringe.

Suzanne is a graduate of the College of William & Mary (undergraduate) and Indiana University (M.B.A.). She started her career as a CPA; prior to coming to Indianapolis, she worked in finance for more than 10 years, living in such varied locales as Washington, DC; Dallas, Texas; Frankfurt, Germany; Honolulu, Hawaii; and even working for three months in Auckland, New Zealand (where, yes, she went bungee jumping). She is a proud alum of the Stanley K. Lacy Leadership Program (Class XXXI).

Suzanne lives in the Old Northside with her 16-year-old son, Jackson, and their foxhound rescue dog, Gertie, and spends some of her downtime in Palatine, Illinois, with her partner, Todd Wiencek.

Top: Tracy Michelle Arnold and Kim Staunton in the IRT’s 2019 production of A Doll’s House, Part 2. Bottom: Cole Taylor and Renika Williams in the IRT’s 2018 production of Pipeline. Photos by Zach Rosing.

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AS PART OF THE FRONT AND CENTER CAMPAIGN, SARAH & JOHN LECHLEITER HAVE GIVEN A GIFT TO THE IRT IN HONOR OF JAMES STILL’S LONG-TIME RELATIONSHIP WITH THE IRT, CREATING THE JAMES STILL PLAYWRIGHT-IN-RESIDENCE FUND, WHICH WILL PROVIDE FUTURE SUPPORT FOR THE PLAYWRIGHT-IN-RESIDENCE AS WELL AS THE CREATION OF NEW WORK FOR THE IRT.

LEADERSHIP: JAMES STILL Playwright-in-Residence

Pulitzer Prize, and have been developed and workshopped at Robert Redford’s Sundance, the New Harmony Project, Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference, Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, the Colorado New Play Summit, the Lark in New York, Launch Pad at UC–Santa Barbara, Perry-Mansfield New Works Festival, Telluride Playwright’s Festival, New Visions/New Voices, Fresh Ink, Weston Playhouse Residency, and Write Now at the IRT. Three of his plays have received the Distinguished Play Award from the American Alliance for Theatre & Education, and his work has been produced throughout the United States, Canada, China, Japan, Europe, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

During his 22 years as playwright-in-residence, IRT audiences have seen three productions each of James’s plays Looking Over the President’s Shoulder and And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank; two productions of Amber Waves; and all three plays in his trilogy made up of The House That Jack Built, Appoggiatura, and Miranda. Also April 4, 1968: Before We Forgot How to Dream, I Love to Eat: Cooking with James Beard, The Velveteen Rabbit, The Heavens Are Hung in Black, Interpreting William, Iron Kisses, The Gentleman from Indiana, Searching for Eden, He Held Me Grand, and The Secret History of the Future. James has directed many productions at the IRT, including A Doll’s House Part 2, The Originalist, Dial “M” for Murder, The Mystery of Irma Vep, Red, Other Desert Cities, God of Carnage, Becky’s New Car, Rabbit Hole, Doubt, Bad Dates, Plaza Suite, The Immigrant, and Dinner with Friends, as well as his own I Love to Eat, Looking Over the President’s Shoulder (2001), and Amber Waves (2000). This season the IRT produces the premiere of The Little Choo-Choo That Thinks She Can, and James directs Twelve Angry Men.

Other theatres that have produced James’s plays include the Kennedy Center, Denver Center, Geva, Cornerstone Theater Company, Ford’s Theatre, People’s Light & Theatre, the Barter, Pasadena Playhouse, Portland Center Stage in Oregon, Portland Stage in Maine, the Station, the Asolo, Company of Fools, the Children’s Theater Company of Minneapolis, Metro Theater Company, B-Street Theatre, Theatrical Outfit, Arkansas Rep, the Round House, American Blues, Shattered Globe, Illusion Theater, and the Mark Taper Forum. His plays are also often produced at community theatres, summer theatres, universities, and high schools.

James is an elected 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 Todd McNerney New Play Prize from the Spoleto Festival, William Inge Festival’s Otis Guernsey New Voices Award, the Orlin Corey Medallion from the Children’s Theatre Foundation of America, and the Charlotte B. Chorpenning Award for Distinguished Body of Work. His plays have been nominated four times for the

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. He was a producer and head writer for the TLC series PAZ, the head writer for Maurice Sendak’s Little Bear, and writer for the Bill Cosby series Little Bill. He wrote The Little Bear Movie and The Miffy Movie as well as the feature film The Velocity of Gary. James grew up in Kansas and lives in Los Angeles.

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James’s short play When Miss Lydia Hinkley Gives a Bird the Bird has appeared in several festivals around the country after its premiere with Red Bull Theatre in New York. New work includes an adaptation of the classic Black Beauty commissioned by Seattle Children’s Theatre where it premieres this season, as well as new plays (A) New World and Dinosaur(s) and several secret new projects.

LEADERSHIP: BENJAMIN HANNA Associate Artistic Director

Ben is a director, educator, and community engagement specialist whose passion for multigenerational theatre has influenced his work across the country. In all of his myriad roles, Ben is guided by the belief that access to high-quality theatre helps build creative, empathetic people and healthy communities.

Ben is thrilled to begin his third season at Indiana Repertory Theatre, where he has directed A Christmas Carol, Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”, and The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse; this season he directs The Little Choo-Choo That Thinks She Can and A Christmas Carol. As associate artistic director, Ben manages casting both locally and nationally, helps guide education and community programming, and connects IRT to new artists and ideas. Dedicated to actively breaking down historical barriers of access to the theatre, he is excited about IRT’s work to create thoughtful, sustainable Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion initiatives.

Ben joined the IRT leadership team following the completion of a prestigious 18-month Theatre Communications Group Leadership University Award. This highly competitive grant, administered by TCG and funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, supported his artistic associate position at the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, the nation’s largest theatre for young audiences.

During his tenure at CTC, Ben directed in-house productions and took shows across the globe, as far afield as South Africa; he played a key role in fundraising, management, education,

and strategic planning processes; and he helped guide the organization in addressing historical inequities and ensuring that the company’s work reflected the diversity of the local community.

Prior to his role at CTC, Ben spent five years in California’s Bay Area, dividing his time between Berkeley Repertory Theatre and the Bay Area Children’s Theatre. At Berkeley Rep he created innovative community engagement programs to build and diversify audiences, and he facilitated youth development and leadership through the company’s Teen Council and representation at national conferences. Celebrating the work of young artists, he produced five festivals of plays written, directed, designed, and performed by Bay Area teens. At the Bay Area Children’s Theatre, he served as a director and interim artistic director, developing three world premiere musicals adapted from children’s literature, creating a new student matinee program, and overseeing a successful move into a new theatre building and campus.

In his native Minnesota, Ben was honored to serve on the education staff of Penumbra Theatre Company, the nation’s leading African American theatre, where he helped to expand their education and outreach offerings. His proudest accomplishments during his four years with the company include growing the nationally recognized Summer Institute for Activist Artists into a three-year multidisciplinary social justice theatre training program, developing a multigenerational quilting circle, and helping to create and facilitate a racial equity training program through the company’s RACE workshop series.

Ben holds a degree in theatre arts from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. He grew up on a small rural farm and fell in love with theatre at the age of eleven. He continues to create for his new favorite audience: his five nieces and nephews.

Carlos Medina Maldonado and Devan Mathias in the IRT’s 2019 production of Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”. Photo by Zach Rosing.

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INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE STAFF MARGOT LACY ECCLES ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

ELECTRICS

ARTISTIC

Assistant Master Electrician Kayla Brown

Janet Allen

Associate Artistic Director Benjamin Hanna General Manager Jane Robison Production Manager Brian S. Newman Resident Dramaturg Richard J Roberts Company Manager Hillary Martin

Master Electrician Beth A. Nuzum

SOUND & VIDEO

PAINT SHOP

Resident Sound Designer Todd Mack Reischman

Charge Scenic Artist Claire Dana Scenic Artists Jim Schumacher Zahra Hakki PROPERTIES SHOP

Properties Manager Geoffrey Ehrendreich

COSTUME SHOP

Properties Artisan Rachelle Martin

Drapers

Erica Anderson

Magdalena Tortoriello

First Hands Christi Parker Judith Skyles Wardrobe Supervisor Bailey Lewis Shop Assistant Jason Gill

Stage Operations Supervisor Hayley Wenk

Electrician Victoria McWilliams

Playwright-in-Residence James Still Costume Shop Manager Guy Clark

Carpenters Ariana Sarmiento Fielding David Sherrill Monica Tran

Properties Carpenter Madelaine Foster

Audio Engineers Brittany Hayth Claudia Escobar STAGE MANAGEMENT

Production Stage Manager Nathan Garrison Stage Managers Joel Grynheim Erin Robson-Smith Production Assistants Rebecca Roeber Crystal Johnson Jalen Jones

SCENE SHOP

Technical Director Chris Fretts Assistant Technical Director John Bennett Shop Foreman Kyle Baker

PART-TIME STAFF & ASSOCIATES

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ARTISTIC

ELECTRICS

COSTUMES

Teaching Artists Ashley Dillard Kaela Mei-Shing Garvin Shawnté Gaston Tiffany Gilliam Callie Hartz Tom Horan Maura Malloy Daniel A. Martin Devan Mathias Beverly Roche Milicent Wright

Electricians Amanda Blevins Luke Hoefer Jessica Hughes

Wardrobe Emma Fried

PRODUCTION

Electrics/Paints/Carpentry Lee Edmundson Run Crew Rochelle Hudson

MANAGING DIRECTOR

FINANCE

ADMINISTRATION

Assistant Controller Danette Alles

Suzanne Sweeney

Receptionist / Administrative Assistant Seema Juneja Executive Assistant Randy Talley Administrative Support Specialist Suzanne Spradlin Beinart DEVELOPMENT

Director of Development Jennifer Turner Individual Giving Manager Kay Swank-Herzog Institutional Giving Manager Eric J. Olson Donor Relations Manager Nora Dietz-Kilen Development Systems Brady Clark

Director of Finance Greg Perkins

Manager of Public Operations Margaret Lehtinen

INFORMATION SYSTEMS

House Manager Julia McCarty

Director of Information Systems Dan Bradburn MARKETING

Director of Marketing & Sales Danielle M. Dove Associate Director of Marketing Elizabeth Petermann Marketing Communications Manager Kerry Barmann Graphic Designer Alexis Morin Multimedia Coordinator Heather Zalewski

Education Manager Sarah Geis

TELESERVICES

FINANCE ASSOCIATES

External Auditors Crowe Horwath LLP Legal Counsel Heather Moore PATRON SERVICES

Assistant House Managers Meg Barton Pat Bebee Terri Bradburn Nancy Carlson Tim Cocagne Kyla Decker Stephen Denney Dieter Finn

PATRON SERVICES

Payroll & Benefits Specialist Jennifer Carpenter

EDUCATION

Youth Program Coordinator Kristen M. Carter

Teleservices Representatives Margaret Freeman Rebecca Gutzweiler Matt Kennicutt Krystina Valentine

Group Sales & Teleservices Manager Doug Sims Assistant Teleservices Manager Jeff Pigeon

Rene Fox Scot Greenwell Marilyn Hatcher Bill Imel Sarah James Norma Johnson Michelle Kennedy-Coenen Sherry McCoy Gail McDermott-Bowler Dianna Mosedale Deborah Provisor Phoebe Rodgers Kathy Sax Karen Sipes Katherine Stinnett Aidan Sturgeon Brenda Thien Rudy Thien Maggie Ward

Tessitura Administrator Molly Wible Sweets Ticket Office Manager Kim Reeves Assistant Ticket Office Manager Eric Wilburn Gift Shop Manager & Customer Service Representative Jessie Streeval Customer Service Representatives Geneva Denney-Moore Erin Elliott Hannah Janowicz Bailey Lynch Building Services Dameon Cooper David Dunaway Mylan Jefferson Dave Melton

Bartenders Sheryl Conner Aaron Henze Sandra Hester-Steele Nancy Hiser Barbara Janiak Tina Weaver ASL Interpreters Randy Nicolai Tara Parchman Robin Reid Audio Describers John Simmons Mandy Bishop 11

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Welcome to the Indiana Repertory Theatre! This season we have a marvelous mixture of popular classics and wonderful new works to offer you. We’re particularly excited about our new INclusion Series, offering three plays by three women about Native American, African American, and Chinese American experiences. We are committed to broadening diversity in all areas of the IRT, not only in the stories we tell, but also in our staff and artists and the communities we serve.

We’re also turning our eyes to the future as we near the goal of our $18.5 million Front and Center campaign. Now more than ever the IRT needs your financial support to expand programming to better serve both adult and youth audiences, to enhance equipment and technology, and to ensure the IRT’s robust future for generations to come. Thank you for your patronage and support.

–Nadine Givens, IRT Board Chair

OFFICERS CHAIR

SECRETARY

VICE CHAIR & CHAIR ELECT

TREASURER

Nadine Givens PNC Wealth Management Mark Shaffer KPMG LLP

Tammara D. Avant Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR

Tom Froehle* Faegre Drinker

Andrew Michie OneAmerica Financial Partners, Inc.

MEMBERS Gerald Berg Wells Fargo Advisors Keith A. Bice Dentons Bingham Greenebaum Heather Brogden B. Media House IRT Offscript Advisory Council Liaison Amy Burke Butler University Ann Colussi Dee Duke Realty Gary Denney Eli Lilly and Company, Retired Michael P. Dinius Noble Consulting Services, Inc. Laurie Dippold KAR Global, Inc. Daniel C. Emerson* Indianapolis Colts Troy D. Farmer Fifth Third Bank Richard D. Feldman Franciscan Health Indianapolis James W. Freeman OneAmerica Financial Partners, Inc., Retired Bruce Glor J.P. Morgan

Christopher Gramling Eli Lilly and Company Ricardo L. Guimarães Corteva Agriscience, Retired Julian Harrell Faegre Drinker Michael N. Heaton Katz Sapper & Miller Holt Hedrick Calumet Specialty Products Partners L.P. Rebecca Hutton Leadership Indianapolis Elisha Modisett Kemp Corteva Agriscience Joy Kleinmaier IU Health Sarah Lechleiter Community Volunteer Alan Mills Barnes & Thornburg LLP Detra Mills Round Room Inc. Lawren K. Mills Ice Miller Strategies LLC, Ice Miller LLP Michael Moriarty Frost Brown Todd LLC

Timothy W. Oliver BMO Harris Bank Lauren Petersen TechPoint Peter Racher Plews Shadley Racher & Braun LLP Peter N. Reist Oxford Financial Group Susan O. Ringo Community Volunteer Myra C. Selby Ice Miller LLP Mike Simmons Jupiter Peak, LLC Shelly Smith Ernst & Young Susan L. Smith Community Volunteer Amy Waggoner Salesforce L. Alan Whaley Ice Miller LLP, Retired David Whitman* PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Retired Heather Wilson Frost Brown Todd LLC

BOARD EMERITUS Robert Anker* Rollin Dick Berkley Duck* Dale Duncan* Michael Lee Gradison* (in memoriam) Margie Herald

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David Klapper David Kleiman* E. Kirk McKinney Jr. (in memoriam) Richard Morris*(in memoriam) Jane Schlegel* Wayne Schmidt

Jerry Semler* Jack Shaw* William E. Smith III* Eugene R. Tempel* * Past Board Chairs

THE REPERTORY SOCIETY Exclusive Access for Unparalleled Support

An Indiana child’s awe-inspiring first live theatre experience.

An evening filled with laughter, family and friends.

A ride-home debate sparked by a new perspective presented onstage.

These moments and many others are made possible through the generous support of Repertory Society members. Donors giving $1,500 or more each season will join this exclusive group and gain access to a slate of benefits created to extend your access to our art and enhance your theatergoing experience.

REPERTORY SOCIETY BENEFITS INCLUDE: VIP Ticket Concierge, Donor Lounge Access, Complimentary Valet Parking, Exclusive Special Events, and so much more!

Hannah Ruwe and Miranda Troutt in the IRT’s 2019 production of The Diary of Anne Frank. Photo by Zach Rosing.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO JOIN THE REPERTORY SOCIETY

Contact Kay Swank-Herzog, Individual Giving Manager: kswankherzog@irtlive.com | 317.916.4830

the arts enrich our entire community.

The largest locally-owned national bank is proud to be a major supporter of the Arts.

317-261-9000 Š2019 The National Bank of Indianapolis www.nbofi.com

Member FDIC

Agatha Christie’s

Murder on the Orient Express adapted by

Ken Ludwig

MARCH 3 - 29 ONEAMERICA MAINSTAGE

ARTISTIC

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ILJ PHOTO CREDIT (SET ONLY):

SCENIC DESIGNER: Robert M. Koharchik LIGHTING DESIGNER: Michael Klaers

SEASON SPONSOR

Director________________________ RISA BRAININ Scenic Designer_____________________ ROBERT M. KOHARCHIK Costume Designer_______________________ DEVON PAINTER Lighting Designer_______________________ MICHAEL KLAERS Composer_____________________________ MICHAEL KECK Projections Designer_________________________ L. B. MORSE Dramaturg__________________________ RICHARD J ROBERTS Stage Managers______________________ NATHAN GARRISON JOEL GRYNHEIM Casting_____________________________ CLAIRE SIMON CSA

SEASON 2019 - 2020 SEASON PARTNER

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CO-PRODUCED WITH CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK Artistic Director_________________________ BLAKE ROBISON Managing Director_______________________ BUZZ WARD

ARTS PARTNERS

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PRODUCTION PARTNER

JANET ALLEN

Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director

SUZANNE SWEENEY Managing Director

THE COMPANY in order of speaking

Hercule Poirot_________________________ ANDREW MAY Head Waiter_________________________ ROB JOHANSEN Colonel Arbuthnot___________________ RYAN ARTZBERGER Mary Debenham____________________NASTACIA GUIMONT Helen Hubbard______________________ JENNIFER JOPLIN Hector MacQueen______________________ AARON KIRBY Monsieur Bouc______________________ GAVIN LAWRENCE Princess Dragomiroff____________________ DALE HODGES Greta Ohlsson_______________________ CALLIE JOHNSON Michel____________________________ ROB JOHANSEN Samuel Ratchett____________________ RYAN ARTZBERGER Countess Andrenyi_____________________ KATIE BRADLEY

SETTING 1934. The principal action of the play takes place aboard the Orient Express as it travels from Istanbul to Western Europe.

ACT 1 Mid-day to morning Intermission ACT 2 Morning to mid-day

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, adapted by Ken Ludwig, was originally staged by McCarter Theatre Center, Princeton, New Jersey—Emily Mann, Artistic Director; Timothy J. Shields, Managing Director. The production subsequently transferred to Hartford Stage, Hartford, Connecticut—Darko Tresnjak, Artistic Director; Michael Stotts, Managing Director.

Assistant to the Director: Katherine Hamilton Fights: Rob Johansen Dialect Coach: D’Arcy Smith Wigs: Rebecca A. Scott

*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. Scenic, costume, lighting, sound, and projections designers in LORT Theatres are represented by United Scenic Artists Local 829, IATSE. Photography of the set without actors and with proper credit to scenic and lighting designers is permitted. Due to union agreements, photography, video, and audio recording are not permitted during the performance. The videotaping of productions is a violation of United States Copyright Law and an actionable Federal Offense.

Above: Original artwork by Kyle Ragsdale

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CLUES

Agatha Christie’s plays have been beguiling IRT audiences from the very first years of the theatre’s existence. We delight in producing them, and audiences invariably delight in watching them. I suppose this should come as no surprise: her play The Mousetrap continues to run in London, and has done continuously since 1952. Clearly Dame Agatha knew a little something about stageworthiness! Christie’s work has the uncanny ability to draw people from many different walks of life under her spell. She appeals to both men and women, and widely across cultures, as her work has been translated into more than 50 languages. She continues, now more than four decades after her death, to be a household name the world over—a bit like Barbie or the Beatles!

Two actual events inspired Mrs. Christie’s exotic 1934 story: one was personal, one was taken from international news. Mrs. Christie was herself marooned on the Orient Express for 24 hours in 1928 by rain and a mudslide in Turkey, returning home from one of her husband’s Middle Eastern archeological digs. Another real-life incident deeply influenced her story: the 1932 Lindbergh kidnapping, in which internationally famous aviator Charles Lindbergh’s young son was kidnapped, held for ransom, and 24

later found dead. These two incidents came together in Christie’s imagination to create this spell-binding story, which reflects a sentiment that is rarely found in her work: the murder victim is particularly hated for his cruelty to a child, and the people who loved that child.

Anyone who has ever read an Agatha Christie story, seen a play or film based on her work, or played the game Clue, will recognize the tried and true structure: a small group of people are stranded in some remote place from which no one can depart. A murder takes place. Who did this? Why and how? The suspects are gathered by a detective, who tells them that no one may leave (as if they could). He (or she) interviews them one by one, and, in the end, collects the interested parties and reveals the deductions that led to the murderer, the motive, and the method. Justice is done.

Order is restored.

Christie wrote 66 detective novels that generally follow this formula. While it is true that she learned a great deal from Arthur Conan Doyle, whose Sherlock Holmes stories were written a generation earlier, Christie added a lot of her own finesse to

BY JANET ALLEN, MARGOT LACY ECCLES ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

the genre. But two truths she stole wholesale: the detective is eccentric; and the solving process depends on reasoning, clue detection, and exact thinking, and very little on emotion. This apparent lack of empathy she very nearly violates in Murder on the Orient Express.

And of course, Murder on the Orient Express features the eccentric Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, one of Christie’s two famous detectives. (Her other is Miss Marple, quite a different breed of detective, being female and British and therefore considerably more tractable.) Poirot’s strange personal habits make him a colorful character on screen and on stage as well as on the page.

The mysteries behind the life of the detective himself deepen the experience for the reader and/or viewer. And Mrs. Christie held to an important value with her detectives: they carry no weapons, they are never involved in fisticuffs, they disdain violence of all kinds—which only seems to fuel their craft and tenacity. This is only the second play the IRT has produced which features Monsieur Poirot: the first was in 1989: Black Coffee (directed by former artistic director Tom Haas, and featuring Michael Lipton as Poirot).

Producing Christie requires equal mastery of directing, design, and casting. Ambience plays a large role in her work, whether it is the rainy British countryside or a lavish European train—complete with dining cars and sleeping compartments—enmired in the snow.

Casting is key, as the characters must be vivid, singular, often cagey, and never cartoony. And finally the directing: a murder mystery requires precision, intense focus on detail (as everything can be a clue!), careful crafting of relationships (because every look can be a clue!), and expert timing (because often even the clock is a clue!). We are delighted to see this production come to life under the elegant and exacting hand of director Risa Brainin. So, on with the mystery! Let the detection begin!

Preliminary costume designs for Samuel Ratchett, Mary Debenham, Hercule Poirot, Countess Andrenyi, Monsieur Bouc, and Helen Hubbard by costume designer Devon Painter.

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MURDER BY THE NUMBERS

BY RISA BRAININ, DIRECTOR

Who doesn’t love a good murder mystery? Published in 1934, Murder on the Orient Express has been adapted into three radio plays (1966, 1992, and 2017), two films 40 years apart (1974 and 2017), three television programs (including a Japanese version in 2015), and one lone play which premiered in 2017. I find that 32year gap between the novel and the first radio play very intriguing.

Why didn’t anyone take a crack at it? And more intriguing: why has there never been a stage adaptation before now? Let’s see: 13 characters; settings that include a restaurant in Istanbul, a train platform, three different train compartments, a corridor, and a dining car on the stunning Orient Express. This list may have been daunting to some … but not Ken Ludwig.

wrote fabulous roles, and Ludwig’s version exploits, expands, delights in those wonderful renderings. He has remained true to the original when it comes to portraying these delightfully complex, dramatic, and quirky individuals. Casting this play was a joy! We have brought together a magnificent group of actors from around the country to bring this familiar and well-loved mystery to life. Creating a dynamic world for both the IRT stage and coproducer Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park was challenging in the very best of ways. We hope you’ll enjoy the ride!

I remember seeing the first film and absolutely loving it. What I admired most were the rich, colorful characters played by so many great stars of the day: Albert Finney (in an incredible, over-the-top, scenery-chewing performance), Lauren Bacall, Vanessa Redgrave, Sean Connery, and more—the cast was a wow. Agatha Christie

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Original artwork by Kyle Ragsdale

THE ORIENT EXPRESS

BY RICHARD J ROBERTS, RESIDENT DRAMATURG

The Orient Express was renowned for luxury and comfort at a time when travel was still difficult and dangerous. The train was originally developed in 1883 by Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits as a standard international passenger service.

For more than a century the Orient Express has operated over a variety of routes under a number of different managements. The passengers in Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express are traveling from Istanbul to Calais via Sofia, Belgrade, Venice, Milan, Lausanne, and Paris.

In 1934, when Christie wrote her novel, the Orient Express was at the height of its popularity. The years following World War I had seen the line develop its reputation for intrigue and opulence, with exclusive sleeping cars and elegant dining cars renowned for their fine cuisine. Royalty, nobility, diplomats, businessmen, and wealthy bourgeoisie were frequent patrons.

Passengers boarding in Istanbul would first dine at the Tokatlian Hotel, established specifically to cater to Orient Express clientele.

The train departed from Sirkeci Station every evening at 10:00 p.m. The train was very short, consisting of just four elegant blue-and-gold sleeping-cars, with a baggage van at either end.

Each sleeping-car had ten wood-paneled compartments with a single bed that converted to a sofa during the day and an additional fold-down bed above. Each compartment contained a washbasin, but there were no baths or showers on board. The very wealthy could afford sole occupancy, but single passengers usually shared with another passenger of the same sex. The dining car was attached at the Turkish-Bulgarian border, in time for breakfast. The journey from Istanbul to Paris took three days.

In 1971, after years of declining revenues, the Wagon-Lits company sold all its carriages, which were run by other companies through 1977. Since then, several companies have operated various kinds of services under the name Orient Express. Today you can take the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, with beautifully restored vintage coaches providing a five-star luxury train experience between London and Venice. The 24-hour trip runs once a week from March to November. Tickets are available from $4,813 per person one way, including meals.

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GOING IN STYLE

ROBERT M. KOHARCHIK | SCENIC DESIGNER As a fan of Agatha Christie, designing the set for Murder on the Orient Express was both thrilling and challenging. Due to the layout of both IRT and Cincinnati theatre spaces, we knew early in the design process that recreating an actual train would be impractical. Inspired by images of the Orient Express and by

the Art Deco style, the set design for this production endeavors to capture the opulence of the period while providing fluid movement from one train car to the next as we watch one of Christie’s most memorable characters solve the case.

MICHAEL KECK | COMPOSER Every piece of music begins as an experiment, as well as an adventure, with absolutely no idea where the score will land. I enjoy the mystery of creativity, imagining how the author’s text will develop into a fully staged production. Clues provided by the playwright merge with wisdom from the creative team to yield the first sketch, a demo to share with the director and her team.

Ideas always require refinement, but eventually we hit the sweet spot with music that serves as a vital link between the drama 28

and the audience. The map for this particular adventure includes two previous IRT productions that I worked on with director Risa Brainin: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (2012) and Holmes and Watson (2018), murder mysteries infused with the romanticism of the 19th century. I’m excited to return to IRT and rejoin Risa’s team and continue the adventure with this new production, further exploring, with new ideas, arrangements, and instrumentation.

Preliminary sketch by scenic designer Robert M. Koharchik.

DEVON PAINTER COSTUME DESIGNER It is an absolute pleasure to breathe life into Agatha Christie’s dramatic and stylish people on the stage. Orient Express is an especially lush story, set in an exotic location and a very stylish bygone world. The costume design presents how each character wishes to be perceived, using a high style appearance as a foil to deceive.

L. B. MORSE PROJECTIONS DESIGNER The projections in Murder on the Orient Express serve two purposes in our production. The first is to provide imagery that helps support realistic locations and environments, such as the inside of a restaurant, the architecture of a train platform, or the snowy mountains rolling past outside the window of a luxury train. The team has found a wealth of great period imagery reflecting the exotic locations we visit, as well as the wonderful lavish interiors of the Orient Express itself, and we want to use the projections to help showcase these great period elements. The second function of the projections is to help us lean into a noir feel for the play by allowing us cinematic glimpses into the memories, details, and clues that help shape Poirot’s unraveling of the mystery. We want to explore the inner workings of Poirot’s mind as he tracks down the killer, and the projections help highlight this journey.

Preliminary costume design for Princess Dragomiroff by costume designer Devon Painter.

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PLAYWRIGHT AGATHA CHRISTIE

BY RICHARD J ROBERTS, DRAMATURG

Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born in 1890 in Torquay, Devonshire, England. Her father was American, her mother English. As a child Agatha never attended school. Shy and unable to express her feelings, she first turned to music as a means of expression and, later in life, to writing. Her father taught her arithmetic, but her mother believed education destroyed the brain and ruined the eyes. She taught Agatha history and what she called “general knowledge.” The house was filled with books and newspapers, and Agatha and her older brother and sister were encouraged to read and write.

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When Agatha was 11, her father died. Despite financial difficulties, Agatha’s mother maintained the family’s genteel façade and continued Agatha’s eclectic education. She took Swedish exercise classes and studied the piano, singing, and dancing. At 16, she began two years of finishing school in Paris, where she learned French and German and took gymnastics and tennis lessons.

Her mother wanted Agatha to be a concert pianist or an opera singer, but stage fright and shyness prevented her from pursuing a career in music.

Agatha’s mother developed health problems and decided that a warmer climate might be beneficial. When Agatha returned from France, her mother took her to Egypt for three months.

There was a small English colony there, and Agatha could make her social debut more cheaply than in London. Thus began Agatha’s lifelong fascination with the Middle East. Upon returning to England, Agatha met Lieutenant Archibald Christie of the Royal Field Artillery. After a two-year engagement, Agatha and Archie were married in 1914.

During World War I, the new Mrs. Christie signed on as a nurse at a Red Cross hospital near her mother in Torquay. Promoted to the dispensary, she trained for the apothecaries’ exam, learning all about drugs and poisons. This newly acquired knowledge inspired her to try her hand at a murder mystery.

In 1919, Christie gave birth to her only child, Rosalind, named after Shakespeare’s heroine. In 1920 her first book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, was published. This was the world’s first introduction to Christie’s Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot.

In 1922 Christie published her second book, beginning a booka-year pattern. Her name appeared on the best-seller lists the rest of her life.

In 1926 Christie published what some consider her masterpiece, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. That same year, her mother died after a severe illness. While still mourning, Christie found out that her husband was having an affair with a younger woman.

Shortly thereafter, Christie disappeared for eleven days. When found, she claimed amnesia, and the mystery remains unsolved.

Christie divorced her husband and went to southern Iraq to join an archaeological dig. There she met Max Mallowan, an archaeological assistant who would eventually become one of the most prominent archaeologists of his generation. The two were completely unlike in background, education, profession, and age—she was 40, he was 26—but they recognized that they complemented each other, and they married in 1930. That same year, Christie published her first Miss Marple novel, The Murder at the Vicarage; and she premiered her first play, Black Coffee, at the Embassy Theatre in London’s West End.

During World War II, Christie lived in London, serving as a dispenser at University College Hospital. Between 1940 and 1945, she published ten new novels and adapted two earlier novels for the stage, including Ten Little Indians. She also wrote “final” books for the Poirot and Miss Marple series; these were to be kept in her publisher’s vault and not to be published until after her death.

After the war, Christie and Max continued to travel together.

She gained further success on the stage and in the cinema.

The Mousetrap opened in London in 1952; it is still running today, 68 years later, making it the longest running play in the world. Witness for the Prosecution opened in London in 1953; Billy Wilder adapted and directed the 1957 film starring Charles Laughton and Marlene Dietrich.

Christie was named a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1971. In 1972, she broke her leg and experienced heart trouble that required considerable bed rest. She continued writing, producing new mysteries regularly every year to 1973. Her last public appearance was at the premiere of the 1974 movie version of Murder on the Orient Express. The success of that film prompted her to release the final Poirot book she had written 30 years earlier, Curtains.

Dame Agatha died peacefully in Wallingford in 1976. She was buried in the country churchyard of Cholsey Parish near her home. A few months later, Sleeping Murder, the final Miss Marple novel, was published. The author had always claimed she was not very fond of Hercule Poirot, and she had killed him off in his final book; but Miss Marple lived on.

Throughout the 1930s, Agatha accompanied Max on his archaeological digs, taking her portable typewriter along. She told reporters: “An archaeologist is the best husband any woman can have. The older she gets, the more interested he is in her.”

Christie always made use of her travels in her novels, such as Murder on the Orient Express (1934) and Death on the Nile (1937).

In 1939 she published her most popular book, Ten Little Indians (also known as And Then There Were None).

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THE COMPANY RYAN ARTZBERGER | COLONEL ARBUTHNOT & SAMUEL RATCHETT Ryan’s IRT credits include A Christmas Carol, The Diary of Anne Frank, Holmes and Watson, Noises Off, Romeo and Juliet, The Three Musketeers, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Crucible, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, God of Carnage, Julius Caesar, Fire in the Garden, Rabbit Hole, Iron Kisses, Death of a Salesman, and Macbeth. Ryan is a member of Indianapolis Shakespeare Company, where he has directed Hamlet and As You Like It and appeared in Coriolanus, The Winter’s Tale, Twelfth Night, The Tempest, The Taming of the Shrew, and Othello. At the Phoenix Theatre he performed in Reasons to Be Pretty. Regional credits include the Seattle Children’s Theatre, the Shakespeare Theatre and the Studio Theatre in Washington DC, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, the Goodman Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Kansas City Rep, Lookingglass, and Great Lakes Theater Festival. Ryan is a graduate of Ohio University and the Juilliard School.

KATIE BRADLEY | COUNTESS ANDRENYI Katie is an actor based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Select theater credits include Guys and Dolls, four seasons of A Christmas Carol, and South Pacific at the Guthrie Theater; The Cocoanuts and Into the Woods at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival; the OSF production of Into the Woods at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles; Disney’s Mulan Jr. at the Children’s Theatre Company; Antigone for Theatre de la Jeune Lune; The Seven for Ten Thousand Things Theater; several productions at Theater Mu, including The Korean Drama Addict’s Guide to Losing Your Virginity, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Ching Chong Chinaman, and Flower Drum Song; Caught at Full Circle Theater; after the quake at Walking Shadow Theatre Company; and Gloria: A Life at History Theatre. @katielynnebradley

NASTACIA GUIMONT | MARY DEBENHAM Nastacia is grateful to be making her debut with IRT. Her most recent roles have been Lady Macbeth and Mercutio with Seattle Shakespeare Company. Regional theatre credits include A Christmas Carol and The Legend of Georgia McBride (ACT Theatre), Go, Dog. Go! (Seattle Children’s Theatre); Jungle Book (Children’s Theatre Company); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Guthrie Theater) TV: Grimm and Chicago Med. Film: Alex/October. Nastacia attended the University of Minnesota– Twin Cities for Theatre Arts & Dance. She is currently based in Chicago and is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA. She is exclusively represented by Paonessa Talent Agency. “I want to give a major shout-out to my sweet husband for being my rock!” Instagram: @nastaciag

DALE HODGES | PRINCESS DRAGOMIROFF Dale is delighted to be making her IRT debut. After joining Actors’ Equity in 1974, she lived for 16 years in New York, appearing both on and off Broadway and in regional theatre productions. Now a resident of Cincinnati, she works regularly at all the local theatres, as well as with the Human Race in Dayton, the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and Peterborough Players in New Hampshire. Favorite roles include Vivian Bearing in Wit, Big Edie in Grey Gardens, Abby in Ripcord, Mary Tyrone in Long Day’s Journey into Night, the Fool in King Lear, and 23 years of A Christmas Carol. For the Cincinnati Opera she played the Duchess of Krakenthorpe in La Fille du Regiment (in French!), and she can be seen as Athena in Emilio Estevez’s recent movie The Public.

ROB JOHANSEN | MICHEL & HEAD WAITER Rob is deeply grateful to be working on the fourth Agatha Christie play of his career. He has previously been in And Then There Were None and the little known Towards Zero, as well as the IRT’s production of The Unexpected Guest. This is also the fourth show where Rob has been directed by Risa Brainin. Last year Rob was the silent Sherlock in Holmes and Watson. Although he was proud to practice the art of sitting perfectly still and not even blinking for ten minutes at a time, he’s grateful to be walking and talking in this play. This is the 48th production Rob has acted in at IRT. There is nowhere else he’d rather be, expect maybe the Humane Society where he volunteers. Rob reminds you that if you need a furry family member, the best place to look is an animal shelter. Those are the pups and cats that need a home the most. Rob makes his home very happily with actress Jen Johansen and shelter kids Olive and Tibbs.

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Agatha Christie’s

Murder on the Orient Express adapted by

Ken Ludwig

CALLIE JOHNSON | GRETA OHLSSON Callie’s Chicago credits include Melba Snyder in Pal Joey (Porchlight Music Theatre, Jeff Award-Cameo Performance); Reynalda in Hamlet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Natalie Goodman in Next to Normal (Drury Lane Oakbrook, Broadway World Award: Best Musical Revival); Carrie White in Carrie: the Musical (Bailiwick Chicago, Jeff Nomination: Best Leading Actress, Broadway World Nomination: Best Leading Actress), Natalie Haller in All Shook Up (Theatre at the Center, Broadway World Nomination: Best Leading Actress), Chloe Coverly in Arcadia (Writer’s Theater); Desdemona in Othello (Invictus Theatre Company); Prossy in Candida (Shaw Chicago); Raina in Arms and the Man (Shaw Chicago).

Television: guest star on Chicago PD, recurring guest star on Chicago Med. Callie holds a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from Columbia College Chicago, and is proudly represented by Stewart Talent. calliejohnson.com

JENNIFER JOPLIN | HELEN HUBBARD Jen is thrilled to be making her IRT debut. Originally from St. Louis and a graduate of Wright State, she has called this region her artistic home for almost 30 years. Jen is a proud member of Actor’s Equity and a resident artist at the Human Race Theatre Company in Dayton. Regional credits include Erma Bombeck in At Wit’s End, Amanda in The Glass Menagerie, and Annette in God of Carnage at Human Race; Aimee in The Humans and Rosemary in Outside Mullingar at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati; Lady Macbeth and Cleopatra at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company; and Virginie in The Man-Beast at Know Theatre. She tours the country with her original one-woman show, The MILF Also Rises. “Great thanks to Risa and Blake and the amazing team here at IRT. Thank you to so many who help make being a mom and an actor possible—especially Max and Jason.”

AARON KIRBY | HECTOR MACQUEEN Aaron is elated to return to his home away from home IRT, where he has appeared in A Christmas Carol (x2), You Can’t Take It With You, Romeo and Juliet, and Finding Home. Other recent theatre credits include The Miss Firecracker Contest at Tipping Point; Birds of a Feather at the Greenhouse; Red and Geezers (both Jeff Nominations for Actor in a Leading Role) as well as Good People, The Drawer Boy, The American Clock, and The Beautiful Dark at Redtwist Theatre; Dark Play or Stories for Boys (Jeff Award for Actor in a Supporting Role) at Collaboraction; and productions at Drury Lane Oakbrook, Route 66, the Goodman, the House, Edinburgh Fringe, and Trinity Shakespeare. TV appearances include Chicago Fire, Shameless, and Chicago Med. Aaron earned his M.F.A. at Wayne State University. “Much love to my family, friends, Stewart Talent, and my radiant wife, Emma!”

GAVIN LAWRENCE | MONSIEUR BOUC Gavin has worked at Steppenwolf, Woolly Mammoth, Goodman, Arena Stage, Baltimore Centerstage, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Denver Center Theatre Company, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Mixed Blood, Guthrie, Penumbra, Children’s Theatre Company, First Stage, Skylight Music Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Kansas City Rep., Florida Studio Theatre, and the City Theatre. Film and TV work includes Joe Somebody, Justice, and Chicago PD. He is an AUDELCO Award winner for his Off-Broadway performance in Pure Confidence and a graduate of Howard University. His full length plays have been produced in Minneapolis, Washington DC, and Chicago. His plays and musicals for young people have been produced at universities and high schools across the country as well as China. Gavin is a proud member of the core acting company at American Players Theatre. “All love to my children, Teja Grace and Jabari Ade.”

ANDREW MAY | HERCULE POIROT This is Andrew’s IRT debut. Other credits include the Broadway National Tour of War Horse, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Milwaukee Repertory (6 seasons), Great Lakes Theatre (9 seasons), Utah Shakespeare Festival (3 seasons), Idaho Shakespeare Festival (5 seasons), Studio Theatre DC, Barrington Stage, Goodman Theatre , Cleveland Play House (6 seasons), City Theatre Pittsburgh (4 seasons), Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and many more. Film and TV credits include Striking Distance, Big Love, 227, Duet, Babe Ruth, and What She Doesn’t Know. He has received two Joseph Jefferson Citations for acting.

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THE COMPANY KEN LUDWIG | PLAYWRIGHT Ken Ludwig has had six shows produced on Broadway and seven in London’s West End. His work has been performed in thirty countries in more than twenty languages. His best known plays include Crazy for You (Tony and Olivier awards for Best Musical), Lend Me a Tenor, Moon over Buffalo, The Game’s Afoot (produced by the IRT in 2014), Shakespeare in Hollywood, Leading Ladies, The Fox on the Fairway, Baskerville, Sherwood, and A Comedy of Tenors. His book How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare was published in 2012 by Crown. He studied music at Harvard with Leonard Bernstein and theatre history at Cambridge University in England. kenludwig.com

RISA BRAININ | DIRECTOR Risa served as the IRT’s associate artistic director from 1997 to 2000. Her IRT credits include Holmes and Watson, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Tuesdays with Morrie, Young Lady from Rwanda, Blithe Spirit, One Thousand Cranes, Pygmalion, Noises Off, Macbeth, The Herbal Bed, Mother of the Movement, Talley’s Folly, and To Kill a Mockingbird. Risa has served as artistic director of Shakespeare Santa Cruz, associate artistic director for Kansas City Repertory Theatre, and associate company director and resident director for the Guthrie Theater. Other directing credits include plays at Pittsburgh Public Theater, Denver Center Theatre Company, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, Kansas City Actors Theatre, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Syracuse Stage, American Players Theatre, and Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. Risa is the artistic director of LAUNCH PAD, a groundbreaking new play development program at UC Santa Barbara. She is a graduate of the Carnegie-Mellon University Drama Program.

ROBERT M. KOHARCHIK | SCENIC DESIGNER Rob has designed more than 30 productions for the IRT, including all four Going Solo Festivals and such shows as Looking Over the President’s Shoulder (2018 & 2008), Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, The Mousetrap, On Golden Pond, The Mountaintop, The Miracle Worker, Crime and Punishment, To Kill a Mockingbird (2009), Hamlet, Twelfth Night, Pride and Prejudice, Romeo and Juliet (2004), and The Turn of the Screw. Robert’s regional credits include the Walnut Street Theatre, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Cleveland Play House, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Weston Playhouse, Geva Theatre, and American Players Theatre. A 2000 and 2011 Arts Council–Lilly Endowment Creative Renewal Fellow, Robert holds an M.F.A. in set design from Boston University and a B.S. in theatre from Ball State. He teaches theatre design at Butler University.

DEVON PAINTER | COSTUME DESIGNER Devon’s IRT designs include Holmes and Watson, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Three Musketeers, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Miracle Worker, Pygmalion, Noises Off (1999), Abe Lincoln in Illinois, and To Kill a Mockingbird (1998). Regional design credits include the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Guthrie Theater, Milwaukee Rep, Denver Center, Geva Theatre Center, Kansas City Rep, Shakespeare Festival of St Louis, Actors Theatre, Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Folger Theatre, Studio Theatre, Utah Shakespearean Festival, and the American Players Theatre. New York credits include many productions at the Pearl Theatre, Juilliard, and many other Off-Broadway venues, as well as associate work on Broadway with the late, great Desmond Heeley. Devon is a member of United Scenic Artists.

MICHAEL KLAERS | LIGHTING DESIGNER Michael’s earlier shows at the IRT include, among others, Holmes and Watson, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Herbal Bed, Pygmalion, To Kill a Mockingbird, Macbeth, and Noises Off (1999). Regional theatre credits include Pittsburgh Public Theater, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Great Lakes Theater Festival, Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, Missouri Repertory Theatre, Mixed Blood Theatre, and many others.

MICHAEL KECK | COMPOSER At the IRT, Michael has composed music for all three productions of Looking Over the President’s Shoulder; Holmes and Watson; A Raisin in the Sun; April 4, 1968 (in which he also acted); Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; Rabbit Hole; Gem of the Ocean; Searching for Eden; and As You Like It. His music has accompanied productions at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Rep, Mark Taper Forum, Arena Stage, Cincinnati Playhouse, and many others. His international credits include the Market Theatre Johannesburg South Africa, National Theater of Croatia–Zagreb, the Barbican Theatre Center, and Bristol Old Vic. Excerpts from his solo performance piece Voices in the Rain are published by Temple University Press and Alta Mira Press. Michael received the Theatre Bay Area Award in San Francisco and three Barrymore Award nominations for his work in Philadelphia. He has served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Arts Council, and Meet the Composer. He is a member of AEA, SAG–AFTRA, ASCAP, PEN, and the Dramatists Guild.

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Agatha Christie’s

Murder on the Orient Express adapted by

Ken Ludwig

L. B. MORSE | PROJECTIONS DESIGNER L. B. is a lighting, scenic, and multimedia designer for the performing and cultural arts. He has designed for Seattle Repertory Theatre, 5th Avenue Theatre, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Village Theatre, Intiman, ACT, Seattle Children’s Theater, Woodland Park Zoo, UCSB Launch Pad, Tantrum Theater, Strawberry Theatre Workshop, Seattle Shakespeare Company, and On the Boards, among others. L. B. holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts and a Graduate Certificate in Scenic Design from University of California, Santa Cruz, and is a proud member of United Scenic Artists, Local 829.

RICHARD J ROBERTS | DRAMATURG This is Richard’s 30th season with the IRT, and his 22nd 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 The Cay, Bridge & Tunnel, A Christmas Carol, The Night Watcher, Neat, Pretty Fire, The Giver, The Power of One, and Twelfth Night. This season he directed Sweeney Todd for Actors Theatre of Indiana and the Carmel Symphony Orchestra and Cabaret for the University of Indianapolis. Other directing credits include the Phoenix Theatre, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Edyvean Repertory Theatre, Indianapolis Civic Theatre, Butler University, and Anderson University. Richard studied music at DePauw University and theatre at Indiana University and was awarded a Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship from the Arts Council of Indianapolis.

NATHAN GARRISON | STAGE MANAGER This is Nathan’s 24th season at the IRT. He has also worked with Center Stage in Baltimore, Utah Shakespeare Festival, and Brown County Playhouse; and he is a company member with the Indianapolis Shakespeare Company.

JOEL GRYNHEIM | STAGE MANAGER This is the 99th production Joel has stage managed over 30 years at the IRT. He resides in an historic home in downtown Indianapolis, sharing that home and his life with Janet Allen.

CLAIRE SIMON CSA | CASTING Based in Chicago, Claire Simon CSA has worked with the IRT for the past 23 years on casting more than 40 productions, including Morning After Grace, Twelve Angry Men, You Can’t Take It With You, Holmes and Watson, Noises Off, Appoggiatura, Romeo and Juliet, The Originalist, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Finding Home, The Great Gatsby, and many more. Other regional credits include Syracuse Stage, Asolo Theatre, Lyric Opera, Milwaukee Rep, New Theatre, Paramount, Writers Theatre, Broadway in Chicago’s Working, and the Tony Award–winning Million Dollar Quartet. TV credits include Empire, Easy, Sense8, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Crisis, Betrayal, Detroit 1-8-7, Boss, Mob Doctor, and Chicago Code. Film credits include Divergent, Contagion, Unexpected, Man of Steel, Save the Last Dance, and High Fidelity. Claire has won Artios Awards for casting the pilot of Empire and for Season 1 of Fox’s Prison Break.

OUR CO-PRODUCING PARTNER: CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK Founded in 1960 and a recipient of two Tony Awards—the 2004 Regional Theatre Tony Award and the 2007 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical for Company—Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park is known for its artistic excellence, commitment to new works, creative educational programming, and as an artistic home for some of America’s best actors, directors, and designers. For more than 30 years, the Playhouse has produced at least one world premiere production each season. Artistic Director Blake Robison and Managing Director Buzz Ward oversee a full-time staff of 83.

Together with a board of 52 trustees and nearly 1,000 volunteers, they remain committed to a tradition of excellence that carries the Playhouse to the end of its sixth decade. The Playhouse offers productions ten months each year, attracting nearly 190,000 people annually to its two theatres and its education and outreach programs. For more information, visit cincyplay.com

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STEPHENIE SOOHYUN PARK ACTOR

STEPHENIE SOOHYUN PARK HAS APPEARED IN THE LAST TWO EDITIONS OF A CHRISTMAS CAROL, AND NOW SHE APPEARS IN THE PAPER DREAMS OF HARRY CHIN. HERE, STEPHENIE TALKS ABOUT HER UNIQUE AND FASCINATING JOURNEY TO BECOMING AN ACTOR. WHEN DID YOU FIRST GET INTERESTED IN THEATRE? I grew up in the Chicago suburbs. I went to a magnet school that was based strictly on IQ; there was no balancing for gender or race or income or anything. My class had 7 girls and 21 boys. So when one girl decided it would be cool to be in the play, all of the girls wanted to be in the play. I played the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland. My mom made my costume. I think that I had wanted to be Alice, and I didn’t recognize that my part was much cooler.

I did theatre all through school. I kind of tapered off in high school a little bit, and then I didn’t do it in college until my senior year. I went to the Wharton School for undergrad, which is a very hard-core finance school. You go to the Wharton School to become a master of the universe, to make a lot of money.

I thought I wanted to be an investment banker, or a venture capitalist, or something. I was so wrong! Anyway, I took a semester off from school, and I happened to be in the financial district when September 11 happened. I saw a lot of things … it was very traumatic. I decided that I didn’t know … I didn’t know how to live a life where I wasn’t sure if I was going to live the next day. To try to figure that out, I decided to go into 38

the Peace Corps. I worked in Benin, teaching small entrepreneurs accounting and marketing. And on the side I got a grant to do an AIDS education day, which got me really interested in human rights work.

So I went to law school to become an international human rights lawyer—which I found out later doesn’t precisely exist in the way that most law students think it does. My first summer in law school I went to work for this fantastic NGO in Jakarta.

One day, one of my coworkers showed up at work and said, “I’ve been working on trying to change a law for the last five years, and they turned down my final proposal.” And I thought, I don’t think I can pour five years of myself into something and not have anything to show for it. So I became a corporate lawyer like everybody else and paid off my loans.

I was a bankruptcy lawyer at the height of the bankruptcy crisis, so I was really, really busy. I worked 6 to 7 days a week, 8 AM to 10 PM at least, most days, and I was just exhausted. When I got married, I took time off for a honeymoon. It was the first vacation that I’d ever taken at the firm, and people were giving me a lot of heartache for it. I was talking to a paralegal, and she

said, “Steph, you’re always talking about starting a restaurant.

The Top Chef people are doing this reality TV show and you get to win a restaurant. You should totally do it.” And I thought, that’s ridiculous. And then the night before I left for my honeymoon, people were just pouring work on me, and I was so mad. So I made a tape that was all of a minute and a half. It was me lying on a couch, and I said, “This is my restaurant idea: I want to do healthy food that’s not soups or salads. You can get it within fixed calorie ranges. Thanks.” That was basically my video. And then they called me, and they wanted to meet me, and it kept escalating, and I kept thinking, you’re not going to end up on this show, but how much would you hate yourself if you don’t just try. And I ended up being on the show and coming in fourth. It was really stressful and I was kind of embarrassed about it. I’m still a little embarrassed about it!

I decided I wanted to go back to everything I remembered loving in my life before. I had paid back all of my law school loans, and I thought, I’m just going to take a break, figure things out, and then go back to practice at a smaller firm. I worked at a restaurant, I traveled a little bit. I have a friend who runs a chorus that sings for the New York Pops, so I got to sing at Stephen Sondheim’s 80th birthday concert, which was very cool.

During my first year of law school, I had auditioned for some student films. One of them was for Damien Chezelle, who years later directed La La Land and Whiplash and First Man. That was my first experience working on film, and I thought, wow, I love film, this is amazing. So now I decided to take an acting class. The teacher kept asking me, “What are you going to do with this?”

And I said, “I’m just here for fun.” After the last class, he said to me, “I will get you an agent. I think this is your new career.” So I met with the agent, and they said they wanted to represent me and I said, “Look, I’m already old. I have no experience. Are you sure this is a good idea?” And he said, “Well, we want to take a chance on you, so we would really like it if you would take a chance on us.” I thought that I would probably do it for a year or two and then stop. And it’s been seven years now. I still do some lawyering on the side. I get contracted out sometimes with firms, and I do consulting through a startup in California, so I do remote work with them.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PAPER DREAMS OF HARRY CHIN? I’m so excited for Paper Dreams. I love new work. And I think there is a renaissance in Asian American theatre right now. That means so much to me as an Asian person who didn’t ever see myself growing up. I think I was in my twenties when I first saw an Asian person on stage playing something that was not some stereotype, but a fully realized Asian character on stage, played by an Asian actor. It just gave me this feeling of—oh my god this is possible, oh my god people want to watch this, oh my god I’m not alone. And Paper Dreams is part of building the canon of Asian American theatre.

And I love it because the characters sometimes have accents.

Francis Jue, who is one of the lights of Asian theatre, and just a wonderful person—I remember him talking about younger actors coming to him and saying, “Francis, why do you play so many people with accents?” And he said, “Look, a person with an accent is just a person with an accent. It doesn’t mean that it’s a stereotype just because they have an accent. There’s still this complex, fully realized character.” And so I love that the characters move in and out of that.

I think it’s interesting to see the mixed family in the play. As someone who has children who are hapa—half Asian—I worry.

I don’t know what growing up is going to be like for them, because I know it hasn’t always been easy for the people I know who are my age and mixed ethnicity. At one point in the play, Laura, Sheila’s mom, says that she doesn’t want Sheila speaking Chinese. And even though I’m 100% Korean, I never learned the language growing up, because the thinking then was that we want to assimilate, we don’t want to stand out, we don’t need anything else separating us from everyone else. So in many ways the play speaks deeply to who I was growing up. It also has a connection beyond that, to the generation before, and what it was like for them to come over, and the difficulties they faced, but also the things they left behind, which is something I never heard about that much. And it’s just deeply theatrical.

WHY DID YOU MOVE TO INDIANAPOLIS? My husband’s dream job was to be an assistant United States attorney for the government. Two weeks after our second child was born he said, “I got the job, and we’re going to move as soon as I get my federal clearance.” And I said, “OK!”

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SEASON SPONSOR

The

Paper Dreams of Harry Chin

by Jessica Huang

SEASON 2019 - 2020 SEASON PARTNER

MARCH 25 - APRIL 19 UPPERSTAGE

ARTISTIC

INCLUSION SERIES TITLE SPONSOR

Director________________________ JAKI BRADLEY Scenic Designer___________________________ WILSON CHIN Costume Designer__________________________ MELISSA NG Lighting Designer________________________ELIZABETH MAK Sound Designer______________________ MELANIE CHEN COLE Projections Designer____________________ NICHOLAS HUSSONG Dramaturg__________________________ RICHARD J ROBERTS Stage Manager______________________ ERIN ROBSON-SMITH Casting______________________________ TBD CASTING CO. MARGARET DUNN, CSA; STEPHANIE YANKWITT, CSA

INCLUSION SERIES LEAD SPONSOR

SIMMONS FAMILY FOUNDATION INCLUSION SERIES PARTNER

ARTS PARTNERS PRODUCTION PARTNER

REVIEWS!

Share your review on social using #IRTLIVE or by sending to REVIEWS@IRTLIVE.COM

ILJ PHOTO CREDIT (SET ONLY):

SCENIC DESIGNER: Wilson Chin | LIGHTING DESIGNER: Elizabeth Mak

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INCLUSION SERIES CORPORATE PARTNERS

JANET ALLEN

Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director

SUZANNE SWEENEY Managing Director

THE COMPANY in order of speaking

Harry____________________________ DAVID SHIH Sheila__________________________ ALLISON BUCK Laura____________________________ANNE BATES Boss________________________ SAM ENCARNACION Poet___________________________ LINDEN TAILOR Interrogator___________________ SAM ENCARNACION Yuet____________________STEPHENIE SOOHYUN PARK Immigration Officer_________________ LINDEN TAILOR Susan___________________STEPHENIE SOOHYUN PARK

SETTING A garage, a small apartment, a restaurant kitchen, a ship, a detention center, a courtroom.…

Between 1939 and 1970.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Permission granted by Abrams Artists Agency, 275 Seventh Avenue, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10001. All inquiries concerning rights to the play shall be addressed to the above or to max.grossman@abramsartistsagency.com.

Assistant to the Director: Jamie Anderson Assistant set designers: Chen-Wei Liao, Riw Rakkulchon *Actors and stage managers in this production who 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. Scenic, costume, lighting, sound, and projections designers in LORT Theatres are represented by United Scenic Artists Local 829, IATSE. Photography of the set without actors and with proper credit to scenic and lighting designers is permitted. Due to union agreements, photography, video, and audio recording are not permitted during the performance. The videotaping of productions is a violation of United States Copyright Law and an actionable Federal Offense.

Left: Original artwork by Kyle Ragsdale

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HISTORY THAT RESONATES TODAY

BY JANET ALLEN, MARGOT LACY ECCLES ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Jessica Huang’s beautiful play, The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin, is the third play in our inaugural INclusion Series. It introduces us to a family caught up in a little-known segment of American immigration history, the years of the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882-1943). This was the first time in American history that immigrants were legally barred from entering the United States because of their specific race (and class). While Huang’s work explores deeply a particular Midwestern family impacted by this immigration crisis in the years from 1939 to 1970, the resonances to today’s immigration issues regarding current targeted groups—the “Muslim ban” and the situation at our Mexican border—are part of the larger impact of the play.

In a program similar to IRT’s Indiana Series exploring culture in Indiana, the Minnesota History Theatre commissioned Jessica to explore a component of Minnesota race and culture. She interviewed members of “real life” Harry’s family and learned about Asian American families like them. The resulting play is not a realistic, linear telling of the story, but a strikingly theatrical mixture of past and present, of myth and reality, of ghosts and ancestors, of colliding memories that capture the disorienting feeling of moving from one culture to another. The style of the play is an intrinsic part of the content of the play, creating a very visceral experience for audiences as well as characters.

This play movingly illuminates the power of theatre to bring history to light through witnessing the struggles of the people who live it—a key value of our INclusion series. Part of the everyday life of many people of color in our country is experiencing marginalization and real hostility in “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” We are particularly pleased to be creating the second full production of this magical play.

We invite audiences of all cultural and racial backgrounds to share Harry and his family’s experiences, and to consider deeply how we as individuals and communities can strive for greater understanding and acceptance.

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REMEMBERING & FORGETTING

BY JAKI BRADLEY, DIRECTOR

In a note at the beginning of The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams described the scene and invented a new theatrical term: the memory play. He wrote, “The scene is memory and is therefore non-realistic. Memory takes a lot of poetic license.

It omits some details; others are exaggerated, according to the emotional value of the articles it touches, for memory is seated predominantly in the heart. The interior is therefore rather dim and poetic.”

The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin is at once a memory play and a forgetting play. It’s a play about a man who buries details of his past to make his present more bearable. For me, it’s also a play about the dueling heart of the American dream—who is allowed to pursue it and under what circumstances. While this story is specific to one man and his particular path to this country, the story of immigration—of struggle, success, and the deep hope that your children grow up in a more peaceful, bountiful world than the one you live in—is as American as apple pie (which is, of course, not actually American).

I was bowled over the first time I read this play. The first time playwright Jessica Huang and I spoke about it, we talked for hours, about the ideas in the show and much, much more. I was struck by the style: lyrical, poetic, its own kind of magical realism; and the content: a deeply humane portrait of a father and a daughter, and a country. I didn’t realize at first that the story was based on a real person, and seeing the photos and writings from the actual people made it feel even more special.

To meet the challenge of this play requires a lot of brilliant collaborators. With the designers, we worked together to create a theatrical event that could leap through time and space, jumping from decade to decade and city to city the way this story (and our memories) do. And with the actors, we created a room that was equal parts rigorous—studying the history and details—and playful, to support the spirit of Jessica’s writing.

It’s an enormous honor to tell this story, and to share this work with the audiences at IRT. In the theatre, the final collaborator is the audience. Your presence, your reactions, and your questions are what make the live event of theatre feel so singular. So thank you for being a collaborator, and now a part of Harry Chin’s story.

Chin family photos courtesy of Sheila Chin Morris.

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REALITY & MAGIC

WILSON CHIN | SCENIC DESIGNER The writing is beautifully poetic, so I knew I wanted to create a world that is full of metaphoric iconography that evokes feelings of travel, displacement, and loss. We took objects that symbolize these emotions, and made them large or multiplied as part of the set design. It’s also a play that moves fluidly and instantly

between time and place, so there is a simplicity and openness to the set that allows for theatrical transformation. A simple gesture from an actor, or a subtle (or not so subtle) shift in lights and projections can snap us into a different time and place more poetically and instantaneously than a scenic move.

ELIZABETH MAK | LIGHTING DESIGNER The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin is a haunting play about memory, immigration, and self. As a Cantonese-Singaporean living in America, I identify strongly with the themes that Jessica has woven throughout this story, like reaching for another life while grieving for a lost identity. The lighting proceeds from this idea that time, space, and reality are constantly shifting, and yet they are also all one and the same to someone who has had to

be malleable in order to survive. Shadows lurk in every corner, sometimes evoking a loved one and sometimes hiding the real and present danger that threatens anyone who has ever been forced to live a lie. The space is heightened, poetic, and yet kinetic, leaping backwards and forwards as we tell the complex story of this man whose only wish was to try to do his best with what he was given.

MELANIE CHEN COLE | SOUND DESIGNER One of the first things the director and I talked about for this play was how there aren’t many plays that touch on the genre of horror, and how we can use the element of surprise to create moments of this story. We want to explore with sound how the 44

supernatural world coexists with the natural world. Harry’s past haunts him when he least expects it. Where does reality end and magic begin, or does it blend in so seamlessly that we forget where we are?

Preliminary rendering by scenic designer Wilson Chin.

THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT

BY RICHARD J ROBERTS, RESIDENT DRAMATURG

The California Gold Rush of 1848 attracted a significant number of Chinese to immigrate to the United States. Even greater numbers came in the 1860s to work on the Transcontinental Railroad. Others moved to cities such as San Francisco, where they took low-wage jobs, often in restaurants and laundries.

As the U.S. economy declined after the Civil War, labor and government leaders began to blame Chinese “coolies” (laborers) for depressed wage levels. Public opinion began to demonize Chinese immigrants, and a series of ever more restrictive laws were placed on Chinese labor, behavior, and even living conditions.

In 1882, the federal government passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned all immigration of “skilled and unskilled laborers” from China for a period of 10 years. The act was renewed in 1892 for another ten years and then in 1902 indefinitely. This was the first time in history when a particular ethnic group was banned from entering the United States on the premise that it endangered the good working order of the nation. No other races were restricted from immigrating during this period.

Provisions of the act also banned Chinese immigrants from becoming U.S. citizens, thus making permanent aliens of those who were already here. Further restrictions forced Chinese Americans into urban conclaves called Chinatowns. Like other immigrants, many Chinese men who immigrated here eventually hoped to bring their families to join them. With the passage of the act, they were faced with a choice: return to China to stay, or never see their families again.

The Chinese Exclusion Act was finally repealed by the 1943 Magnuson Act. World War II had made China and the United States allies against Japan, and Congress wanted to create an image of fairness and justice. The Magnuson Act permitted Chinese nationals already residing in the country to become naturalized citizens and stop hiding from the threat of deportation. While the Magnuson Act overturned the Chinese Exclusion Act, it still only allowed a national quota of 105 Chinese immigrants per year. The passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 finally ended these restrictions.

45

PAPER FAMILIES

BY RICHARD J ROBERTS, RESIDENT DRAMATURG

The Chinese Exclusion Act, banning immigration of Chinese laborers, allowed exceptions for merchants, diplomats, students, teachers, and children of American citizens. In 1906, when the San Francisco earthquake destroyed thousands of public records, a new opportunity for citizenship arose: Chinese men who were already in the United States could claim that they had been born in the United States. Thus, any children they had left behind in China would be eligible to become a United States citizen, for which they would receive an immigration document. These documents could then be used for their actual children, or sold to friends, neighbors, or strangers. This process allowed men who had no blood relations in the United States to become eligible to enter the country.

In an attempt to enforce the Chinese Exclusion Act, in 1910 the Immigration and Naturalization Service established Immigration Stations on the West Coast. Since official records were often non-existent, an interrogation process was created to determine if potential immigrants were actually related to U.S. citizens as claimed. A typical interrogation process lasted two to three weeks, but some immigrants were interrogated for months. Questions included details of the immigrant’s home and village as well as specific knowledge of his or her relations. Each immigrant who purchased a “paper family” received a personal manual that included hundreds of such 46

details. They spent months in advance committing these details to memory. Witnesses—usually other “family” members living in the United States—would be called in to corroborate these answers. Any deviation between testimonies would prolong questioning or throw the entire case into doubt. This situation not only put the applicant at risk of deportation, but also those in the “family” as well. These detention centers were in operation until the Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed in 1943.

During and after World War II, the U.S. government scrutinized immigrants of various ethnic groups whose politics were considered suspect. Many paper sons feared that their fraudulent documentations would be exposed and that they would be deported back to China. New legislation broadened immigration from Asia and gave paper sons a chance to tell the truth about who they were and restore their real names in “confessional” programs. But many chose to stick with their adopted names for fear of retribution, and took their true names to their graves. Some refused to teach their children their native language and shunned elements of Chinese culture such as food and religious rituals. Many paper sons never told their descendants about their past, leaving them with confusion and disconnecting them from their family history.

THE CHINESE CONFESSION PROGRAM

BY RICHARD J ROBERTS, RESIDENT DRAMATURG

The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service established the Chinese Confession Program in 1956. It sought confessions of illegal entry from U.S. citizens and residents of Chinese origin, with the (somewhat misleading) offer of legalizing the confessor’s status in exchange. The program was partly motivated by concerns in the United States about the rise of communism in China and the role that Chinese-Americans might play in facilitating it, as well as the danger of communist Chinese entering the United States illegally.

Although the program was described as an amnesty program whereby people could obtain legal status by confessing their immigration violations, there was very little change to the actual immigration laws. The program’s primary benefit to those who confessed was that if they were eligible for a statutory remedy, their past illegal entry or misrepresentation of status would not bar them from having their paperwork processed.

Although confessing to the authorities offered (temporary) immunity from prosecution and deportation, the confessor had to surrender his or her passport and thus be vulnerable to deportation. Confessors needed to provide full details of

their blood families as well as paper families. This meant that a single confessor could implicate a large number of other people, and therefore increase the risk of deportation for all these others.

The program resulted in 13,895 confessions, far less than the number of people suspected of having entered illegally. (The 1950 Census listed a total of 117,629 Chinese in the United States.)

Since confessions by neighbors could implicate a person and cause him or her to be deported, the program created fear and distrust in many Chinese-American communities. As a result of the confessions, 22,083 people were exposed.

The Chinese Confession Program was ended in 1966, shortly after the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. Bill Ong Hing, a professor of law at the University of San Francisco, wrote in 2015: “The ‘confession program’ for Chinese in the 1950s was mostly a fraud perpetrated on our community, but we need not repeat that fraud for undocumented immigrants today. Let’s be honest, and treat them with the respect they deserve.”

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ONE MAN’S DOUBLE LIFE

BY RUTHIE FIERBERG

History Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota, operates on a mission to produce theatrical works that examine the true stories and real people of Minnesota, unearthing stories we otherwise would never hear of—stories like Harry Chin’s. During the enforcement of the Chinese Exclusion Act—a 60-year period when the United States banned immigration of Chinese laborers, and prejudiced Americans forced Chinese Americans out of their communities— Chin entered the United States via forged papers. Known as a “paper son,” Chin experienced a violent detention and interrogation that led him to a double life of secrecy once freed.

Playwright Jessica Huang discovered Chin’s past at the Minnesota Historical Society while seeking a subject for a History Theatre commission. “I knew that I really wanted to write about the Chinese Exclusion Era because it was a period of history that I never studied in school,” says Huang. “But as I’ve grown to hear about how it had an enormous impact that was decades long, it felt like a missing piece of my understanding and the understanding of our collective history.” When she stumbled upon Chin’s testimony, she discovered her foundation. She reached out to Sheila, Harry’s daughter, and the play—while grounded in the way “this political action impacted their personal lives”—morphed into a story about fathers and daughters.

The current climate is ripe for this drama that unearths another time of racism and xenophobia in American history—as Broadway’s Allegiance did when it dramatized the story of the Japanese internment camps—and calls upon audiences to confront issues of immigration and nationalism and their consequences.

Huang reworked the play after a developmental reading in New York prior to its IRT production. Revisiting the work allowed Huang to merge the intuitive writing style of her early career with the technique she’s honed through subsequent experience.

The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin reveals a piece of American history that, while it haunts us, can also heal.

—Special thanks to Playbill.com for permission to reprint this article.

Set in 1970, the play opens on the anniversary of the death of Sheila’s mother, Laura, who returns as a ghost to visit Sheila and Harry. “Somebody once described my work as ‘the supernatural in the everyday,’ and I think that I sort of exist inside of that realm naturally as a person,” says Huang, who is of Jewish and Chinese heritage. “Benevolent visitations or hauntings from my ancestors—those are things that I feel like I have a familiarity with. In my world view there is a place for ghostly presences.”

But Huang’s piece is a spiritual ghost story. “There’s a line in the play that says, ‘haunting is helping.’ Sometimes that’s a painful thing when we have to reckon with the things that haunt us, whether they’re literal ghosts or more figurative; but when we unpack and reveal and come to terms with the things that have happened to us, that’s when we can start to heal from them.”

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Playwright Jessica Huang

THE COMPANY

The

Paper Dreams of Harry Chin

by Jessica Huang

ANNE BATES | LAURA Anne is delighted to make her IRT debut. Off-Broadway credits include Dan Cody’s Yacht (Manhattan Theatre Club), The Effect (Barrow Street/National Theatre of London), founding member of F.A.B. WOMEN theatre group at the Barrow Group Theatre, Icebound and Alison’s House (Metropolitan Playhouse), Discord (Culture Project), and Tartuffe and The Tempest (Acting Company). Other credits include Elizabeth of England in Mary Stuart (Pioneer Theatre), Thousand Pines (Connecticut Critics Circle Nominee, Westport Country Playhouse), Sex with Strangers (Cardinal Stage), Long Division (Best Supporting Actor Nominee, Abingdon Theatre), A Delicate Balance (Dramaworks), The Unexpected Guest (Fulton Theatre), Proof (Red Door/Barrow Group), Othello (Houston Shakespeare Festival), and Dysteria (Atlantic Studio). Film: Stella, The Collective (Audience Choice Award), Paul Sorvino’s King Lear. TV: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, New Amsterdam, God Friended Me, Law & Order: SVU, Sneaky Pete, Us & Them, Unforgettable, 30 Rock. A resident of New York City, Anne is a Juilliard Drama graduate and a member of AEA and SAG.

ALLISON BUCK | SHEILA Allison is thrilled to be making her IRT debut. New York credits include She Kills Monsters, These Seven Sicknesses, and Looking at Christmas at the Flea. Regional credits include Much Ado about Nothing and Antony and Cleopatra at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and A Christmas Carol at the McCarter. Allison holds a B.A. from Cornell University.

SAM ENCARNACION | BOSS & INTERROGATOR Sam’s recent credits include The Bandaged Place (New York Stage & Film), Peter and the Starcatcher (Virginia Stage Company), and Skin Deep Skin Tight (Precariat Productions). Other credits include Long Way Go Down (Harold Clurman Lab), The Brothers Size (Syracuse Stage and South African tour), and Topdog/Underdog (Peoples Theater Lab). TV credits include Law & Order: SVU and Jessica Jones. Sam is an alumnus of the conservatory at the Stella Adler Studio.

STEPHENIE SOOHYUN PARK | YUET & SUSAN Stephenie has appeared at the IRT in the two most recent seasons of A Christmas Carol. She has worked at Steppenwolf Theatre, Guthrie Theater, Goodman Theatre, the Old Globe, Kirk Douglas Theater, Chicago Dramatists, Silk Road Rising, and Drury Lane Oakbrook. Her TV and film credits include Chicago Med, Patriot, Boss, Chicago Fire, and Empire. In addition to being an actor, she is an attorney, consultant, founding board member of Token Theatre in Chicago (tokentheatre.net), and mother of two.

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THE COMPANY DAVID SHIH | HARRY Dave’s theatre credits include The Great Wave (Berkeley Rep); Henry VI: Shakespeare’s Trilogy in Two Parts, Awake and Sing!, and [veil widow conspiracy] (NAATCO); KPOP (Ars Nova); Somebody’s Daughter (Second Stage); Tiger Style! (La Jolla Playhouse); Bike America (Ma-Yi Theatre); and Crane Story (Playwrights Realm).

Television credits include Hunters, Billions, City on a Hill, Iron Fist, The Path, Blindspot, Elementary, Madam Secretary, The Blacklist, Blue Bloods, Mozart in the Jungle, and Law & Order: SVU. Film credits include Mr. Sushi, All the Little Things We Kill, Eighth Grade, Fan Girl, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and Saving Face. Dave is a critically acclaimed audiobook narrator. He is the voice of Eddie Toh in the hit videogame Grand Theft Auto V. He also works with Only Make Believe performing for children in hospitals and care facilities.

LINDEN TAILOR | POET & IMMIGRATION OFFICER Linden makes his IRT debut. Regional credits include The Great Leap (Denver Center/Seattle Repertory Theatre), The Foreigner (Hangar Theatre), The White Snake (Baltimore Center Stage), Tokyo Fish Story (TheatreWorks Silicon Valley), Eurydice (Round House Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival), and A Christmas Carol (Synetic Theatre). TV credits include Madam Secretary, Shades of Blue, The Detour, Odd Mom Out, and Happyish. He earned his B.F.A. at Virginia Commonwealth University and his M.F.A. at University of Florida. “For Michelle.” lindentailor.net

JESSICA HUANG | PLAYWRIGHT Jessica Huang is a playwright and producer from Minnesota, now based in New York. She is the inaugural recipient of the 4 Seasons Residency; the 2019 resident playwright at Chance Theater; a 2018 MacDowell Fellow; and a three-time Playwrights’ Center Fellow. Her work includes The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin (2018 Barry and Bernice Stavis Award, 2017 Kilroy’s List), Mother of Exiles, Transmissions in Advance of the Second Great Dying, and Purple Cloud. She has commissions with Manhattan Theatre Club, TimeLine Theatre Company, Audible, Theater Masters, History Theatre, and Theater Mu. Her work has been developed by New York Stage and Film, Atlantic Theater Company, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, the Old Globe, Mixed Blood Theatre, the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Minnesota Museum of American Art, Yellow Earth Theatre, and more. She has received awards from the Sloan Foundation, the Jerome Foundation, and the Minnesota State Arts Board. Jessica co-founded and co-directs Other Tiger Productions, a theatrical production company with a mission to pursue multidisciplinary collaborations, intentional inclusivity, and a re-examination of traditional theatre practices. She has been a member of the Civilians R&D Group, Page 73’s Interstate 73, and Ars Nova Play Group. She attends the Playwrights Program at Juilliard.

JAKI BRADLEY | DIRECTOR Jaki is a Brooklyn-based director. Recent projects include White Noise (Berkeley Rep); Radio Island and Good Men Wanted (New York Stage and Film); House Plant and 1969: The Second Man (New York Theater Workshop: Next Door); Mama Metallica (Denver Center); and Playing Hot (Ars Nova/Pipeline Theater). She has developed and presented work with the Public, Williamstown, Soho Rep, Clubbed Thumb, the O’Neill, and Arena Stage. She has been a member of the Civilians R&D Group, an artist-in-residence at Ars Nova, a Drama League artist-in-residence and TV/Film Fellow, a member of the Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab, Williamstown Directing Corps, Lincoln Center Director’s Lab, and a U.S. Fulbright Scholar. Her screenplay Detox made the 2019 HIT List and Blood List and is being produced by XYZ Films. jakibradley.com

WILSON CHIN | SCENIC DESIGNER At the IRT, Wilson designed Bad Dates. His set designs of world premiere works include Next Fall (Broadway), Pulitzer Prize winner Cost of Living (Manhattan Theatre Club), Pass Over (Steppenwolf/LCT3, Lortel Award nomination), The Thanksgiving Play (Playwrights Horizons), Wild Goose Dreams (Public Theater/La Jolla Playhouse), Teenage Dick (Ma-Yi Theater/Public Theater), Aubergine (Berkeley Rep), Anne of Green Gables, a folk rock musical (Goodspeed Musicals), My Mañana Comes (Playwrights Realm), Tiger Style! (Alliance Theatre/Huntington Theatre), The Great Leap (Denver Center/Seattle Rep), American Moor (ArtsEmerson/Cherry Lane Theatre), and On the Grounds of Belonging (Public Theater/Long Wharf).

Opera designs include Lucia di Lammermoor (Lyric Opera of Chicago) and Eine Florentinische Tragodie/Gianni Schicchi (Canadian Opera Company, Dora Award winner). Film and television designs include Spike Lee’s Pass Over and the NBC series Blindspot. @wilsonchindesign

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The

Paper Dreams of Harry Chin

by Jessica Huang

MELISSA NG | COSTUME DESIGNER Melissa’s Off-Broadway designs include Dr. Ride’s American Beach House at Ars Nova; The Bitter Game for the Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival; and King Philip’s Head Is Still on That Pike Just Down the Road at Clubbed Thumb. Regional credits include Hype Man at Actors Theatre of Louisville; The Chinese Lady at Milwaukee Rep; The Carpenter at Alley Theatre; Lettie at Victory Gardens; and The Burn at Steppenwolf SYA. She is a member of Wingspace Theatrical Design, USA 829. Melissa earned her B.A. at the University of Chicago and her M.F.A at UC–San Diego. She teaches at NYU–Playwrights Horizons Theater School. melissaavang.com

ELIZABETH MAK | LIGHTING DESIGNER Elizabeth is a Singapore-born NYC-based interdisciplinary lighting and projection designer. Regional designs include Miss You Like Hell (Baltimore Center Stage); Tiny Houses (Cleveland Playhouse, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park); The Bridges of Madison County (Philadelphia Theatre Company); The Phantom Tollbooth (Weston Playhouse); Cymbeline (Yale Repertory Theater); and The Square Root of Three Sisters (International Festival of Arts and Ideas). New York City designs include work with the Public’s Under the Radar Festival, the Barry Group, New Ohio Ice Factory, TWUSA, HERE Arts Center, and IATI. Elizabeth is a resident designer with Albany Park Theater Project Chicago (Port of Entry, Ofrenda), a graduate of Yale School of Drama, and a member of IATSE Local USA829 and Wingspace Theatrical Design. elizabethmak.com

MELANIE CHEN COLE | SOUND DESIGNER Melanie is delighted to be making her IRT debut with this production. She is a San Diego–based freelance sound designer. Her recent regional credits include Alabama Story, Buzz, and Romeo and Juliet (Alabama Shakespeare Festival); Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (South Coast Rep); White Pearl (Studio Theatre in Washington DC); Noura, Tiny Beautiful Things, and The Imaginary Invalid (the Old Globe); the 2019 POP Tour Light Years Away, At the Old Place, and the 2017 POP Tour #SuperShinySara (La Jolla Playhouse); Silent Sky (Tantrum Theatre/Ohio University); Steel Magnolias (Dallas Theater Center); and Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood (PlayMakers Repertory Company). Melanie holds an M.F.A. in sound design for theatre and dance from UC San Diego. melaniesound.com

NICHOLAS HUSSONG | PROJECTIONS DESIGNER Nick’s Off-Broadway credits include Until the Flood (Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre and seven regionals); Skeleton Crew (Atlantic Theater Company); These Paper Bullets! (Atlantic Theater Company [Drama Desk Nomination] and two regionals); and White Guy on the Bus (59E59).

Regional credits include Ella (Delaware Theatre Company); A Streetcar Named Desire (Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre); Grounded (Alley Theatre); Two Trains Running (Arden Theater); The Mountaintop (Playmakers Rep); and Working (Berkshires Theatre Group); as well as productions with Marc Jacobs, Urban Bush Women, Heartbeat Opera, Nashville Symphony, Hartford Symphony, and the 2016 and 2017 Tony Awards (CBS). Nick has designs in London, Scotland, Ireland, Berlin, China, Canada, and Vienna. He is a co-creator of FEAST (Nantucket, Ireland, and Prince Edward Island). nickhussong.com

RICHARD J ROBERTS | DRAMATURG This is Richard’s 30th season with the IRT, and his 22nd 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 The Cay, Bridge & Tunnel, A Christmas Carol, The Night Watcher, Neat, Pretty Fire, The Giver, The Power of One, and Twelfth Night. This season he directed Sweeney Todd for Actors Theatre of Indiana and the Carmel Symphony Orchestra and Cabaret for the University of Indianapolis. Other directing credits include the Phoenix Theatre, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Edyvean Repertory Theatre, Indianapolis Civic Theatre, Butler University, and Anderson University. Richard studied music at DePauw University and theatre at Indiana University 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 The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963, Pipeline, Romeo and Juliet, The Cay, Finding Home, and And Then They Came for Me at IRT; The Hotel Nepenthe and Vino Veritas at the Phoenix Theatre; Sometimes a Great Notion, How to Disappear Completely and Never be Found, and Frost/Nixon at Portland Center Stage; and Metamorphoses, Frozen, and Retreat from Moscow at Artists Repertory Theatre. Erin spent the summers of 2008 and 2009 working with the JAW Festival at Portland Center Stage.

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The

Paper Dreams of Harry Chin

by Jessica Huang

For 48 seasons the IRT has created a tradition of live professional theatre that continues to give back to Central Indiana.

THE FRONT AND CENTER CAMPAIGN WILL - Support artistic innovation, onstage and behind the scenes

- Help us better serve new and diverse segments of our community

- Ensure the sustainability of the Theatre for future generations

- Make capital improvements to our historic building, including the renovation of the Upperstage Lobby

Your support creates great theatre today and ensures the sustainability for future generations.

For more information, contact Jennifer Turner, Director of Development, jturner@irtlive.com | 317.916.4835 David Alan Anderson and Marcus Naylor in the IRT’s 2016 production of Fences. Photo by Zach Rosing.

53 MAKE YOUR GIFT TODAY! IRTLIVE.COM/FRONTANDCENTER

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THE SUPPORTING CAST

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE DONORS WHAT IF YOU SAW ONLY HALF THE PLAY? Ticket revenue covers just half of what it costs to produce world-class professional theatre at the Indiana Repertory Theatre.

The IRT gratefully acknowledges the remarkable support we receive from our generous and committed donors whose contributions ensure that the show does go on!

REPERTORY SOCIETY ANNUAL CAMPAIGN GIFTS $1,500+ | JULY 1, 2019 - FEBRUARY 3, 2020 PLAYWRIGHT CIRCLE $10,000+ Bob & Toni Bader Scott & Lorraine Davison Michael Dinius & Jeannie Regan-Dinius Nancy & Berkley Duck Dan & Ginny Emerson David & Ann Frick Tom & Jenny Froehle Susan & Charlie Golden Mike & Judy Harrington Tom & Nora Hiatt Phil & Colleen Kenney David I. & Betty Klapper Sarah & John Lechleiter Bill & Susie Macias Jackie Nytes & Michael O’Brien Mel & Joan Perelman Sue & Bill Ringo Wayne & Susan Schmidt Simmons Family Foundation, a fund of CICF Cynthia & William Smith III The Michael L. Smith and Susan L. Smith Fund, a fund of Hamilton County Community Foundation David P. Whitman & Donna L. Reynolds

DIRECTOR CIRCLE $5,000 - $9,999 David & Jackie Barrett Leo Bianchi & Jill Panetta AJ & Erin Bir Susie & Joel Blum Gary Denney & Louise Bakker

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Rollie & Cheri Dick Drs. Cherryl & Shelly Friedman The Gaich Family Nadine & Alvin Givens Jeffrey Harrison Ann Hinson Bill & Nancy Hunt Steve & Bev Koepper Dod & Laura Michael Mr. & Mrs. Kimball Morris Carl Nelson & Loui Lord Nelson Mr. Stephen Owen Sr. & Dr. Cheryl Torok Owen Ben Pecar & Leslie Thompson Noel & Mary Phillips* Drs. Eric Schultze & Marcia Kolvitz John & Kathy Vahle Lainie Veenstra Cheryl & Ray Waldman Dr. Christian Wolf & Elaine Holden-Wolf

ARTIST CIRCLE $3,000 - $4,999 A.J. Allen & Kathy Maeglin Ann & Kenneth Dee Mary Findling & John Hurt Dick & Brenda Freije Charles Goad & James Kincannon Donald & Teri Hecht Richard & Elizabeth Holmes Mike & Pegg Kennedy John & Susan Kline Kevin Krulewitch & Rosanne Ammirati* Daniel & Martha Lehman

John & Laura Ludwig David & Robin Miner David & Leslie Morgan Bob & Dale Nagy Dr. & Mr. Nichols N. Clay & Amy McConkey Robbins Jerry & Rosie Semler Mark & Gerri Shaffer Marguerite K. Shepard, M.D. Joe & Jill Tanner Gene & Mary Tempel Jeff & Benita Thomasson Bob & Dana Wilson

PATRON CIRCLE $1,500 - $2,999 David & Mary Allen Janet Allen & Joel Grynheim Anonymous Tammara D. Porter Avant & Jesse Avant Trudy W. Banta Sarah C. Barney Frank & Katrina Basile Keith A. & Heather Bice Benjamin & Ashley Blair Dan Bradburn & Jane Robison Amy Burke Sherry A. Butler Alan & Linda Cohen Diane Conrad James & Kathy Cornelius Cowan & King, LLP Daniel & Catherine Cunningham

REPERTORY SOCIETY CONT. ANNUAL CAMPAIGN GIFTS $1,500+ | JULY 1, 2019 - FEBRUARY 3, 2020 PATRON CIRCLE, CONT. $1,500 - $2,999 Frank & Noreen Deane Dr. Gregory Dedinsky & Dr. Cherri Hobgood Dr. Brian Dillman & Erin Hedges* Laurie Dippold Paul & Glenda Drew Craig & Marsha Dunkin Neil & Karen Ellerbrook Troy Farmer Drs. Richard & Rebecca Feldman Gary R. & Barrie K. Fisch Janice Fitzgerald Joan M. FitzGibbon Mary L. Forster, M.D. Jim & Julie Freeman Brian & Lorene Furrer Future Keys Foundation Mr. Jim Gawne Dorothea & Philip Genetos Kathy & Gene Gentili Robert Giannini Ron & Kathy Gifford Bruce Glor Goins Family Fund, a donor-advised fund Walter & Janet Gross Bill & Phyllis Groth Ricardo & Beatriz GuimarĂŁes Julian E. Harrell Michael N. Heaton William & Patricia Hirsch Brenda S. Horn Randolph & Rebecca Horton Drs. Meredith & Kathleen Hull Rebecca Hutton The Indianapolis Fellows Fund, a fund of The Indianapolis Foundation Tom & Kathy Jenkins Daniel T. Jensen & Steven Follis Mrs. Janet Johnson

Denny & Judi Jones Reed & Elisha Kemp Joy Kleinmaier Kurt & Judy Kroenke Jill & Peter Lacy Dr. & Mrs. Alan Ladd Ed & Ann Ledford Andrew & Lynn Lewis Joe & Deborah Loughrey John & Barbara MacDougall Donald & Ruth Ann MacPherson David McCaskill & Tammie Nelson Mike & Pat McCrory Sharon R. Merriman Douglas & Detra Mills Lawren Mills & Brad Rateike Michael D. Moriarty Stephen & Deanna Nash The Blake Lee and Carolyn Lytle Neubauer Charitable Fund, a fund of Hamilton County Community Foundation Brian S. Newman & Francisnelli Bailoni dos Santos Tim & Melissa Oliver Larry & Louise Paxton The Payne Family Foundation, a fund of CICF Lauren Petersen Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth A. Peterson Dr. & Mrs. Lee Phipps Gail & William Plater Bob & Kathi Postlethwait Phil & Joyce Probst Scott & Susan Putney Peter Racher & Sarah Binford Michael & Melissa Rawlings Peter & Karen Reist Ken & Debra Renkens Karen & Dick Ristine Mary Frances Rubly & Jerry Hummer Chip & Jane Rutledge

Paula F. Santa Charles & Jenny Schalliol Jane W. Schlegel Tom & Barbara Schoellkopf Tim & Karen Seiler Jack & Karen Shaw Michael Skehan Cheryl & Bob Sparks Edward & Susann Stahl Sarah Stelzner Ed & Jane Stephenson Robert & Barbara Stevens Jim & Cheryl Strain Kay Swank-Herzog & Robert Herzog Suzanne Sweeney & Todd Wiencek Jonathan T. Tempel John & Deborah Thornburgh Jennifer C. Turner Eric van Straten & Karri Emly Larry & Nancy VanArendonk Bill & Jana Varanka Jennifer & Gary Vigran Amy Waggoner Dorothy Webb Dr. Rosalind Webb Carol Weiss James & Linda Wesley Emily A. West Alan & Elizabeth Whaley Cliff & Molly Williams Ken & Peggy Williams Heather Wilson John & Margaret Wilson Jim Winner John & Linda Zimmermann

*Denotes sustaining members

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THE SUPPORTING CAST

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE DONORS DONOR GUILDS ANNUAL CAMPAIGN GIFTS $300 - $1,499 | JULY 1, 2019 - FEBRUARY 3, 2020 DRAMA GUILD $750 - $1,499 Pat & Bob Anker Anonymous (2) John & Mary Bartley Andrea Best Jesse L. & Carolynne Bobbitt Charlie & Cary Boswell Thomas & Victoria Broadie Gordon A. & Celia Bruder Debora & Michael Bush Paul & Renee Cacchillo Brady Clark Dr. & Mrs. John J. Coleman III Daniel P. Corrigan Edward & Elizabeth Frazier Phyllis & Ed Gabovitch Garth & Christine Gathers Robert & Christy Gauss Derek & Elizabeth Hammond Lisa Harris, M.D.* Mike & Noel Heymann David Kleiman & Susan Jacobs Liz & JD Masur James M. McMechan Carl & Monique McMillian David H. Moore, M.D. & M. Kristine Beckwith, M.D. John & Carolyn Mutz Robert & Sara Norris Ann Marie L. Ogden The David and Arden Pletzer Endowment Fund, a fund of Hamilton County Community Foundation Myrta Pulliam Roger & Anna Radue Thomas & Jill Ristine Scott & Dottie Rouse Sallie Rowland Nan Schulte & Matt Russell

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Thomas & Teresa Sharp Lee Shevitz Spence Family Vision Fund Lynne & Alex Timmermans Dr. & Mrs. James Trippi Craig & Karin Veatch Karen S. Waltz Frederick & Jacquelyn Winters

THEATRE GUILD $300-$749 John & Eileen Ahrens* Sarah Ali Eric & Catherine Allen Annee and Bartram Heating and Cooling Company Anonymous (6) Marilyn Ault Naseer & Heather Bade Drs. Robert Baker & Paula Trzepacz Walter Bartz* Constance C. Beardsley* Dan & Barb Bickel David & Etta Biloon Barbara & Christopher Bodem* Jason & Jessica Bohac* Karry Book & John Hansberry Bill & Margaret Bradbury Jan & Roger Brinkman Bob & Chris Broughton Charles W. Brown & Louise Tetrick Dr. Mellonee Burnim David & Beverly Butler Dr. William Capello & Georgia Strickland Allen B. Carter & Patricia Hester Robert Cedoz Steve Chatham & Family Jeff & Jeni Christoffersen Robert & Jennifer Cochrane Cantor Melissa & Dr. Marc Cohen

Jerry & Carol Collins Don & Dolly Craft David Crites & Joan Tupin-Crites Karen Dace* Fr. Clem Davis* Jeffrey & Barbara Dean Paul & Carol DeCoursey* Phillip & Caroline Dennis* Mary & Steve DeVoe Danielle M. Dove Linda Dulin Dr. & Mrs. John & Sheryn Ellis Jennifer Farmer Sherry Faris Drs. Eric Farmer & Tate Trujillo & Christopher Scott* Margaret Ferguson* Rebecca Fields Bill & Jennie Forehand Eric & Hayley Frandsen Peter Furno & Pamela Steed William & Jill Ann Garvey Priscilla Gerde Paul & Phylis Gesellchen Cora Gibson Thecla Gossett John & Mary Ann Grogan Greg Grossart Tim & Diane Hall Mr. & Mrs. David J. Hamernik Emily F. (Crame) Hancock* Elizabeth Hansen Don & Carolyn Hardman Don & Elizabeth Harmon Catherine Herber Tim & Jennifer Holihen Dr. Barbara Jackson Geo Metric Design

*Denotes sustaining members

DONOR GUILDS CONT. ANNUAL CAMPAIGN GIFTS $300 - $1,499 | JULY 1, 2019 - FEBRUARY 3, 2020 THEATRE GUILD $300-$749, CONT. Marc & Dana Katz George & Dianne Kelley* Linda Kirby Jay & Carole Kirkpatrick Rachel Barrett Knight & Jacob Knight* Steven & Mary Koch* Ted Korupp Molly & Michael Kraus, MD Steven Krusie Linda Lantry & Ken Qualls I.M. Larrinua & M.T. Wolf Robert Larsen Andra Liepa Charitable Fund, a Donor Advised Fund of the U.S. Charitable Gift Trust Linda Lough* Jason Maddox Lyle & Deborah Mannweiler Dr. & Mrs. Peter Marcus* Dr. & Mrs. Scott E. Mattson Donald & P.J. McCullough William & Nancy McNiece Don & Kimberly Meyer R. Keith & Marion Michael Jeremy Miller Dan & Molly Milton

Rev. Mary Ann Moman* James A. & Tammy Morris Jim & Judith Mowry Mr. Electric of Central Indiana Terry & Lew Mumford Marcia Munshower John & Beth Murphy Sharon & Dan Murphy* Mutter Marines—Jim & Carol Leigh Ann Naas Susan & Jim Naus Dr. LeeAnne M. Nazer Mr. & Mrs. Niels Ostergaard Merrell & Barbara Owen Robert M. & Kelli DeMott Park Mary Beth Parks Dr. & Mrs. Robert & Judith Pearce Gary & Pam Pedigo* Mark Perkins Mike & Cheryl Rettig Richard & Diane Rhodes Richard & Ann Riegner River Bend Hose Specialty Inc. Richard & Christine Scales Scampers the Cat Dan & Patty Schipp Dr. Jill Shedd*

Vicky Sherman, M.D. Rosemarie Springer Luke Stark* David & Lori Starr Dr. Nenetzin Stoeckle* Mary C. Sturm Gregg & Judy Summerville Richard & Lois Surber Nela Swinehart* Steve & Barb Tegarden* Mary Ann Thiel Lori Thompson Robert & Barbetta True* Barbara S. Tully* Loretta VanEvery Ron Walker Norma Bangel Wallman Susan Weatherly* Philip & Shandon Whistler John & Susan Whitaker Allen R. Wilkie Todd & Patty Wilkinson Prof. Gail F. Williamson Reba Boyd Wooden* Brant & Lorene Wright Zionsville Physical Therapy*

TRIBUTE GIFTS IN HONOR OF JAMES & CHERYL STRAIN Matthew, Elizabeth & Fiona King

IN HONOR OF GENE & MARY TEMPEL Anna Fender

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THE SUPPORTING CAST

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE DONORS

OVATION SOCIETY 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 of Hoosiers.

Gary Addison Janet Allen & Joel Grynheim Pat & Bob Anker Frank & Katrina Basile Charlie & Cary Boswell Ron & Julia Carpenter John R. Carr (in memoriam) John & Mary Challman Mr & Mrs Thomas & Sue Dapp Nancy Davis & Robert Robinson Rollie & Cheri Dick Nancy & Berkley Duck Dale & Karen Duncan Jim & Julie Freeman Meg Gammage-Tucker David A. & Dee Garrett (in memoriam)

Michael Gradison (in memoriam) Emily F. (Cramer) Hancock Bruce Hetrick & Cheri O’Neill Tom & Nora Hiatt Bill & Nancy Hunt David Kleiman & Susan Jacobs Frank & Jacqueline La Vista Andra Liepa Charitable Fund, a Donor Advised Fund of the U.S. Charitable Gift Trust John & Barbara MacDougall Donald & Ruth Ann MacPherson Stuart L. Main (in memoriam) Michael R. & Sue Maine Megan McKinney Sharon R. Merriman David & Leslie Morgan

Michael D. Moriarty Richard & Lila Morris Deena J. Nystrom Marcia O’Brien (in memoriam) George & Olive Rhodes (in memoriam) Jane W. Schlegel Michael Skehan Michael Suit (in memoriam) Gene & Mary Tempel Jeff & Benita Thomasson Christopher J. Tolzmann Alan & Elizabeth Whaley John & Margaret Wilson

IN-KIND/TRADE GIFTS ANNUAL CAMPAIGN GIFTS $300+ | JULY 1, 2019 - FEBRUARY 3, 2020 Best Chocolate in Town Black Plate Catering Brooks Publications/Urban Times Candlewood Suites Current Publishing Hotel Tango Artisan Distillery

IBJ Corp Indiana Roof Ballroom Midwest Parenting Publications National Institute of Fitness & Sport Pac-Van, Inc. Saint Joseph Brewery, LLC

Skyline Exhibits By Reitz & Associates Studio 2000 West Fork Whiskey Co. WFYI

THE ALAN AND LINDA COHEN EDUCATION FUND Elba L. & Gene Portteus Branigin Foundation, Inc. Efroymson Family Fund, a fund of CICF

62

Eli Lilly and Company Offscript: IRT Young Professionals Group

United Way of Central Indiana Milicent Wright

Gifts made through February 3, 2020

CORPORATE, FOUNDATION & GOVERNMENT ANNUAL CAMPAIGN GIFTS $300+ | JULY 1, 2019 - FEBRUARY 3, 2020 CORPORATE AARP Indiana Barnes & Thornburg LLP BMO Harris Bank The Cellular Connection LLC Dentons Bingham Greenebaum Duke Realty Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath Frost Brown Todd Indianapolis Colts KAR Global Katz, Sapper & Miller, LLP KPMG LLP Navient Foundation of the Delaware Community Foundation OneAmerica Financial Partners

Oxford Financial Group, Ltd. PNC Printing Partners Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP Wells Fargo Foundation in cooperation with Wells Fargo Advisors

FOUNDATION The Ackerman Foundation Elba L. & Gene Portteus Branigin Foundation, Inc. The Jerry L. and Barbara J. Burris Foundation Central Indiana Community Foundation Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation Christel DeHaan Family Foundation The Margot L. Eccles Arts & Culture Fund, a fund of CICF

The Glick Family Foundation F.R. Hensel Fund for Fine Arts, Music, and Education, a fund of the Indianapolis Foundation The Indianapolis Foundation, a CICF affiliate Lacy Foundation Lilly Endowment, Inc. Nicholas H. Noyes, Jr. Memorial Foundation, Inc. The Penrod Society The Shubert Foundation Simmons Family Foundation, a fund of CICF

GOVERNMENT Arts Council of Indianapolis Indiana Arts Commission National Endowment for the Arts

YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS IN PROCESS (YPiP) Richard Vonnegut

FRONT

and CENTER

Front and Center is a campaign to support the long-term sustainability of the IRT. It is with deep appreciation that we thank the individuals and organizations who have committed a gift to keep the IRT Front and Center!

A.J. Allen & Kathy Maeglin Janet Allen & Joel Grynheim Dr. Patrick & Danette Alles Pat & Bob Anker Anonymous (6) Bob & Toni Bader Kay Jett Baker Charles Bantz & Sandra Petronio Allison Barkel Frank & Katrina Basile Leo Bianchi & Jill Panetta Susie & Joel Blum Gifts made through February 3, 2020

Karry Book & John Hansberry Sheila Barton Bosron & Bill Bosron Dan Bradburn & Jane Robison Amy Burke Brady Clark Mary Beth Claus Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation Alan & Linda Cohen The Cohen Family Foundation, Inc. John & Ulla Connor Don & Dolly Craft Daniel & Catherine Cunningham

Claire Dana & Chris Fretts Ann & Kenneth Dee Christel DeHaan Family Foundation Gary Denney & Louise Bakker Tom Detmer Rollie & Cheri Dick Michael Dinius & Jeannie Regan-Dinius Jim & Deana Dinsmore Danielle M. Dove Nancy & Berkley Duck Duke Realty M.E. & Katie Eccles

63

THE SUPPORTING CAST

INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE DONORS FRONT

and CENTER

Front and Center is a campaign to support the long-term sustainability of the IRT. It is with deep appreciation that we thank the individuals and organizations who have committed a gift to keep the IRT Front and Center!

Geoff Ehrendreich Dan & Ginny Emerson Patricia Fansler Troy Farmer Drs. Richard & Rebecca Feldman Jim & Julie Freeman David & Ann Frick Drs. Cherryl & Shelly Friedman Tom & Jenny Froehle David A. & Dee Garrett (in memoriam) Ron & Kathy Gifford Nadine & Alvin Givens Susan & Charlie Golden Dave & Mary Lou Gotshall Tom Haas Endowment Fund Benjamin Hanna Mike & Judy Harrington Michael N. Heaton Donald & Teri Hecht Holt Hedrick Aaron Henze Ann Hinson William & Patricia Hirsch Lindsey & Tom Horan Brenda S. Horn Jan Hornaday & Brett Brewer Bill & Nancy Hunt Rebecca Hutton The Indianapolis Fellows Fund, a fund of The Indianapolis Foundation The Indianapolis Foundation, a CICF affiliate Johnson Grossnickle & Associates Jim & Nancy Kean David Kleiman & Susan Jacobs John & Susan Kline Gary Knott & Colette Irwin-Knott Steve & Bev Koepper Kurt & Judy Kroenke Jill & Peter Lacy

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Lacy Foundation Sarah & John Lechleiter Margaret Lehtinen & Dr. Lawrence Mark Elisabeth Lesem Shelby Lewis Hugh & Olga Lilienkamp Lilly Endowment, Inc. Linnea’s Lights, LLC John & Laura Ludwig Bill & Susie Macias Michael R. & Sue Maine Hillary Martin & Rudy Bustamante Vince & Kristy Mathews Lauren McDaniel Andrew & Amy Michie Korea Milledge Amber Mills Lawren Mills & Brad Rateike David & Robin Miner Sidney & Sharon Mishkin David & Leslie Morgan Michael D. Moriarty Carl Nelson & Loui Lord Nelson Nicholas H. Noyes, Jr. Memorial Foundation, Inc. Jackie Nytes & Michael O’Brien Eric & Suzanne Olson OneAmerica Financial Partners The Payne Family Foundation, a fund of CICF Randy D. Pease Ben Pecar & Leslie Thompson Patricia Pelizzari Mel & Joan Perelman Deb & Greg Perkins Jeff Pigeon Scott & Susan Putney Peter & Karen Reist Tony Ren George & Olive Rhodes (in memoriam) Richard & Diane Rhodes Sue & Bill Ringo

Richard J Roberts Kathy Sax Dale & Teresa Schaeffer Maggie Barrett Schlake & Joshua Schlake Jane W. Schlegel Wayne & Susan Schmidt Michael & Holly Semler Mark & Gerri Shaffer Jack & Karen Shaw Simmons Family Foundation, a fund of CICF Doug Sims & Amanda Jackson Michael Skehan Joyce & Steve Smidley Eileen M. Smith Kendra & Andrew Smith Sue & Mike Smith Victoria Smith & Scott Wampler Rosemarie Springer Dan & Diana Sullivan Martin & Lee Summers Suzanne Sweeney & Todd Wiencek Randy Talley Gene & Mary Tempel Jeff & Benita Tomasson Gordon & Mary-Anne Thompson Steve & Maria Tilmans Miriam Friedman Towles Dr. & Mrs. James Trippi Jennifer C. Turner John & Kathy Vahle Jennifer & Gary Vigran Amy Waggoner Cheryl & Ray Waldman Dr. Rosalind Webb Carol Weiss Alan & Elizabeth Whaley David P. Whitman & Donna L. Reynolds Heather & Andy Wilson John & Margaret Wilson Joseph Zielinski & Bethany Lowery

JOIN US! AN ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP IS JUST $50 & LASTS 12 MONTHS FROM PURCHASE DATE! Top-Quality Theatre, Exclusive Access to Special Events & IRT Artisans, $25 Tickets, Volunteer Opportunities

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THIS UPCOMING MEMBER EVENT! MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS: March 25, 6 PM event; 7:30 PM performance

LEARN MORE: IRTLIVE.COM/OFFSCRIPT

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Proud to be associated with the Indiana Repertory Theatre since 1989

STUDIO 2000 SALON & DAY SPA 55 MONUMENT CIRCLE Right above Starbucks

STUDIO2000SPA.COM

317.687.0010 HAIR DESIGN | COLOR | MASSAGE | SKIN CARE MANICURE | PEDICURE | HYDROTHERAPY | BODY WRAPS PRIVATE EVENTS | GIFT CERTIFICATES OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

35,000 STUDENTS FROM 55 INDIANA COUNTIES EXPERIENCED LIVE THEATRE AT THE IRT LAST SEASON Without the Alan and Linda Cohen Education Fund, thousands of students would not be able to attend.

Help us give students the experiences they deserve by donating to the Cohen Education Fund today!

“A student told me he couldn’t pay for the trip because his family doesn’t have a lot of money right now.

I told him that the IRT had helped cover the cost. His eyes lit up and he kept saying ‘thank you!’ throughout the day.”

-An Indiana Teacher

The cast of the IRT’s 2019 production of Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”. Photo by Zach Rosing.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SUPPORTING STUDENT MATINEES, CONTACT: KAY SWANK-HERZOG: KSWANKHERZOG@IRTLIVE.COM | 317.916.4830

WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR OLD CAR? Donate it to the IRT. We will sell it at auction and proceeds will benefit the Theatre. You can qualify for a tax deduction for your generous gift! We also accept donations of the following: Boats | Farm Equipment | Motorcycles | Motor Homes | Snow Mobiles | And More!

The cast of the IRT’s 2020 production of The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963. Photo by Zach Rosing.

MORE INFORMATION: KSWANKHERZOG@IRTLIVE.COM | 317.916.4830

OFFICIAL CATERERS

A FINE SELECTION FOR YOUR EVENT AT THE IRT

Keith Little

Antonia Zunarelli

2025 E. 46th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46205 blackplatecatering.com | 317.255.8030

140 W. Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204 indianaroof.com | 317.236.1874

Jacqueline Bols 9840 N. Michigan Road, Carmel, IN 46032 jacquiesgourmetcatering.com | 317.283.2776

Christina Walker

Debbie Lambert

950 S. White River Pkwy W. Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46221 mbpcatering.com | 317.636.4444

10 N. Illinois Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204 webergrillrestaurant.com | 317.636.7607

IRT STAGE DOOR RESTAURANTS

DISCOUNTS FOR OUR SEASON TICKET HOLDERS

BURGER STUDY

CONNER'S KITCHEN + BAR

FOGO DE CHÃO

THE DISTRICT TAP

ONE FREE ORDER OF BEER CHEESE TOTS limit one per table 28 W. Georgia Street 317.777.7770

25% OFF FOOD 350 W. Maryland Street 317.405.6100

10% DISCOUNT IN THE FULL CHURRASCO EXPERIENCE 117 E. Washington Street 317.638.4000

15% OFF FOOD downtown location only 141 S. Meridian Street 317.632.0202

THE GREEK ISLANDS RESTAURANT

LOUVINO

OCEANAIRE

ROCK BOTTOM

COMPLIMENTARY SAGANAKI WITH PURCHASE OF TWO DINNER ENTRÉES 906 S. Meridian Street 317.636.0700

$15 OFF FOOD PURCHASE OF $25 dinner service only 530 Massachusetts Ave Suite 140 317.744.9955

COMPLIMENTARY APPETIZER WITH THE PURCHASE OF AN ENTRÉE restrictions may apply 30 S. Meridian Street 317.955.2277

COMPLIMENTARY APPETIZER (UNDER $9.99) WITH PURCHASE OF AN ENTRÉE 10 W. Washington Street 317.681.8180

SAINT JOSEPH BREWERY & PUBLIC HOUSE

TONY’S STEAKS & SEAFOOD

WEBER GRILL

10% OFF FOOD ONLY excluding raw bar 110 W. Washington Street 317.638.8669

10% OFF excluding alcohol 10 N. Illinois Street 317.636.7600

RUTH’S CHRIS 10% OFF excluding alcohol, downtown only 45 S. Illinois Street 317.633.1313

15% OFF FOOD 540 N. College Ave 317.602.5670

DON'T HAVE SEASON TICKETS? BUY NOW! 317.635.5252 | IRTLIVE.COM/PACKAGES