Hedda Gabler Playbill

Jewish Community High School of the Bay

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Jewish Community High School of the Bay PRESENTS

HEDDA GABLER by

Henrik Ibsen with

Evan Fenner as Ejlert Lovborg Aaron Magid as Judge Brack

Zoe Kamil as Hedda Tesman Isabel Korman as Mrs. Thea Elvsted

Edward Hightower* as Jorgen Tesman Tessa Zitter as Berte

Olivia Rudd as Miss Juliana Tesman

Lighting Designer Stephanie Buchner*

Production Stage Manager Amanda Warner* Stage Manager Becky Grinstaig

Directed by Dylan Russell Produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. 450 Seventh Avenue, Suite 809 New York, NY 10123 (www.playscripts.com) May 18, 21, 22, 2014 *Guest Artist

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CAST (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE) Cast Me m be rs Miss Juliana Tesman

Olivia Rudd

Berte

Tessa Zitter

Jo rgen Tesman

Edward Highto wer*

Hedda Tesman

Zo e Kamil

Mrs. Thea Elvsted

Isabel Ko rman

Judge Brack

Aaro n Magid

Ejlert Lo vbo rg

Evan Fenner Pro duct io n / Cre at ive

Directo r

Dylan Russell

Pro ductio n Stage Manager

Amanda Warner*

Stage Manager

Becky Grintsaig

Assistant Directo r

Ilana Go ldberg

Assistant Stage Manager

Emma Simo no ff

Lighting Designer

Stephanie Buchner*

Light Bo ard Operato r

Jenny Aucar

So und Bo ard Operato r

Becca Co o k

Crew

Ashley Aucar, Maia Ro ss Trupin Setting: The actio n takes place in the Tesman villa in the fashio nable part o f to wn For Your Information

Hedda Gabler will be perfo rmed with o ne 10 minute intermissio n.

Lateco mers will be seated at a suitable break o r scene change.

In the event o f an emergency, exits are lo cated at the rear o f the theater. Fo r everyo ne's safety please exit in a calm and o rderly fashio n.

The use o f cameras (with o r witho ut flash), reco rders o f any type, o r o ther electro nic devices inside the theater is strictly pro hibited.

Fo o d and drink (including water) are no t allo wed in the theater.

The theater is equipped with an infrared listening system fo r listening enhancement.

Lightweight, wireless handsets are available free o f charge fro m Ho use Management. *Indicates a guest artist

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WHO'S WHO Evan Fenner

as Ejlert Lovborg

Evan (class o f 20 14) is excited and a little sad to call "Hedda Gabler" his last o f 10 sho ws at JCHS. He will miss this theater very much alo ng with all it has taught him. He wo uld like to thank Ms. Russell, Mr. McDo nald and all his previo us casts fo r all o f the wo nderful experiences.

Zoe Kamil

as Hedda Tesman

Zo e (class o f 20 14) is ho no red to be taking o n the mega-ro le o f Hedda fo r her ninth and final sho w at JCHS. She has been shaped by this theatre space, department and co mmunity mo re than she can po ssibly express. Tho ugh she is saddened immensely to be leaving, she lo o ks fo rward to pursuing a degree in Theatre Arts/Writing fo r the Stage at Marymo unt Manhattan Co llege in NYC next year.

Isabel Korman

as Mrs. Thea Elvsted

Isabel (class o f 20 14) is excited to be participating in her eighth sho w at JCHS! Isabel has been invo lved in acting, o rchestra, and tech. So me o f her previo us sho ws include "Nu Wurks II," "Into the Wo o ds," "The Liar," "Dancing at Lughnasa," and "Pippin." She wo uld like to give a special thank yo u to Ms.Russell fo r being an incredible teacher and directo r.

Aaron Magid

as Judge Brack

Aaro n (class o f 20 14) is excited, and o f co urse sad, to be wo rking o n his eighth and final sho w at JCHS. No wo rds o f thanks co uld be sufficient fo r the incredible transfo rmatio n that the JCHS theater has allo wed. He wo uld like to thank his friends and family fo r suppo rting him thro ugh the last three years, and his sister Beth fo r dragging him against his will to the auditio ns fo r "Anything Go es."

Olivia Rudd

as Miss Juliana Tesman

This is Olivia's (class o f 20 16 ) fo urth sho w here at JCHS, and as always she is incredibly grateful to the wo nderful and talented directo r, cast and crew o f this fantastic pro ductio n o f "Hedda Gabler." She wo uld like to thank them all fo r teaching her so much abo ut every aspect o f theater.

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WHO'S WHO Tessa Zitter

as Berte

Tessa (class o f 20 17) is delighted to be perfo rming in her third sho w at JCHS. She has a lifelo ng interest in theater, particularly musicals. Her passio n fo r music and dance has led her to take classes in a variety o f styles, including ballet, tap, jazz, Israeli, and mo dern. Tessa wo uld like to give a big “thank yo u” to Ms. Russell fo r her dedicatio n to each and every acto r and crew member.

Edward Hightower*

as Jorgen Tesman

Edward is making his JCHS debut. Lo cal credits include "Co tto n Patch Go spel" (Sto ryteller) and "Assassins' (Bo o th) with Custo m Made Theatre Co mpany, "Cabaret" (Emcee) with Napa Valley Bro adway Playho use, "The Pro ducers" (Max Bialysto ck), "Annie" (Warbucks), "No ises Off" (Freddie/Philip), and "A Year With Fro g and To ad" (Fro g) with So lano Co llege Theatre.

Ilana Goldberg

Assistant Director

Ilana (class o f 20 15) is thankful fo r the o ppo rtunities the JCHS theatre department has given her as an acto r, playwright, and no w as an assistant directo r! This is Ilana's 5th sho w with JCHS, previo us ro les including Erma in "Anything Go es" and Leading Player in "Pippin." Outside o f JCHS, she has wo rked with Stage Do o r Co nservato ry, YMTC, ACT, and CSSSA. She thinks Henrik Ibsen is really co o l.

Becky Grintsaig

Stage Manager

This is Becky's (class o f 20 17) third pro ductio n at JCHS and she is very excited to be part o f this amazing sho w. Tho ugh this is her first year at JCHS, she has previo usly been in many o ther pro ductio ns as an actress including "Wizard o f Oz" as Glinda and "Mulan Jr." as Mulan, and mo st recently as Player in last fall's "Pippin." "Hedda Gabler" is Becky's seco nd sho w at JCHS as Stage Manager.

Emma Simonof f

Assistant Stage Manager

Emma (class o f 20 17) has been perfo rming since a yo ung age at vario us co mpanies such as SFArtsED and Musical Theatre Wo rks.

She is very excited to be o n the tech crew fo r her first sho w at JCHS. She wo uld like to thank the cast and crew fo r being so friendly and suppo rtive.

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WHO'S WHO Dylan Russell

Director

Dylan Russell is a pro fessio nal directo r/acto r/playwright and teaching artist. She is Chair o f the Visual and Perfo rming Arts Department at Jewish Co mmunity High Scho o l o f the Bay as well as head o f the Drama Department. At JCHS, she directs and pro duces three full pro ductio ns and teaches Theatre Lab and Playwriting/Screenwriting. She has taught at Cal Shakes, Acto rs Lab AZ, No rthwestern University's Natio nal High Scho o l Institute, Marin Theatre Co mpany and New Co nservato ry Theatre Center. Dylan has directed pro ductio ns fo r the ACT Co nservato ry (MFA), TheatreFirst, Califo rnia Co nservato ry Theatre, Alchemy Wo rks, New Co nservato ry Theatre Educatio nal Pro grams, Cassandra’s Call, and Acto rs Lab Arizo na.

Dylan is Educatio n Co o rdinato r fo r PlayGro und. She has studied theatre at Vassar Co llege, Sto nybro o k Arts and A.C.T. and is a graduate o f the University o f Washingto n where she received her B.A. in Drama. She is a pro ud member o f Acto rs' Equity, SDC, TCG and AATE.

Stephanie Buchner*

Lighting Designer

Stephanie is a Lighting Designer based in Oakland, CA. Recent designs include: "She Ro de Ho rses like the Sto ck Exchange," "The Taming," "410 [GONE]," "So ngs o f Drago ns Flying To Heaven" (Bay Area Critics Circle Award No minee) fo r Cro wded Fire, "Bright New Bo ise and The Arso nists" (Bay Area Critics Circle Award No minee) at Auro ra Theater, "By and By," and "Precio us Little" at Sho tgun Players and "Queen o f Knives" fo r Sharp and Fine. She has designed fo r co mpanies such as Cutting Ball, ODC and The SF Opera Center, Just Theater, Bay Area Children's Theatre, Co pio us Dance Theatre, Do uglas Mo rriso n Theater, Brava Theater, Berkeley Playho use, Marin Theatre Co mpany, Dance Mo nks, Impact Theatre, Black Bo x Theatre, Wo men's Will, Shakespeare Santa Cruz and the Berkeley Rep Scho o l o f Theatre. Stephanie is a pro ud co mpany member o f PlayGro und and a resident artist o f Cro wded Fire Theater.

Amanda Warner*

Production Stage Manager

Amanda Warner has been a freelance stage manager in the bay area fo r the last 4 years. She is thrilled to be wo rking with Dylan again, they first met while Amanda was an intern at Califo rnia Shakespeare Theater. After her fello wship at Berkeley Reperto ry Theatre in 20 10 Amanda has wo rked in stage management thro ugho ut the bay at many co mpanies including Indra’s Net, PD Pro ductio ns, Auro ra Theater Co mpany, Marin Theatre Co mpany, TheaterWo rks, SF Opera Center’s Mero la Opera Pro gram, ACT Co nservato ry (bo th YC and MFA) and Berkeley Rep. She is a graduate o f the UCLA Scho o l o f Theatre, Film, and Televisio n with an emphasis in stage management. * indicates a Guest Artist.

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JCHS DRAMA 2013 - 2014

Co mpany o f 20 13 Fall pro ductio n o f "PIPPIN"

Cast o f Winter 20 14 pro ductio n o f "HEARTS LIKE FISTS"

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to thank the following for making this production possible Douglas Morrison T heatre Rentals, ACT Prop Department, Crandall Arts Sound, Weapons of Choice, Risa Lichtman and the entire JCHS Kitchen Crew, Carla Pantoja, Martin Pike, Brett Jones, Karen Goldberg, Flying Moose Video and the entire JCHS community for their support and consideration of our production of Hedda Gabler .

DIRECTOR NOTES A heroine. A vict im. A villain. Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler is all of t hese and more — a woman filled wit h a rest less passion for life t hat cannot be sat isfied by her marriage or her perfect home.

Hedda Gabler is a modern woman who want s t o lead her own life, just like t he men around her. Aft er a t urbulent yout h and many suit ors, she marries Tesman. It is an opport unist ic and loveless marriage for bot h: Hedda get s luxury and social st at us, Tesman get s a t rophy wife. Bored and frust rat ed, Hedda dreams of t he world out side. When Hedda’s former lover, Ejlert Lovborg, ret urns, she is confront ed wit h t he empt iness of her exist ence.

As Hamlet is t he quint essent ial act ing role for men, Hedda is t he quint essent ial act ing role for women. Cont emporary int erpret at ions have deemed Hedda as t he "original desperat e housewife,” but she is so much more. She is a soul, forced int o a body t hat she did not choose, const rained and held capt ive by her circumst ances. One who can imagine t he big dream of what life can be, but is not able t o t ake risks. Her propriet y is at odds wit h her imaginat ion. Grit is what Hedda most needs and what she least possesses.

For our advanced drama st udent s, I chose Hedda Gabler as our final play t o give t hem a safe place t o explore one's desire t o escape or influence power and cont rol over oneself and ot hers; t he ways and means an individual st ruggles t o gain independence. As each of t he seniors is on t he precipice of adult hood, I see t hem wrest ling wit h a similar moment – ready t o t ake cont rol of t heir lives and move int o t he fut ure yet st ill cont rolled by t he boundaries of t heir parent s, t eachers and societ y. It is a beaut iful, t errible, passionat e, and heart wrenching t ussle t o wit ness.

To t he Class of 2014 – I am forever grat eful for all t hat you have t aught me; for all t hat you have given me. I have been changed – for good – by all t hat you have brought int o my life.

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~Ms. Russell

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