Not Too Far Distant

by Becky Boesen Commissioned by History Nebraska

NOT TOO FAR DISTANT

NOVEMBER 7-8, 2023 This performance is made possible by Mid-America Arts Alliance, the National Endowment for the Arts, History Nebraska Foundation, Nebraska Arts Council, Nebraska Cultural Endowment, and Deepak and Jenny Keshwani.

Not Too Far Distant is a recipient of a Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant. Creative Forces Community Engagement Grants are part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Creative Forces® initiative, in partnership with Mid-America Arts Alliance.

SPONSORED BY

LIEDCENTER.ORG

SEASON LIEDERS Art & Chris Zygielbaum

402.472.4747

301 NORTH 12TH ST, LINCOLN, NE 68508

NOT TOO FAR DISTANT A new work by Becky Boesen Commissioned by History Nebraska

Not Too Far Distant is funded in part by Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, an initiative of the National Endowment in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant program is managed by Mid-America Arts Alliance.

This performance is made possible by Mid-America Arts Alliance, the National Endowment for the Arts, History Nebraska Foundation, Nebraska Arts Council, Nebraska Cultural Endowment, Deepak and Jenny Keshwani and Art & Chris Zygielbaum.

Produced by BLIXT ARTS LAB.

DEEPAK AND JENNY KESHWANI

ART & CHRIS ZYGIELBAUM

CAST LIST Staff Sergeant Clarence Williams Private Benny Blue/Ryan Master Sergeant Grey Kalani/Ian Gretchen Williams/ Private Jimmy White/Claire The Scholar Swing dancers (evening performances only) Waiter (evening performances only)

Paul Shaw Ryan J. Furlong Ian Zabel Claire Goodwater Sasha Dobson Zoë Watch, Jared Dominguez Aidan Cummins

ARTISTIC TEAM

Playwright/Director Assistant Director/Choreographer Stage Manager Company Manager Costume Designer Sound Designer Lighting Designer Movement Captain and Dramaturg

Becky Boesen Michelle Colette Ingle Emma Jorgenson Petra Wahlqvist Shelby Bauer Robin McKercher Kim Williams Ian Zabel

SCENE INFORMATION This play fluctuates between Clarence Williams’ living room in the early 2000s and various locations between 1944 and 1945.

BECKY BOESEN

PAUL SHAW

RYAN J. FURLONG

IAN ZABEL

CLAIRE GOODWATER

SASHA DOBSON

AIDAN CUMMINS

ZOE WATCH

JARED DOMINGUEZ

MICHELLE COLETTE INGLE

EMMA JORGENSEN

PETRA WAHLQVIST

SHELBY BAUER

ROBIN MCKERCHER

KIM WILLIAMS

BIOGRAPHY BECKY BOESEN For the past 20 years Becky Boesen has worked as a theater artist, community builder, educator, cultural consultant, asset mapper, and advocate. She’s the co-founder of BLIXT ARTS LAB, an innovative Lincoln-based arts nonprofit committed to “arts innovation beyond expectation!” As a consultant, Becky assists organizations throughout Nebraska and the United States discover the powerful link between creativity and belonging. She’s enjoyed teaching appointments at multiple institutes of higher learning and is currently an Adjunct Faculty member at Nebraska Wesleyan University. As a working playwright, she has penned several award-winning and commissioned works including PUDDIN’ AND THE GRUMBLE and WHAT THE WIND TAUGHT ME, both of which debuted at the Lied Center for Performing Arts and continue to see statewide and national productions. Becky has been featured as a “top 20 under 40” by the Lincoln Journal Star for her business leadership in the arts and is the recipient of 3 Mayor’s Arts Awards. She’s been honored nationally as a Chime Changemaker, is a Melba Cope Associate for her work toward equity and belonging, and a member of ASCAP and the Dramatists Guild of America.

PAUL SHAW Paul Shaw is thrilled to be back with BLIXT ARTS LAB once again as Staff Sgt Clarence Williams. Past roles include Malvolio in Twelfth Night and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet with Flatwater Shakespeare, Oswald in King Lear with the Bluebarn Theatre, and Scrooge in BVT Radio Theatre’s production of A Christmas Carol. Paul graduated as a Theatre Major at Doane College in Crete, Nebraska and is also a playwright and composer whose credits include Troilus and Cressida: The Musical with Flatwater Shakespeare, music for Ubu the King at Doane University and Letters to Eleanor in collaboration with BLIXT ARTS LAB and the LGBTQA+ Center at UNL. RYAN J. FURLONG Ryan graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University with a BFA in Theatre Studies.

Ryan has been seen in the original cast of Not Too Far Distant and a touring cast of the musical Puddin’ and the Grumble most recently. He also works as a dialect coach, fight choreographer, playwright, and filmmaker.

IAN ZABEL Ian Zabel was raised in Lincoln, Nebraska. He graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan with a BFA. in Acting. Zabel has been serving in the United States Army Reserve since his sophomore year of college. He has worked with BLIXT ARTS LAB on Puddin’ and the Grumble and Not Too Far Distant as a tech assistant. He also works as the Director of Photography for Four Lights Films.

CLAIRE GOODWATER Claire Goodwater was raised in Battle Creek, Nebraska. She graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University with a double major in Theatre Arts and Communications Studies. She has been involved with Flatwater and a variety of other shows and projects with friends. She is a writer and comedian trained by Second City.

SASHA DOBSON Sasha Dobson received her BFA in Acting from Ithaca College in NY and her MFA in Acting from UNL. Sasha performed with the touring company Shakespeare To Go in England. She has worked extensively as an actor, director, acting/voice/dialect coach, teaching artist, educator and producer. Her most recent acting credits include Puddin and the Grumble for BLIXT ARTS LAB, and This Mortal Life Also for Angels Theatre Company. She has taught theatre and acting classes for Nebraska Wesleyan University, Doane University and currently for the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Sasha also works for the Lied Center for Performing Arts as the Education Outreach Manager. Sasha is eternally grateful for the support from her family.

AIDAN CUMMINS Aidan Cummins was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska and graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Acting. He has been involved with productions at the Haymarket Theatre as well as Flatwater Shakespeare. He is also a comedian and writer.

ZOË WATCH Zoë graduated from Reed College with a BA in Theatre. Currently, she is directing Down The Rabbit Hole and acting as the Mad Hatter. She has been a swing dancer for 12 years and an instructor. Zoë speaks Russian and Hebrew, loves to solve linear algebra puzzles, and sings!

JARED DOMINGUEZ Jared Dominguez is an Omaha-based theatre and film actor. He attended The University of South Dakota for Musical Theatre and also teaches swing dancing with the Omaha Jitterbugs under the moniker “The Zoot Suit Man.” Jared is excited to bring his second favorite hobby to the stage!

MICHELLE COLETTE INGLE Michelle Colette Ingle is thrilled to join BLIXT ARTS LAB and the production team of Not Too Far Distant as Assistant Director and Choreographer. Michelle is a professional theatre artist from Lincoln, NE with a passion for the development of new musical theatre works.

EMMA JORGENSON Emma (she/her) received BFAs in English and Theatre Studies from Nebraska Wesleyan University, and focuses primarily on youth theatre. Previously, Emma has been a Teaching Artist Fellow at The Rose Theatre in Omaha. Currently, Emma is the Administrative and Development Associate at the Lied Center for Performing Arts and is the Drama Director at Raymond Central Public Schools.

PETRA WAHLQVIST Petra is a producer, educator, project manager and a co-founder of BLIXT ARTS LAB. Originally from Sweden, she studied at the University of Kansas, Lecoq School in Paris and London Center for Theatre Studies. She has been working in the arts for over twenty years and has held positions at the Lied Center and Nebraskans for the Arts.

SHELBY BAUER Shelby is a graduate from Doane University with a BA. in Theatre.

Shelby was a part of the original cast of Not Too Far Distant and is excited to take on the costume designer position. During her time at Doane she played a multitude of roles and designed costumes in some of their main stage shows. After graduation she toured around South Dakota with Black Hills Playhouse’s education department.

ROBIN MCKERCHER Robin McKercher started his theatrical career as an actor in six national tours with the Nebraska Theatre Caravan. As a member of the United Scenic Artists in New York City, he painted more than 37 Broadway productions. After earning his MFA. in Directing from UNL, Robin served as Associate Artistic Director of the Nebraska Rep. In 2005, Robin became the departmental theatre chair at Doane University where he teaches Acting, Directing and Theatre History and directs the majority of productions. Robin has worked as a director/designer/actor/scenic artist on well over 470 professional productions and has won 10 Meritorious Achievement Awards or invited Showcase Play/Scene for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region V. KIM WILLIAMS Kim Williams is a designer based in Los Angeles, and a proud graduate of Doane University. She has received additional training in lighting design and related fields from the Broadway Master Classes in New York and also had the privilege of learning from some of Broadway’s greatest designers through the KCACTF theatre program in Washington D.C. In 2014, Kim received 1st place in scenic design at the KCACTF national festival. She served as the lighting designer for Snowcatcher by Becky Boesen, and Captain Soapman by Mary Sinclair, both with BLIXT ARTS LAB.

PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTE

Clarence Williams, whose letters mark the journey throughout the world of this play, is my co-author.

He is no longer with us, but his letters provide a valuable glance into a time too often overlooked, forgotten, or frighteningly - denied.

Letter writing is a lost art form. I wonder if at any time Staff Sergeant Clarence Williams had an inkling that the words he was sharing with his beautiful wife Gretchen would help bring thousands of people, including me, into a deeper understanding of all that came before us.

I humbly present this play to you in the hopes that you may too find yourself connected to Clarence’s story, and perhaps inspired to pick up a pen or a phone, or some posies...and visit a neighbor, loved one, or stranger.

Because Clarence is no longer here to share the details beyond his letters, some of his journey has been imagined or fictionalized, but at the heart of everything are his meaningful words to Gretchen.

I will never forget what an honor this journey has been. Thank you for sharing it with us. The story, and the spirit of connection and kindness now moves forward with you.

-Becky Boesen

SPECIAL THANKS

Tom Williams and family, Dr. Beth Dotan, Tyler Vacha, Dr. Marilyn Moore, Art and Chris Zygielbaum, Jenny and Deepak Keshwani, Jaevyn Hoyt, Kalyssa Williams, Jillian Carter, Dustin Witte, Julie Wilshusen, original cast members Dio Raquel Jr., Reanna Rohrer and Shelby Bauer, Mick Hale, Lily Sughroue, Scott Littky, Jane Nesbit, Ashlee Anderson, Michelle Zinke, Joel Egger, Jeff Stander, Doane University, Civic Nebraska, Humanities Nebraska, Institute for Holocaust Education, Center for Digital Research in the Humanities at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the Harris Center for Judaic Studies, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Lincoln Public Schools and everyone who assisted with the production after the program went to print.

For more information about Clarence Williams’ journey, visit Nebraska Stories of Humanity at NESTORIESOFHUMANITY.UNL.EDU/STORIES/CLARENCE-WILLIAMS