"American Song" PlayGuide

MARCH 15 – APRIL 10, 2016 | QUADRACCI POWERHOUSE

By Joanna Murray-Smith Directed by Mark Clements

www.MilwaukeeRep.com | 414-224-9490

MARCH 15 – APRIL 10, 2016 | QUADRACCI POWERHOUSE

By Joanna Murray-Smith Directed by Mark Clements

Table of Contents Mark Clements ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Chad Bauman MANAGING DIRECTOR ✸✸✸

PLAY GUIDE WRITTEN BY

Kelsey Ingle Education Coordinator

Abby Stein Samantha Bahr Education Interns

PLAY GUIDE EDITED BY

Jenny Toutant Education Director

Lisa Fulton

Director of Marketing and Communications

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Eric Reda and Benton J. Melbourne 2

Executive Producers: Jackie Herd-Barber & Michael Barber

The Rep’s Mission Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 World-Class Theater: About the Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Cast and Creative Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Featured Artist: Jared Mezzocchi, Projection Designer . . . . . . . . . . . 4 About our Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Meaningful Dialogue: American Song: Act II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Walt Whitman - I Hear America Singing . . . . . . . . . . 7 Parenting in the 21st Century. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Mental Health / Coping With Tragedy . . . . . . . . . . . 9 School Shootings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Mass Shooting Incidents and Victims . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Positive Change Become Involved. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 The Rep’s New Play Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 American Song - PlayGuide

THE REP’S

MISSION STATEMENT Milwaukee Repertory Theater ignites positive change in the cultural, social, and economic vitality of its community by creating world-class theater experiences that entertain, provoke, and inspire meaningful dialogue among an audience representative of Milwaukee’s rich diversity.

Positive Change- As a society in the midst of an evolution, it becomes a greater necessity to see and hear the voices and stories of our neighbors. After each information section, we offer questions to keep the conversation going.

World-Class Theater- We entertain. We teach. We create. We live and work so audiences can have their emotions and intellect challenged. You will find behind-the-scenes information about our world class theater throughout the Play Guide.

Meaningful Dialogue- Change only comes when action is taken. We hope to provoke action by evoking emotion and inspiring ideas through storytelling. We will introduce themes and larger issues that are addressed in American Song in the following pages as a starting point for continued conversations.

The Milwaukee Rep creates Play Guides as a way to contextualize the play and enhance relevance for the audience. In our production of American Song, we hope to deepen our connection to the community in a way that reflects The Rep’s new Mission Statement. We invite you to engage, participate and enjoy!

Jonathan Wainwright.

Photo by Michael Brosilow.

James DeVita in the world-premiere of American Song, by Joanna Murray-Smith. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

www.MilwaukeeRep.com

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WORLD-CLASS THEATER ABOUT THE PLAY

CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM

Ripped from today’s headlines, American Song is a moving and provocative look at parenting in today’s fractured society. As Andy heads off to work to give the biggest presentation of his career, he wishes his seemingly well-adjusted teenage son goodbye.

Eight hours later, everything has changed, and Andy’s family is infamous world-wide for an inconceivable act of violence committed by the most unlikely suspect – the sweet boy Andy once cradled in his arms. From internationally renowned playwright Joanna Murray-Smith and starring James DeVita, proclaimed by the Wall Street Journal to be America’s finest classical actor, comes a world-premiere play with a tour-de-force performance that will leave you breathless.

Directed By: Mark Clements Playwright: Joanna Murray-Smith Scenic Designer: Daniel Conway Costumes By: Leslie Vaglica Lighting Designer: Jason Fassl Sound Designer: Barry G. Funderburg Projections Designer: Jared Mezzocchi Dramaturg: Brent Hazelton Dialect Coach: Jill Walmsley Zager James DeVita Casting Director: JC Clementz Assistant Director: Nabrashaa Nelson Stage Manager: Sarah Deming-Henes Assistant Stage Manager: Becca Lindsay Stage Management Resident: Miriam Michaels

ABOUT THE AUTHOR An internationally produced playwright, Australian Joanna Murray-Smith’s work has been performed by some of the biggest names in the business, like Meryl Streep, and at some of the most prestigious Broadway and European venues. Not only a playwright, Joanna also creates novels, poems, and lyrics.

FEATURE ARTIST: Jared Mezzocchi, Projection Designer “I’m coming in with a lot of paint, we have our canvas, and I’ve been given all the groundwork that I need. I’m excited to toss certain images up there to contribute to the play,” says Jared Mezzocchi, Projection Designer for American Song.

Mark Clements, Artistic Director of Milwaukee Repertory Theater and Director of American Song, approached Mezzocchi last year with the proposition to do the play. Mezzocchi has worked with The Rep on previous productions of A History of Invulnerability and The Mountaintop as a Projections Designer, and is thrilled to continue his relationship with The Rep and Mark Clements.

Normally these kind of propositions are accompanied by preformed ideas about what role projection will play in the production, but, as Mezzocchi says, “Every so often, a gem comes along.”

He is excited to start from the beginning with American Song since it is straight from The Rep’s New Play Development program and this production is the world premiere.

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Mezzocchi is humble about his contribution to American Song.

“Projection should take a backseat to the importance of the story. I hope when people leave, no one’s talking about the projections.”

“It’s a meditative play and we need to make sure it’s about our main character, and yet we have this twenty foot image behind him.” The size of the screen in this case may be an advantage, Mezzocchi explains that he finds that the larger the image, the more gentle his embellishments can be. “I don’t want to give the audience whiplash.”

Mezzocchi is devoted to staying true to the real story behind American Song, “As Mark has said, this play could be done with a candle and a person sitting on an empty stage. Everything else is just fluff. The whole point of the play is to put yourself in the shoes of the main character.” Mezzocchi hopes that projection will complete the picture and give depth and breadth to the stage picture.

Aspiring multi-media artists, Mezzocchi’s advice is to “stop talking about it and do it. Play around with projectors, they’re getting less and less expensive. Set one up and see what it inspires.” He says the industry is waiting for the next generation of artists and calls today’s youth to action!

American Song - PlayGuide

ABOUT OUR PRODUCTION The set was constructed on a platform that was raised off the ground of the stage and barn doors were attached to the picture frame of the set. This is to draw in the focus of the audience.

To keep his voice healthy and body energized, throughout the performance James DeVita has requested a few things from our props department to stock an Igloo cooler, such as, water, hot tea, a turkey sandwich, and a chocolate bar.

You will see Andy build a wall throughout the play.

The total weight of the real sandstone used to make the wall is more than two tons.

The choice of sandstone for the wall was affected by the desire to place the play in Wisconsin, since the state contains large deposits of sandstone due to glacial activity.

A smorgasbord of tools are used in the creation of a wall including mason line, chisels, stakes, and hammers. You will see many of these in use throughout the play.

Andy carries a notebook that he refers to throughout his play, and James DeVita has had a large role in populating the contents of the notebook himself.

The wall is made out of two materials, stone and foam. The part that Andy builds is real stone, but much of the rest is cut foam that will be painted to match the real material.

James DeVita in the world-premiere of American Song,

by Joanna Murray-Smith. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

www.MilwaukeeRep.com

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MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE – ACT II In a new partnership, Milwaukee Repertory Theater and the Frank Zeidler Center for Public Discussion will be spearheading a series of public conversations designed to bridge differences in our community that may be sparked by American Song.

The Rep received a prestigious grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support Community Engagement and outreach efforts associated with this production. As the production is designed as a one-act, 80 minute piece of theater, The Rep will partner with the Zeidler Center to launch Act II – a series of post-show public discussions after every performance. These discussions will begin with a five minute response to the production from a guest expert responder.

Expert Responders will be drawn from local mental health experts, counselors, parenting advocates, first responders, teachers, civic leaders, public policy analysts, funders, media personalities, and social service providers.

Immediately after, audiences will be invited to join the dialogue via facilitated small group discussions in our theater and lobby. Based on research showing that deep listening leads to greater understanding amongst disparate groups, the Zeidler Center uses reflective structured dialogue to encourage meaningful conversation. We estimate that more than 10,000 people will participate in this special new initiative.

THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF THE CONVERSATION! Check out our website for information on each night’s guest respondent: www.milwaukeerep.com/AmericanSong

The Zeidler Center organizes civil dialogues and trainings for individuals, groups, and communities to decrease polarization, improve communication, and foster relationships or cooperation where differences may lead to conflicts. They also develop programming to expand public understanding about topics relevant to individual, community, or global well-being.

The following are some of the core beliefs upon which the Zeidler Center’s vision is based: 1. The current social atmosphere is one of division and mutual distrust. Groups in society seem increasingly polarized.

2. Avenues for conducting public discussion are either unknown to the public or not satisfying in clarifying community needs and building cooperation. Local discussion – trademark of an open and democratic society – rarely takes place.

3. Trained facilitators can provide ways to open discussions on issues, enabling citizens to discuss issues of the common good in fresh ways.

4. By supporting all efforts to improve community discussion of public issues, more groups will collaborate. Producing a base of informed and involved citizens will work to improve the existing climate of alienation and blame.

POSITIVE CHANGE QUESTIONS: 1. What can theater do to help create positive change in a community?

2. What kinds of strategies do you employ when speaking about a difficult subject with someone who may not share your view?

Detail: James DeVita in the world-premiere of American Song,

by Joanna Murray-Smith. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

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American Song - PlayGuide

WALT WHITMAN I HEAR AMERICA SINGING I HEAR AMERICA SINGING I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear, Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong, The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam, The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work, The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck, The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands, The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning, or at noon intermission or at sundown, The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing, Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else, The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly, Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.

Walt Whitman. Born May 31st, 1819. He is considered by most poetry experts to be the father of American Poetry. Primarily self-taught, Whitman began studying Homer, Shakespeare, and Dante at age 12. By seventeen, he was a teacher in Long Island. During his lifetime, Whitman worked in a printing press, as a teacher, a journalist, a newspaper publisher, and as a self-published poet of eight editions of his works called Leaves of Grass. He also worked for a time in the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C., and he traveled America extensively.

How This Poem Relates to American Song:

Fractured America

Walt Whitman’s work has been said to be a true representation of America’s spirit. In this poem, you see the individual voices that unified the American people. Singing and working are both individual and collective acts which represents both Americans individualistic nature and cooperative identity.

Andy says, “They come together, these diverse songs – and out of joining together something greater is made than each of us alone. That’s my America.” He sets up Whitman’s poem as a fond memory of America’s past and asks where that America (his America, Whitman’s America) has gone. Nowadays, from Andy’s perspective, there is no unified song.

Each voice is concentrated on its own task, but does not reach past that domain or connect with its neighbors. To Andy, America has become fractured.

It is a fractured America that you see in American Song.

Andy says that, “there is a psychology to nations. We carry it even when we don’t see it or understand it.” He carries the divisive themes raised in American Song. They include parenting, gun safety, mental health, and coping with tragedy. He internalizes that divided feeling of America and feels divided about many of these topics. As he says, “to be an American, that counts for something.”

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Positive Change Questions: 1. When you read the poem, I Hear America Singing do you think it is a positive or negative representation of America?

What makes you proud? What makes you ashamed?

2. What does the phrase, “fractured America” mean to you?

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PARENTING IN THE 21ST CENTURY Technology Parenting in the 21st century is simultaneously easier and more challenging than it has ever been. There are more and more resources available to parents, from better medical care and online health websites to mommy and daddy blogs with useful tips and advice from other parents. However, all of that data can contribute to an information overload, or even misinformation. For instance, the tendency to overreact after looking up health symptoms on the internet is quadrupled for parents regarding one’s own child’s health.

But perhaps one of the biggest technological challenges parents face in the 21st century is social media, be it theirs or their child’s. Parents create an online footprint for their child beginning at birth, and this can be both a tool and a danger. In online communities as well as in real life, youth can find friends and people with similar interests, however, bullies online are faceless and many times more pervasive or brutal in a child’s life. Polarizing ideas on how to parent today Parenting in the 21st century. Image Credit: Playbuzz also lead to disparaging debates on vaccinations, breastfeeding, and use of technology.

Social media and technology, and social media in general, contribute to an increased sedentary lifestyle, which is a leading factor in childhood obesity. It also enables children to carry on parts of their lives in secret from their parents. Comparison and subsequent feelings of inadequacy are a huge pitfall of social media for children.

Parents struggle with what safeguards can or should be put between their child and the constant stream of online information.

Ages and Stages of Life

Emergence of Stay‐at‐Home Dad It is still true that mothers stay at home with their children more frequently than fathers do, but the emergence of stay athome dads has been on the rise since 1989. Since that time, the number of stayathome dads has nearly doubled, rising from 1.1 million in 1989 to about 2 million in 2012. The highest point was in 2010, just after the official end of the Great Recession, when there were 2.2 million stayathome dads. The reasons for dads staying at home are varied, but the most common reasons are illness or injury, inability to find work, caring for the home and family, and being in school or retired. Since 1989, the numbers for each of these categories have changed significantly. The following table shows the differences between stayathome dads in 1989 and 2012.

Reason Caring for home/family Unable to find work Illness or Injury In school/retired/other

1989 5% 15% 56% 25%

2012 21% 23% 35% 22%

As our lifespans increase, so do our childhoods. Children remain dependent upon their parents into their early twenties. Co habitation after college has increased, and financial independence has been pushed later in a child’s life.

Emerging adults in the 21st century have an increased sense of geographic mobility and labor opportunity, but are saddled with huge expectations and huge college debt.

Role Definition Parenting is greatly dependent upon the composition of the family. With nuclear families no longer the norm, the definition of a parent is expanding to include all types of families. Gender roles have relaxed the division of roles between a father and a mother.

Above: Role definition in parenting and housekeeping has come a long way since the 1950s. Image Credit: Daily Mail

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American Song - PlayGuide

MENTAL HEALTH / COPING WITH TRAGEDY The Five Stages of Grief 1. Denial- Refusing to believe what is happening; feeling shocked.

“This can’t be happening.”

2. Anger- Accusing others, such as family or friends or a supreme being, for what has happened.

“How could you let this happen?”

3. Bargaining- Asking the universe or a supreme being to make a deal with you.

“Just let me live long enough to…”

4. Depression- Experiencing listlessness or exhaustion, along with feelings of helplessness, guilt, and lack of interest in life.

“I might as well give up.”

Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. Photo Credit: EKR Foundation

5. Acceptance- Facing the loss and moving on, returning to the activities of normal life.

“I’m ready to deal with this now.”

The five stages of grief were created by Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. Born on July 8, 1926, Dr. Kubler-Ross was a Swiss psychiatrist and a pioneer in near-death studies. She is the author of the book On Death and Dying, published in 1969, where she first discussed the stages of grief listed here. In her lifetime, she received 20 honorary degrees, and by 1982, she had estimated that she taught around 125,000 students in death and dying courses in various colleges and institutions. A common misconception is that her five stages of grief are linear and progressive. Kubler-Ross later stated that she intended this list to be indicative of common experiences that the bereaved may feel at any time during the grieving process.

Adolescence and Mental Health

Now Is the Time

This is what the United States Department of Human Health has to say about mental health in adolescence.

“Important mental health habits —including coping, resilience, and good judgment—help adolescents to achieve overall wellbeing and set the stage for positive mental health in adulthood. Although mood swings are common during adolescence, approximately one in five adolescents has a diagnosable mental disorder, such as depression and/or anxiety disorders. Friends and family can watch for warning signs of mental disorders and urge young people to get help.

Effective treatments exist and may involve a combination of psychotherapy and medication. Unfortunately, less than half of adolescents with psychiatric disorders received any kind of treatment in the last year.”

The plan, introduced by President Obama in January of 2013, entitled “Now Is the Time,” aims to protect our nation’s children by reducing gun violence.

One topic this act addresses is adolescent mental health care. The following proposals are aimed to help increase recognition and treatment of mental illness. The act aims to: 1. Provide training to teachers through Project AWARE to detect and respond to potential mental health issues in their students and coach parents and students on how to access treatment.

2. Allot $25 million to continue to support individuals who have left the public school system between the ages of 16-25 through state-based strategies.

3. Train 5,000 mental health professionals to serve at schools which should greatly increase the recognition of student mental illness referrals for treatment.

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POSITIVE CHANGE QUESTIONS: 1. What do you believe to be society’s current view of mental illness?

2. What do you think is important to provide for friends, colleagues, or family members who are suffering a loss? What would you want from your network in that situation?

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SCHOOL SHOOTINGS From Columbine to Newtown, school shootings have unfortunately become increasingly prevalent in today’s society. These tragedies have a huge impact on everyone: family members of the shooters and anyone killed or injured, surviving students and staff at the schools, and the overall community. After experiencing such a traumatic event, survivors have suffered from numerous detrimental effects, including: • Post-traumatic stress disorder Media Portrayal • Nightmares The media’s role in school shooting has become an increasing problem.

• Aversion to school After hearing about a shooting, the media tend to seek out survivors to interview them about their experience. In these instances, the media are • Headaches typically seen as intrusive and anxiety-inducing. In addition, the consensus • Stomach problems of social scientists, based on the seminal work of David Phillips in 1974 on • Sleeping problems imitative suicides, shows that media portrayal of a deviant behavior • Change in school performance increases the odds of copycat crimes in others.

• Anxiety Causes • Loss of interest in activities But why do school shootings happen? Katherine Newman, co-author of • Change in attitude toward friends Rampage: The Social Roots of School Shootings, found that there are typically and family five things that high school shootings have in common: • School shooters are not loners, but may be struggling to fit in • School shootings rarely do not have warning signs POSITIVE CHANGE QUESTIONS: • “Soft cops,” or school resource officers, are a key to preventing school 1. What responsibility, if any, should the shootings. schools themselves take to avoid this • School shootings most often happen in rural or small town areas kind of disaster?

• The media are both a help and a hindrance since they bring unwanted 2. After a tragedy like a school shooting glorified attention to the shooter, yet also keep the community updated occurs, how should the media react? and informed.

MASS SHOOTING VICTIMS IN WISCONSIN 1985, Onalaska. Bryan Stanley shot and killed a Reverend and a lay minister in church while they were praying along with a custodian.

1987, Athens. Three elderly family members and a nephew are found shot execution style in their farmhouse. A fourth elderly relative was found several days later in the woods, shot in the head.

1991, Polk County. 15 year old Bruce Brenizer killed his family then burned their bodies in a car.

1991, Milwaukee. A dispute at a bar on New Year's ends with three people shot dead.

1992, Milwaukee Drug disputes led to four teens being shot execution style in their apartment.

1997, Milwaukee. Two men and a woman are discovered shot in their home by a teenager.

1999, Milwaukee. Three people discovered shot in basement of apartment building.

2000, Milwaukee. Two men and one boy found shot in home.

2002, Townsend. Michael J. Wilcox shoots himself after being sought by police for shooting deaths of three people.

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2003, Lincoln County. William F. Reichert shoots his wife, their two children, and then himself.

2003, Verona. The accused shooter, Meng-Ju "Mark" Wu committed suicide prior to his trial for the deaths of his three friends.

2004, Richland County. Stephen Tomporowski shoots and kills his parents and uncle.

2004, Meteor. Chai Vang shoots and kills six other deer hunters during a hunting territory dispute.

2005, Brookfield. Terry Ratzmann shoots and kills seven before killing himslef during a church service of which he was a congregation member.

2005, Hillsboro. Joseph Ganshert shoots and kills his wife, stepson, and his daughter.

2005, Oconto County. David DeBauche shoots and kills his estranged wife and her parents.

2007, Delavan. Amrosio Analco shoots and kills his ex-girlfriend, their infant twins and her sister, before killing herself.

2007, Crandon. Off-duty police officer Tyler Peterson shoots and kills his ex-girlfriend and five other teens who were all hanging out together.

2008, Milwaukee. Antonio D. "Cheem" Williams and two other men are charged for the shooting deaths of four people at a 4th of July street party.

2008, Marinette County. Scott Johnson shot three teens as they were swimming in the Menomonie River.

2009, Menomonie. Geu Tou Vang shoots and kills three brothers outside their trailer at a family birthday party.

2009, Nelsonville. Shane Kettner kills his girlfriend and young children.

2012, Brookfield. Radcliffe F. Haughton shoots and kills his wife and two other women at a day spa.

2012, Oak Creek. Wade Michael Page shoots and kills six members of a Sikh Temple.

2015, Menasha. Valencia Del Toro began randomly shooting passerbys on a bike trail. Three were killed.

American Song - PlayGuide

POSITIVE CHANGE / BECOME INVOLVED… If you are interested in engaging further in this dialogue, please consider becoming involved with the organizations below. Everytown for Gun Safety and Precious Lives seek to educate the public and make policy changes around gun violence:

Everytown for Gun Safety

Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund is an independent, nonpartisan organization that seeks to improve the understanding of the causes of gun violence and the means to reduce it by conducting groundbreaking original research, developing evidence-based policies, and communicating this knowledge to the American public. One of their biggest projects is a report, published in October 2015, summarizing all school shooting incidents from 2013 until the present.

Everytown updates this report as school shootings occur, with help from users of the website.

Precious Lives

Taken from the Precious Lives website, “Precious Lives is a two year, 100-part radio series about gun violence in Milwaukee. Stories include homicides, suicides, accidental deaths, and the impact these have on the community. They work with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel [and several other Milwaukee County organizations]. The stories they share are engaging, intimate, and illuminating - giving voice to many people not represented in mainstream media, creating sustained attention to this persistent problem and showcasing solutions many in our community don't know about.”

NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT We imagine a time when the eclectic nature of work on and off our stages includes extant works of significance and vital new dramatic works. Milwaukee Rep-driven commissions, development, and production, will continue to excite existing audiences, and attract diverse new attendees to experience relevant theater.

We want to enrich the quality of life for the residents of our city and its surrounding areas, become a source of enormous local pride, and be an organization that is widely regarded as artistically, politically, and socially open to the world. Ways in which we accomplish this:

A BROAD RANGE OF INGENIOUS AND RESONANT THEATRICAL EXPERIENCES BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY

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PLATFORMS FOR BRILLIANT ARTISTS AT THE TOP OF THEIR GAME

INFLUENTIAL ASSOCIATE ARTISTS WHOSE WORK IS PASSIONATE, DIVERSE, INNOVATIVE, AND WHO ADVOCATE ON OUR BEHALF

PRODUCTIONS THAT CONFRONT ISSUES RELEVANT TO OUR COMMUNITY

COMMITMENT TO ARTISTIC RISK-TAKING

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Public Domain Sources: Project Gutenberg, Wiki Commons “Arrest Made in Wisconsin Hunting Massacre.” Fox News. http://www.foxnews.com. 22 Nov. 2004. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.

CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com. N.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.

Chippewa Herald. http://www.chippewa.com. N.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.

Christakis, Erika. “Modern Parenting: Do We Really Need to Reinvent the Wheel?” Time. 5 July 2012. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.

“Cops: Gun used in Wisconsin spree bought two days after suspect was ordered to surrender all firearms.” New York Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com. 22 Oct. 2012. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.

Doeun, Amy. “Kong Family buries Three Brothers in Menomonie.” Hmong Times Online. http://www.hmongtimes.com. 10 Sept. 2009. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.

“Effects of School Shootings.” Penn State. http://sites.psu.edu/. N.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.

“EKR Biography.” Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Foundation. http://www.ekrfoundation.org/. N.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.

“Elisabeth Kubler Ross”. Biography.com. http://www.biography.com/. N.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.

“Everytown for Gun Safety.” Everytown. http://everytownresearch.org/. n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.

Genealogy Buff. http://www.genealogybuff.com. N.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.

The Journal Times. http://www.journaltimes.com. n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.

Knafo, Saki and Catherine Pearson. “Psychological Effects of Connecticut Shooting.” The Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com. 14 Dec. 2012. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.

Livingston, Gretchen. “Growing Number of Dads Home with the Kids”. Pew Research Center. http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/. 05 June 2014. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.

Marriner, Cosima. “Parenting challenges in the 21st century.” The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/. 26 July 2015. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. http://www.jsonline.com. N.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.

Mooney, Edward. “After school violence, traumatized teachers need help.” CNN. http://www.cnn.com /. 22 Nov. 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.

Mrowca, Maryann. “Investigators Search for Missing Woman, Clues to Four Murders.” AP News Archive. http://www.apnewsarchive.com. 6 Jul. 1987. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.

“Multiple Murders in Wisconsin Since 1985.” Wisconsin History. http://www.wishistory.com. N.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.

NBC News. http://www.nbcnews.com. N.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.

Norris, Fran H. “Impact of Mass Shootings on Survivors, Families, and Communities.” The National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. http://www.ptsd.va.gov/. 2007. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.

“Precious Lives.” Precious Lives. http://preciouslivesproject.org/. n.d. Web. 26. Feb. 2016.

“Priest and Two Men Killed in Church.” The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com. 8 Feb. 1985. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.

“Relatives were worried before farmhouse murder of family.” USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com. 17 Feb. 2004. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.

Schuetz, Lisa and Ed Treleven. “Man accused in triple murder found dead in cell on eve of trial.” Globe Gazette. http://www.globegazette.com.

N.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.

Shmoop Editorial Team. "I Hear America Singing Poem Text." Shmoop. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.

Singal, Jesse. “Why Kids Shoot Up High Schools, Why They Only Do So Outside of Big Cities, and How to Stop Them.” New York Magazine: Science of Us.” http://nymag.com/. 10 June 2014. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.

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Windle, Chris. “21 Rules for the 21st Century Parent.” The Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/. 14 Aug. 2014. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.

Young, Carly. “The Five Stages of Dealing with Grief and Sorrow.” Lifescript. http://www.lifescript.com/. 11 Sept. 2006. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.

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American Song - PlayGuide

VISITING THE REP Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s Patty and Jay Baker Theater Complex is located in the Milwaukee Center downtown at the corner of Wells and Water Streets. The building was formerly the home of the Electric Railway and Light Company.

The Ticket Office is visible on the left upon entering the Wells Street doors. The Quadracci Powerhouse is located on the second level and can be accessed via the escalator or elevator.

THE REP VALUES YOUR SUPPORT Financial support enables The Rep to: ✯ Advance the art of theater with productions that inspire individuals and create community dialogue; ✯ Provide a richer theater experience by hosting Rep In Depth, Talkbacks, and creating Play Guides to better inform our audiences about our productions; ✯ Educate over 20,000 students at 200+ schools in the greater Milwaukee area with Rep Immersion Day experiences, student matinees, workshops, tours and by making connections with their school curriculum through classroom teaching programs such as Reading Residencies and Scriptworks; ✯ Maintain our commitment to audiences with special needs through our Access Services that include American Sign Language interpreted productions, captioned theater, infrared listening systems and script synopses to ensure that theater at The Rep is accessible to all; ✯ Educate the next generation of theater professionals with our Emerging Professional Residency Program which gives newly degreed artists a chance to hone their skills at The Rep as they begin to pursue their theatrical careers.

We value our supporters and partnerships and hope that you will help us to expand the ways Milwaukee Rep has a positive impact on theater and on our Milwaukee community.

Donations can be made on our website at www.MilwaukeeRep.com or at 414-224-9490.

THE REP RECEIVES SUPPORT FROM: James DeVita in the world-premiere of American Song, by Joanna Murray-Smith.

Photo by Michael Brosilow.

The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation The Richard & Ethel Herzfeld Foundation David and Julia Uihlein Charitable Foundation