a message from the
artistic and managing directors
Thank you for joining us for the New England Premiere of Cardboard Piano! We’re delighted to bring this poignant new drama to our MainStage, and could not be more pleased to welcome back director Benny Sato Ambush. At a time when empathy and understanding are at their most needed, Benny’s interpretation of the play puts focus on the questions around who holds the authority to declare what is right. We hope you find the play as compelling as we do. Join us in April for our final production of the season, Becoming Dr. Ruth. In this heartwarming biographical comedy, playwright Mark St. Germain chronicles the life of noted psychologist Dr. Ruth Westheimer from her early years fleeing Nazi Germany, through her time spent as a sniper in Jerusalem and beyond. This illuminating one woman show from the author of Freud’s Last Session is a humorous and heartfelt portrait detailing Dr. Ruth’s incredible journey to become a pioneer in the psychology of human sexuality and the world’s most famous sex therapist. For the upcoming 2019-2020 season, we’re thrilled to announce five MainStage productions that are certain to inspire: Russell Lee’s Nixon’s Nixon, Lindsay Joelle’s Trayf, Lionel Bart’s Oliver!, Pam Gems’ Piaf and August Wilson’s Fences. Visit www.newrep.org for more information about the season and how to subscribe! And join us at ‘Entr’acte’, our annual gala on May 7, in celebration of New Rep’s achievements over the past 35 years, and our future aspirations. Thank you again for visiting us today. We look forward to seeing you again soon!
Jim Petosa Artistic Director
TOP: THE CAST OF MAN OF LA MANCHA
Harriet Sheets Managing Director
Andrew / Brilliant Pictures. 2Photo: 01 8-2 019 Brilliant se ason
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Investigating the largest unsolved art heist in history. applepodcasts.com/lastseen
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n e w re p e r t o r y t h e a t re
in residence at the Mosesian Center for the Arts
Jim Petosa Artistic Director
321 arsenal st, watertown
Harriet Sheets Managing Director
presents
Cardboard PIano by
Hansol Jung
directed by Benny
scenic designer
Jon Savage º
Sato Ambush◊
COSTUME designer
lighting designer
Scott Pinkney º
Leslie Held
SOUND DESIGNER/Composer
stage manager
Dewey Dellay
Becca Freifeld*
cast (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
Rachel Cognata Marge Dunn
Adiel/Ruth Chris
Soldier/Paul Pika/Francis
Michael Ofori* Marc Pierre*
There will be a 15 minute intermission. Please note this production contains recorded gunshots and prop weapons. Cardboard Piano is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. Cardboard Piano was developed during a residency at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference in 2015. World premeire in the 2016 Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville. SEASON SPONSORS
◊ member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society * member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States º member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 The video and/or audio recording of this performance by any means whatsoever is strictly prohibited.
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Additional Production Staff master electrician props manager
Katie Hoolsema
Kaitlyn Burke
technical Director Joseph sound engineer Lee
Fanning
Best Wishes to New Repertory Theatre, for a great season!
Schuna
production assistant
Georgina Coffey, Rachel Corning Assistant Director/Dramaturg
Elena Morris Makeup
Molly Trainer Understudy
Willow Lautenberg Music Consultant
Todd C. Gordon Cultural Consultants
Alex Atim, Charles Opiro, Grace Ouattara, and Elizabeth Kikonde Special Thanks To
Phyllis Strimling, Boston University
H OM E is where your story begins. Annie Danielson
Elissa Rogovin REALTOR®
Cell: 617.620.2440 826 Boylston Street • Chestnut Hill • MA 02467 erogovin@HammondRE.com • ElissaRogovin.myhammondagent.com www.HammondRE.com Serving Boston and the surrounding comunities 4
n e w re p e r t o r y t h e a t re
note s fro m the direc tor:
Benny Sato Ambush We Are Water
Humanity faces recurring spiritual crises of its soul. Cardboard Piano examines one of them. Human interpretations of the Word of God have often tyrannized those deemed undeserving of God’s love and protection because they were not the chosen few - they were different, of an unapproved constitution and behavior. Throughout history, those claiming to know what God wants have carried out incalculable suffering, pain, misery, and death upon them in His name. How do any of us truly know what God wants? And, whose God? The one who justified the enslavement of my African ancestors? The one who supported Manifest Destiny genocide of first nation people in the Western Hemisphere? The one behind the Holy Crusades? The one approving Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army? The fight for equality, justice, and human rights for people of gender-sexual variant identities and expressions in the LGBTQ+ community is global. Criminalized, outlawed and/or targeted in brutal, often deadly extralegal, extrajudicial vigilantism, they are tarred as sinful abominations to someone’s God, worthy of erasure or in need of conversion into sanctioned conformity. What kind of God believes some of His creation are born wrong? Who decides who has His favor and who deserves scorn, exclusion, abandonment, rebuke, even death “because they brought it on themselves?” Fear of difference has sparked panic, hysteria, and paranoia in many bloody chapters in human affairs. In Salem, MA a few miles from this theater, people once accused of witchcraft were hanged, approved by someone’s God, church and bible. Treating anyone as less than fully human is condemnable. Cardboard Piano puts a human face on a beautiful portrait of a young female couple in the bloom of love and the senseless trauma, carnage, and spiritual crisis triggered by their encounter with violent, bigoted, reactive, religiously-approved homophobia. Is such collateral damage what God wants? Sexual-gender variant people asserting their right to be, right to their authentic selves, right to love whom their heart desires deserve enlightened acceptance with a large measure of grace. This human rights struggle is one of the great tests of our time. History instructs that growth is possible. Our nation is evolving since its founding. Embracing people of nonconforming sexual-gender identities and expressions as equal members of the human family is an expansion of consciousness whose time is long overdue. At the uncorrupted heart of most of the world’s sacred spiritual traditions is the belief that we are made of the same substance. Like water and ice and vapor, we present differently in the world. We are the same and not the same simultaneously. It takes a sophisticated, open mind to comfortably accept this paradox. The tyrannizing prison of restrictive thinking and religious/state-justified bigotry appearing in Cardboard Piano is destructive, abominable socio-religious engineering. A moral counterweight that I believe Cardboard Piano pleads for is the reverence for human life beautifully expressed in the wisdom of this traditional Mayan greeting: In Lak’ech Ala K’in (I Am Another Yourself). 2 01 8-2 019 se ason
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note s on
Cardboard Piano bY RUTH SPACK
I n spi r ation for Cardboar d P i a n o : S om ething Ha ppen ed
Playwright Hansol Jung shared in a 2016 interview that her writing process typically starts when “Something happens.” And when something happens, something unthinkable, she thinks, “How is that possible?” In the case of her 2014 play, Cardboard Piano, the unthinkable was twofold: the abduction of thousands of children in northern Uganda by an insurgent army and the passage of an antihomosexuality bill by the Ugandan parliament. Jung’s deep concern about these issues found expression in Cardboard Piano, her thesis project at Yale School of Drama. Ove rthrow, Opp ression , Re v o lt
Uganda, among the world’s least developed countries, achieved independence from Great Britain in 1962. Its people have suffered ever since at the hands of brutal leaders, including Idi Amin, who held sway from 19711979. In 1986, current president Yoweri Museveni seized power and instituted systematic oppression of the Acholi ethnic group in northern Uganda, most of whom, like Museveni, are Christian. An insurgency group known as the Holy Spirit Mobile Forces fought for the rights of the Acholi people, but Museveni quickly quashed the rebellion. Joseph Kony, a Catholic and traditional Acholi healer who claimed to have spiritual powers, took up the cause in 1987 and formed the Lord’s Resistance Army. 6
T he Lor d’ s Resista nce A rm y
The Acholi people initially backed their compatriot Kony. But as the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) became increasingly and inexplicably sadistic, their support waned. Turning on his own people, Kony abducted Acholi boys to boost the ranks of his dwindling army. Wilson Center statistics show that, by 2004, Kony’s war had resulted in the deaths of an estimated 100,000 civilians, displacement of 1.6 million citizens into refugee camps, and abduction of more than 30,000 children, most under the age of the thirteen, to serve as soldiers or sex slaves. Pushed out of Uganda in 2006, Kony lay low until 2008, when he began spreading his terror campaign across neighboring countries. Despite a five-year manhunt conducted by the Ugandan army, African Union troops, and US special forces, Kony eluded capture. Uganda called off the search in 2017, maintaining (perhaps prematurely) that the LRA was too diminished to pose a threat. Kony remains at large. Ruthl ess In do ctri nati o n o f C hil d S ol die rs
Children represented approximately eighty percent of the LRA in Uganda. Once abducted, they underwent ruthless indoctrination until they abandoned hope1. LRA members beat them, forced them to watch attempted escapees burn alive, starved them, and then gave them food, for which the children felt grateful. The LRA also compelled new child soldiers to beat the newest abductees, raid their own n e w re p e r t o r y t h e a t re
villages, and kill their own families, to make them think they had no home to escape to. Their failure to obey could result in facial mutilation, loss of limbs, or death. When child soldiers followed orders, the LRA rewarded them through spiritual rituals, including a blessing ceremony. “I would do what it takes to survive,” admits Denis Ojara, an escapee. In an oral history (partially reproduced in The Telegraph), Norman Okello, another escapee, explains the impact of the brainwashing: You feel very proud. You feel you’re now one of the family of the LRA. You are one of them, you are part of them, all you have is them. You forget about home. Rei n te g rati on of Retur n ed C hi l d Sold iers
Since 2000, the Ugandan government has offered amnesty to LRA soldiers who surrender themselves and repudiate violence. Thousands have accepted the offer. Reintegrating returnees into their communities, however, is daunting task2. Given that the child soldiers had robbed and killed their own people, many community members are slow to forgive. Most returnees exhibit signs of posttraumatic distress disorder, including insomnia, aggressiveness, depression, and self-isolation. Some returnees who attended rehabilitation programs have been able to forge a relatively normal existence. For most, fear and rage at what happened continue to distort their lives. S e x u a l Diversity a n d the B r itish Em pire
Before present-day Uganda became a protectorate of the British Empire in 1894, the country traditionally
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recognized sexual diversity3. Uganda’s first criminalization of homosexuality stemmed from the United Kingdom’s enforcement of anti-sodomy laws. After Uganda gained independence in 1962, government leaders retained the British legislation, declaring homosexuality anathema to African values. A Par adox
In March 2009, American evangelists stoked the homophobia of thousands of Ugandans at a three-day anti-gay conference in Kampala3. Invited speakers included Scott Lively, founder of Abiding Truth Ministries, now based in Springfield, MA. Lively and others called the LGBT rights movement an “evil institution” designed to dismantle marriage, promote sexual promiscuity, and recruit children to homosexuality. An anti-homosexuality bill introduced in parliament later that year included many of the speakers’ talking points. Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Act into law in February 2014, which in part extended the existing sentence for repeat offenders to life imprisonment. In August of that year, the constitutional court annulled the act on a legal technicality. Museveni’s justification for the legislation rested on his belief that the gay rights movement is an “attempt at social imperialism,” and a spokesman said the president signed the bill to “demonstrate Uganda’s independence in the face of Western pressure”. Paradoxically, Museveni positions homophobia, imposed on Uganda by a Western empire, as a show of defiance against Western domination. H omoph o b i a , LGB T Ri g hts, an d Ugan da To day
Same-sex relations are still
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criminalized in Uganda. Gender non-conforming citizens are routinely subject to harassment and sometimes to mob violence or police brutality. But the publicity surrounding the 2014 bill raised awareness of gay rights. “Uganda is one of the few countries in Africa where you can talk about homosexuality,” says Adrian Jjunko, executive director of the Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum. He told journalist Tim Teeman his primary mission is to shepherd numerous test cases through the courts. Despite persistent threat of harm, Jjunko remains optimistic: “We are winning
some battles, losing some, but we are pushing legal boundaries and that makes me proud.” 1) Roberts, Andrew. “‘I would do what it takes to survive’: Former Child Soldier Tells of His Time in Kony’s Army.” TheJournal.ie. March 6, 2018. 2) Van Leeuwen, Jamie, Laurie Miller, Jerry Amanya, and Michael Feinberg. “Forced to Fight: An Integrated Approach to Former Child Soldiers in Northern Uganda.” Wilson Center Africa Policy Brief. May 4, 2018. 3) Hanley, Paul and Jeong-Min Lee. “Leviticus Rising: The Origin of Uganda’s Anti-Gay Law.” International Policy Digest. August 10, 2015.
PRODU CTION HISTORY
This season, we’re exploring the universal language of music. Presenting over 200 concerts a year in Longy’s Edward M. Pickman Concert Hall in Harvard Square! Training exceptional musicians to make a difference in their world. Learn more about Longy or apply at: Longy.edu
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when words fail, music speaks.
Cardboard Piano received a workshop production in 2014 at the Carlotta Festival of New Plays at Yale School of Drama and was developed during a residency at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Centers National Playwrights Conference. The play premiered in 2016 at the Actors Theatre of Louisville’s 40th Humana Festival of New American Plays.
n e w re p e r t o r y t h e a t re
2257 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge www.spindlerconfections.com 1-617-714-4871
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“IF MUSIC BE THE FOOD OF LOVE, PLAY ON. GIVE ME EXCESS OF IT.” – shakespeare
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n e w re p e r t o r y t h e a t re
meet the artists Rachel Cognata (Adiel/Ruth) makes
her New Repertory Theatre debut with this production of Cardboard Piano. Other recent credits include Hype Man (2018 Elliot Norton Award winner for Best Production) and Really with Company One Theater. Rachel recently returned from a month-long transfer at Mixed Blood Theater in Minneapolis, MN. Some favorite past projects include Inner City Blues and The Laramie Project. A graduate of both the Boston Arts Academy and Tufts University, she is from and resides in Medford, MA.
Marge Dunn (Chris) makes her New
Repertory Theatre debut with this production of Cardboard Piano. Other recent credits include It’s a Wonderful Life and Miss Holmes at the Greater Boston Stage Company; Dog Act (IRNE nomination) at Theatre on Fire; Three Sisters (IRNE nomination), A Piece of My Heart and A Nightingale Sang (IRNE nomination) at Wellesley Repertory Theatre; Macbeth at Brown Box Theatre Project; The Draft at Hibernian Hall; Romeo and Juliet, and Much Ado About Nothing at Boston Theater Company. She holds a BA in English and Theatre Studies from Wellesley College, and serves as the Technical Director at the Roxbury Latin School. Dunn is also a freelance educator with Watertown Children’s Theatre, Greater Boston Stage Company, and Boston Theater Company. Originally from Winchester, MA, she now resides in Jamaica Plain, MA.
Michael Ofori* (Soldier/Paul) returns to
New Repertory Theatre after last being seen in Statements After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act. Other recent credits include The Journey, Much Ado About Nothing, and Blue/Orange. Michael holds a BFA in Theater from the
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University of Ghana; an MA in African Studies from Ohio University; and an MFA in Theater Education from Boston University. He currently teachers theater at Mount Holyoke College. Originally from Ghana, Michael now resides in Jamaica Plain, MA. Marc Pierre* (Pika/Francis) returns to
New Repertory Theatre after performing in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Great Expectations with New Rep’s Classic Repertory Company in 2012-2013. Other recent credits include Fences at Florida Repertory Theatre; Gloria at Gamm Theatre; Brawler at Kitchen Theatre Company; Airness at Actors Theatre of Louisville; When January Feels Like Summer at Central Square Theatre; Peter and the Starcatcher at Lyric Stage Company of Boston; Milk Like Sugar at Huntington Theatre Company; and The Flick at Gloucester Stage. TV/film credits include Castle Rock and Twelve. Marc received his BFA at Emerson College, where he was a recipient of the Isabel Sanford Scholarship and Emerson College’s Acting Area Award. He is from and resides in Brooklyn, NY.
Becca Freifeld* (Stage Manager) returns to New Repertory Theatre after most recently working on Straight White Men, Two Jews Walk Into a War…, Man of La Mancha, Oleanna, Thurgood (original run and tour), Fiddler on the Roof, and Good. Other credits include Slow Food (world premiere, Merrimack Repertory Theatre); Dancing at Lughnasa (Gloucester Stage Co.); Every Brilliant Thing (Speakeasy Stage Co.); Barbecue (Lyric Stage Co.); Shoes On, Shoes Off (Brandeis Department of Theater Arts); Romeo and Juliet, and Evil Dead: The Musical (Arts After Hours). Ms. Freifeld received her BA from Brandeis University. Originally from Columbia, MD, she now resides in Malden, MA.
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Jon Savageº (Scenic Designer) returns to New Repertory Theatre after designing Two Jews Walk Into A War..., The Gift Horse, Broken Glass, The King of Second Avenue, Closer Than Ever, Imagining Madoff, The Elephant Man, and Holiday Memories. Recent area credits include Mrs. Packard (Bridge Rep Theatre); To Kill a Mockingbird (Gloucester Stage); The Disappearing Number (Underground Railway); The Farm (Boston Playwrights’ Theatre); All’s Well That Ends Well (Elliot Norton Award, Best Production, Large Company); Comedy of Errors (Elliot Norton Award, Best Design, Large Company). Regional credits include Ryan Landry’s “M” (Huntington Theatre); A Grand Night for Singing (Bucks County Playhouse); State Fair (Walnut Street Theatre); Is He Dead (Olney Theatre); and Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Bay Street Theatre). Jon is currently on faculty at Boston University. Leslie Held (Costume Designer) returns to
New Repertory Theatre after most recently working on The Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde and The Promise. Some of Leslie’s previous Boston design credits include Guards at the Taj, Proof, Copenhagen, Einstein’s Dreams, Mr. G, Journey to the West, The Other Place, A Disappearing Number, Arcadia and Arabian Nights (for which she won an IRNE award) at Central Square Theater; and Rhinoceros at the Suffolk Modern Theater. In the Washington, DC area, her credits include Three Sisters, Out of Our Father’s House, Twelfth Night, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Roundhouse Theater), Candide (Arena Stage) and Renard the Fox with the Folger Theater at the Kennedy Center. Leslie additionally teaches at Suffolk University. Originally from New York City, she now resides in Newton, MA.
Scott Pinkneyº (Lighting Designer) returns to New Repertory Theatre after designing The Bakelite Masterpiece, Freud’s Last Session, Broken Glass, The Whipping Man, Race, Opus, and The Last Five Years. Mr. Pinkney was represented on Broadway by Harvey Fierstein’s Tony Award-winning Torch Song 12
Trilogy. Off-Broadway credits include Vincent, Becoming Dr. Ruth, The Majestic Kid, Divine Fire, Nymph Errant, and The World is Made of Glass. Regional credits include MALA (both The Guthrie Theatre and The Huntington Theatre); Don Juan (Denver Critic’s Circle Award, Denver Center); My Fair Lady (Phoebe Award, Theatre Virginia); Secret Garden (Olney Theatre); and Texas Flyer (Theatre Under the Stars). He has designed in each of the last fourteen seasons at Barrington Stage, and more than 30 productions for Bristol Riverside Theatre. Mr. Pinkney is a professor at Emerson College. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, he now resides in North Falmouth, MA Dewey Dellay (Sound Designer/Composer) returns to New Repertory Theatre after working on We Will Not Be Silent, Bakelite Masterpiece, Ideation, Gift Horse, Thurgood, and The Testament of Mary. Other recent credits include Miss Witherspoon and 9 Parts of Desire (Lyric Stage Company of Boston, recipients of the Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Design), and The Women (Speakeasy Stage Company). Television credits include This is Life with Lisa Ling on CNN, and Our America with Lisa Ling on OWN Network. Originally from Stamford, CT, he now resides in Cambridge, MA. Benny Sato Ambush◊ (Director) is an SDC freelance director, educator, consultant, former National Endowment for the Arts panelist/site evaluator, and published commentator. He recently served nine years as Senior Distinguished Producing DirectorIn-Residence of Emerson Stage at Emerson College, where he also taught on the acting and directing faculty. Formerly at New Rep: The Whipping Man; Thurgood. Benny holds numerous directing credits at professional regional theatres and universities throughout the U.S. and the Boston region. He has served on numerous regional and national boards, including Theatre Communications Group. He adjudicates nationally and internationally for the American Association of Community Theatre, is a Steering Committee member of n e w re p e r t o r y t h e a t re
the National Alliance of Acting Teachers, a member of The National Theatre Conference, and is a panelist for the National Alliance for Musical Theatre. In April 2019, he will be inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Theatre. MFA - University of California, San Diego; BA - Brown University. Hansol Jung (Playwright) is a playwright and director from South Korea. Plays include Among the Dead, Cardboard Piano, No More Sad Things, Wolf Play, and Wild Goose Dreams. Commissions from Playwrights Horizons, the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation grant, and a translation of Romeo and Juliet at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. She is the recipient of the P73 Playwright Fellowship, Rita Goldberg Playwrights’ Workshop Fellowship, 2050 Fellowship at New York Theater Workshop, MacDowell Colony Artist Residency, and the International Playwrights Residency at Royal Court (London). Her plays have received the Paul Stephen Lim Playwriting Award (Among the Dead), Honorable Mention from the 2014 Arch and Bruce Brown Playwriting Competition (Cardboard Piano), and was named 2014 finalist for the Ruby Prize (No More Sad Things). She has translated over thirty English musicals into Korean, while working on several award-winning musical theatre productions as director, lyricist and translator in Seoul, South Korea. Jung holds a Playwriting MFA from Yale School of Drama. JIM PETOSA (Artistic Director) joined New
Repertory Theatre as an award-winning theatre artist, educator, and leader in 2012. He has served as Director of the School of Theatre, College of Fine Arts, at Boston University since 2002, and Artistic Director of Maryland’s Olney Theatre Center for the Arts and its National Players educational touring company (1994-2012). While at Boston University, he established the Boston Center for American Performance (BCAP), the professional production extension of the Boston University School of Theatre, in 2008. In Boston, his work was nominated for two IRNE awards for A Question of 2 01 8-2 019 se ason
Mercy (BCAP). He has served as one of three artistic leaders for the Potomac Theatre Project (PTP/NYC) since 1987. In Maryland, his work earned over 25 Helen Hayes Award nominations. His production of Look! We Have Come Through! was nominated for the Charles MacArthur Award for outstanding new play, and he earned the Montgomery County Executive’s Excellence in the Arts and Humanities Award for Outstanding Artist/Scholar. A member of Actors’ Equity Association, Mr. Petosa has served on the executive board of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for StageSource. Harriet Sheets (Managing Director) joined
New Repertory Theatre in 2000. During her tenure, Ms. Sheets has successfully managed the theatre’s increasing operational budget, and moved the company from Newton Highlands to the Arsenal Center for the Arts, now Mosesian Center for the Arts. Ms. Sheets is treasurer of the Producers’ Association of New England Area Theatres (NEAT). Prior to working at New Rep, she was the General Manager at Merrimack Repertory Theatre, where she worked for nine years. Ms. Sheets began her career as an Actors’ Equity Association Stage Manager, working at North Shore Music Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, Opera Company of Boston, and others. Originally from Arizona, she holds a BFA from Arizona State University and resides in Methuen, MA.
* member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States ◊ member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society º member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829
Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), founded in 1913, AEA represents more than 51,000 actors and stage managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. AEA is a member of AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. The Equity emblem is our mark of excellence. actorsequity.org
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George Orwell’s
animal farm
TOURING SEP/2018 - May/2019: To book now or learn more, call 617-923-7060 x8207or email education@newrep.org
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william shakespeare’s
a midsummer night’s dream
n e w re p e r t o r y t h e a t re
about
new rep
mission
New Repertory Theatre produces plays that speak powerfully to the vital ideas of our time. w h at w e d o :
• Through the passion and electricity of live theater performed to the highest standards of
excellence, New Rep seeks to spark community conversations on crucial contemporary issues.
• Our work expands and challenges the human spirit of both artists and audiences. We
present world premieres, contemporary plays and classic works in several intimate settings. Our productions are designed to be accessible to all. We are committed to education and enrichment for learners of all ages, with a special dedication to the creation of innovative in-school programming and outreach to underserved audiences. We embrace theater as the basis for enduring connections with our community and as a springboard for meaningful civic engagement.
• New Rep is an active advocate for the arts and a major voice in the national dialogue defining the role of theater in our culture.
New Repertory Theatre is the award-winning, professional theatre company in residence at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown, MA. For over 30 years, New Rep has been a leader of self-produced theatre in greater Boston, producing contemporary and classic dramas, comedies, and musicals in both the 340-seat MainStage theater and the 90-seat BlackBox Theater. Under its Lifelong Enrichment Arts Programs (LEAP), New Rep also produces its Classic Repertory Company, Page to Stage, Insider Experiences, and Spotlight Symposium Series. New Repertory Theatre, Inc. is a not-for-profit theatre company operating under a New England Area Theatres (NEAT) contract with Actors’ Equity Association and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. New Repertory Theatre is a member of Theatre Communications Group, a national service organization for non-profit professional theaters; StageSource, the Alliance of Theatre Artists and Producers; ArtsBoston; the Producer’s Association of New England Area Theatres (NEAT); New England Theatre Conference; VSA Arts-Massachusetts, a service and support organization promoting accessibility; Theatre Arts Marketing Alliance (TAMA); Boston Arts Marketing Alliance (BAMA); National New Play Network (NNPN); and Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Sciences and Humanities.
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board of directors
advisory council
A.W. (Chip) Phinney III treasurer Jon Harris clerk Ruth Budd
Andrew Brilliant, Gregory E. Bulger, Judi Cantor, Marcy Crary, Diane DiCarlo, Richard Dix, Jane Feigenson, Carol S. Fischman, C. Nancy Fisher, Christopher Flynn, Ralph Fuccillo, Joan Gallos, Jonathan Garlick, Virginia Inglis, Farida Kathawalla, B.J. Krintzman, Ted Kurland, Paul Levine, Wendy Liebow, Michael McCay, Chris Meyers, Fred Miller, Peter Nessen, Daniel S. Newton, Carlos Ridruejo, Mary Rivet, Dan Salera, Phyllis Strimling, Richard Walker, Curtis Whitney
chair
Lillian Sober Ain, Donald Giller, Miriam Gillitt, David Kluchman, Shari Malyn, Matt McGuirk, Anita Meiklejohn, Laurie H. Nash, Pamela Taylor, Jo Trompet
artistic and production
Jim Petosa artistic associate Elena Morris production manager Hannah Huling education associate Sarah Morrisette artistic director
administration managing director Harriet
Sheets Page
management associate Zack
development
Ari Herbstman Denise Takvorian grant writer Mark W. Soucy Development Manager
box office box office manager Angelica
development Associate
Potter
box office associates
Sarah Vandewalle (Lead), Nick Chieffo house managers
Serena Cates, Nick Chieffo, Coriana Hunt Swartz, Elena Morris, Matt Winberg
legal counselor Stanley B. Kay accountant Eliott Morra, CPA it support Mark W. Soucy, NCGIT
marketing communications director Jaclyn
Dentino
CREATIVE SERVICES & MARKETING ASSOCIATE
Emily DeCarolis group sales associate Jan graphic design Caridossa photographers
Nargi Design
Andew Brilliant / Brilliant Pictures, Christopher McKenzie videographer Robert Greim ambassadors
Lloyd David, Scotty Hart, Virginia Inglis, Chris Noble, Danielle Naugler, Elissa Rogovin, Diane Smith, Michael Zimmer
CLASSIC REPERTORY COMPANY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Karen Coyle Aylward, Kimo Carter, Jonathan Garlick, Clay Hopper, Lisa Stott
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CLASSIC REPERTORY COMPANY
Clay Hopper Katey Christianson company Nick Chieffo, Tim Colee, Willa Eigo, Riley Fox Hillyer, Willow Lautenberg, David Picariello, Jane Reagan, Elena Toppo
director
production designer
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donors & partners
c o r p o r at e pa r t n e r s h i p p r o g r a m
For more information on our new Corporate Partnership Program, please visit newrep.org/corporate-sponsors se as o n SPON SORS
The following list represents in-kind contributions and cash gifts made between 6/1/2017
and 12/25/2018. Corporate Donors A Thoughtful Move Amazon.com The Arsenal Project Artemis Yoga ArtsBoston athenahealth Boston University Broadway in Boston Capaldi Limited Partnership Eastern Bank Fastachi Hammond Real Estate igive.com J. Stallone Realty Group Keller Williams Realty Massachusetts General Hospital North Light IT R L Tennant Insurance Residence Inn by Marriott- Boston/Watertown Sotheby’s Realty Stewart International Travel The Village Bank Watertown Savings Bank WGBH Matching Gifts AT&T Blue Cross Blue Shield Covidien Fiduciary Trust ExxonMobil Foundation Gartner Google IBM Matching Gifts Program SalesForce Foundation Sanofi Foundation of North America FOUNDATION Support Esther B. Kahn Foundation Foundation for MetroWest The Fuller Foundation
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GHR Foundation Gregory E. Bulger Foundation The Marshall Home Fund Mass Humanities National New Play Network Roy A. Hunt Foundation The Shubert Foundation Watertown Community Foundation Government Support Boxford Cultural Council Brookline Commission for the Arts Burlington Cultural Council Cambridge Arts Council Carver Cultural Council Dedham Cultural Council Framingham Cultural Council Granby Cultural Council Hudson Cultural Council Hull Cultural Council Marlborough Cultural Council Massachusetts Cultural Council MASSCreative Milford Cultural Council National Endowment for the Arts Saugus Cultural Council Shrewsbury Cultural Council Sudbury Cultural Council Town of Sudbury Waltham Cultural Council Watertown Commission on Disability Watertown Cultural Council Westford Cultural Council
Caridossa Catering with Distinction Commander’s Mansion Eliott Mora CPA, PC Fastachi Irving House La Casa de Pedro Legit Band MEM Tea Imports Moldova Restaurant NCGIT Not Your Average Joe’s Premier Bartending & Beverage Service Red Lentil Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurant Season to Taste Sensational Foods Solomon’s Collection & Fine Rugs Spindler Confections The Spirited Gourmet Stanley B. Kay Stockyard Restaurant Susan Black & Rich O’Neal Terry O’Reilly’s Vantage Graphics Vicki Lee’s WGBH
In-Kind Big Picture Framing Boston University Brilliant Pictures, Inc. Capaldi Limited Partnership
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individual donors Thank you to all of our individual contributors! Space does not permit us to list gifts under $50, but we are grateful to all of our generous supporters. The following list represents contributions and cash gifts between 6/1/2017 and 12/25/2018. Platinum Production Partners $50,000+ Donald Fulton Fidelity Charitable Trust Marcy Crary & Tim Hall Gold Production Partners $25,000-$49,999 Lillian Sober Ain Miriam Gillitt Silver Production Partners $10,000-$24,999 Jim Petosa Joy & A.W. (Chip) Phinney Vincent Piccirilli & Anita Meiklejohn William & Helen Pounds Bronze Production Partners $5,000-$9,999 Anonymous (1) Holly Crary Nan & Bill Harris Wendy Liebow & Scott Burson Lawrence & Lillian Solomon Fund Founders’ Society $2,500-$4,999 Anonymous (1) Stephen & Lisa Breit Ruth Budd & John Ehrenfeld Gregory Bulger & Richard Dix Lee & Amy Ellsworth Carol & Mitchell Fischman C. Nancy Fisher Delia Flynn Joan Gallos & Lee Bolman Jonathan Harris Chris & David Kluchman Shari Malyn & Jon Abbott Dorothy Mohr Laurie Nash Harriet Sheets Pamela Taylor Jo Trompet Leadership Society $1,500-$2,499 Anonymous (2) David & Sandy Bakalar Christopher Flynn & Daniel Newton Annette Furst & Jim Miller Don & Pamela Giller John & Sheila Hicinbothem George Kinder & Kathy Lubar Neal & Lynne Miller Nancy Raphael Elizabeth Grady & Duncan Spelman Arlene Weintraub
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Angels’ Society $1,000-$1,499 Anonymous (1) Cindy Aber Marty Ahrens & Gary M. Madison Mark & Carolyn Ain Betsy Ansin The Bellevue Fund Michael Broad & Grace Massey Ann Buxbaum Jane Capaldi Iris Feldman Jonathan & Lauren Garlick Shoshana Gourdin & John Wedoff Garth & Lindsay Greimann John B. Hawes & Emily Barclay Jonathan Hecht & Lora Sabin Brian & Robin Hicks Joan S Matthews Charitable Fund Abigail Johnson & Chris McKown Wendy L. & Robert MacDonald Larry Manchester & Kathleen O’Connor Timothy & Deborah Moore Jerry & Myrna Olderman Glenn Rosen & Ann Dannenberg Donald & Abby Rosenfeld Ann Ross Maria Saiz & Athelia Tilson Lisa & Stephen Shapiro Edward & Nancy Stavis Daniel Wagner Richard C. Walker III Barbara Wands Phillip & Tamar Warburg Benefactors’ Society $500-$999 Anonymous (2) John & Mary Antes Henry & Sue Bass John & Kathleen Bradley Bill & Maria Brisk Mary Jo Campbell Jane & Christopher Carlson Laura & Mike Dreese Ralph Fuccillo & Paul Newman Erika Geetter & David Siegel Garth & Lindsay Greimann Rona Hamada Michael & Sharon L. Haselkorn Virginia Inglis James Kamitses Farida Kathawalla Edgar Knudson & Louis Mula Ted & Ann Kurland Susie & Chuck Longfield John Neale Lowell Partridge Robert & Jackie Pascucci
Jan Perry & Paul Landrey Jeff Poulos & Brad Peloquin Suzanne Priebatsch R. Lynn Rardin & Lynne A. O’Connell Mary Rivet & Christopher Meyer Elissa Rogovin Arnold & Linda Roth Chuck Schwager & Jan Durgin Stephen & Peg Senturia Joseph Shrand Peter Smith & Donna J. Coletti Christoph Wald & Ute Gfrerer Nancy Richmond Winsten Directors $250-$499 Anonymous (2) Deb Antonelli Janet Bailey Fred & Judith Becker Kathleen Beckman & Theodore Postol Robert Berk Paul & Linda Bicknell Richard Berger & Ellen Glanz Donald & Ellen Bloch Francine Brasseur Robert Brustein & Doreen Beinart Renee Burns Ronald & Elizabeth Campbell Judi Taylor Cantor Chester & Carol Cekala Judith Chasin Anna Clark Cary Coen Priscilla Cogan & CW Duncan Steven & Arlene Cohen Lloyd David Graham Davies & Jean Walsh Michael & Beth Davis Owen Doyle Glenn Edelson Myriel Eykamp Harold & Susan Farkas Glenda & Robert Fishman Ernestine Gianelly John C. Goodman & Virginia Jordan Garth H. Greimann Charitable Gift Fund Christina & Chip Hall - In honor of Marcy Crary Barbara & Steven Grossman Carolyn Hebsgaard Susan Hepler Carole Hirsch Douglas & Sallie Craig Huber Jeanne Krieger Anton Kris Ann & Ted Kurland Julianne Lindsay
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Will & Anastasia Lyman Lindsay McNair Patricia Meaney Lee Nadler Leslie Nelken Linda & Barry Nelson Pamela & Robert Norton Jeff Poulos & Brad Peloquin Suzanne Priebatsch Ellen Perrin David & Donna Podolsky Barbara Poplack Peter & Ulrike Rettig Sharon Rich & Nancy Reed Patricia Robinson & Henry Finch Peter & Sandra Roby Serge & Tanya Savard Cynthia Sickler Rita & Harvey Simon Ellen Simons Emily Smith-Sturr & Ted Sturr Ruth Spack Barbara Spivak & Peter Loewinthal Martha Stearns Phyllis Strimling Herman & Joan Suit Judith A. Thomson Evelyn & Joel Umlas Barnet & Sandra Weinstein Denise Wernikoff Curtis Whitney Jane & Larry Wilcox Benjamin Wolozen & Danielle Murstein Julianne Yazbek Players $150-$249 Anonymous (2) Joel Abrams Anne H.Anderson & David C. Baxter Deb Antonelli David Baxter Edward Boesel Lisa & Melissa Caten Nancy & Steve Clayman Eric & Pam Diamond Vesna Dimitrijevic Lee & Inge Thorn Engler Richard & Katherine Floyd Richard & Nancy Fryberger Margaretta Lyon Fulton Nancy Galluccio Anita B. Garlick Walter Gilbert Mark & Janet Gottesman Malcolm & Susan Green Eva Guinan Scotty Hart Peter E. Haydu & Dona Sommers Edward & Pamela Hoffer Jeffrey Hughes & Nancy Stauffer Israeli Stage Company Martin & Phyllis J. Kornguth David J. Kovacs & Alisa Marshall Patti Marcus & Paul Koch Edmund Murad Paras Patel Dr. Ian C. Pilarczyk
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Babara Poplack Stanley & Rhoda Sakowitz Daniel Sheingold Inge Thron Engler Jean Walsh Jane & Larry Wilcox Friends $50-$149 Anonymous (7) Beverly Abegg Phllis Adams Jane Adolph & Bill Poznik Josh & Rachelle Ain Arthur Anderson & Sharon Sisskind Colin & Melody Anderson Pamela Belleman Eva Benda Pamela Berger Freya Bernstein Stuart Bernstein Susan Bernstein Priscilla Biondi Elizabeth Bjorkman Patricia Bresky Linda Brodt Monique Brown Tamar Brown Michelle Brownlee Judi Burten & Kevin Soll Victor Calcaterra & Mary Scanlon Judi Cantor Tayler Capaldi Deborah Carr Karen Chieffo Maureen Coffin Donna Cohen Jacqueline Colby Dorothy & Richard Cole Roxann Cooke Donald Coppack Dorothy Crawford Bonnie Creditor Harvey Creem Bonnie Creinin Harold Crowley Milagros Cruz Mary Cummings Virgina Danielson & James Toth Jeffrey DaRocha-Boyle Amanda Davenport Barry David Frances Davis Marjorie & Bruce Davis Susan DeMarco Karen DiGiovanni Arthur & Nicky Dimattia Gail Doherty J. Patrick & Susanne Dowdall Alexandra Dulchinos Virginia Dushame Marilyn Eichner Lindsay Eimert Kathleen Engel & Jim Rebitzer Jerome Facher Chris Farrow-Noble Edith Fenton Deborah Flannery Jean Flatley McGuire
Carol A. Flynn & Anna Yoder James Foley Harold & Carol Forbes David & Gita Foster Christine Fry Nancy H. & Richard Fryberger Frank V. Gages Sharon & Irving Gates Barbara Gawlick Charles & Richard Gazarian Susan Getman Jane S. Getter Nyla Gislason Georgia Glick Leon & Phyllis Goldman Alan & Sandy Greenwald Nancy Grissom Daniel B. Green & Susan Skelley Kiki & Jim Gross Marvin & Joanne Grossman Bobbi Hamill Ken Hamilton Jay Hanflig Ilana Hardesty & John Emery David Harris Charles & Natasha Haverty Leonard Heier Ann R. & Philip B. Heymann Carole Hirsch Marie Hobart Jane Holden Philip Horwitz Elisabeth Howe Mary A. Hubbard Jean Humez Judith Hurwitz Theodore & Martha Izzi Bruce Jackan Mitchell Jacobs Martha & Henry Jacoby Carol J. Jenson & Steven P. Willner Fred Johnson Lloyd Sheldon Johnson William Joyner Jeffrey & Judith Kalla Fern Kaplan Susan S. Kaplan Eva Karger Stanley B. & Joanne Kay Stuart & Ellen Kazin Carolyn Keller William & Rheta C. Keylor Louise Kittredge Richard & Ronnie Klein Ronna & Thomas Klein Irving & Ann Kofsky Stephen Kraffmiller Allen & Jeanne Krieger Susan G. Krinsky Maureen Kruskal Joan Lancourt Ksenia Lanin Richard & Irene Laursen Virginia Leavy Alyssa LeBel Reuel & Malvina Liebert Sigrid Lindo Cheryl Lindsay
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Brooke & Paul Lipsitt Natasha Lisman Leonta Longman & Pauline Rosco Richard & Candace Mandel Margaret & George Mansfield Grace Marzynski Charlo Maurer Joseph Mayer & Jennifer Page Jerome Medalie & Beth Lowd Rachel Mele & Jeffrey Scherz Karole Mendelsohn Gil Menna Karen Miller Lindsay Miller & Peter Ambler Lois Miller Debra Minard Martha Minow Kati Mitchell Rick & Lynne Montross Viola Morse Eileen Murray Chris Noble & Chris Farrow-Noble Danielle Naugler Nancy Nugent Stephen Ober Sean O’Brien Jim O’Hare Judy Paradis Lisa Parker Kim Parker Diane F. Paulson Melissa Payne James Pazzanese Martin Perfit Burt & Roberta Perlmutter Deborah Peterson, Susan Falkoff, & Janet Jameson Anne Marie Plasse P.J. Plauger Thomas & Elena Powers Joseph Pranevich Bruce Price Charles & Frances Przyjemski John Quatrale
Iftekhar Rahman Katharine & William Reardon Wendy Reasenberg Alice Ain Rich Carlos & Alisa Ridruejo Ilyse D. Robbins & Glen Mohr Anita W. Robboy Janet Rosen Mona & Phil Rosen Ken & Janet Rosenfield Robert & Pauline Rothenberg Peggy Rothschild Jennifer Saal Rhoda & Stanley Sakowitz Rebecca Sands Mary Scanlon & Victor Calcaterra John & Lily Schlafer Alvin Schmertzler Nancy Schön Liliane Schor Charlotte Seeley Ruth Segaloff Lolly Selenkow Robert Shapiro John & Linda Sheehan Sheila & Harry Shulman Effie Shumaker Evelyn Shumsky Stacie Simon & Hal Tepfer Susan Skelley & Daniel B. Green Carole Slattery Gary & Elizabeth Smith Shelby Smither Rachael Solem Sheila Sparks Marvin Sparrow Becky Squier & Herb Lin Leslie Stacks Joe Stallone Elizabeth Starr Nancy Stauffer & Jeffrey Hughes Stephen Steadman Bobbie & Bob Steinbach Susan Stott
o Your gift is y
Jean Stringham Mary Sullivan Eileen Sviokla Roberta & Jim Swenson Paul A. Syrakos Denise Takvorian Paula Their Beth Thiemann Martin & Carol Thrope Cristina Todesco Mary Todesco Eva Travers Mark & Janis Urbanek Elaine Vaan Hogue Darshna Varia Vicki Vogt Kathleen & Ted Wade Ajay Wakhloo David Warnock Samuel Warton Bonnie Waters Barnet & Sandra Weinstein Deborah & Scott Weiss David & Sharon White Barbara & Tom Williams Walter & Margo Williams Robert Willis Roswitha Winsor Evelyn Wolfson Benjamin Wolozin Lina Yablonovsky Robert Zaret & Jean Holmblad Ralph & Helen Zelinsky Young Professional Leader’s Guild Jared Blake Danielle Naugler Mary Naugler Jillian Levine
ur voice—
erfully. s p e a k p ow
New Repertory Theatre appreciates your patronage and is honored to be your theatre of choice in the Greater Boston region. You can help us continue to produce compelling and thought-provoking productions with a gift to our annual fund. Your gift will ensure that we remain at the forefront of cutting-edge theatre. To make your gift, please go to newrep.org/donate or call 617-923-7060 x8212. Thank you for your support! 20
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audience
information
B ox Of f ice In formatio n
The New Rep Box Office is open Tuesday - Saturday from noon until 5pm. On performance days, the window opens 2 hours prior to curtain and stays open until fifteen minutes after the last performance begins. For the most up to date hours, please visit newrep.org or call the Box Office at 617-923-8487. Accessib ilit y
Patrons requiring accessible seating should inform the Box Office staff when ordering tickets. The building is equipped with wheelchair-accessible restrooms on each floor. The mainstage theater is equipped with a Tele-Coil Loop System. Patrons with hearing aids and cochlear implants can set their devices to “T-Coil” to take advantage of the assistive listening system. Patrons wishing for assistive listening devices may pick up a headset from the Box Office upon arrival at the theater. Patrons wishing to use large-print or Braille programs can pick one up from the Box Office upon arrival. Patrons who will be bringing guide dogs to the theater should advise the Box Office staff when ordering tickets. Pa rking
There is a free parking garage on the Arsenal campus, directly across from the Mosesian Center. The parking garage has handicap accessible parking and an elevator on each level. Please do not park in “15 minute” or “30 minute” spaces, or any space designated for a particular company when attending a performance. C hi ldren
Babes-in-arms are not permitted in the theater during performances. New Rep encourages the introduction of young audiences to the theatre. Children under 14 years of age are required to have a parent or guardian present with them in the theater during the performance. Some shows may contain strong language and/or mature themes; patrons may request additional information when purchasing tickets. P h otog raph y & Recor d i n g
All photography, videotaping, and audio recording are strictly prohibited inside the theater. L atecomers
All latecomers will be seated at the discretion of management in the most accessible seats, in order to minimize distractions. Re f u nds/Exchan ges:
Subscribers may exchange their tickets in person or by calling the Box Office. Upgrade fees may apply for ticket exchanges into a higher ticket price series. There are no refunds or exchanges for single ticket purchases. In the case of inclement weather, refunds or exchanges will be at the discretion of New Repertory Theatre and based on performance schedule and availability.
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peterfuller.com | 617-924-1747 20 Coolidge Ave, Watertown 02472
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TEAMWORK...
IN THEATRE AND REAL ESTATE. Introducing the BRILLIANT PLACES Real Estate Team
Your Agents: Andrew Brilliant Carol Palmer Brilliant 617.694.9759
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673 Centre Street Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 617.522.2200 | unlimitedsir.com Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. If your property is listed with a real estate broker, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other real estate brokers. We are happy to work with them and cooperate fully. New Repertory Theatre’s Production of Amadeus 2012-2013, Photo by Andrew Brilliant.
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