THE MOUNTAINTOP Program

MYSTICAL JOURNEY OF REDEMPTION

From ROUND HOUSE’S LEADERSHIP

WELCOME TO ROUND HOUSE THEATRE’S PRODUCTION OF KATORI

Hall’s The Mountaintop You are sitting about 7.5 miles from the Lincoln Memorial where, 60 years ago this year, Martin Luther King led the March on Washington and gave his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. Less than five years later, after delivering his famous “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech, he spent the evening in Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, where he was assassinated the next day.

This play, rather than focusing on the broader public persona of Dr. King, brilliantly dives into the intimate, the personal, and the raw. Through Hall’s poetic prose, we encounter a side of Dr. King not often seen: the humanity behind the legend. While the play explores a particular moment in the past, the questions and themes raised in this play are timeless and universal. They are a call to action, a reminder of the work yet to be done, and an affirmation of the potential for change that lies within each of us.

BY CONOR MCPHERSON

DEC

–

DIRECTED BY ALAN PAUL

JAN 24 – FEB 25, 2024 INCENDIARY AND PROVOCATIVE WORLD PREMIERE

BY INDA CRAIG-GALVÁN

DIRECTED BY JADE KING CARROLL

APR 10 – MAY 5, 2024

MODERN

AMERICAN CLASSIC

DIRECTED BY JAMIL JUDE

MAY 29 – JUN 23, 2024

This fantastical production is brought together by an amazing team. We are thrilled to welcome the award-winning director Delicia Turner Sonnenberg for her DC-area debut. Delicia was the Founding Artistic Director of MOXIE Theatre where, for 12 years, she led a company dedicated to producing women playwrights. We also welcome back Ro Boddie, in his third production as a Round House Resident Artist, and Renea Brown, who delighted audiences in our production of Nollywood Dreams and served as Assistant Director on our production of The Tempest

Our next production will be Conor McPherson’s gripping drama The Seafarer , which brings you to a mysterious world where the ordinary meets the otherworldly. Set on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, witness a tale of redemption, humanity, and the eerie battles we face, both within and beyond. McPherson, named “the finest playwright of his generation” by The New York Times , takes us on an emotional journey that explores the depths of love, regret, and the possibility of second chances. We hope you’ll join us.

Tonight, as you settle into your seats, we invite you to immerse yourself fully in the world of the play. Allow the production to transport you, to challenge you, and to inspire you. After the play ends, we hope you carry with you not just the memory of a play, but a profound emotional experience and a renewed sense of purpose and perspective. Thank you for being a part of this journey. Welcome to The Mountaintop .

RYAN RILETTE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ED ZAKRESKI MANAGING DIRECTOR

GROUNDBREAKING ROCK MUSICAL

BOOK AND LYRICS BY BRIAN YORKEY MUSIC BY TOM KITT

BY SUZAN-LORI PARKS

DIRECTED BY RYAN RILETTE

ROUND HOUSE THEATRE EXTENDS ITS DEEP GRATITUDE TO ALL OF OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS OF THE MOUNTAINTOP

ROUND HOUSE THEATRE

RYAN RILETTE , Artistic Director, and ED ZAKRESKI , Managing Director

PRESENT

BY KATORI HALL

We love the quality and diversity of programming at Round House. Every show fulfills the theatre’s promise to inspire empathy and demand conversation. Every production is top-notch—from world premieres to plays returning to the region at just the right time to reconsider important and timely themes. The Mountaintop is a great example, and we are so glad to support Round House in bringing plays like this to our stage, our audiences, and our friends and neighbors. Great theatre is happening here!”

To become a sponsor for an upcoming Round House Theatre production, please contact Veronica Kannan, Director of Development, at 240.670.8795 or VKannan@RoundHouseTheatre.org.

SUPPORT THE NEXT GENERATION OF THEATRE AUDIENCES

Each season, Round House Theatre gives away thousands of free tickets to students ages 13 through college. Any play, any time! This program is only possible thanks to the generosity of our donor community who underwrite the cost of student tickets.

Will you help foster the next generation of theatregoers with a gift to Round House today? Just $35 provides a student

CREATIVE TEAM

DIRECTED BY DELICIA TURNER SONNENBERG

OCTOBER 11 –

NOVEMBER 5

Scenic Designer PAIGE HATHAWAY

Costume Designer BRANDEE MATHIES

Lighting Designer . . . . SHERRICE MOJGANI

Sound Designer NICK HERNANDEZ

Projections Designer . . . . ZAVIER A.L. TAYLOR

Dialect Coach to Mr Boddie . . DAWN-ELIN FRASER

Dialect Coach to Ms Brown NATHAN CROCKER

Properties Coordinator . . . LUKE HARTWOOD

Magic Coordinator . . . . RYAN PHILLIPS

Casting Director SARAH COONEY

Dramaturg . . . . NAYSAN MOJGANI

Intimacy Choreographer MEGAN BEHM

Production Stage Manager DANTE FIELDS*

The

RoundHouseTheatre.org/Donate

The Mountaintop is sponsored by Jay & Robin Hammer

2023-2024 Season is sponsored by Linda Ravdin and Don Shapero

The Mountaintop is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc, New York.

—JAY & ROBIN HAMMER

The 2023-2024 Season is sponsored by LINDA RAVDIN AND DON SHAPERO

*As indicated, Actors and Stage Managers appear courtesy of Actors' Equity Association, The Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

CAST (in order of appearance)

Dr . Martin Luther King, Jr . . . . . RO BODDIE*

Camae RENEA S. BROWN*

UNDERSTUDIES (in order of appearance)

Dr Martin Luther King, Jr KENYATTA ROGERS*

Camae . . . . . . . AHDIS BERUK

*As indicated, Actors and Stage Managers appear courtesy of Actors' Equity Association, The Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

PRODUCTION

Production Assistant . . MAKAYLA BECKLES

Wardrobe Head . . . . RUKIYA HENRY-FIELDS

Light Board Operator CHRIS HALL

Sound Board Operator . . ALISTAIR EDWARDS

Light Board Programmer . . CODY WHITFIELD

Carpenters JACK MOXLEY, GERARDO SORIANO

Electricians . . . . MAX ABRAMOVITZ, ZAVAR BLACKLEGDE, SYDNEY BRONAUGH, ISAAC DEMARCHI, CAIT FOSTER, KRISTOP ROSARIO

The Mountaintop runs approximately 100 MINUTES with no intermission.

FULL STAFF LISTINGS on page 29

BIOS

CAST

RO BODDIE (Dr Martin Luther King, Jr .) returns to Round House Theatre, where he previously appeared in August Wilson’s The Tempest , A Boy and His Soul , and "Master Harold” ...and the Boys . Select DC credits include Pipeline, Three Sisters , and at Studio Theatre; Off-Broadway credits include Socrates at the Public Theater and Seize the King at Classical Theatre of Harlem. Select regional credits include Windfall at Bay Street Theater; A Play is a Poem Blueprints to Freedom at La Jolla Playhouse; The Mountaintop at Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Baltimore Center Stage. Television Godfather of Harlem , Run the World, The Good Wife , Elementary , and . Ro is an alum of University of the North Carolina School of the Arts and recipient of the 2016 Actor of the Year Craig Noel Award. Instagram: @roboddieart

The Actors and Stage Manager appear courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association (“Equity”). Founded in 1913, Equity is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional Actors and Stage Managers. Equity fosters the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actors’ Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. #EquityWorks

Director is a member of the STAGE DIRECTORS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS SOCIETY, a national theatrical labor union.

RENEA S. BROWN (Camae) is excited to return to Round House Theatre! Previous Round House credits include “Dede” in Nollywood Dreams and Assistant Director on The Tempest . DC credits include Our Verse in Time to Come and A Midsummer Nights Dream at Folger Theatre; Change Agent at Arena Stage; The Tempest and Macbeth at Shakespeare Theatre Company; Love Factually at the Kennedy Center; Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth at Chesapeake Shakespeare Theatre; Macbeth and Cymbeline at Theatre Prometheus. Regional credits include The Wolves at McCarter Theatre; Othello , Sense and Sensibility , and Twelfth Night at Island Shakespeare Festival (first Black woman to perform), Much Ado About Nothing and A King and No King at American Shakespeare Center. MFA: Academy of Classical Acting. Instagram/TikTok: @Therealdarklady

UNDERSTUDIES

KENYATTA ROGERS (Dr Martin Luther King, Jr  Understudy) is thrilled to return to Round House Theatre after performing in The Tempest, Gem of the Ocean, Father Comes Home from the Wars, Two Trains Running, Glengarry Glen Ross, Amadeus, A Wrinkle in Time, Eurydice, and A Lesson Before Dying . Regional credits include Tiny Beautiful Things and Our Town at Baltimore Center Stage; Spunk at Signature Theatre; King Hedley II and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Arena Stage; Topdog/Underdog and A Raisin in the Sun at Everyman Theatre; Fever/ Dream at Woolly Mammoth; Fences, Death of a Salesman, and Jitney at Ford’s Theatre; Colossal at Olney Theatre Center; The Comedy of Errors at Folger Theatre; The Piano

The Scenic, Costume, and Lighting Designer of this production are represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 of the IATSE.

The

Lesson at Trustus Theatre; Coriolanus at Shakespeare & Company; and As You Like It and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone at ACTCo. KenYatta is a faculty member in the University of Maryland’s Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies.

AHDIS BERUK (Camae Understudy) is overjoyed to be a part of The Mountaintop cast at Round House Theatre. Ahdis is a recent graduate of Howard University, where she obtained a BFA in Theatre Arts with a Concentration in Acting and a Minor in Playwriting. Previous credits include “Harriet Jacobs, PT Barnum, and Calvin" in the Helen Hayes Awards Recommended show, The Storehouse by J oanna Castle Miller, presented by Perisphere Theater; and Howard University's Fall 2022 Mainstage Production of August Wilson’s Seven Guitars as "Louise ." Ahdis is a member of The Dramatists Guild of America and displays a dedication to uplifting stories across the Black diaspora.

CREATIVE TEAM

KATORI HALL (Playwright) Memphis native Katori Hall is a Pulitzer Prize- and Olivier Award-winning playwright and television creator/producer. A two-time Tony Award nominee, she won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play, The Hot Wing King. Her other works include The Mountaintop, Our Lady of Kibeho, Saturday Night/Sunday Morning, The Blood Quilt, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, and Hurt Village , which is being developed into a feature film. She’s also the executive producer and showrunner of P-VALLEY , the critically acclaimed and groundbreaking Starz drama based on her play Pussy Valley . Katori is an alumna of Columbia University, A.R.T. at Harvard University, and Juilliard. Katori has been published in The Boston Globe , The Guardian, and The New York Times . Katori’s other awards include the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature, the Susan Smith Blackburn Award, Lark Play Development Center Playwrights of New York (PONY) Fellowship, two Lecompte du Nouy Prizes from Lincoln Center, Fellowship of Southern Writers Bryan Family Award in Drama, NYFA Fellowship, the Columbia University John Jay Award for Distinguished Professional Achievement, National Black Theatre's August Wilson Playwriting Award, and the Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award. She is a proud member of the Ron Brown Scholar Program and the Coca-Cola Scholar Program.

DELICIA TURNER SONNENBERG (Director) has directed plays for The Old Globe Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, South Coast Rep, Actors Theatre of Louisville Humana Festival, Utah Shakespeare Festival, San Diego REP, and Center Rep, among many others. She is a founder and the former Artistic Director of MOXIE Theatre, which she helmed for 12 acclaimed seasons, where she received the Des McAnuff New Visions Award for “Risk Taking Leadership and Body of Work” and “2015 Director of the Year” from the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle. She is currently a Resident Artist at the Old Globe Theatre, and serves proudly on the Board for La Jolla Playhouse. Some honors include: Theatre Communications Group's New

Generations Program, San Diego Theatre Critics Circle awards, KPBS Theatre awards, NAACP awards, a Women's International Living Legacy Award, Van Lier Fund Fellowship (Second Stage Theatre), and the New York Drama League's Directors Program.

PAIGE HATHAWAY (Scenic Designer) is a DC-based scenic designer. Her previous Round House credits include Jennifer Who is Leaving, On the Far End, The The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and The Book of Will . DC credits include The High Ground at Arena Stage; Baskerville at Everyman Theatre; Dance Nation at Olney Theatre Center; and No Place to Go and Rent at Signature Theatre. Regional credits include Assassins at Arden Theatre; A New Brain at Barrington Stage; Miss Molly at Amphibian Stage; A Distinct Society at Writer's Theatre; and Mary Poppins at The Muny. Upcoming designs include Penelope and Hair at Signature and Little Shop of Horrors at Ford's Theatre. USA 829 Member. Education: University of Oklahoma, BFA in Scenic Design, University of Maryland, MFA in Scenic Design. Website: paigehathawaydesign.com Instagram:@paigehathawaydesign

BRANDEE MATHIES (Costume Designer) has been Studio Theatre’s Costume Shop Manager since 1994. He is a Helen Hayes-nominated costume designer for Nollywood Dreams at Round House Theatre. He has also costume designed Passover, MotherStruck , This Is Our Youth , The Year of Magical Thinking , Stoop Stories , Rimers of Eldritch , A Number , The Syringa Tree , and Comic Briefs for Studio Theatre, as well as Moth , Contractions , A Beautiful View , Crestfall , and Polaroid Stories for Studio 2ndStage. Other DC area credits include One in Two, Birds of North America , Satchmo at the Waldorf , Hooded or Being Black for Dummies , Blood Knot , Eureka Day , Shame , Vicuna , and Inherit the Windbag at Mosaic Theater Company (Costume Designer); Pankr’ac 45 at Atlas Theatre (Costume Designer); This Girl Laugh , Black Nativity , and This Bitter Earth at Theater Alliance (Costume Designer); Anything Goes (Costume Designer) and Spunk (Assistant Designer) at Howard University; The Wiz at Duke Ellington School of the Arts; Blues for an Alabama Sky and Sunday in the Park with George (First Hand) at Arena Stage; and Black Nativity (Assistant Designer) at the Kennedy Center.

SHERRICE MOJGANI (Lighting Designer) r ecently designed the Adrienne Kennedy Festival and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at Round House Theatre; Tiny Beautiful Things, The Folks at Home, and The Garden at Baltimore Center Stage; The High Ground, The Heiress , and Two Trains Running at Arena Stage; Spunk , Ain’t Misbehavin’ , and The Scottsboro Boys at Signature Theatre Company; A Raisin in the Sun , Murder on the Orient Express , A Few Good Men , and Sweat at Pittsburgh Public Theatre; and Trouble in Mind, What You Are; and Skeleton Crew at The Old Globe. Sherrice is an Associate Professor at George Mason University in northern Virginia. She holds a B.A. in Theater Arts from UC Santa Cruz and an M.F.A. in Lighting Design from UC San Diego. Website: smojgani.com

NICK HERNANDEZ (Sound Designer) is ecstatic to return to Round House after previously sound designing Nollywood Dreams . Recent theater credits include: Monumental Travesties at Mosaic Theatre Company; Our Verse in Time to Come at Folger Theatre; The Day You Begin and Long Way Down at the Kennedy Center; Fences at Ford's Theater; Word Becomes Flesh at Theater Alliance (Helen Hayes Award, Outstanding

Production); Havana Hop & All the Way Live (with sibling Paige Hernandez); Oyeme: The Beautiful and The Hip-Hop Children's Trilogy (with playwright Psalmayene 24) at Imagination Stage; and Stomping Grounds at The Glimmerglas s Festival. Additional credits include music production for Hot 97 FM, Netflix, Smithsonian Associates, Words Beats & Life, Inc, and DC Public Libraries. Instagram: @nicktha1da

ZAVIER A.L. TAYLOR (Projections Designer) is a multimedia artist and designer with a focus on interactive and impactful video design for live performance. He has a passion for being hands-on in the creation of new work. Zavier specializes in the creation of experimental animation, artwork, motion graphics, short films, video art, video editing, and interactive media systems. Zavier also operates a multimedia production company known as ZALT Productions, a creative entity that enables people and businesses to fully realize their potential through design. Zavier is eager to connect with and build a network of creatives locally, nationally, and abroad. Learn more about Zavier and his previous work by searching #ZALTproductions on social media platforms. Instagram: @zaltslaw; Website: https://zavier.myportfolio.com

DAWN-ELIN FRASER (Dialect Coach to Mr Boddie) is pleased to return to Round House, having coached Master Harold…, Oslo, Nine Night , and Nollywood Dreams. Broadway credits include JaJa’s African Hair Braiding, Parade, & Juliet, What the Constitution Means to Me, Waitress, and Once on this Island . Off-Broadway, she’s worked at Shakespeare in the Park ( Richard III, Merry Wives ); The Public ( SUFFS , A Raisin in the Sun ); Signature Theater ( Fires in the Mirror, Twilight: Los Angeles ); and NYTW ( How to Defend Yourself, Half God of Rainfall ). Dawn-Elin is the North American dialect coach for Hamilton and is director of the Coaches of Color Initiative. MFA, American Conservatory Theater.

NATHAN CROCKER (Dialect Coach to Ms Brown) is excited to be working with Round House Theatre for the first time on The Mountaintop . Pre-Broadway coaching credits include A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical ; and Ain’t Too Proud . Regional coaching credits include Familiar at The Old Globe; Bulrusher and A Christmas Carol at McCarter Theatre; Othello, Henry VI Part 1, and Twelfth Night at Utah Shakespeare Festival; Three Musketeers , Romeo & Juliet , Confederates, and Once On This Island at Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Joe Turner’s Come and Gone at Huntington Theatre Company; The Brothers Size at American Players Theatre; Detroit ’67 at Chautauqua Theatre Company; Too Heavy For Your Pocket at Roundabout Theatre Company. Film credits include An Intent To The Spirit (written/directed by Saheem Ali). Nathan is a Certified Associate Teacher of Fitzmaurice® Voicework, and a Certified Teacher of Knight-Thompson Speechwork. AEA. Website: ww w.nathanccrocker.com

RYAN PHILLIPS (Magic Coordinator) is a magician, actor, and magic consultant serving the DC area. Previous Round House credits include Magic Coordinator and Ariel Understudy for The Tempest and Effects Consultant for it’s not a trip it’s a journey. DC credits include Magic Consultant for The Consul with Washington National Opera. Ryan is also the Resident Magician at the Mayflower Hotel performing weekly public shows in The Magic Duel.

LUKE HARTWOOD (Properties Coordinator) is thrilled to be designing his first show at Round House Theatre with The Mountaintop. DC-area theatre credits include The Chosen at 1st Stage; Baño de Luna and Kumanana! at GALA Hispanic Theater; Angel Number Nine at Rorschach Theatre; and True West (WATCH Award for Outstanding Props Design) at City of Fairfax Theater Company. Instagram: @lukehartwood; Website: lu kehartwood.com

SARAH COONEY (Casting Director) is Round House Theatre’s Casting Director and Associate Producer. In the DC area, Sarah has cast for The Kennedy Center’s Broadway Center Stage series, Signature Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Studio Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, and Rep Stage. As a Casting Director with NYC’s Binder Casting, Sarah cast for The Lion King Broadway and National Touring productions and the Encores! series at New York City Center. Other Regional casting credits include Hartford Stage, Seattle Rep, Drury Lane Theatre, Weston Playhouse, McCarter Theatre, ACT of Connecticut, and others. Film and TV casting credits include Crashing (HBO), The Big Sick (Apatow Productions), Kevin Can Wait (CBS), and Clipped (HGTV). Sarah taught at West Virginia University and is a New York University alum.

NAYSAN MOJGANI (Dramaturg) is Round House Theatre’s Associate Artistic Director, in which capacity he serves as in-house dramaturg and leads Round House Theatre’s new work program. As a theatre scholar, director, and dramaturg, Naysan has worked on new and classic work with theatres around the country, including Arena Stage (where he served as Literary Manager), La Jolla Playhouse, MOXIE, Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Theatre Squared, Malashock Dance, and Signature Theatre, and has taught at UC San Diego and George Mason University. Naysan holds a PhD in Theatre and Drama from UC San Diego, and a BA from Carleton College.

MEGAN BEHM (Intimacy Choreographer) is an intimacy choreographer, director, and arts administrator based in the DC area and is thrilled to be part of this production. Previous intimacy choreography and consulting credits include Ink at Round House Theatre; Dracula at Rorschach Theatre; Carrie at Catholic University; Smart People at George Washington University; The 39 Steps , Frankenstein, and East of Eden at Next Stop Theatre Company; Richard II , Henry IV Part 1 , Henry IV Part 2 , Henry V , and As You Like It at Brave Spirits Theatre. B.A., College of William and Mary. Website: w ww.megan-behm.com

DANTE FIELDS (Production Stage Manager) Regional credits include Life is a Dream at Baltimore Center Stage; The Sound Inside, Crying on Television, Flyin’ West, Steel Magnolias, An Almost Holy Picture, Pipeline, Berta, Berta, and August Wilson’s Radio Golf at Everyman Theatre. Touring credits include Wicked Bodies with Liz Lerman Dance; and Of Equal Place: Isotopes in Motion with Dance Exchange. B.A., University of Maryland, Baltimore County. (He/Him)

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR: THE LIFE OF

BY NAYSAN MOJGANI | DRAMATURG

1929 Michael King, Jr. is born in Atlanta, GA

1934 Michael King, Sr. changes both his and his son’s name to Martin Luther King

1944 Martin Luther King, Jr. enrolls at Morehouse College at the age of 15

1948 King is ordained and graduates from Morehouse, entering the seminary a few months later

1951 King completes seminary as valedictorian and later enters graduate school at Boston University

1952 King meets Coretta Scott

1953 The couple wed in a ceremony officiated by King, Sr.

1954 King becomes the pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama

JUNE 1955 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. completes his doctoral studies in theology

NOVEMBER 1955 Yolanda King is born

DECEMBER 1955 After Rosa Parks is arrested, the Montgomery Improvement Association is formed, with King as its president, launching a bus boycott

JANUARY 1956 The King family’s home is bombed; nobody is injured

DECEMBER 1956 Newly (and forcibly) integrated Montgomery bus lines resume service, with King as one of the first customers

JANUARY 1957 The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is born, with King as Chairman

MAY 1957 King delivers his “Give Us the Ballot” speech at the Lincoln Memorial

OCTOBER 1957 Martin Luther King III is born

FEBRUARY 1960 The King family moves to Atlanta so King can focus on SCLC and the Civil Rights Movement

JANUARY 1961 Dexter King is born

AUGUST 1962 After months of trying to desegregate Albany, Georgia, King admits failure and abandons the city

MARCH 1963 Bernice King is born

APRIL 1963 While in jail for an illegal demonstration, King writes his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”

AUGUST 1963 As part of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, King delivers the “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial

SEPTEMBER 1963 King delivers the eulogy for Addie Mae Collins, Carol Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley, who were killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing

OCTOBER 1963 Attorney General Robert Kennedy authorizes a wiretap on King’s home phone

JANUARY 1964 Time names King “Man of the Year”

MARCH 1964 King and Malcolm X meet for the only time; Malcolm would die less than a year later

JULY 1964 Congress passes the Civil Rights Act

DECEMBER 1964 King wins the Nobel Peace Prize

MARCH 1965 After a previous attempt was violently suppressed, King and others successfully lead a march in Alabama from Selma to Montgomery

AUGUST 1965 King gives his first speech opposing the Vietnam War

DECEMBER 1967 King publicly announces the Poor People’s Campaign and begins planning another March on Washington

MARCH 1968 King leads a march in Memphis in support of the sanitation strike; the demonstration dissolves into a riot, resulting in the death of teenaged Larry Payne

APRIL 1968 King returns to Memphis and checks into the Lorraine Motel, spending all day in meetings; that evening, he rallies and goes to deliver a speech at the Mason Temple, pushing through his exhaustion and laryngitis. After the speech, he stays up all night with friends and colleagues; the next day, he rests and recuperates, while his allies convince a local judge to lift an injunction barring the group from marching. At 6:01 PM, King is standing outside his room, joking with his companions and enjoying a cigarette.

Photo: Bob Fitch

Photo: Bob Fitch

Photo: Bob Fitch

Photo: Bob Fitch

DR . KING’S LAST SPEECH

BY NAYSAN MOJGANI | DRAMATURG

THE MOUNTAINTOP IS SET LATE IN THE EVENING OF April 3, 1968. Dr. Martin Luther King has just returned from delivering what would be his final speech, in support of the Memphis sanitation strike. In the years since, that speech has come to be known as “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” named for its final passage.

Memphis sanitation workers had been striking for almost two months, sparked by the February 1st deaths of Echol Cole and Robert Walker, two workers crushed by their garbage truck. In March, Dr. King came to Memphis to help rally supporters and lead a march, which ended with the death of 16-year-old Larry Payne. On April 3rd, King returned to Memphis and gave the titular speech. King begins by explaining that if he were given the opportunity to live in any time in human history, he would pick the current moment.

“Now that's a strange statement to make, because the world is all messed up. The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land; confusion all around. That's a strange statement. But I know, somehow, that ONLY WHEN IT IS DARK ENOUGH CAN YOU SEE THE STARS .”

King goes on to explain that he finds inspiration in world-wide calls for freedom, as well as the fact that circumstances were finally forcing people to address long-standing problems:

“We have been forced to a point where we are going to have to grapple with the problems that men have been trying to grapple with through history… SURVIVAL DEMANDS THAT WE GRAPPLE WITH THEM … It is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence in this world; it's nonviolence or nonexistence.”

King then moves more directly into addressing the strike, stressing the importance of solidarity, and reiterating his commitment to a nonviolent march. Focusing on the economic aspects of the fight, he calls on the Black community to work together to bring pressure to bear on the fight by putting their money into Black banks and insurance firms and boycotting specific companies.

“Up to now, only the garbage men have been feeling pain; now we must kind of redistribute the pain. We are choosing these companies because they haven't been fair in their hiring policies; and we are choosing them BECAUSE THEY CAN BEGIN THE PROCESS OF SAYING THEY ARE GOING TO SUPPORT THE NEEDS AND THE RIGHTS OF THESE MEN WHO ARE ON STRIKE. ”

As a minister, King invokes the parable of the Good Samaritan to inspire his audience, pointing out that the Samaritan helped those in need without pausing to question what it might cost him.

“The question is not, ‘If I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me?’ The question is, ‘IF I DO NOT STOP TO HELP THE SANITATION WORKERS, WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THEM? ’”

Finally, King reflects on the threats and attempts on his life and how glad he is that he is still alive and working for the betterment of the world. And yet, while he would prefer to live a long life, he acknowledges that he may die soon, that he may not live to see the end of the work — and he has made his peace with that possibility.

“I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I MAY NOT GET THERE WITH YOU. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land! And so I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything.”

Less than 24 hours later, Dr. King was dead. Within two weeks, the sanitation union and the city of Memphis had an agreement in place and the strike was ended.

“I'VE BEEN TO THE MOUNTAINTOP ”:

VENDETTA AGAINST MLK

FOR

ALMOST FIFTY

YEARS, J. EDGAR HOOVER WAS the chief federal law enforcement agent in the United States, overseeing the FBI and its predecessor agency, the BOI. Hoover’s central mission was the elimination of communists, radicals, and subversives. It was under this banner that he committed some of his gravest assaults on American democracy and the ideals of free speech. Perhaps most notable was the COINTELPRO program of surveillance, wiretapping, and fraud, dedicated to observing and disrupting those Hoover deemed enemies. It was through COINTELPRO that Hoover waged a yearslong war against the man he suspected of being a communist agent and once described as the “most notorious liar in the country”: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

At Hoover’s direction, the FBI wiretapped, surveilled, and intimidated King, his associates, and his family. King’s infidelity and other sexual improprieties became one of the key targets of this campaign, and it was in that context that the FBI sent the letter on the next page, most likely penned by William Sullivan, deputy FBI director. The letter was delivered to King’s home, along with a tape recording, presumed to include evidence of King’s indiscretions. The note threatened to expose and ruin King if he did not commit suicide. (Note that there is one brief redaction towards the end of the fourth paragraph.)

Hoover was not alone in his dislike of King (a Harris poll in early 1968 showed a 75% disapproval rating for King), and King was not the only target of COINTELPRO, but the viciousness of this letter stands out. Without further commentary, please read it both as an emblem of the hatred many felt for King in his time, and an example of the persecution our government has brought to bear on its own citizens.

WHAT WILL YOUR LEGACY BE?

The STREET 70 LEGACY SOCIETY commemorates Round House Theatre’s original name as part of the Montgomery County Department of Recreation and recognizes those who have generously chosen to include Round House in their estate plans. This can be as simple as making a gift to Round House in a will or naming us as a beneficiary in a qualified retirement plan or life insurance policy.

If you’re interested in joining the Street 70 Legacy Society, or if Round House is already a part of your estate plans, please contact Veronica Kannan , Director of Development, at 240.670.8795 or VKannan@RoundHouseTheatre.org

Thank you to the following STREET 70 LEGACY SOCIETY members who have generously included Round House Theatre in their estate plans.

RACHEL H.M. ABRAHAM

NAN BECKLEY

DON AND JAN BOARDMAN

DIANE BOEHR

JAMES BURKS AND BETTE PAPPAS

MARTY* AND BELLE NEGRIN DAVIS

KENNETH B. DREYFUSS

LAURA FORMAN AND RICHARD BENDER

HELENE FREEMAN

STEVEN GARRON

ANN AND FRANK* GILBERT

SUSAN GILBERT AND RON SCHECHTER

JAY AND ROBIN HAMMER

ROBERT E. HEBDA

LINDA LURIE HIRSCH

ELAINE E. JOOST

CHERYL C. KAGAN

RENEE KLISH

DANA AND RAY KOCH

SETH AND BARBARA KOCH

BRUCE AND ANN LANE

DARRELL LEMKE AND MARYELLEN TRAUTMAN

SCOTT AND PAULA MOORE

GERI OLSON

SALLY J. PATTERSON

LINDA RAVDIN AND DON SHAPERO

HENRY SCHALIZKI*

MARK AND MERRILL SHUGOLL

PAMELA AND JOHN SPEARS

VALERIE AND JOHN WHEELER

*in memoriam

For more information on making a legacy gift to Round House, please visit RoundHouseTheatre.org/PlannedGiving

For more information, email Rental@RoundHouseTheatre.org

HOUSE RULES

At Round House, “Theatre For Everyone” isn’t just a statement. It’s our mission and an organizational value. It means that everyone—patrons, artists, staff, students, trustees, and volunteers—is invited to fully participate and deserves to be treated with respect. This is our promise to you…and we ask you to help us uphold these values and expectations in all of your interactions with Round House.

We believe that…

• All are welcome here, and each person is empowered and encouraged to fully engage with our work.

• Everyone is a human being, equally deserving of respect.

• Theatre is an “empathy gym,” and building that muscle is what each of us is here to do.

• Anti-racism—the intentional and conscious effort to combat racial prejudice and systemic and structural racism—is an ongoing and active practice, and we must all stand against oppression and marginalization of all kinds.

• Discomfort is often productive, but cruelty never is.

We invite you to…

• Assume positive intent and expect the same assumption in return.

• Enjoy our art with your whole self—laugh, clap, cry, have reactions!—and embrace your fellow audience members’ reactions in turn. Remember that your experience is shared with the rest of the audience.

• Make a deliberate effort to confront your own biases, and partner with us to help make Round House a welcoming space for everyone. We’re all learning!

• Help us create a positive community and a culture of collaboration.

We will not tolerate…

• Insulting or discriminatory speech towards anyone.

• Unwanted invasion of another person’s physical space.

• Abusive or harassing behavior.

• Ignoring or talking over staff who are trying to assist you.

• Creating a hostile environment for fellow audience members, students, artists, or staff.

• Disrespect of or damage to our theatre or other facilities.

WE ARE GLAD YOU’RE HERE! Thank you for being a part of the Round House community as we work together to truly be a Theatre For Everyone.

If you witness or experience behavior that violates the values and expectations outlined above, please alert our staff. Round House will take action to protect our community, with consequences up to and including removal from Round House activities.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

RYAN RILETTE (Artistic Director) is in his twelfth season as Artistic Director of Round House Theatre. During his tenure, he has produced six of the highest grossing seasons in the theatre’s history. His productions have received 81 Helen Hayes Awards nominations and 21 Helen Hayes Awards. Ryan created the theatre’s Equal Play commissioning program, Resident Artist program, Fair Play pay scale for artists, and Free Play ticketing program. For Round House, he has acted in Ink and Uncle Vanya and directed “We Declare You a Terrorist...” , Throw Me on the Burnpile and Light Me Up , Homebound , The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time , Oslo , Small Mouth Sounds , “Master Harold”...and the Boys , The Book of Will , Angels in America: Perestroika , The Night Alive , Fool for Love , This , and How to Write a New Book for the Bible . He has also acted and directed at theaters in New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans, and has acted in a handful of TV shows and films, including In The Electric Mist and Elvis Prior to joining Round House, Ryan served as Producing Director of Marin Theatre Company, Producing Artistic Director of Southern Rep Theatre, and co-founder and Artistic Director of Rude Mechanicals Theatre Company. He is the former Board President of the National New Play Network.

ED ZAKRESKI (Managing Director) is in his eigth season as Managing Director of Round House Theatre. He has produced the five best-selling shows in Round House history, led the theatre’s $12+ million Full Circle campaign, and oversaw the complete renovation of its Bethesda theatre. He has been an executive leader and fundraiser in DC area nonprofit arts organizations for more than 25 years, raising more than $120 million. Prior to joining Round House, Ed spent 12 years as Chief Development Officer at Shakespeare Theatre Company where he completed the $75 million capital campaign to build Sidney Harman Hall and produced its $3 million opening gala. From 1998-2005, Ed worked in Development at the Kennedy Center, ultimately overseeing a 22-member team raising more than $11 million annually. Ed holds a degree in Arts Management from American University and frequently presents and leads workshops about management and fundraising for nonprofit arts organizations.

ROUND HOUSE ANNUAL DONORS

ROUND HOUSE THEATRE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

In our ongoing efforts to learn more and strengthen our relationships with members of our local community, and to work towards dismantling the harmful effects of white supremacy and colonization, Round House acknowledges that our theatre, administrative offices, education center, and production shop are located on unceded land cared for by native tribes including the Piscataway peoples. We pay our respects to the Piscataway community and their elders both past and present, as well as future generations.

We also acknowledge that, as the world experiences the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are using the internet and other technologies that are not as readily available or accessible in present day indigenous communities.

We pledge to do the work necessary to build relationships with sovereign tribal nations, to ensure that Round House becomes a more inclusive space, and to never cease ongoing learning.

Learn more about the Piscataway tribe: PiscatawayConoyTribe.com

Support indigenous rights organizations on a national or global level:

Native American Rights Fund: NARF.org

Cultural Survival: CulturalSurvival.org

Indigenous Environmental Network: IENEarth.org

WHAT IS A LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT?

A land acknowledgment is a formal statement that recognizes and respects Indigenous peoples as the traditional stewards of a given geographic area. We share ours as part of Round House’s ongoing efforts toward equity and anti-racism.

WE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE the following donors who support the work of Round House Theatre through Annual Fund, Gala, and Theatre for Everyone contributions These gifts help Round House continue to be a theatre for everyone and enrich our community through bold, outstanding theatrical and educational experiences that inspire empathy and demand conversation

To learn more about the ways to support Round House, donor benefits, or to make a gift, visit RoundHouseTheatre.org/Support or call the Development Department at 240.641.5352

LEADERSHIP CIRCLE

DIAMOND CIRCLE

Jay and Robin Hammer

Bonnie and Alan Hammerschlag

Leslie Grizzard and Joe Hale

Daniel Kaplan and Kay Richman

The Sheldon and Audrey Katz Foundation

David and Sherry Smith

Heidi and Mitch Dupler

Michael and Ilana Heintz Montgomery County Government

State of Maryland

SHARE FUND

PLATINUM CIRCLE

Abel Foundation

Arronson Foundation

Lorraine and Doug Bibby

Clark-Winchcole Foundation

Clare Evans

Maureen and Michael McMurphy and the Patrick Michael McMurphy

Memorial Foundation

Linda Ravdin and Don Shapero

SILVER CIRCLE

+

James Burks and Bette Pappas

Pam and Richard Feinstein

Judy and Leo Zickler

GOLD CIRCLE

Nan Beckley

Michael Beriss and Jean Carlson

Cathy S. Bernard

Elaine Kotell Binder and Richard Binder

The GPS Fund

John and Meg Hauge

Ann and Neil Kerwin

Donald McMinn and Harv Lester

Alan and Amy Meltzer

Montgomery County Public Schools

Susan and Bill Reinsch

Linda Ryan

WorkSource Montgomery

BRONZE CIRCLE

Don McMinn and Harv Lester

Alan Miller and Susan O'Hara

The Morgan Fund at Seattle Foundation

Elissa and Bill Oshinsky

Barbara Selter

Elaine and English Showalter

Mark and Merrill Shugoll

Linda and Steve Skalet

Patti and Jerry Sowalsky

Pamela and John Spears

Michael and Andrea Steele

The Sulica Fund

Nina Weisbroth and Larry Culleen

Richard and Susan Westin

Anne* and Robert Yerman

Bernard and Ellen Young

Susan Dweck

Victoria Heisler Edouard

Jim Eisner

Burton and Anne Fishman

Laura Forman and Richard Bender

Ann and Frank* Gilbert

Susan and Peter Greif

Edward Grossman and Rochelle Stanfield

Nicole and Nolan Guagenti

Robert E. Hebda

Ms. Mindy Hecker

Adam and Erin Heintz

Paul Henderson

Linda Lurie Hirsch

John Horman

Reba and Mark Immergut

INNER CIRCLE

SUSTAINERS

Guido Adelfio and Maryanne Fiorita

Clement and Sandra Alpert

Designated Endowment Fund

Marian Block

Irene and Joseph Bromberg

Susan and Dixon Butler

Eric Colchamiro and Shoshana Hecker

Christopher and Carol Sue

Fromboluti

Ellen G. Miles in honor of Neil Richard Greene

Connie Heller

Rafael Hernandez and Laura Roulet-Hernandez

Jane Holmes

Celia and Keith Arnaud

Marla and Bobby Baker, BakerMerine Family Foundation

Don and Nancy Bliss

Walter A. Bloedorn Foundation

Don and Jan Boardman

Ellen and Jon Bortz

Jane* and Fred Cantor

Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing Arts

Stephanie deSibour and Marc Miller

Richard and Ginger Dietrich

The Dimick Foundation

Jean and Paul Dudek

Bunny R. Dwin

Hope Eastman and Allen Childs

Susan and Timothy Gibson

Susan Gilbert & Ron Schechter in honor of Timothy Douglas

Jeff and Rose Heintz

Robbins and Giles Hopkins

Sari Hornstein

Michele Jawando

Rick Kasten

Renee Klish

Debra Kraft and Rob Liberatore

Joy A. Lewis

Ed Starr and Marilyn Marcosson

Chris and Kathleen Matthews

Janice McCall

Susan Freeman McGee

John and Marie McKeon

COPPER CIRCLE

Jewish Federation of Greater Washington

Clifford Johnson and Margaret Roper

Elaine Economides Joost

Kathleen Knepper

Dana and Ray Koch

Ellen Kohn

Nancy and Robert Kopp

Barry Kropf

Ann and Bruce Lane

Malcolm Lewis Russell-Einhorn

Judy and Brian Madden

B. Thomas Mansbach

Carl and Undine Nash

Michael and Penelope Pollard

Barbara Rapaport

Lee and Deborah Rogers

Margaret Ann Ross

Evelyn Sandground and Bill Perkins

Dian and Steve Seidel

Amy Selco and Kevin Keeley

Robin Sherman

Michael L. Burke and Carl W. Smith

Leslie and Howard Stein

Howard and Ella Iams

Fleishhacker Foundation - in honor of Mitch and Heidi Dupler

Margaret Kenny

Isiah and Catherine Leggett

Darrell Lemke and Maryellen Trautman

Marion Ein Lewin and Stuart Eizenstat

Doug and Mary Beth McDaniel

MetroBethesda Rotary Foundation Inc.

Joann Moser and Nicholas Berkoff

Robert K. Musil and Caryn McTighe Musil

Martha Newman

Richard and Meka Parker

RBC Wealth Management

Anne & Henry Reich Family Foundation, Lee G. Rubenstein, co-President

Victor Shargai* and Craig Pascal

William and Eveline Roberts

William and Ellen Sandler

Laurie Sloss and Peter Lowet

Jay Sushelsky and Noreen Marcus

Kathy and Bob Wenger

BENEFACTOR

Rachel H.M. Abraham

David and Satoko Ackerman

Anonymous

Andrea Boyarsky-Maisel

Belle Davis

Sarah and Josh Eastright

Adaeze Enekwechi

Daryl Flatté and Richard David

Carole and Robert Fontenrose

Janet Garber and Kris Keydel

Karen Garnett and Dan Hudson

Susan Gordon

Lana Halpern

Margaret Hennessey

Jill Herscot

Michael Kampen and Rachael Schroeder

Chaz and Jane Kerschner

John and Rachel King

Megan Klose and Frank Burdette

Mimi Kress

Veena Kutler and James Cannistra

Lerch, Early, & Brewer

Lipstein Family Foundation

Kathi Loughlin

Joseph Lowell

Barbara and Alan McConagha

Philip & Lynn Metzger

Scott and Paula Moore

Alfred Munzer and Joel Wind

Jason Najjoum

Patricia Payne

Denise and Craig Pernick

Geraldine Fogel Pilzer

Mark and Teresa Plotkin

David and Gayle Roehm

Jay P. Siegel and Mona Sarfaty

Page and Amy Stull

Susan and John Sturc

Mr. Leslie C. Taylor

Marna Tucker and Lawrence Baskir

Ms. Carolyn L. Wheeler

Roger Williams and Ginger

Macomber

Mier and Cathy Wolf

Ed and Judy Zakreski

Ellie Zartman

Margot Lurie Zimmerman, in memory of Paul Zimmerman

ADVOCATES

Donald Adams and Ellen Maland

Fred and Helen Altman

Richard Dagen

Karen Deasy

Katherine DeWitt

John Driscoll

Bill and Donna Eacho

Dr. Helene Freeman

Lisa Gappa-Norris

Nancy Garrison

Judith Geller

Donna and Bruce Genderson

Jack Giraudo and Christine Colby Giraudo

Alan* and Hedda Gnaizda

Ellen and Michael Gold

Jane and Jeff Griffith

Brigid Haragan

James Heegeman

Mitchell and Patti Herman

Larry Hothem

Melissa & Paul Huey-Burns

William and Jennifer Jacob

Rachel Jaffe

Larry* and Sue Jeweler

Elizabeth B. Jones

Veronica Kannan

John Keator and Virginia Sullivan

Shelley Klein and Cathy Bendor

Daniel Korengold and Martha Dippell

Laura and Matt Labovich

Willis T. Lansford

Carol Jean Light

Maura and Eric Lightfoot

Sharon and Jim Lowe

Bruce MacLaury

Stanley Marinoff

Mary Maguire

Winton Matthews, Jr.

Rick McUmber and Melanie Folstad

Carol Mermey and Erik Lichtenberg

Jane Molloy

Jill Nelson

Geri Olson

Jim and Joan Palmer

P. David Pappert

Stan Peabody

Judith Perry

Beverly Purdue

Barbara Rhoden

Michelle and KenYatta Rogers

Ellen Berman

Wendy and Eben Block

Jane* and Fred Cantor

Lynn and Bill Choquette

City of Rockville

William Davis and Jane Hodges

Riley Temple

Grant P. and Sharon R. Thompson

William Tompkins, Jr.

John and Val Wheeler

Lynda and Joseph Zengerle

Kate and Stephen Baldwin

Daniel and Nancy Balz

Pamela and Barry Bass

Jeff Bauman and Linda Feinberg/ Beech Street Foundation

Harvey Maisel and

Naomi and David Balto

Amy Bogdon and Robert Kornfeld

Joan Bullmer

Hugh Camitta

Rosemary Chalk and Michael Stoto

John and Valerie Cuddy

Steven M. Rosenberg and Stewart C. Low III

Marilyn and Barry Scheiner

Suzanne Shapiro

Daniel* and Sybil Silver

Judith Sparrow

Luanne and Marc Stanley

Rochelle S. Steinberg

Richard Steiner

David Stevens

Allison A. Stockman

Tom Strikwerda

Stephanie and Johnny Shuchart

Lucinda and Stephen Swartz

Debby Vivari

Richard Waugaman

Amy Weinberg

Lyric Winik

Kathryn Winsberg and King Stablein

ASSOCIATES

Actors' Equity Foundation, Inc.

John Allnutt

Anonymous

Dr. Robert Angerer and Dr. Pamela McInnes

Kenneth Berman

Linda Blumberg and Stephen Turow

Richard and Bea Blumstein

Sharon Brown

Lucinda Calahan

Carol Chelemer

MATCHING GIFT COMPANIES

Bank of America

Eli Lilly and Company

Synchrony Financial

Truist Financial Corporation

Edward Cowan

Frith Crandall

Jonathan Golub and Shari Davidson

Yumiko Decarli

Peggy Dugan

Eddie and Rachel Eitches

Marjorie and Anthony Elson

Carrie and Evan Ewachiw

Eric Glantz and Jessica Nassau

Larrie and Joyce Greenberg

Ivette and Michael Hayes

Fred and Lucia Hill

Judy and Peter Jablow

Mark* and Tato Joelson

Henry Kahn and Laura Primakoff

Belinda Kane

Susan Katz

Gail Kern Paster

Alan King

Roger and Gail Klein

The Koff Family

Sara and Stephen Kraskin

Beverly Lehrer

Sharon Light and Gidon van Emden

Ann Hutchison Lung

David McGoff

Anna McGowan

Jack Melamed and Robert Baker

Ryan Merkel

Bruce Miller

Joanna Miller and Lachlan Bell

Nancy Mills

Tish Mills

Janet Mitchell

Janice Mitnick

Audrey Morris

Ibironke Oduyebo

Aloysius Ordu

James and Cheryl Painter

Everett Redmond

Sharon Rennert

Naomi Robin and Gerald Gleason

Mary Schellinger

Cora Simpson

Catherine Stocker

Sara Sonet

Jacquelyn Thompson

Jacqui Watson

Trisha Wells

George and Patti White

William and Charlene Zellmer

*In memoriam +Denotes Business Council Member

IN KIND DONORS

Doyle Printing & Offset Co.

Bonnie and Alan Hammerschlag

Limelight Insights by Shugoll

M Studio Salon Bethesda

Pebblebrook Hotel Trust

Provisions Catering

Barbara Rapaport

Susan Gage Caterers

Zeke’s Coffee

DIRECTORY

Round House Theatre is supported in part by funding from the Montgomery County government, the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, and the Maryland State Arts Council.

We make every effort to provide accurate acknowledgment for our contributors. If your name is misspelled or omitted, please accept our apologies and contact the Development Department at 240.641.5352 or Development@ RoundHouseTheatre.org.

Jay Hammer, President

Amy Selco, Vice President

Joy Lewis, Secretary

Michele Jawando, Assistant Secretary

Leslie Grizzard, Treasurer

Michael Heintz, Assistant Treasurer

Douglas Bibby

Ro Boddie

Stephanie deSibour

Ginger Dietrich

Mitchell S. Duple r 

Clare Evans

Susan Gibson

Rafael Hernandez

Daniel Kaplan

Neil Kerwin

Nancy Kopp

Veena Kutler

Kathleen Matthews

Mary Kathryn Nagle

Meka Parker

Ryan Rilette*

Mark Shugoll

Michael Steele

Nina Weisbroth

Ed Zakreski*

Judy Zickle r 

*Ex-officio Life Trustee

Linda Ravdin, Chair

Laura Forman, Vice Chair

Michael Beriss

Cathy S. Bernard

Elaine Binder

Donald Boardman

Mitch S. Dupler

Bunny Dwin

LEADERSHIP

Artistic Director: Ryan Rilette

Managing Director: Ed Zakreski

ADMINISTRATION

General Manager: Tim Conley Director of EDIA and Community Engagement: Israel Jiménez*

Associate General Manager: Carter Rice*

Facilities Manager: Liz Sena

Maboud Ebrahimzadeh

Ann Gilbert

Susan D. Gilbert

Bonnie Hammerschlag

Reba Immergut

Peter Jablow

Bruce Lane

Susan F. McGee

BOARD OF TRUSTEES EMERITUS TRUSTEES COUNCIL STAFF

Executive Assistant & Board Liaison: Amy Benson

ARTISTIC

Associate Artistic DIrector:

Naysan Mojgani

Casting Director & Associate

Producer: Sarah Cooney*

AUDIENCE SERVICES

Associate Director of Sales & Audience Services:

Brian Andrade

Sasha Olinick

David Smith

Rochelle S. Steinberg

Riley K. Temple

Kathy Wenger

Mier Wolf

Judy Zickler

Audience Services Manager: Mason Catharini

Patron Experience and Rentals Manager:

Maureen McNary*

Box Office Associates & House Managers:

Oscar Adeema

Nessa Amherst

KT Aylesworth

Mercedes Blankenship

Rachel Borczuch

Autumn Delahoussaye

Marquita Dill

Carrie Edick

Steven Franco

Caitlin Frazier

Colin Hauck

Bailey Howard

Bella Lerch

Tabitha Littlefield

Nicolas Lopez

Julia Marks

Olivia Martin

Siena Maxwell

Tamisha Ottley

Dylan Parham

Denisse Peñaflor

Jessica Rampulla

Nashira Rawls

Jayme Rodriguez

DeDe Smith

Phillippos Sourvinos

Lacey Talero

Wesley Waterton

FOURTH WALL BAR & CAFÉ

Food & Beverage Manager:

David DeVita

Bar/Café Staff:

Jason Berry

Avraham Chittum

Ayana Graham

Colin Hauck

Eleanor Hill

Kurt Kreisher

Chloe Lateulere

Schekyrra Little

Mark Lyons

Jen McClendon

Ellen Mitchell

Rush Morgan

Jayme Rodriguez

Kara Sparling

Dyana Svoboda

Samantha Williams

DEVELOPMENT

Director of Development:

Veronica Kannan

Development Officer:

Njeri Mungai

Associate Director

of Development:

Katelyn Maurer

Development Operations Manager: Patrick Joy

Development Associate:

Fletcher Lowe

EDUCATION

Director of Education:

Danisha Crosby

Education Program Manager: Kathleen Mason*

Education Patrons Services

Manager: Dillon Mitcham

Lead Teaching Artists:

Ian Anthony Coleman

Kelsey Hall

Faculty:

Sean Baldwin

Madlynn Bard

Ian Anthony Coleman

Lila Cooper

Kevin Corbett

Anna DiGiovanni

Emi Erickson

Jordan Essex

Scean Flowers

Deven Ferrer

Dominique Fuller

Rose Hahn

Kelsey Hall

Darren Jenkins-Johnston

Emma Lou Joy

Casey Kaleba

Victoria Keith

Sean Laraway

Emily Lettau

Gracie Luna

JJ Kaczynski

Mary Rose Madan

Diana Metzger

Benjamin Pallansch

Julie Pesak

Erin Pipes

Julia Rudgers

David Singleton

Dani Stoller

Elle Sullivan

Xander Toti

Jacob Traver

Che Wernsman

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Director of Marketing & Communications:

Hannah Gr

Associate Director of Marketing & Communications:

Megan Behm

Public Relations Manager:

Alexandria Moreland*

Graphic Designer:

Kent Kondo

PRODUCTION

Production Manager:

Jesse Aasheim

Assistant Production Manager/Company Manager:

Technical Director:

Matt Saxton

Assistant Technical Director: Jose Abraham*

Lighting Supervisor: Chris Hall

Audio/Visual Superviso r :

Delaney Bray

Costume Shop Manager: Taylor S. Payne

Scenic Charge: Jenny Cockerham

Lead Carpenter: Shaun Bartlow

Staff Carpenter: Colin Maher

Resident Stage Manager: Che Wernsman

OUR VALUES

 THEATRE FOR EVERYONE

 ARTISTIC AMBITION

 COMMUNITY

 EMPATHY

 INTEGRITY

ROUND HOUSE THEATRE is one of the leading professional theatres in the Washington, DC, area, producing a season of new plays, modern classics, and musicals for more than 55,000 patrons each year at our 352-seat theatre in Bethesda. Round House has been nominated for more than 213 Helen Hayes Awards and has won more than 42, including four “Outstanding Resident Play” Awards, the “Outstanding Resident Musical Award,” and the Charles MacArthur Award for Original New Play in 2016. Round House’s lifelong learning and education programs serve more than 5,000 students each year at its Education Center in Silver Spring and in schools throughout Montgomery County. Cornerstone programs include Free Play , which provides free tickets to teens and college students; the year-round Teen Performance Company, which culminates in the student-produced Sarah Metzger Memorial Play; Summer Camp for students in grades K-12; and a full slate of classes for adults and youth.