Round House Theatre Winter 2023/2024 Newsletter

GREETINGS FROM OUR LEADERSHIP

DEAR FRIEND,

While winter is usually seen as a season of quiet rest, we’re grateful to you for keeping Round House warm and busy despite the cold, gray days.

In the lead up to the holidays, Conor McPherson’s The Seafarer offered a different take on a holiday tale. The charming ensemble cast—including DC legend Marty Lodge in his 46th production at Round House, who received a Helen Hayes nomination for his memorable performance in this production–created a delightfully dysfunctional chosen “family” that underscored the meaning of the word: a sense of acceptance and belonging, despite our past mistakes.

We kicked off 2024 with the smash hit rock musical Next to Normal , directed by Montgomery County native Alan Paul. From its sold-out Opening Night to a weeklong extension driven by popular demand, this riveting show felt particularly poignant after a couple of years that caused us all to reflect on what grief and mental illness really looks like, and how we can work to heal.

This spring, we look forward to celebrating the third annual National Capital New Play Festival featuring the world premiere of A Jumping-Off Point by Round House-commissioned playwright Inda Craig-Galván. Our popular developmental readings series will offer a sneak peek at some exciting new shows from both familiar faces and new voices. Check out page 4 to discover how new works come to life.

But first, the teens take over! From March 15-17, our popular Teen Performance Company and teen improv troupe The Roundlings took over the Round House stage for a weekend showcasing the incredible talent in our community. For more than 20 years, the Teen Performance Company has shaped young artists throughout our region and prepared them for their next steps. Get to know some of our education alumni and catch up with what they’re doing now on page 3.

Your support is crucial to the past, present and future of Round House – whether that’s celebrating the legendary local talent that graces our stage, the stories shared by new voices, or the creative young artists that will lead the American theatre in the years to come. Thank you for your support and all that you do to share the joys of live theatre.

RYAN RILETTE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

ED ZAKRESKI MANAGING DIRECTOR

C over: The cast of Next to Normal. Marty Lodge (Richard) and Michael Glenn (Ivan) in The Seafarer. The cast of Spring Break. Photos by Margot Schulman Photography.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

CHECKING IN ON ROUND HOUSE EDUCATION ALUMS

Former Round House camper and teaching artist, CHRIS YOUSTRA , is a familiar face around Round House! He was just seen in Next to Normal where he served as the Music Director. Past shows at Round House include Once on This Island, The World Goes 'Round, Pippin, Summer of '42, and A Murder, A Mystery, A Marriage Chris is the Director of Music Theater at Olney Theatre Center, where he has been involved with over 50 musicals, including Fiddler on the Roo f, Kinky Boots , A.D. 16, Cabaret, Matilda, Once, On the Town, In the Heights, My Fair Lady, Sweeney Todd, Evita, Carmen: An Afro-Cuban Jazz Musical, Carousel, Godspell, to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying , and countless other shows at other local theatres.

Mr. Youstra has been nominated for thirteen Helen Hayes Awards for Outstanding Music Direction and received the award for Titanic. He was director of music at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Columbia for 29 years, has worked with both Phoenix Productions and Troika Entertainment national touring companies, and toured both Europe and Korea with Smokey Joe’s Café . As a composer, Mr. Youstra’s music has been heard throughout the area, including The Dancing Princesses at Imagination Stage, Big Nate: The Musical (with Jason Loewith), the Helen Hayes Awards, the 2014 Summer Hummer, and the opening gala of the Atlas Performing Arts Center.

“When I was in 5th grade, I had just finished my first show (Winthrop in The Music Man ) at a local high school and the performing bug got me. My mom quickly enrolled me in Round House’s Summer Program at Bushey Drive with featured instructors Jerry Whiddon and Eliot Pfanstiehl. From that summer, it has been a joy to return to Round House and work both on musicals at Bushey Drive and in Bethesda as well as teach at various camps to return the favor (and to work with both Jerry and Eliot). Round House was a great place for me to start as it gave me fun experiences to see if this was a viable path. Turns out, though, it was in the pit and not on stage!”

—CHRIS YOUSTRA

Former Round House Teaching Artist KAREN DOLLE ROSADO first joined us as a Summer Education Intern in 2015 and taught in summer camp and on-site classes through 2018. Since then, she has been working at Walt Disney World and is currently serving as a Lighting Production Planner with Disney Live Entertainment, where she assists in the operation, installation, maintenance, and design of the lighting across the entire Disney property.

Outside of Walt Disney World, she continues to foster her love of theatre. Recently, she served as the Associate Lighting Designer for Renaissance Theatre Company’s The Office Holiday Party Musical Extravaganza Show and she is currently the Lighting Designer for Windermere Preparatory School’s Legally Blonde which opens in April 2024.

Most importantly, she got married to the love of her life in January!

“The further I get into my career, the more I realize how impactful working for Round House Theatre Education has been to my growth and development. The opportunities I received to work with and learn from my coworkers and students have only made me a stronger lighting designer, technician, and overall professional in the arts. The creativity that bursted through walls of the Education Center was felt by every teacher, student, and guest that came by. What could be more inspiring than watching a group of students imagine, design, and create a musical about witches and wizards settling their differences in a fondue shop? Every summer I spent teaching made me feel like I was in the most magical place on earth.”

—KAREN DOLLE ROSADO

INDA CRAIG-GALVÁN

Festival features the world premiere of Inda Craig-Galván’s A JumpingOff Point , in which an up-and-coming Black screenwriter is confronted by a white former classmate who accuses her of plagiarizing his work. Here, Inda and Festival Producer Naysan Mojgani discuss the journey the play has taken from original seed to eventual production.

NAYSAN MOJGANI: How did this play begin for you?

INDA CRAIG-GALVÁN : A Jumping-Off Point came out of my frustration over my own experience in my playwriting MFA program. There were only three of us in my cohort. I was very serious. I wanted to learn. I wanted to have a career. So I was really focused. And this younger white man just thought it’d be fun to get a degree in something , maybe playwriting, and it frustrated me to know that. But even more frustrating was not feeling like I was being supported by the people running the program. It felt like he was going to be handed a degree, and I worked my butt off for it. And that frustration in my last year in the program pushed me to write a play about it. Which he had to sit through a reading of. And that was the first draft of this play, and it was very one sided. And I just put it in a drawer. Then, a few years later, after I was established as a writer, Bay Area Playwrights Festival invited me to submit a play. “I got this one play. But let me look at it first, I was a little angry when I wrote it.” And over a weekend, I rewrote the play, making the character of Andrew feel more balanced and more human, and making the character of Leslie feel… more human as well. Less right.

N : I love that, because one of the things that we love about the play is how dynamic our sympathies are over the course of the play. It is very much NOT one-sided.

I: It just wasn’t how I write now. It needed more. Both characters needed more understanding and more care, and it seemed like it would just be a more interesting experience if it was muddier who was right and who’s wrong.

N : And then Bay Area Playwrights Festival selects the play for inclusion in their festival. Can you talk a little about that process?

I : So you do a reading in front of an audience with actors, and you get their feedback before you even start digging into the play, just to see how things are hitting people. And that was really helpful. So many people were saying, “Oh, he’s the worst, she’s so right.” So clearly I had more work to do, because if everybody is on her side, I have not gone far enough with muddying it up and making them both a little right and a little wrong. And then for the next week you’re in rehearsals with the dramaturg, director, and the actors going through and revising. I took one day off to just write alone, and then I came back and heard those pages. And then you do another reading with an audience, just seeing how it hits them after you’ve done all the work that week. It was really valuable for me having that first reading and hearing all the feedback, to know what was resonating, and what assumptions people were making about the characters.

N: And then what happened next with this play?

I: There was still a couple of little things I wanted to tweak. And I did. And then I got an email from you not long after saying that Round House wants to produce the play.

N: And we’ll start rehearsals soon, and you’ll continue to make changes.

I: Yeah, I’ll continue to revise, as I’m hearing actors, getting their questions and their thoughts. And the director, of course. I’ll continue to tweak things and make sure the story is clear. The most important thing to me is that we understand the journey of these two people. Also, I have more of an eye to it being on a stage. In a workshop, it’s more like, Is this text working? Is this story working? But now, it’s what visual elements are going to happen. Where are they physically going to be? Does that work? And how can we create tension or ease back up off the tension depending on where people are standing on stage? Do I need him to be in the room for this? Should he not be in the room for this? Just seeing it on a stage and up on its feet gives me different things to look at than just the words.

N: Have there been any big surprising discoveries as you’ve continued making changes?

I: Being able to find some empathy for Andrew. I needed those three years away from my real-life Andrew, in order to find that. But I understand this guy now. And also the writers strike happened, so I’m thinking a lot more about Leslie’s desperation to make her job work. In the play her show is on HBO. And even now it’s not even HBO anymore, is it? It’s Max. Things shift so much. People change jobs, so much. People decide “Oh, we’re just not going to air this show any more. It was successful. We’re pulling it.” I know so many writers who are not working, who were working before. That may be a revision that happens in the room, just to build that in a little bit more.

THE NATIONAL CAPITAL NEW

BY INDA CRAIG-GALVÁN

DIRECTED BY JADE KING CARROLL

APRIL 10 – MAY 5, 2024 | WORLD PREMIERE

A Jumping-Off Point is sponsored by Nan Beckley and Noreen Marcus & Jay Sushelsky and is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The National Capital New Play Festival Developmental Reading Series is sponsored by Clare Evans.

IN 2022, ROUND HOUSE THEATRE launched the National Capital New Play Festival (NCNPF). Over its first two years, this exciting celebration of new work has launched four new plays via fully-produced world premieres and invited audiences behind the scenes to help develop nine in-progress plays through workshops and public readings.

For the 2024 festival, we have made the decision to scale back production and produce one world premiere instead of two (but maintaining a full complement of developmental workshops). While having two plays in rotating repertory was exciting and helped contribute to a real festival atmosphere, it also significantly increased production costs. At a time when theaters across the country are having to tighten their belts, it only made sense to scale back the festival in this way. However, that choice allows us to focus on that single show, letting it enjoy a longer run and freeing our designers to fully support A JumpingOff Point , rather than splitting their artistry between two plays.

v POST-SHOW DISCUSSION

l 7:15PM DIRECTOR DISCUSSION*

m 6:45PM DESIGNER DISCUSSION* n

Inda Craig-Galván’s A Jumping-Off Point , directed by Jade King Carroll, is the story of a promising Black screenwriter who, after landing her first major network deal, is confronted by a white former classmate who accuses her of plagiarizing his work. Their confrontation—and

NEW PLAY FESTIVAL

eventual uneasy alliance—forces a reckoning on representation, privilege, and who gets to tell what kinds of stories. Between the 2023 WGA strike and the recent string of high-profile Black women being accused of plagiarism, this funny and nuanced play has taken on a certain “ripped from the headlines” quality that is sure to spark rich discussion, in that classic Round House mode. Performances begin April 10.

In addition to the world premiere production of A Jumping-Off Point , Round House will be hosting five additional playwrights and presenting staged readings of each of their in-development plays:

• In DENMO IBRAHIM ’s darkly comic Arab Spring , two grown siblings must make their peace with each other and with their recently deceased estranged father as they prepare for his funeral.

• AGYEIWAA ASANTE ’s Maryland-set Agape, or The Church Play follows a group of young women in an international church as they navigate the overlapping pressures of friendship, faith, and adulthood.

• The Prime , by DANI STOLLER , is a biting and bloody story of women’s rage—and redemption—as a surgeon hits the glass ceiling and must decide what to do about it.

• NATE DENDY and AARON POSNER reunite after their smash collaboration with Round House’s production of The Tempest for The Sorcerer’s Apprentice . In this one-man show, Nate Dendy explores his own history with magic and our collective fascination with the art — with more than a few jaw-dropping tricks along the way.

Please note that all readings are currently sold out. Please email the box office at boxoffice@roundhousetheatre.org to join the waiting list. More information can be found at RoundHouseTheatre.org/Festival24

SPRING BREAK INSIDE LOOK AND OPENING NIGHT

OUR 2023-24 TEEN PERFORMANCE COMPANY

took to the Round House stage in March, marking the 22nd year of the Sarah Metzger Memorial Play. This year’s play, Spring Break , was written by Joe Calarco, and wholly performed, directed, designed, and stage managed by the high school students who comprise the Teen Performance Company, with the full support of Round House Theatre and one-on-one mentorship with professional artists who specialize in their area of interest.

Attendees of the Inside Look got to hear from Teen Performance Company members about their master classes, what they learned about the design process, how they bonded as a company, and more. The event was capped off by readings from a few scenes in the play!

Opening Night was a tremendous success; the theatre was filled with friends and family members, Round House supporters, and Teen Performance Company alumni, all wishing this year’s company well.

Photos by Kent Kondo and Cameron Whitman Photography

The Company of Spring Break

The Company of Spring Break discuss Pi’s costume

Lucinda Chase (Sound Designer) answers a question from the audience

Maya Morales (Dramaturg and Assistant Director)

Allison Evans (Andy) and Lark Jeffers (Finn, Charlie) perform a scene from the play

Kathryn Batittio (Jesse, AJ) and Isabelle Jones (Sam, Frankie) perform a scene from the play

Soa Andriamananjara (Director)

Artistic Director Ryan Rilette gives postshow remarks from the stage

Members of previous Teen Performance Companies

Managing Director Ed Zakreski, Lynn Metzger, Artistic Director Ryan Rilette, and Director of Education Danisha Crosby

Playwright Joe Calarco, and Spring Break Director Soa Andriamananjara

Playwright Joe Calarco and Bob Hebda

TPC Member Noah Green with Timothy, Nicole, and Damon Green

Lynn Metzger explains the impact of the Teen Performance Company

TPC Member Lark Jeffers with Carol, Kristina, and Wayne Jeffers

The 2023-24 Teen Performance Company

Joshua Pinchback, Aster Kuklova, Evvaleen Robinson, Rosie Robertson, Scout Amakali, Noah Green

NEXT TO NORMAL INSIDE LOOK AND OPENING NIGHT

IN LATE JANUARY, WE OPENED OUR LONGawaited production of Next to Normal directed by Alan Paul and co-produced with Barrington Stage Company. It opened to rave reviews from critics and audiences alike! The show was so popular, it was extended through March 3.

Audiences who attended the Inside Look learned why we chose this show, about Alan’s incredible vision for the production (including the unique blend of projections and traditional production), and to get a sneak peek at the set and costume renderings. They were also treated to some music from the production, including the show’s final, touching song, “Light.”

We welcomed a sold-out audience for Opening Night of this remarkable production, which continued to impact audiences throughout its extended run.

Photos by Kent Kondo and Cameron Whitman Photography

Calvin McCullough (Doctor Madden/Doctor Fine), Ben Clark (Henry), Music Director Chris Youstra, Director Alan Paul, and Artistic Director Ryan Rilette

The cast of Next to Normal performs “Light”

Director Alan Paul explains the set design for the production

Tracy Lynn Olivera (Diana) and Kevin S. McAllister (Dan)

Calvin McCullough (Doctor Madden/Doctor Fine) and Ben Clark (Henry)

Kevin S. McAllister (Dan), Lucas Hinds Babcock (Gabe), Sophia Early (Natalie)

The cast of Next to Normal with Music Director Chris Youstra, Director Alan Paul, and Artistic Director Ryan Rilette

Ryan Merkel, Josh Ramos, Greg Reiner, and Jason Najjoum

Director Alan Paul and Artistic Director Ryan Rilette Alex Staines, Michael Staines, Matthew McLaughlin, Trevor Brown, John Horman, and Director of EDIA and Community Engagement Israel Jiménez Cast and Company of Next to Normal Bunny Dwin Renea Brown, Ro Boddie, and Renee Wilson

Show Sponsors Maureen and Michael McMurphy, Holly Shockey, Laura Rubinoff, and Ed Rubinoff

Director Alan Paul with his parents, Ronald and Toni Paul

Councilmember Dawn Luedtke and Travis Nelson

Carl Nash, Undine Nash, Celia Arnaud, and Keith Arnaud

THE SEAFARER INSIDE LOOK AND OPENING NIGHT

IIN DECEMBER, WE WERE THRILLED TO present The Seafarer by Conor McPherson, directed by Artistic Director Ryan Rilette. Donors who attended the Inside Look learned about the team’s creative choices, the motivations behind these characters, and the vision for the production.

Opening Night was a cheerful evening, filled with smiles, laughter, and many toasts to the team! We were especially glad to have Marty Lodge return to Round House for his 46th production.

Photos by Kent Kondo and Cameron Whitman Photography

Cast and Design Team of The Seafarer

Michael Glenn (Ivan), Maboud Ebrahimzadeh (Nicky), and Artistic and Show Director Ryan Rilette

Cast and Design Team of The Seafarer

Teen Performance Company Members Lark Jeffers and Oli Baker

Marty Lodge (Richard) and Director of Education Danisha Crosby

Marty Lodge (Richard) and Michael Glenn (Ivan)

Artistic and Show Director Ryan Rilette, Chris Genebach (Sharky), and Marcus Kyd (Mr. Lockhart)

Cindy Calahan, Nan Beckley, Bonnie Hammerschlag, Laura Forman, and Susan Gilbert

Cast and Design Team of The Seafarer

Carolyn Griffin, Managing Director Ed Zakreski, and Debbie Minter Jackson

Casting Director & Associate Producer Sarah Cooney, Marc Miller, Stephanie deSibour, and Mitch Dupler

Keith Arnaud, Julie Jacobson, Celia Arnaud, and Undine Nash

Season Sponsors Linda Ravdin and Don Shapero

Associate Artistic Director and Show Dramaturg Naysan Mojgani, Sherrice Mojgani, Michael McMurphy, and Maureen McMurphy

Cards Consultant Ryan Phillips and Anthony Vetrano

Councilmember Evan Glass, Jason Gedeik, and Bill Tompkins

Cast and Director of The Seafarer

Artistic and Show Director Ryan Rilette with Associate Artistic Director and Show Dramaturg Naysan Mogjani, at the PreShow Dinner Discussion

Sarah Mack, Lila Cooper, Round House Teaching Artist Madlynn Grace Bard, and Eduardo Murcia

Jamie Lapierre, Production Assistant Carrie Edick, and Jillian Skara Show Sponsors Judy and Leo Zickler with Artistic and Show Director Ryan Rilette