A Novel Reality - Benefit Program

THE CIVILIANS SPRING GALA

A NOVEL REALITY

MAY 13, 2024

Our donors have helped The Civilians develop ambitious new plays and musicals for over 20 years, including the Tony Award-winning play Dana H. by Lucas Hnath; the Antham Award-winning Black Feminist Video Game by Darrel Alejandro Holnes; and the world premiere of The Unbelieving this season.

Thank you for championing this extraordinary

THIS EVENINGS PROGRAM

Rich Topol, Jeff Biehl, Joshua David Robinson

Real Gems — Barbara Walsh

Music and Lyrics by Julian Hornik from Assisted

Margenett Moore Roberts & Henry Donahue — Board of Directors

Brittany K. Allen

Sex Variants American Glossary Letter S (69)

Maya Sharpe, Robert Johanson, Heath Saunders, Brittany K. Allen, Ada Westfall

Music and Lyrics by Ada Westfall from Sex Variants

Steve Rosen

Call Came on the Radio — Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Colleen Werthmann, Sarah Beth Pfeiffer, Jennifer Morris, Gibson Frazier, Nedra Marie Taylor, Nick Blaemire, Eric Parker, Mike Cefalo, Paul Speiser, Vaibu Mahon, Emily Franklin, Sophie Madorsky

Music and Lyrics by Michael Friedman from Mr Burns a Post-Electric Play

Amy Papola & Colleen Werthmann Live Appeal

Nina Hellman & Jeremy Shamos

Landscape in lieu of a Portrait (for Anne) — Adam Kantor

Music and Lyrics by Julian Hornik

Based on interviews provided by: Jennie Dundas, Gibson Frazier, Matt Maher, April Matthis

Interviews Conducted by: Cindy Cheung, Kate Douglas, Alix Lambert, Trey Lyford

Anne Kauffman

Presenter, Civilian of the Year Award

Steve Cosson

Artistic Director

Artificial Flavors — Colleen Werthman, Jennifer Morris, Heath Saunders, Michael Castillejos, Robert Johanson

Michael Cyril Creighton

Quincy Tyler Bernstine — Maya Sharpe

Written by Martha Redbone & Aaron Whitby

Based on interviews provided by: Will Arbery, Jackie Sibblies Drury, Lucas Hnath, Lynn Nottage

Interviews Conducted by: Melissa Hardy, Jordan Mahome and Colleen Werthamann

Lynn Nottage

Presenter, Civilian of the Year Award

James Yaegashi and Samantha Mathis

Lost Horizon - Robbie Sublett By Michael Friedman from Gone Missing

Last Song — Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Colleen Werthmann, Sarah Beth Pfeiffer, Jennifer Morris, Gibson Frazier, Nedra Marie Taylor, Nick Blaemire, Eric Parker, Mike Cefalo, Paul Speiser, Vaibu Mahon, Emily Franklin, Sophie Madorsky. By Michael Friedman from Mr Burns a Post-Electric Play

ABOUT THE HONOREES

QUINCY TYLER BERNSTINE

Make Me Feel Mighty Real (2023), Michael Friedman Recording Project (2023), Mr. Burns, a post-electric play (2011), (I Am) Nobody’s Lunch (2006), The Ladies (2004).

Theater credits include Doubt: A Parable, Evanston Salt Costs Climbing, Marys Seacole (Lucille Lortel Award), Our Lady of 121st Street, The Amateurs, In The Next Room (or The Vibrator Play), Small Mouth Sounds, Peer Gynt, Grand Concourse, 10 out of 12, Mr. Burns, Neva, and Ruined (OBIE, Audelco, Clarence Derwent Awards). Film credits include The Tender Bar, White Noise, and Manchester By The Sea Television work includes Julia, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, Power, Power Book II: Ghost, Ray Donovan, Modern Love, High Maintenance, and Chappelle’s Show

She is a graduate of Brown University (BA), UCSD (MFA) and the recipient of the 2019 OBIE for Sustained Excellence in Performance.

ANNE WASHBURN

With The Civilians: The Burning Cauldron Of Fiery Fire (in development) (2024), Mr. Burns, a post-electric play (2011), The Ladies (2004), Canard, Canard, Goose (2002).

Anne Washburn is from the West and Northwest and as a result prefers her foliage and landscapes a little on the drastic side. Her plays include, The Internationalist, Apparition, The Communist Dracula Pageant, The Ladies, I Have Loved Strangers, Little Bunny Foo Foo, and a transadaptation of Euripides’ Orestes. Her work has been produced by 13P, American Repertory Theatre, Cherry Lane Theatre, Clubbed Thumb, The Civilians, Dixon Place, E.S.T., London’s Gate Theatre, NYC’s Soho Rep., DC’s Studio Theater, and NYC’s Vineyard Theatre, among others.

Her plays have been published by American Theatre, Theatre Magazine, and by Playscripts, and are included in the anthologies New Downtown Now, New York Theater Review 2007, and The Civilians: an Anthology of Six Plays. Support includes a Bug ‘n’ Bub Award, residencies at MacDowell and Yaddo, and a Guggenheim. She has been commissioned by The Civilians, Soho Rep, the Williamstown Theater Festival, and Yale, is a member of 13P and The Civilians, and a New Georges affiliated artist.

GALA COMMITTEE

DIAMOND SPONSORS

ARMEN NERCESSIAN

GOLD SPONSORS

HESU COUE-WILSON & EDWARD EDWARD

KERRY SMITH

SILVER SPONSORS

HENRY AND SUSAN DONAHUE

SUANY CHOUGH

DAVID COSSON

ALAIN AND ELIZETE GROENENDAAL

JULIA AND JEFF LAZARUS

BENEFIT COMMITTEE

ELIZABETH ANGELL

JANE BRANDMAN

ANTHONY BORELLI

KATHLEEN AND HENRY CHALFANT

MICHAEL CYRIL CREIGHTON

ALEXANDER DODGE AND CHARLES STEWART

AUDREY ESPARZA

JEANHEE KIM

ANNA KRAMARSKY AND JEANNE BERGMAN

CHRISTINE KUAN

JULIA LAZARUS

JESSICA MITRANI

BRIAN STANISFER YORK

59E59 THEATERS

AND

THE ELYSABETH KLEINHANS THEATRICAL FOUNDATION

CONGRATULATE QUINCY TYLER BERNSTINE

ANNE WASHBURN AND THE CIVILIANS

VAL DAY

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

MANAGING DIRECTOR

BRIAN BEIRNE

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Announcer EMILY ACKERMAN

Music Director DAN LIPTON

Guitar DAVID NAGLER

Drums HIROYUKI ‘MATSU’ MATSUURA

Bass.............................................................. JENNIFER GIAMMANCO

Producer .................................................................... MELISSA HARDY

Development & Production Assistant AIS GALVIN

Stage Manager TERRI KOHLER

Assistant Stage Manager CAROLINE ENGLANDER

Video and Projections Designer ATTILIO RIGOTTI

Event Management SECOND BOLT

ALLISON PROUTY, MICHELLE JASMINE

CHARLOTTE PURSER ARNOLD AND SYDNY LI

Press Representation .............................................. PRINT SHOP PR MATT ROSS & CLAIRE WOJCIECHOWSKI

Graphic Design MUSE GRAPHIC DESIGN ALAN BUTTAR

SPECIAL THANKS

The Civilians Board of Directors

The staff of City Winery including Lauren Morgan, Matthew Schwalm, and McKenzie Schmeling.

And the many artists who contributed to tonight’s production.

OUR COMMITMENT TO ANTI-RACISM

The Civilians strives to be a vibrant company of artists whose work reflects our celebration and investigation of diverse human experiences.

Read about our commitment to anti-racism and ongoing efforts to address systemic oppression in our community.

LEARN MORE

Billy Eugene Jones, Donnetta Lavinia Grays and Greg McFadden in In the Footprint

A NOVEL REALITY

new theater from creative investigations into the most vital questions of the present.

STAFF

STEVE COSSON Artistic Director

MARGARET MOLL Managing Director

MELISSA HARDY ................................ New Work Program Manager

PHOEBE CORDE Resident Dramaturg

SARAH BOESS Marketing Consultant

FAITH ZAMBLÉ Extended Play Editor

PATRICIA TAYLOR Finance Manager

AIS GALVIN Development and Production Assistant

DONORLY & MISSION FORWARD FUNDRAISING Development Consultants

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ALAIN GROENENDAAL Chair

SUANY CHOUGH Secretary

JOHN WOOD Treasurer

STEVE COSSON Artistic Director

MICHAEL ABRAHAMS / JANE BRANDMAN

JENNIFER COPAKEN / HENRY DONAHUE

MICHAEL FRAZIER / JEANHEE KIM / JULIA LAZURUS

JENNIFER M. MORRIS / ARMEN NERCESSIAN

ANN RUBBE / LAURIE STEMPLER / ALICIA VILLAROSA

EMIERITUS

ELIZABETH ANGELL / RICK DEAN / JODY FALCO

PETER FRIEDLAND / JESSICA HARRIS

DANIEL P. KIM / DAVID SINGER

IN MEMORIAM

MICHAEL FRIEDMAN