White Rabbit, Red Rabbit

Performing Arts Center university at albany State University of New York

2022-23

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Only 1.5 miles to University at Albany Minutes from I-87, 787, and I-90 Walking Distance to Crossgates Mall

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Paul Taylor Dance Company | Photo by Laura Halzack

for a full listing of this season’s events.

WHITE RABBIT, RED RABBIT

by Nassim Soleimanpour

Presented in association with Aurora Nova Productions and Boat Rocker Entertainment White Rabbit, Red Rabbit was originally produced

by Volcano Theatre in association with Necessary Angel and Wolfgang Hoffmann

Dramaturgy by Daniel Brooks and Ross Manson

About the Performer Bianca Stinney was born and raised in Albany and is a proud native of the Arbor Hill community. She attended Barnard College of Columbia University where she received her Bachelor's degree in Theater and Elementary Education. She later received her Master’s degree in Literacy and Special Education from the University at Albany. Bianca is currently teaching 1st grade in the Capital Region. Credits include OnThe-Go Tour productions of Shakespeare the Remix and Friend of a Friend: Tales of the Underground Railroad with Capital Repertory Theatre, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf with the State Street Theater Company, The Light with the Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate NY, and an original devised musical City of Myth: Ilium Sings with Troy Foundry Theater.

About the Playwright Nassim Soleimanpour is an Iranian playwright, theatre maker and the Artistic Director of the Berlin Based Theatre company Nassim Soleimanpour Productions. His plays have been translated into more than 30 languages and performed globally

in over 50 countries. Best known for his play White Rabbit, Red Rabbit, written to travel the world when he couldn’t, his work has been awarded the Dublin Fringe Festival Best New Performance, Summerworks Outstanding New Performance Text Award and The Arches Brick Award (Edinburgh Fringe) as well as picking up nominations for a Total Theatre and Brighton Fringe Pick of Edinburgh Award. White Rabbit, Red Rabbit had a nine month Off-Broadway run casting celebrated actors like Whoopi Goldberg, Nathan Lane, Martin Short, Bobby Cannavale, Wayne Brady, F. Murray Abraham and Cynthia Nixon.

By the time Nassim was permitted to travel for the first time in early 2013, his play White Rabbit, Red Rabbit had already been performed hundreds of times in more than a dozen languages.

Since then, Nassim has facilitated workshops and panels in different events including World Theatre Festival (Brisbane), Tolhuistuin (Amsterdam), SESC Vila Mariana (Sao Paulo), Schauspielhaus (Vienna), DPAC (Kuala Lampur), Theatertreffen (Berlin), Grob Theatre (Copenhagen), British Council London and The Bush Theatre (London), University of Bremen (Germany), ISPA (Edinburgh), TATA Litreture (India), FAE (Lima), Borak [Oz Asia] (Adelaide) and etc.

Nassim’s second play Blind Hamlet commissioned by the London based Actors Touring Company premiered at The LIFT 2014 and has toured in the UK and was received well in Edinburgh, Bucharest and Copenhagen. His third play BLANK premiered in November 2015 simultaneously in Amsterdam, Utrecht and London and so far has been performed in the UK, Australia, Spain, Mexico, US, Argentina, India, Finland, Denmark, Canada, etc.

His most recent play NASSIM produced by the Bush Theatre in London was premiered in August 2017 and won a Fringe First Award followed by more than 300 shows in 12 languages across the world. NASSIM had a successful five-month OffBroadway run casting celebrated American actors like: Michael Shannon, Zachary Quinto, Tracy Letts, Carrie Coon, Kate Walsh, Carla Gugino, Cory Michael Smith, Kathey Najimi, Richard Kind, Reed Birney and etc. NASSIM has won a 2019

Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Unique Theatrical Experience and was nominated for Prix de la critique maison 2018-2019 à Québec in Dans la catégorie Hors Québec.

A retrospective of Soleimanpour's plays was held at the Bush Theatre in 2017 under the title Nassimplays.

Soleimanpour’s short play Down by the Creek was published

by THE NEW YORK TIMES as part of America 2024.

When most theatres had to shut down in 2020 due to a global pandemic, Nassim mentored seven young playwrights to publish a book which could be read and performed sight on scene around the fire. October 2020, produced by The Boundless Theatre (London) lit fires across the UK! On March 13, 2021 to mark the anniversary of the shutdown, from a prison in Mexico, to a local theatre in Pakistan, from Guatemala to New York, 120 producers across the globe put on White Rabbit, Red Rabbit at 8pm local time.

Soleimanpour is currently living in Berlin with his beautiful wife and dog and is busy finalizing his new play for the audiobook platform Audible, and a new play for Grob Theatre in Denmark.

Sponsors Tonight’s performance is part of a new series spotlighting local artists in the Prime Performances series. Funding support provided by University at Albany Foundation and University Auxiliary Services.

UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY FOUNDATION University Administration Building, 226 518-437-5090 www.albany.edu/uafoundation UNIVERSITY AUXILIARY SERVICES University Administration Building, 232 518-442-5950 www.albany.edu/uas

Have your next event here...

The UAlbany Performing Arts Center’s six theatres, three lounges and other spaces are available for rental.

PAC@albany.edu

(518) 442-3995

www.albany.edu/pac

Performing Arts Center university at albany State University of New York

HOUSE POLICIES Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the management and its staff. .

The use of photographic or recording devices of any kind during this performance is strictly prohibited. .

There is no food or drink allowed in the theatres, nor is smoking allowed in UAlbany buildings. .

To avoid disrupting the performance, kindly disable any noise making electronic devices you may have with you. .

Please take time to note the location of the fire exits nearest to you. In the event of an emergency, an announcement will be made from the stage. Please proceed to the nearest exit in an orderly fashion.

Created and produced by the University Art Museum, NYS Writers Institute and UAlbany Performing Arts Center in collaboration with WAMC Public Radio, this popular series features leading figures from a variety of artistic disciplines in conversation about their creative inspirations, their craft and their careers.

“Roundtable” host Joe Donahue conducts live on-stage interviews followed by a Q&A with the audience.

Dance in Albany

Urban Bush Women UAlbany Performing Arts Center September 20 & 21at 7:30pm

2022-23

MOMIX The Egg October 6 at 7:30pm

Limón Dance Company The Egg October 21 at 8pm

La Serpiente UAlbany Performing Arts Center November 13 at 7:30pm

ODC/Dance UAlbany Performing Arts Center January 27 at 7:30pm

NY Theatre Ballet & Bridgman|Packer Dance The Egg February 17 at 8pm

Paul Taylor Dance Company The Egg March 4 at 8pm

Buy all ten for only $130!

Pick any six and save 25% or choose four for savings of 10%

Packages available through

The Egg Box Office (518) 473-1845

theegg.org

Photo: Samantha Speis of Urban Bush Women, photo by Ian Douglas

Dublin Irish Dance The Egg March 18 at 7:30pm

SaViON GLOVeR & The CeLeBRaTeD ORCHeST’DaNCE RA The Egg April 22 at 8pm

Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company The Egg May 13 at 8pm

Troy, Albany, Schenectady and Saratoga Springs, NY

The UAlbany Performing Arts Center is no longer operating a box office. All ticketing is done on-line and can be easily navigated from the web site provided through the QR code above or address below.

www.albany.edu/pac