Native Gardens - Playbill

by Karen Zacarías September 6-24, 2023 Directed by Vanessa Severo

THE CAST & PRODUCTION TEAM

Cynthia Levin

Vanessa Severo

Tanya Brown

Mark Robbins

Merle Moores

Areli Gil

Justin Barron

FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR UNICORN THEATRE THIS SEASON HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY:

Opening Night: Saturday, September 9, 2023 UNICORN THEATRE PRESENTS

By Karen Zacarías Directed by Vanessa Severo THE CAST Frank Butley Virginia Butley Tania Del Valle Pablo Del Valle

Mark Robbins* Merle Moores* Areli Gil Justin Barron*

PRODUCTION TEAM Stage Manager Scenic & Props Designer Scenic Painter Lighting Designer Lead Electrician Sound Designer Costume Designer Production Assistant Production Assistant Sound Board Operator

Tanya Brown* Eric Palmquist Bethany Elliott Sally Farrand Taylor Sullivan David Kiehl Daniella Toscano Ashley Champion Daniel Vazquez Zach Oliver

* Denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association

NATIVE GARDENS is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

NATIVE GARDENS was commissioned and first produced by Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park under Blake Robison (Artistic Director) and Buzz Ward (Managing Director)

OUR SPONSOR

3828 MAIN STREET | KANSAS CITY, MO 64111 | (816) 531-7529 | UNICORNTHEATRE.ORG

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT Karen Zacarías (PLAYWRIGHT) was recently hailed by American Theater Magazine as one of the ten most-produced playwrights in the US. Her award-winning plays include The Copper Children, Destiny of Desire, Native Gardens, The Book Club Play, Legacy of Light, Mariela in the Desert, The Sins of Sor Juana and the adaptations of Just Like Us, Into the Beautiful North and How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent.

She is the author of ten renowned TYA musicals (including Ella Enchanted: The Musical) and the librettist of several ballets. She is one of the inaugural resident playwrights at Arena Stage, a core founder of the Latinx Theatre Commons – a large national organization of artists seeking to update the American narrative with the stories of Latinos – and she is the founder of the award-winning Young Playwrights’ Theater (YPT). YPT was cited by the Obama administration as one of the best artseducation programs on the nation. Karen was voted 2018 Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian Magazine for her advocacy work involving the arts. She is an inaugural 2019 Sine Fellow for Policy Innovation at American University and is selected by The League of Professional Theatre Women to receive the 2019 Lee Reynolds Award, given annually to a woman in theater who has helped illuminate the possibilities for social, cultural or political change. In 2021, Karen was awarded a United States Artists Fellowship award. Karen lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband and three children. www.KarenZacarias.com

THE CAST & PRODUCTION TEAM Cynthia Levin (PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR) is in her 45th season with the Unicorn. This will be her final season with the Theatre! Cynthia started at the Unicorn in 1979 as an actor, stage manager, designer and director. In 1983, she was offered the position of Artistic Director, which was to become the role of a lifetime. Since that time, she has worked on over 300 productions. Most recently Cynthia directed Refuge, Our Black Death and Bernhardt/Hamlet. Some of the other productions she has directed here are Bond, Vietgone, Chesapeake, Priscilla Queen Of The Desert: The Musical (co-directed with Missy Koonce), Eclipsed, Hand to God, Heathers: The Musical (again, with Missy), The Oldest Boy, Women Playing Hamlet (world premiere), Bad Jews, Grounded, Venus in Fur, My Name is Asher Lev, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Soul Collector (world premiere), Hungry (world premiere), Red, Two Jews Walk Into A War…, Distracted, Green Whales (world premiere), Miss Witherspoon, My First Time, The Clean House, Mauritius, 9 Parts of Desire, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Bat Boy: The Musical and additionally the world premieres of rightnextto me (both at the Unicorn and Geva Theatre Center, Rochester, NY), How His Bride Came to Abraham, Light:Damage, Mercy Killing, Innocent Thoughts and Jack and Jill. At Coterie Theatre, she has directed Number the Stars, And Then They Came for Me, Frankenstein, Gatherings in Graveyards (I and II), Valley Song and To Kill A Mockingbird. At the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., she directed readings of Our Black Death, Occupants, In The Belly Of The Whale, The Friendship Of Her Thighs, The Last Pair Of Earlies, Tigers Be Still and White Devil and Loving Mother for the MFA Playwright’s Workshop. Cynthia is a graduate of Park University which also awarded her an Honorary Doctorate in 2002. She is a founding board member of the National New Play Network, an organization dedicated to the development and production

THE CAST & PRODUCTION TEAM of new works. She has been honored with the Pinnacle Award for Excellence in the Arts, the Human Rights Campaign Equality Award and most recently the Kathryn V. Lamkey Award from the Actors’ Equity Association for her ongoing commitment to inclusion and diversity. She shares her home with Dublin, the precocious Golden Retriever rescue and the spirits of Dodger and Zia. Vanessa Severo (DIRECTOR) Past credits include: Unicorn Theatre: The Lifespan of a Fact; The Living Room Theatre: Nocturne, Milking Christmas; Spinning Tree Theatre: The Country of the Blind, Shipwrecked!; University of Missouri-Kansas City (graduate program): Antigonick, Constellations, Blood Wedding. MOVEMENT/ DIRECTION: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, as well as The Guthrie Theatre: Shane; The Living Room Theatre: Equus, Milking Christmas, The Death of Cupid; Spinning Tree Theatre: Children of Eden, Icarus Flew; The Coterie: The Wiz; National U.S. Army: What’s Your Warrior. AWARDS (2020 Kilroys List), 11th round of the 2017 Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellowships. Artist in Residence, Carlsbad, California 2021. TRAINING Certified in Suzuki Method and Viewpoints under the instruction of Ellen Lauren of SITI Company. www.vanessasevero.com UP NEXT: Dracula. Adapted and Directed by Vanessa Severo in collaboration with Joanie Schultz, at Cincinnati Playhouse in the park. Vanessa would like to thank her family for their endless support, and Cynthia Levin for making a home for artists for 50 years!

Mark Robbins (FRANK BUTLEY) is thrilled to return to the Unicorn stage - his previous appearance was in The Lifespan of a Fact. He has worked extensively as an actor and director for the last 40 years for virtually every theatre company in the greater Kansas City area.

Merle Moores (VIRGINIA BUTLEY) is more than delighted to be back at Unicorn Theatre where some of her favorite roles have been, A Perfect Ganesh, Other Desert Cities, Retreat From Moscow and Faith Healer. KC Rep favorites are August, Osage County, Death Of A Salesman, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, The Fantastics. Fond memories at Kansas City Actor’s Theatre Productions include Long Day’s Journey Into Night, A Lie Of The Mind and Mornings At Seven, Julius Caesar, Richard III and Midsummer Nights Dream at Heart of America Shakespeare Festival and other regional and local theatre productions of The Lion In Winter, Blythe Spirit, Private Lives, and many others. She appreciates our wonderful Kansas City audiences!! “Thank you!”

Areli Gil (TANIA DEL VALLE) is excited to return to the Unicorn stage after appearing in the rolling world premiere of Refuge last season. She would like to thank the cast, crew and Vanessa for an incredible experience. Tanya Brown you are salt to my pretzel, we would be nothing without you. To the designers, thank you for making us look good, grateful for all you do! To the extraordinary Unicorn staff, thank you for sharing your talents and passions with us. Cynthia, congratulations on your final season, your legacy will remain for many generations to come. Dublin, you’re doing great sweetie! What’s the best way to make a tree laugh? Tell it acorn-y joke.

Justin Barron (PABLO DEL VALLE) is delighted to return to the Unicorn for the big 50th season! A Kansas City native, Justin has worked over the last decade on

THE CAST & PRODUCTION TEAM many shows with the Unicorn Theatre, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, KC Rep, New Theatre Restaurant, and more! When not on stage, Justin enjoys playing tabletop games, cuddling his adorable son, and rooting for the Chiefs! Enjoy the show! If you are into D&D, check out his new business, Tipsy Bard KC, that runs fantasy-themed events! Insta: @tipsybardkc Tanya Brown (STAGE MANAGER) is in her 18th season with Unicorn Theatre. Some of her all-time favorites have been The Revolutionists, Venus in Fur, Hand to God, Cock, Stupid F##king Bird, and Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

Eric Palmquist (SCENIC & PROPS DESIGNER) is a graduate of the University of Kansas theatre program and a founding member of Terra Femina Collective.

Recent work includes Marys Seacole, Refuge, Clyde’s, The Sound Inside, Toni Stone, The Inheritance Parts 1 & 2, Tiny Beautiful Things, Our Black Death, Dance Nation, Pipeline, The Lifespan of a Fact, American Son, Babel, Bernhardt/Hamlet, Who’s Your Baghdaddy, The Revolutionists, The Humans (Unicorn Theatre), Caroline, or Change, Every Brilliant Thing, Billy Elliot (Spinning Tree), and A Moon for the Misbegotten (KCAT). An AEA member, he was last seen in Viper (Terra Femina) and Nomad Motel (Unicorn Theatre), and has performed with the Coterie, the Living Room Theatre, Equity Actors Reader Theatre, the MET, and the Buffalo Room.

Sally Farrand (LIGHTING DESIGNER) is excited to be working with the Unicorn again this season. This is her first solo design at the Unicorn after assistant designing multiple productions including: HIR, Who’s Your Baghdaddy?, and Refuge. Along with her work as a technician around the Kansas City metro area, Sally also mentors students at Raytown High School in their lighting designs. A special thank you to her husband, Spencer.

David Kiehl (SOUND DESIGNER) is excited to be back at the Unicorn where he has worked as sound designer for over 100 productions. Previous Unicorn productions date back to 1997 and include Sylvia, The Laramie Project, and Proof; more recently: Tiny Beautiful Things, Toni Stone, The Sound Inside, and Clyde’s, Marys Seacole, and Lungs. You may have heard his work around town at KCAT (Smart People, The Pests), the Living Room (Milking Christmas, Nocturne) and over 120 productions at the Coterie (Charlie Brown Christmas, Electric Poe, and Doctor Doolittle).

Daniella Toscano (COSTUME DESIGNER) is a Mexican-American costume designer and visual artist, originally from Southern California and raised in Las Vegas, NV. Alongside costume design projects, she’s also worked extensively in costume shops around the country and has developed skills in multimedia design to further explore theatrical storytelling in the digital landscape. She received her Masters in Fine Arts in Costume Design at the University of California, San Diego, and is interested in new works and reimagining the classics. Recent Costume Design credits include: The Secret Garden (Musical Theater Heritage); STEW, The Piano Lesson (Kansas City Melting Pot Theatre) Fefu and Her Friends (Riverside Theatre); El Huracán (Cygnet Theatre); The Who’s Tommy (Flint Repertory Theatre); Elephant (A World Premiere at Benchmark Theatre).

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

STAFF

President

Producing Artistic Director Cynthia Levin Director of Finance Jason Kralicek Director of Marketing Nathan Gwartney Director of Development Skylar Pappenfort Production Manager Taylor Jene Sullivan Technical Director Andy Peveler Box Office Manager Michael LeDesma Social Media Coordinator Josh Grinlinton Production Stage Manager Tanya Brown Front of House Staff Todd Becker, Cheryl Benge,

Sally Everhart

Vice President

Kirsty Melville

Treasurer

Michael Nonbello Secretary

Meredith Webster Kevin Gabriel Carol Gee Cynthia Levin Annie Swartz Amy Wright

Anthony Beyer, Christopher Carlson, Megan Forbes, Paula Fry, Andrew Gosling, Daniel Harkins, Imani Lewis, Tshombe Locke, Ethan Platt, Emma Post, Anna Sell, & Rosie Thomas Photography Cynthia Levin

UNICORN THEATRE’S MISSION Unicorn Theatre enhances the Kansas City community by developing and producing high-quality, thought-provoking plays that have never been seen in the region. We illuminate social issues by shining a light on diversity and inclusive stories which include race, religion and gender identity. Unicorn creates opportunities for the advancement of emerging and established actors, directors, playwrights, designers, technicians and administrative staff.

VISION STATEMENT By producing provocative new plays Unicorn Theatre fosters the next generation of great American writers and artists, creating innovative and intimate theatrical experiences that transcend the ordinary. We inspire the community to think and feel deeply; to see the world in new and different ways. Unicorn strives to be one of the preeminent homes for new plays in the country.

AFFILIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS Unicorn Theatre is a constituent of Actors’ Equity Association; Theatre Communications Group, Inc.; The National New Play Network; Missouri Citizens for the Arts; The Downtown Council; Main Street Development Corporation; Nonprofit Connect; Urban Core Group; and The Kansas City Convention and Visitors Bureau.