Luna

A play for young audiences

BY RAMÓN ESQUIVEL

April 20–23, 2017 Oscar G. Brockett Theatre

BY RAMÓN ESQUIVEL APRIL 20–22 AT 7:30 P.M. APRIL 22, 23 AT 2:00 P.M.

OSCAR G. BROCKETT THEATRE F. LOREN WINSHIP BUILDING

THEATREDANCE.UTEXAS.EDU

Jessica Forte – Stage Manager . Laura Gonzalez – Costume Designer Matthew Hernandez – Dramaturg . J.E. Johnson – Technical Director Victor Martinez – Music Director . Mercedes Trinidad McCleary – Lighting Designer Roxanne Schroeder-Arce – Director . Lino Toyos – Scenic Designer . Ally Tufenkjian – Producer

CAST (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE)

Luna ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Si Mon’ Emmett Soledad ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ Laura Valdez-Oranday Mama ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Diana Patricia Guizado Garza Papa ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Andrew Valdez Girl ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Ximena Alvarez Boy ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Devin Ray Ramirez Swing 1/Ensemble ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ Alexandra Sanchez Swing 2/Ensemble ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������James Andrew Sifuentes Clown 1 ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Morgan Stuart Clown 2 ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Miguel Ángel Lozano Frida ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Manuela Guerra Fletcher Emilio ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� JJ Cortez There will be no intermission.

There will be a brief post-show discussion following each performance with the dramaturg discussing how this play engages younger audiences.

Produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, Illinois.

NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR As we began rehearsals for Luna, my family and I were also preparing to participate in the Women’s Day March. I made a sign with the popular quotation: “If you build a wall, I will raise my child to tear it down.” In marching for women’s rights, I was reminded that theatre, too, has the potential to serve as an act of resistance and solidarity. Performing Luna today in Austin (and touring to area elementary schools) is, indeed, part of our movement; a movement to support young people in not only tearing down walls, but celebrating diverse experiences. As we read about and watched friends and family members being deported from the U.S., the students involved in this production have invested in theatre as an act of solidarity. As an artist and educator, I believe we have a responsibility to help children develop a pluralistic view of the world. This story in particular is a joy to retell, offering a critical counter-narrative to the stories and US policies around people of color, immigrants and mass deportation. Art can and should tear down walls and build bridges. Thank you for engaging in Soledad’s journey and the journey of so many children in our country like her. I hope this production offers opportunities to consider strength and connection in our country and our communities.

NOTE FROM THE DRAMATURG Research shows that children, more than anyone, need consistency in their lives to function and develop appropriately alongside their peers. This story is about a girl who finds that constant for herself despite the roadblocks in her way. Soledad was dealt a hand in life that many of us have not directly lived for ourselves, but we are invited today to understand the humanity behind Soledad and her family’s way of life. As you enjoy the fruits of our labor in today’s production, remember who these characters are and where they fit in the world in which we all occupy.

The Department of Theatre and Dance is a world-class educational environment that serves as the ultimate creative incubator for the next generation of artists, thinkers and leaders in theatre and performance.

CREATIVE JESSICA FORTE (Stage Manager) is a fourthyear B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in stage management. She recently served as the stage manager for Lost Girl (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2016), a new play by thirdyear M.F.A. in Playwriting candidate Kimberly Belflower. Upon graduating in May, Forte plans to pursue a career in stage management.

LAURA GONZALEZ (Costume Designer) is a second-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in costume design from Austin, Texas. This is her first main stage production with Texas Theatre and Dance. She served as an assistant to E.L. Hohn for UTNT (UT New Theatre) (2016) and designed work for seven other student productions and two graduate thesis projects.

MATTHEW HERNANDEZ (Dramaturg) is a fourth-year B.F.A. in Theatre Studies major at The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance. He has previously performed and directed in both main stage and studentproduced productions within the department.

Hernandez has served as a research assistant to director Roxanne Schroeder-Arce for the past two years and and recently premiered Work, a devised piece presented at The Cohen New Works Festival (2017).

J.E. JOHNSON (Technical Director) grew up in McPherson, Kansas and has shepherded over 100 productions at Texas Performing Arts. He has adapted his apprentice-based approach to teach children how to construct clocks, Rube Goldberg machines and other Marvels with the DeBusk Enrichment Center for Academically Talented Scholars and the Austin Tinkering Schools. In 2015, he co-founded Maker Ready, a consulting a product company that works directly with teachers to bring hands-on, projectbased learning into elementary classrooms.

VICTOR MARTINEZ (Music Director) began performing in orchestras and mariachi ensembles at a young age in Weslaco, Texas.

Martinez has had extensive experience performing mariachi music internationally and currently performs with Mariachi Los Gallos of Austin, Texas.

MERCEDES TRINIDAD MCCLEARY (Lighting Designer) is a second-year M.F.A. in Design and Technology candidate with a focus in lighting design. She recently designed the lighting for all four productions of UTNT (UT New Theatre) (2017) as well as Dry Land (2016).

ROXANNE SCHROEDER-ARCE (Director) is a scholar, artist and pedagogue who teaches theatre education at the Department of Theatre and Dance. Schroeder-Arce’s bilingual plays Señora Tortuga, Legend of Poinsettia, Sangre de un Ángel and Mariachi Girl are published by Dramatic Publishing and have been produced throughout the United States. Her research interests including culturally responsive theatre education and Latino/a theatre for and with youth. She has published articles in journals such as Youth Theatre Journal and Theatre Topics. Roxannearce.com LINO TOYOS (Scenic Designer) is a freelance designer for theatre, exhibitions and interiors from New York to Singapore. He studied art and architecture at the University of Colorado and scenic design at the North Carolina School of the Arts.

ALLY TUFENKJIAN (Producer) is an M.F.A. in Drama and Theatre for Youth and Communities candidate with a B.A. in Liberal Arts from The New School. As a teaching artist, she has taught for organizations including the CommunityWord Project, Green Generations and the CUNY Creative Arts Team. She was the program manager for HealthClass2.0, a wellness nonprofit which services low-income public schools and was a company member and producer for Infinite Variety Productions, a non-profit theatre company that produces plays and educational experiences surrounding women’s history. allyteaches.com

CAST

Si Mon’ Emmett

Laura ValdezOranday

Diana Patricia Guizado Garza

Andrew Valdez

Ximena Alvarez

Devin Ray Ramirez

Alexandra Sanchez

James Andrew Sifuentes

Morgan Stuart

Miguel Ángel Lozano

Manuela Guerra Fletcher

JJ Cortez

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CAST SI MON’ EMMETT (Luna) is a native of Dallas, Texas an an alumna of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

She has been actively involved in the arts for 13 years and is currently a third-year B.F.A. in Theatre Studies major at The University of Texas at Austin pursuing a teaching certification.

She has worked with Dallas Children’s Theatre (Dallas), Victory Gardens Theatre (Chicago), The Vortex and Teatro Vivo (Austin).

LAURA VALDEZ-ORANDAY (Soledad) is currently a second-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance also pursuing a degree in advertising. She plans to utilize her areas of study in order to work in the entertainment industry upon graduation.

Previous roles include “Audrey” in Little Shop of Horrors, “Helen” in The Miracle Worker and “Hermia” in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

DIANA PATRICIA GUIZADO GARZA (Mama) began performing in Mexico. She is a transfer student pursuing a B.A. in Theatre and Dance with an emphasis in performer’s process. Most recently, she performed in SXSW Interactive with MACNAS and as “Nina” in Nuestra Pastorela (Teatro Vivo). Upon graduating, she plans to pursue social justice through her art.

ANDREW VALDEZ (Papa) is a fourth-year B.F.A. in Theatre Studies major at The University of Texas at Austin. He is currently directing 105 by Daria Miyeko Marinelli and acting in Jose Casa’s antonia as part of The Cohen New Works Festival (2017). After graduating in May 2017, Valdez plans to continue a career in arts administration.

XIMENA ALVAREZ (Girl) is a second-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major making her debut with Texas Theatre and Dance. She began performing in high school in the San Antonio Area. Previous roles include “Chris Boone” in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and “Conrad” in Much Ado About Nothing.

DEVIN RAY RAMIREZ (Boy) is a first-year B.F.A. in Acting major at The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance. He

was recently seen in Fahrenheit 451 (Different Stages).

ALEXANDRA SANCHEZ (Swing 1) became involved in theatre in middle school. She was recently the lighting designer for Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them and the master electrician for the opera Suor Angelica.

She also performed as the lead in both Cielito Lindo and Kinderliminal. After graduating in May 2018 with a B.A. in Theatre and Dance, Sanchez plans to pursue acting professionally.

JAMES ANDREW SIFUENTES (Swing 2) is a B.A. in Theatre and Dance major who began performing at Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Memorial High School. Sifuentes grew up near the border of Mexico, playing baseball and football in his hometown of Alamo, Texas. After graduating in May 2020, he plans to pursue a career and represent the Latino community on Broadway.

MORGAN STUART (Clown 1) is a third-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She recently performed in As You Like It, directed by Jim Daniels, and Adam and Eve Eat Again, a short film directed

by Joel Fendelman.

MIGUEL ÁNGEL LOZANO (Clown 2) is a firstyear B.F.A. in Acting student. He began acting in seventh grade and has recently performed as “Paul” in Six Degrees of Separation and “Randle P. McMurphy” in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest.

MANUELA GUERRA FLETCHER (Frida) is a first-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major. This is her first performance at Texas Theatre and Dance. Previous roles include “Ensemble” in Godspell and “Carol” in bobrauschenbergamerica as well as serving as the assistant stage manager for Hairspray and the assistant stage manager in Smoke.

JJ CORTEZ (Emilio) is a B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in performance.

Recent performances include works with Alpha Psi Omega and Round About Players, including

CAST “El-Fayoumy” in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot; “Old Man Strong” in Urinetown, the musical; “Rose” in Alice in Wonderland and “Booger” in

The Topa Texas Chili Cook-Off. Upon graduating in May 2019, he plans to move to Los Angeles or New York to work professionally.

DIRECTOR’S COUNCIL The Department of Theatre and Dance Director’s Council is a premier volunteer group designed to foster strong and collaborative connections between The University of Texas at Austin and the local community by supporting initiatives in marketing, public relations, student recruitment and development. As advocates for the department, this group of alumni, parents and fine arts supporters play a key role in continuing to build a professional theatre and dance training program serving thousands of talented Texans for generations.

2016/2017 DIRECTOR’S COUNCIL MEMBERS Carol Smith Adams Francesca Brockett and Jim Pedicano Barrett Bruce Jean Cheever Joanne Crosby Dee Dawson Laura Eastman

Gary Farmer JoLynn Free Missy Grimes Pam and Edmund McIlhenny Annie McKinnon Debbie Oliver Miriam Relyea

Diane Robinson Russ Sartain Nancy Scanlan Marc Seriff Laura Sheffield Karen Skolnik Leah Stolar Sharon Watkins

CREW ASSISTANT DIRECTORS CORTNEY MCENIRY SAMANTHA PROVENZANO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM BRANDON DE LEON IRIS GOMEZ MATTHEW HERNANDEZ STEPHANIE KENT HANNAH WINKLER SCENIC STUDIO SUPERVISOR J.E. JOHNSON SCENIC ART SUPERVISOR KAREN MANESS ASSOCIATE SCENIC STUDIO SUPERVISOR JASON HUERTA MASTER CARPENTER HANK SCHWEMMER ASSISTANT CHARGE SCENIC ARTIST KARA KONOP GRADUATE PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS ZOE ANDERSON IMAN CORBANI ADMINISTRATIVE ASSITANT SAMANTHA HINDERT PRODUCTION LEADS JARED HORN CHRISTINA JANSEN ASHTON MURPHY REED NEAL GOBI-KLA VONAN PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS JACOB CAIRE ARRI CAVINESS SHANE COLWELL TAYLOR COOPER LIAM DOLAN-HENDERSON CARLY DOLLINGER BEN MONTERO BRIAN NGUYEN CHRISTIAN SCHELLER NYLES WASHINGTON NAT WATKINS RYAN WELLMAN HENRY WHEATLEY-RUTNER GABE WILLIAMSON

PROP MASTER CAROLYN HARDIN PROP SHOP GRADUATE ASSISTANTS DAVID MOLINA GARZA PROP ARTISANS JACKIE PEREZ TAYLOR TRAVIS MORGAN STUART

WARDROBE CREW SUPERVISOR VANESSA LOPEZ WARDROBE CREW MIKAELA KELAREK LAYNIE MCCLELLAND

PROP STOCK MANAGER LINDSEY DENNIS

COSTUME CRAFTS ARTISAN TANYA OLALDE

PROPS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT LINDSEY DENNIS

COSTUME CRAFTS ASSISTANT ALEXANDER GREER JACQUELINE HEIMEL

PROP CONSTRUCTION CREW ALÉ GARZA MADELEINE HAYES DIAMANTE MARTINEZ AMENA MASSWI ANDREW RODRIGUEZ CATHERINE SABA CARLIE SCHOULTZ SCENERY/PROPS CREW JACOB BASQUEZ TAIZHA CHRISTENSEN CARLOS DAVILA AARON PITMAN COSTUME SHOP SUPERVISOR PATRICIA M. RISSER COSTUME PROJECT MANAGER PATRICIA M. RISSER DRAPERS SARAH ALDRIDGE BETTY CHLYSTEK 1ST HANDS CHEN CHUNG KANG AARON KUBACAK STITCHERS MIA BARRERA EVELYN BRADEY LIRIT PENDELL BECKY X PHUNG COSTUME SHOP ASSOCIATE SUPERVISOR DARCY WEBERG

SCENIC ART INTERNS CAROL ENDICOT TAYLOR JONES MIGUEL TAMEZ CHRISTIANA THOMAS

COSTUME PRODUCTION CREW TEACHING ASSISTANTS ANANDA KEATOR MARIKA WYNNE

PROPERTIES SUPERVISOR REBECCA SWITZER

COSTUME CONSTRUCTION CREW MEGAN BIEDIGER JILLIAN GRISKO HOPE HIGGINS EMMA HUFF JENNEFER MARTINEZ ERYN NOTHCUTT CHRISTINA POZZI CONNOR SULLIVAN

PROPERTIES ASSISTANT SUPERVISOR CAROLYN HARDIN

WIG AND MAKEUP SPECIALIST ALLISON LOWERY

COSTUME SHOP OFFICE ASSISTANTS TYLER COFIELD TORI HUSTING COSTUME STOCK SUPERVISOR E.L. HOHN COSTUME STOCK ASSISTANTS RAMA TCHUENTE EMILY VIALPANDO 324P LIGHTING FACULTY SUPERVISOR AUSTIN SHIRLEY TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS SUPERVISING ELECTRICIAN MIKELA COWAN TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS LIGHTING SUPERVISOR JEFF ELLINGER SENIOR LIGHTING TECHNICIANS YITAI CHUNG CHIAN-ANN LU ALEX HANNA MERCEDES MCCLEARY AARON CURRY JIAJING QI TEXAS THEATRE AND DANCE LIGHTING CREW KARLA ALVAREZ JACOB BRINKS HALEY BROWER ROSEANNE CARREON DAVID ESTES CLAIRE HARDWICK DAVID HERNANDEZ VICTORIA HUSTING BONNIE MCENNIS LESLY REZA OLGUIN MIRANDA PERKINS CARRINGTON QUEZADA LAURA VALDEZ-ORANDAY TIFFANY WATSON TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS LIGHTING CREW JESSICA FORTE CASEY CANAMAR SHIMSHON ZEEVI LIGHT BOARD OPERATOR RYAN CRUZ

FOLLOW SPOT OPERATOR GRAYSEN SMETZER AUDIO SUPERVISOR MICHAEL MALAK MEDIA BOARD SUPERVISOR MATTHEW SMITH MEDIA CREW JOSHUA COLE COSME FLORES KATHERINE LOZANO LUKE MIRE KRISTEN RANEY TEODORO SANTIESTEBAN MACKINLEE WADDELL JESSE WORMINGTON STAGE MANAGEMENT ADVISOR RUSTY CLOYES COSTUME DESIGN ADVISOR SUSAN MICKEY COSTUME TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR JAMES GLAVAN LIGHTING DESIGN ADVISOR MICHELLE HABECK INTEGRATED MEDIA DESIGN ADVISOR SVEN ORTEL DRAMATURG ADVISORS ANDREW CARLSON LIZ ENGELMAN SCENIC DESIGN ADVISOR WILLIAM BLOODGOOD COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ADVISORS MEGAN ALRUTZ ANDREW CARLSON LIZ ENGELMAN ACADEMIC PRODUCTION MANAGER JEFF GRAPKO PHOTOGRAPHER LAWRENCE PEART GRAPHIC DESIGNER MORGAN BATHE