1718 rep season | spring 1 rep 1 playbill_website.pdfnolan fitzgerald hennelly ... for viola de...

EVITASHAKESPEARE IN LOVEMORNING AFTER GRACERHINOCEROSROEGLORIARAGTIMEJUNGLE BOOK

17 18 REP SEASON | SPRING 1

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Stage Management ApprenticeKELLIE McMENEMON

Dramaturgy & Casting ApprenticeKRISTOPHER KARCHER

PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MICHAEL DONALD EDWARDS MANAGING DIRECTOR LINDA DIGABRIELEPROUDLY PRESENTS

THE ASOLO REPERTORY THEATRE PRODUCTION OF

Scenic Design SCOTT DAVIS

Costume DesignSUSAN MICKEY

Lighting DesignROBERT WIERZEL

Sound DesignRAY NARDELLI

Composer/Music DirectorNEIL BARTRAM

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Fight Director MATT HAWKINS

Chicago CastingSIMON CASTING

New York CastingPAUL HARDT,

STEWART/WHITLEYLocal Casting

CELINE ROSENTHALHair/Wig & Make-up Design

MICHELLE HART

Voice & Dialect CoachPATRICIA DELOREY

Stage ManagerNIA SCIARRETTA*

Assistant Stage ManagerDEVON MUKO*

DramaturgPAUL ADOLPHSEN

Production Stage ManagerKELLY A. BORGIA*

Directing FellowSTEVEN WILSON

Student Costume AssistantAMANDA MOORE

Stage Management ApprenticeMATTHEW BROOKS

ORIGINALLY PRODUCED ON THE WEST END BY DISNEY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS AND SONIA FRIEDMAN PRODUCTIONS, DIRECTED BY DECLAN DONNELLAN, AND DESIGNED BY NICK ORMEROD, WITH MUSIC BY PADDY CUNNEEN.

Directors are members of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society; Designers are members of the United Scenic Artists Local USA-829; Backstage and Scene Shop Crew are members of IATSE Local 412.

Shakespeare in Love is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.

The videotaping or making of electronic or other audio and/or visual recordings of this production or distributing recordings on any medium, including the internet, is strictly prohibited, a violation of the authors’ rights and actionable under United States copyright law.

For more information, please visit: www.samuelfrench.com/whitepaper

Thank you to the members of Asolo Rep’s Artistic Excellence Society for your gifts to enhance our production of Shakespeare in Love.ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE SOCIETY LEADERSHIP CIRCLE

Carole Crosby, Ruby E. and Carole Crosby Family Foundation

SOCIETY MEMBERSAnonymous • Edward Alley, in honor and loving memory of June LeBell • George Allison and Alan Watkins • Beverly and Bob Bartner •

Betty-Jean and David Bavar • Bobbi and Don Bernstein • Susan and Jim Buck • Dale Horwitz Clayton, in memory of Arlan Clayton • Susan ComeauAnnie Esformes, in loving memory of Nate Esformes • Bill Evans • Herman and Sharon Frankel • Edward T. Gardner and Liza J. McKeever-Gardner

Teri A Hansen, in loving memory of Stephen VC Wilberding • Ben and Judith Handelman • Larry and Debbie Haspel • Nona Macdonald HeaslipHuisking Foundation • Nancy Markle • Richard and Cornelia Matson • Heather Reid and Graham Morris • Maurice Richards and Jack Kesler

Flori Roberts • Alan Rose • Richard and Gail Rubin • Judy Rudges • Paul and Sharon Steinwachs • Wes and Nancy Stukenberg �e Tate Family Foundation, Inc. • Ed and Mary Lou Winnick • Geri and Ron Yonover • Judy Zuckerberg and George Kole • Michael Zuckerberg

LIFETIME HONORARY MEMBER David Peterson | SOCIETY FOUNDERS Lee and Bob Peterson, in memoriam

THE ASOLO REPERTORY THEATRE PRODUCTION OF

Based on the screenplay by MARC NORMAN and TOM STOPPARDAdapted for the stage by LEE HALLDirected by RACHEL ROCKWELL

Lighting ProgrammerJACKSON MILLER

CO-PRODUCERSAnnie Esformes, in loving memory of Nate Esformes • Mike and Ellen Esposito • Ivan and Marilyn Kushen

Judy Rudges • Judy Zuckerberg and George Kole


Shakespeare in Love SPONSORS

CASTin order of appearance

JORDAN BROWN*…………………………………………………………………………Will ShakespeareMATT MUELLER*◊….……………………………………………………………………………..Kit MarloweJACK WETHERALL*……………………………………………………………….………………….HensloweDAVID LIVELY*……..………………………………………………………………………………..FennymanMATTHEW MCGEE*..…….…………………………………………………….……………Lambert/WabashANDREW BOSWORTH†………….……………………………………………………………Frees/EnsembleDAVID BREITBARTH*……………………………………………………………………….…………BurbageCOLLEEN LAFEBER………………………………………………….……………Mistress Quickly/EnsembleMATT DECARO*…………………………………………………………………Tilney/Sir Robert de LessepsSTING THE DOG ………………………………………………………………………………………….SpotPEGGY ROEDER*.……………………………………………………………………………Queen ElizabethALEKSANDR KRAPIVKIN..……………………………………………………………….Valentine/EnsembleLAURA ROOK*………………………………………………………………………………Viola de LessepsCATHERINE SMITKO*…..……….…………………………………………………………….………….NurseREX WILLIS…………………………………………………………………………………………….MusicianANTHONY J. HAMILTON≠ . …………………………………………………………………Ralph/EnsembleNOLAN FITZGERALD HENNELLY……………………………………………………………….Nol/EnsembleDUSTIN BABIN………………………………………………………………….…………….Robin/EnsembleWES TOLMAN..………………………………………………………………….……………Adam/EnsembleADDISON RUSCOE..……………………………………………………….……………………John WebsterBRANDON DAHLQUIST*..…………………………………………………………………..………….WessexNATE BURGER*…………………………………………………………………………………….Ned AlleynCHRISTOPHER CARLSON .……………………………..………………………………………Sam/EnsembleKEDREN SPENCER≠..………………………..……………………………….………………Molly/EnsembleMARY ELLEN EVERETT……………………………. . …………………………….……………Kate/EnsembleAMY HELMS...……………………………………..…………………………………………………EnsembleAMBER LAGEMAN…………………………..…………………………………………………………….Ensemble

* Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

† Dance Captain | ◊ Fight Captain | ≠ Appears courtesy of Actors' Equity Association

UNDERSTUDIESUnderstudies never substitute for listed players unless a speci�c announcement for the appearance is made at the time of the performance.

For Will Shakespeare: NOLAN FITZGERALD HENNELLY; for Kit Marlowe and Nol: JOSEPH HETTERLY; for Henslowe: CREG SCLAVI; for Fennyman and Frees: JOSEPH FERRARELLI; for Lambert/Wabash and Ralph: MARC BITLER; for Burbage: DUSTIN BABIN; for Mistress Quickly/Ensemble: CARLA CORVO; for Tilney/Sir Robert de Lesseps: WES TOLMAN; for Spot: HENLEY THE DOG; for Queen Elizabeth: MARY ELLEN EVERETT; for Valentine and Wessex: JONATHAN GRUNERT;

for Viola de Lesseps: AMBER McNEW; for Nurse: COLLEEN LAFEBER; for Robin and Sam: MICHAEL JUDAH; for Adam and Ned Alleyn: BRIAN RITCHIE; for John Webster: TYLER TAFFET GEVAS; for Molly/Ensemble: JILLIAN CICALESE; for Kate: ALEX PELLETIER

SETTINGLondon, 1593

Shakespeare in Love will be performed with one intermission.

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“...art has the power

to transform people,

communities, and cultures.

Art inspires people to rise

up against oppression,

prejudices, and bigotry.”

RACHEL ROCKWELL

DirectorThis is your second production of Shakespeare in Love, what surprising things have you discovered about this play?When I started my work, I was setting out to do a romantic comedy. I so loved the �lm and have watched it countless times through that lens. But now what I also see is a play that is making an imperative, compelling statement about the importance of art, the power of art, in a society. Of course, this is historical �ction, but the story it tells is true: art has the power to transform people, communities, and cultures. Art inspires people to rise up against oppression, prejudices, and bigotry. That’s what art does.

What do these characters �nd in the theater?I love the pretend nature of it…because none of this happened, but we want to believe that it could have. We want to believe that Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, and Shakespeare's other works came from this deep and abiding love. It’s wonderful to watch Will’s journey from a petulant braggart to someone we believe could be the writer of these words that we love so much. And Viola, who gets to live out the fantasy of what it would be like to get to be an actor in a troupe of players when it was illegal and forbidden. This is what I love so much about this story. How art is so transformative, and through process and truth in storytelling these characters become the best version of themselves.

What can you tell us about the music?The cinematic quality of this script demands that we move from scene to scene �uidly, and so the music in the transitions has to keep the emotional ball in the air. Shakespeare’s plays are structured like musicals, so underscoring

the text with music only serves to enhance the emotional take-away for the audience. The musical motif does so much work, functioning a lot like Shakespeare’s language: it’s all about dynamics; it’s all about tempo, buoying the thought through to the end of the line.

Christopher Marlowe plays an interesting—and signi�cant—role in this story, and particularly in the script adapted for the stage.I love that Stoppard, Norman, and book writer Lee Hall take all the mythology and scandal surrounding Marlowe’s life and weave it, lovingly, into their own story. Marlowe is the force that shakes Will out of his writer’s block and inspires him to push himself. In the stage production, we watch Marlowe prompt Will from the shadows (like Cyrano). And Marlowe’s death inspires Will to write this incredibly powerful scene of Romeo’s grief following Mercutio’s death, written from the point of view of the boy/man who lacks emotional maturity and doesn’t yet know how to channel his emotions into anything other than rage and despair. Shakespeare in Love gives that mythology swirling around Marlowe a purpose in a way that feels not scandalous, but lovely.

What do you hope people will take from this experience?I see this play showing how human emotions are timeless. These are the same feelings and the same struggles that we have now. We hear very contemporary language side by side with Shakespeare’s exquisite words. [We] see Shakespeare’s struggle in creating his art, and witness how relationships and life experiences inspire an artist to create a work of art. As the authors imagine his character, Shakespeare is so self-absorbed that, without Viola and their relationship, he would never have left a legacy. Will thought he was writing for himself, but Viola shows him that he is writing for the world. It goes beyond ego and becomes instead about creating a work of art that transcends history.

Edited and reprinted with permission by Chicago Shakespeare Theater.Special Thanks to Jo Cattell for Dramaturgical Materials.

Interview with


�ough he is one of the most studied literary

�gures of all time, there are few

actual written records of William

Shakespeare’s life. Because

historians know so little about the

Bard, many scholars around the

world believe that the work we

attribute to William Shakespeare

was not written by a singular

person, but rather by multiple

dramatists. Others believe

Shakespeare was a pen name for

an artist hidden in the shadows.

Over the years, countless scholars

and artists including Robert Green,

Mark Twain, Mark Rylance, Orson

Welles, and Sigmund Freud have

all questioned the authorship of

Shakespeare’s plays.

These accusations are not

completely unwarranted. Theatre

has always been a collaborative

art form, especially in Elizabethan

England where plays were often

rehearsed from memory and

later transcribed. Even today, as

new plays develop, playwrights

work with directors, dramaturgs,

and actors to help polish their

work. So if it wasn’t the Bard

himself, who did write William

Shakespeare’s plays? Here are

three options historians believe

are possible.

Is Not The Truth The Truth?

By Kristopher Karcher

MARY SIDNEYMany believed Mary Sidney, born in 1561, was the most educated woman in London, next to the Queen herself. Under her own name, Sidney published one play, which was read only in the home. However, like Viola in Shakespeare in Love, she may have been able to publicly produce her work under a man’s name. As evidence for Sidney’s authorship, historians cite the many dedications to her in Shakespeare’s work, as well as her longtime a�air with Dr. Matthew Lister, which parallels Shakespeare’s sonnets. Her own play, Antonius, inspired Shakespeare’s Anthony and Cleopatra.

CHRISTOPHER MARLOWEOne theory, also suggested in Shakespeare in Love, is that fellow playwright Christopher Marlowe had some hand in Shakespeare’s works. The main theory claims that Christopher Marlowe, who was allegedly killed in a tavern brawl in 1593, actually faked his death and continued writing under the disguise of Shakespeare. Though this conspiracy is wildly outlandish, the theory that Marlowe helped Shakespeare while he was alive does hold some clout. In 2016, using the latest tools of textual analysis, an edition of the The New Oxford Shakespeare cited Marlowe with having written parts of the �rst Shakespeare plays to be performed: Henry VI, parts 1, 2, and 3.

SIR FRANCIS BACON Sir Francis Bacon is another popular candidate for Shakespeare’s ghostwriter. Bacon was a graduate of Cambridge and worked as a legal advisor to the Crown. Bacon published many of his writings secretly. His friends referred to him as "the precious gem of concealed literature." Mysteriously, Bacon’s signature is found throughout Shakespeare’s folio. In a letter to the Earl of Devonshire, Bacon wrote that he was the source of the Shakespeare play, Richard II, “which though it grew from me,” he said, “went after about in other’s names.”

Who really wrote

➋

➊

➌

Shakespeare's Plays?

asolorep.org | SPRING REP 1 05

ROMANCE, ADVENTURE and a Bit With a Dog

�e �eatre in London,1593 was enormously

popular with all strata of society, from the Queen to the peasant,

despite the fact that religious and civic leaders saw the stage as a

hotbed of vice. With such an eager audience, the theatre business itself

was cutthroat. Acting companies and theatre managers fought

to produce the hottest new play.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: In 1593 Will Shakespeare was an emerging playwright who’d found some success with his plays about King Henry VI.

CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE: The author of blockbuster hits starring the one and only Ned Alleyn, Marlowe was rumored to be a secret agent of Queen Elizabeth.

RICHARD BURBAGE: Burbage was one of Shakespeare’s closest collaborators, playing Othello, Hamlet, King Lear, and Richard III to great acclaim. Later in his career, Burbage and his actor brother built the famous Globe Theatre.

EDWARD “NED” ALLEYN: Married to Philip Henslowe’s step-daughter, Ned was considered one of the greatest actors of his time. Queen Elizabeth adored him.

The Players

Compiled by Paul Adolphsen

THE CURTAIN THEATRELocated in Shoreditch,

from 1597-99 the Curtain was home to Shakespeare’s

company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men.

➊

The Theatres➋

THE ROSE THEATRE Located in Bankside, a district that

housed brothels, bear baiting, and other popular attractions. The

Admiral’s Men, Henslowe’s company, performed here in the 1590s.

“Let me explain about the theatre business. The natural

condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to

imminent disaster.” —Philip Henslowe in Shakespeare in Love

“Comedy. That’s what they want. Love and a bit with a dog.” —Philip Henslowe in Shakespeare in Love

WOMEN ON STAGEWomen did not appear on the stage.

Such was the public outrage over female performers that in 1629, visiting

French actresses were hissed o� theLondon stage and pelted with apples.

One writer called them “monsters.”

PHILIP HENSLOWE: A wealthy producer with business acumen, Henslowe was a theatrical impresario who ran the popular Rose Theatre.

EDMUND TILNEY: Master of the Revels to Queen Elizabeth. A play could only be performed if it received Tilney’s signature. If his approval was lacking, the producers would be thrown in jail.

JOHN WEBSTER: Murder, treachery, and adultery were common subjects in Webster’s plays, which he wrote under contract for Henslowe.

bit with a dog.—Shakespeare in Love


“The theatre. A pit of sedition, filth,

and treachery” —Edmund Tilney in Shakespeare in Love

“THE HEAVENS”Actors could enter from above

the stage attached to ropes. Flower petals were often dropped

from this area at the happy end of a comedy.

“HELL”A trapdoor used for graves or as a place where witches and

ghosts appear.

SCENIC DESIGNCompanies didn’t build sets. They’d sometimes use props, like a dagger or pig’s blood. Writers included description

of the setting in dialogue.

COSTUMESActors wore the latest

fashions, instead of wearing costumes

re�ecting the setting of the play.

THE WEALTHY came to the theatre to be seen. Nobles could pay for a seat in the galleries above the stage. Cushions were extra.

GROUNDLINGS One penny bought a loaf of bread or a spot in the “pit,” where “groundlings” stood and watched the play. Groundlings could buy pippins (apples), oranges, nuts, and ale. The groundlings came to the theatre to have a good time. They would boo the villains and cheer the heroes. Fights often broke out. Theft was common.

The Acting Companies➌

Acting companies were hierarchical. “SHARERS” were actors who held a stake in the company and divided the pro�ts. The young men who played female roles – like Sam in Shakespeare in Love – were poorly paid apprentices.

THE LONDON PUBLIC was hungry for new plays, and acting companies delivered, producing some thirty to forty premieres a year. To prevent rival companies from stealing their new play, managers would lock up the manuscript and actors only learned their speci�c lines. speci�c lines.

se•di•tion ...rabble-rousing,

incitement to rebel, troublemaking, mutiny.

›

›

The Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesThe Acting CompaniesTHE LONDON PUBLIC was hungry for new plays, and acting companies delivered, producing some thirty to forty

›

›

Acting companies competed with other popular entertainments, namely the public houses and brothels. The blood sport of bear baiting, which pit a dog against an enraged bear, was extremely lucrative.


A trapdoor used for graves or as a place where witches and

Actors wore the latest

re�ecting the setting ghosts appear.where witches and

“Stage love will never be real love

until we women can be onstage

ourselves.” —Viola in

Shakespeare in Love

Stage Management ApprenticeMATTHEW BROOKS

Dramaturgy & Casting ApprenticeKRISTOPHER KARCHER


SCENIC & COSTUME DESIGNROBERT PERDZIOLA

LIGHTING DESIGNCHRISTOPHER OSTROM

ORIGINAL MUSIC & SOUND DESIGNJOE CERQUA

HAIR/WIG & MAKE-UP DESIGNMICHELLE HART

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CHICAGO CASTINGSIMON CASTING

NEW YORK CASTINGPAUL HARDT,

STEWART/WHITLEYLOCAL CASTING

CELINE ROSENTHALFIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER

MARK ROSE

VOICE & DIALECT COACHPATRICIA DELOREY

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGERNIA SCIARRETTA*

DRAMATURGPAUL ADOLPHSEN

PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGERKELLY A. BORGIA*

Directing FellowSTEVEN WILSON

Student Scenic AssistantCOLTON SPURLOCK

Student Lighting AssistantJOSEPH HODGE


Rhinoceros is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.

The videotaping or making of electronic or other audio and/or visual recordings of this production or distributing recordings on any medium, including the internet, is strictly prohibited, a violation of the authors’ rights and actionable under United States copyright law.

For more information, please visit: www.samuelfrench.com/whitepaper

By EUGÈNE IONESCO Translated by DEREK PROUSE

Directed by FRANK GALATI

CO-PRODUCERSSteve Bloom and Judy Aleman • Kathy Cole, in loving memory of Trent Cole • Susan Dweck

Diane Taylor Foxman, in loving memory of Norman Foxman • Scott and Candy Greer • Ben and Judith HandelmanNona Macdonald Heaslip • George and Judith Hofmann • Ken and JoAnn Johns • Dr. Sidney Katz and Elaine Keating

John Lucas • Betty Menell • Elizabeth Moore • Mercedita OConnor • Flori RobertsJim Roque, Vice President, SunTrust Wealth Management • Molly Schechter and Anne Virag

Stephanie Shaw and Dr. Stan Pastor • Maureen and Tom Steiner • Leon and Marysue Wechsler, LRWL Inc.

Rhinoceros SPONSORS



MATTHEW McGEE*…………………………………………………………..…….Café Owner/Mr. PapillonDAVID BREITBARTH*…………………………………………………………………………………BerengerMATT DeCARO*…………………………………………………………………………………………GeneANDREW BOSWORTH…………………………………………………………………………………WaiterAMY HELMS…………………………………………………………………………………………HousewifeLAURA ROOK*…………………………………………………………………………………………DaisyDUSTIN BABIN…………………………………………………………………………………TownspersonCHRISTOPHER CARLSON……………………………………………………………………….TownspersonANTHONY J. HAMILTON≠ ……………………………………………………………………TownspersonNOLAN FITZGERALD HENNELLY…………………………………………………….…………TownspersonAMBER LAGEMAN……………………………………………………………………………….TownspersonBRANDON DAHLQUIST*………………………………………………………………….……………BotardMATT MUELLER*………………………………………………………………………….……………DudardPEGGY ROEDER*……………………………………………………………….…………………Mrs. Boeuf

* Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. ≠ Appears courtesy of Actors' Equity Association

UNDERSTUDIESUnderstudies never substitute for listed players unless a speci�c announcement

for the appearance is made at the time of the performance.

For Café Owner/Mr. Papillon and Townspeople: MARC BITLER; for Berenger: ANTHONY J. HAMILTON; for Gene: ANDREW BOSWORTH; for Waiter: JOSEPH FERRARELLI; for Housewife: CARLA CORVO; for Daisy: AMY HELMS; for Dudard: CHRISTOPHER CARLSON; for Botard and Townspeople: CREG SCLAVI; for Mrs. Boeuf: AMBER LAGEMAN; for Townspeople: JILLIAN CICALESE, MICHAEL JUDAH

SETTINGAct I

SCENE1: A square in a small French provincial town. Midday on a Sunday in summer.SCENE 2: The o�ce of a �rm of law publications. The following morning.

Act IISCENE 1: Gene’s room. The afternoon of the same day.

SCENE 2: Berenger’s room. Two days later.

Rhinoceros will be performed with one intermission.

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[ ] In his recently published collection of essays, On Tyranny, Timothy Snyder, a professor of History at Yale, sees a parallel between the outrageous world Ionesco posits and today’s almost unthinkable reality. In his central essay “Believe in Truth” Dr. Snyder writes:

“…Eugène Ionesco, the great Romanian playwright, watched one friend after another slip away into the language of fascism in the 1930s. The experience became the basis for his 1959 absurdist play, Rhinoceros…Of his own personal experiences Ionesco wrote:

‘University professors, students, intellectuals were turning Nazi, becoming Iron Guards, one after the other. At the beginning, certainly they were not Nazis. About �fteen of us would get together to talk and to try to �nd arguments opposing theirs. It was not easy…From time to time one of our friends said: ‘I don’t agree with them, to be sure, but on certain points, nevertheless, I must admit, for example, the Jews…’ etc. And this was a symptom. Three weeks later, this person would become a Nazi. He was caught in the mechanism, he accepted everything, he became a rhinoceros. Towards the end, only three or four of us were still resisting.’”

In 1919 the Irish poet William Butler Yeats wrote The Second Coming. The poem concludes:

. . . twenty centuries of stony sleepWere vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

For the Romanian playwright Eugène Ionesco, that rough beast is a rhinoceros. Ionesco wrote Rhinoceros in 1959, but the play is the author’s response to the rise of fascism in Europe during his formative years. In the November 17, 2017 issue of the New York Times, Jan T. Gross, a professor of history at Princeton, asks “is fascism returning…?” He reports on the recent Polish Independence Day march in Warsaw “[o]rganized in part by two neo-fascist organizations. They waved white and red Polish �ags, they brandished burning torches, and they wore ‘white power’ symbols. They carried banners declaring, ‘Death to enemies of the homeland,’ and screamed, ‘Sieg Heil!’ and ‘Ku Klux Klan!’” Professor Gross continues:

“Ever since the Law and Justice Party won both the presidential and parliamentary elections in 2015, Poland has been undergoing a disturbing political transformation. Law and Justice is an Orwellian name for a party that constantly violates the law, breaks constitutional provisions and is hellbent on subjecting the courts to its control…One of the �rst institutions the party hijacked was public television…It feeds viewers nonstop propaganda about the mounting threat to Poland’s sovereignty…In the form of Muslim refugees...Their animus…springs primarily from a deep pool of ethnic-cum-religious hatred, which is indigenous to Poland and has historically been aimed at Jews…Half of the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust were Poles. Two million more Poles were killed during the German occupation. How many deaths are required for leaders to learn that words and ideas can kill?”

This question is at the core of Ionesco’s works.

“...How many deaths are

required for leaders

to learn that words and

ideas can kill?”

This question is at the

core of Ionesco’s works.

From Director Frank Galati

WhaT RouGH BeaST?

fascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truth fascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism propaganda post-truth

fascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truthpropaganda post-truth fascism

fascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truth fascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truth

fascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truth


Snyder goes on to say that: “…Ionesco’s aim was to help us see just how bizarre propaganda actually is, but how normal it seems to those who yield to it. By using the absurd image of the rhinoceros, Ionesco was trying to shock people into noticing the strangeness of what was actually happening. The rhinoceri are roaming through our neurological savannahs. We now �nd ourselves very much concerned with something we call ‘post truth,’ and we tend to think that its scorn of everyday facts and its construction of alternative realities is something new or postmodern. Yet there is little here that George Orwell did not capture seven decades ago in his notion of ‘doublethink.’ In its philosophy, post-truth restores precisely the fascist attitude to truth -- and that is why nothing in our own world would startle Eugène Ionesco. Fascism despised the small truths of daily existence, loved slogans that resonated like a new religion, and preferred creative myths to history or journalism. They used new media, which at the time was radio to create a drumbeat of propaganda that aroused feelings before people had time to ascertain facts. And now, as then, many people confused faith in a hugely �awed leader with the truth about the world we all share. Post-truth is pre-fascism.”

Ionesco’s Theatre of the Absurd is a warning. It sounds an alarm, like the sudden silence of a canary in a mineshaft it signals that the atmosphere has become lethal. So it seems, then, that an old frail comedy must here bear up under the weight of the world. What is before us in essence is language and ideas. Here indeed are “great reckonings in little rooms.” And of course it’s Hamlet himself who reminds us of

…the purpose of playing, whose end, both at theFirst and now, was and is, to hold as ‘twere theMirror up to nature, to show virtue her own feature,Scorn her own image, and the very age and body ofThe time his form and pressure.

The mirror Ionesco holds up is a fun-house mirror. The distorted frightened face we see in the glass before us is our own. Frank Galati ¦ Sarasota 2018

fascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism propaganda post-truth

fascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truth

fascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truthfascism 1959 propaganda post-truth

fascism 1959 propaganda post-truth

Photo by Cli� Roles.


From the desk of EuGèNe IonESco

By Paul Adolphsen and Kristopher Karcher

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Ionesco on the State“My father…respected the State. He

believed in the State, no matter what

it represented. I did not like authority, I

detested the State. I didn’t believe in the

State, no matter what it represented. As

far as he was concerned, the minute a

party took over it was right…How can

anyone be for the State, which is only an

administrative machine? It is not a man,

it is not God, it is not an angel, it is not

even an idea, a myth. It is an abstraction…

But for rhinoceroses the State has become

a God. How is that possible?”

–Notes and Counter Notes

Ionesco on the Individual

“It is curious to see that all organized

collectivities have fought what are called

‘individualists’ or ‘asocial individuals’…Any

society tends to make things uniform…

There are countless instances of the battle

against those who are asocial. Whether

a society is Communist, racist, Catholic,

or bourgeois, its aim is to combat those

who think di�erently…those who rebel

against the law...all revolutionaries and

all reactionaries want to put everything

in order, that is to say, they want to

reestablish authority, that is to say,

authority becomes tyranny once again…

As a matter of fact, nothing has ever

been accomplished, nothing has ever

been changed in the world except by

those who are asocial. What is asocial

is revolutionary, it is the expression of

criticism.”–Present Past Past Present

EUGÈNE IONESCO, BORN IN 1909, was an artist deeply critical and suspicious of change, and his theatrical output trained its absurd focus on transformation: personal and national. Living between Romania and France for most of his life, Ionesco experienced the violent dislocations and traumatic mutations of Western Europe in the 20th century. He watched in horror as his best friends transformed into fascists, and was disbelieving when those same friends changed once again into communists. In plays like The Bald Soprano, The Lesson, The Chairs, and Rhinoceros, Ionesco used the stage as a forum to show the ridiculousness, the meaninglessness, the illogic of that which we call reality. He still stands as clear-eyed witness to the curdling promise of revolution. “Changes,” he wrote, “change nothing.”

Ionesco on Transformation

“I have been present at mutations.

I have seen people transformed

almost beneath my eyes. It is as if I

had come across the very process of

metamorphosis, as if I had been present

at it. I felt them becoming more and

more strangers, I felt them withdrawing,

little by little. I felt how another soul,

another mind germinated in them. They

lost their personality and it was replaced

by another. They became other.

I., for example. He was part of our group,

we were there together, those of us who

were trying to resist the others, those

who had us surrounded…One day I.

came and told us that we were right, of

course, and that the others were beyond

doubt monstrous or stupid. However, he

said, it’s strange sometimes: they seem

to be right on one point…We asked him

what the point was that ‘They’ seemed

to be right about. I. answered: ‘When, for

example, they say that about the Jews…’

At that moment, we were immediately

aware that I. was caught in the cogs

of the machine. It was only the �rst

symptom of an incubation that would

go on until he had a bad case of the

disease. I. already had a strange light

in his eyes, whose meaning I could not

mistake. We couldn’t yield to even one

argument of our enemies. The slightest

concession and everything was lost.

One was irreversibly caught in the cogs

of the infernal machine."

–Present Past Past Present is revolutionary, it is the expression of

criticism.”–Present Past Past Present

of the infernal machine." of the infernal machine."

–Present Past Past Present –Present Past Past Present


From Scenic and Costume Designer

BoB PerDziOlA

For the set, we chose to do a series of paneled drops. The drops are not full stage but sit within a black surround. The panels allow for easy entrances and exits, sort of vaudeville style. An actor can appear through the drop or from around the drop.

The drops depict an early 20th century style of illustration that is at �rst glance welcoming but becomes darker as we get into the play. Indeed, the style of the design changes in the second act where we actually rip down the scenery and morph into a di�erent style of theatre.

For the costumes, we start out with an ino�ensive period (30’s) fable look and then we break that mold and things get strange in Act II.

Rhinoceros marks Bob Perdziola’s

third production at Asolo Rep,

where he previously designed

the exquisite costumes and sets

for Born Yesterday (2017) and

Living on Love (2016). Here

are some of his insights

into bringing Eugène Ionesco’s

absurd world to life on the

Mertz stage.

From left to right: The housewife with her cat, the café owner, and the waiter Daisy

Act 1, Scene 1 “Une place dans une petite ville de province.”

“A square in a small provincial town”


MAJOR SEASON SUPPORTERSPat and Bob Baer • Beverly and Bob Bartner • David and Betty-Jean Bavar • Susan and Jim Buck • Christine Buckley-Currie, in loving memory of John Currie

Don and Jo Ann Burhart • Gary and Elizabeth Butler • Carole Crosby, Ruby E. and Carole Crosby Family Foundation • Andrew and Judith Economos • Bill EvansSharon and Herman Frankel • Shelley and Sy Goldblatt • Larry and Debbie Haspel • Nona Macdonald Heaslip • Stanley Kane, in honor of Janet* Kane

Carolyn Keystone and Jim Meekison • Beverly L. Koski • Ruth Kreindler • Carol Phillips • Maurice Richards and Jack Kesler • Audrey Robbins and Harry LeopoldJudy Rudges • �e Samowitz Foundation, Paulette Samowitz and Lani Haynes • Janis and Hobart Swan • Alice and Norman Tulchin Edie Winston, in loving memory of Herb Winston • Geri and Ron Yonover • Judy Zuckerberg and George Kole * in memoriam

SEASON SPONSORS

VIRGINIA B. TOULMINFOUNDATION

WILLIAM H. DONNER FOUNDATION

�ank you to our donors for your new or increased gi�s.You Make it Possible!(Gi�s pledged or received for the 2017-18 season between October 11, 2017 and February 21, 2018.)

FOUNDATION AND CORPORATE SUPPORTAppleby FoundationBMO Private BankCafé L’EuropeElizabeth Elser Doolittle Charitable Trust�e Joy McCann FoundationLeona Hughes Trust of the Bank of America Client FoundationLylea CreativeSabal Palm Bank

CO-PRODUCERSGerald and Sondra Biller, Jungle BookGary and Elizabeth Butler, Jungle BookBen and Judith Handelman, RhinocerosMarilyn and Ivan Kushen, RoeJim Roque, Vice President, SunTrust Wealth Management, Rhinoceros

ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE SOCIETY AnonymousSusan ComeauBen and Judith HandelmanGeri and Ron Yonover

EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMMINGDavid and Betty-Jean BavarGerald and Sondra BillerDonna and Jon BosciaGary and Elizabeth ButlerSusan Comeau Harriet Eisner and Dean EisnerAudrey Robbins and Harry LeopoldGeri and Ron Yonover

DIRECTORS’ SOCIETYShirley Fein, Ovation LevelAnn Z. Leventhal and Jon Newman, Ovation LevelRaymond and Maralyn Morrissey, Ovation LevelAnn and Bill Sim, Ovation LevelBeth Cotner and Jack Alogna, Bravo LevelDon and Amy Friedrich, Bravo LevelJane C. Gould, Bravo LevelAudrey Heimler, Bravo LevelIlse Mack, Bravo LevelWilliam McGrath, Bravo LevelJohn and Antje Munroe, Bravo Level

CELESTIAL ANGELSAnonymousBegay AtkinsonMartin and Suzanne BattEdward and Annette EliasbergDr. Bart and Mrs. Joan LevensonAnthony and Judith Licata Joyce and Jim McAlpineMs. Diane Ziemke

ATTENDANT ANGELSDon and MaryAnne BrunoMr. and Mrs. Gerald MannypennySandra C. MirandaDr. and Mrs. James OggelGini and Stu PeltzChristine PorterSandra Ri�in and Michael Mesirov

SPIRIT ANGELSRichard and Caroline AscherBeverly and Larry BrownFranklin ConaCarol A. DickNancy EnanderGil FaccioJoel and Jan Feidelman

Sue and Gordon GarrettGerald and Debby Hamburg Family FoundationValerie LeatherwoodMary C. McLauryJohn and Susan MimnaughAdrian and Teri MooreBert and Betty MorrisJared Kaplan and Maridee QuanbeckJack and Nancy RozancePhil and Trude SmithBobette Taki�Chet and Jewel �ompsonJane Weinman

FSU/ASOLO CONSERVATORY PARTNERSHIPAND STUDENT FELLOWSHIPSKimberly and Etienne BleachMargot and Warren CovilleNanette CristFlora Major for the Kutma Major FoundationDr. Richard and Pamela Mones

ANNUAL GALA GOLD SPONSORSLarry and Debbie HaspelElizabeth Moore

�ank You to Our 2017-18 Major Season Supporters!

LEAD SPONSOR SPONSORS

Charles Henry Leach II Fund • Cordelia Lee Beattie Foundation • Linnie E. Dalbeck Memorial Foundation Trust

Special thanks to Alice and Norman Tulchin for their lead gi� in support of student access to Shakespeare in Love.MAJOR DONORS ($5,000+)

Anonymous • Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County • Asolo Repertory �eatre Guild • Betty-Jean and David Bavar Mandell and Madeleine Berman Foundation • Gerald and Sondra Biller • Gary and Elizabeth Butler

Margot and Warren Coville • Andrew R. Ferrell Foundation • Larry and Debbie Haspel • Joyce F. Menschel • Audrey Robbins and Harry LeopoldJudy Rudges• Jim and Susan Travers • Geri and Ron Yonover • Judy Zuckerberg and George Kole

Asolo Rep sends a special thank you to these donors for providing major support for Student Access to Shakespeare in Love.



CO-PRODUCERSGerri Aaron • Scott Bushey • Nona Macdonald Heaslip • Beth and Marc Hirsch • Holmes Family Fund • Ivan and Marilyn Kushen

Flora Major • Pat and Larry Merriman • David and Candice Miller • Sean and Melanie Natarajan • Mercedita OConnor • Rickie Paley Charlotte and Charles Perret Family Trust • Clare and Rich Segall • Sally W. Yanowitz • Geri and Ron Yonover

asolorep

By LISA LOOMER Directed by LAVINA JADHWANI

Based on the Original Production by BILL RAUCH

Scenic Design RACHEL HAUCK

Costume DesignTRACY DORMAN

Lighting DesignTESS JAMES

Composer & Sound DesignPAUL JAMES PRENDERGAST

Projection DesignWENDALL K. HARRINGTON

UNDERSTUDIESUnderstudies never substitute for listed players unless a speci�c announcement for the appearance is made at the time of the performance.

For Norma McCorvey: AMBER LAGEMAN; for Sarah Weddington: CASEY WORTMANN; for Ofelia/Connie Gonzalez: CARLA CORVO; for Molly/Mary/Ensemble: ALEX PELLETIER; for Henry McCluskey/Robert Flowers/Ensemble: JOE HETTERLY;

for Doctor Kennedy/Henry Wade/Ensemble: JONATHAN GRUNERT; for Ron Weddington/Floyd/Flip Benham/Ensemble: BRIAN RITCHIE; for Helen/Pregnant Woman 2/Ensemble: AMBER McNEW; for Linda Co�ee/Judy/Ensemble: JILLIAN CICALESE; for Aileen/Barbara/Ensemble: CARMI HARRIS; for Roxy: SOFIA JIMENEZ; for Melissa/Emily: ALLIE McLAUGHLIN

Roe will be performed with one intermission.

Hair/Wig & Make-Up DesignMICHELLE HART

Local CastingCELINE ROSENTHAL

Movement ConsultantJACLYN MILLER

Chicago CastingSIMON CASTING

New York CastingPAUL HARDT,

STEWART/WHITLEYProduction Stage ManagerKELLY A. BORGIA*

Stage ManagerNIA SCIARRETTA*

Associate Scenic DesignLAWRENCE MOTEN

Associate Projection DesignKRISTEN FERGUSON

Directing FellowKELLY GALVIN

DramaturgPAUL ADOLPHSEN

Assistant Stage ManagerDEVON MUKO*

Voice & Dialect CoachPATRICIA DELOREY

Projection Programmer

MICAH J. STIEGLITZStudent Costume Assistant

AMANDA MOOREStage Management Apprentice

KELLIE McMENEMONLighting Programmer

PARKER CONZONEDramaturgy & Casting ApprenticeKRISTOPHER KARCHER

Stage Management Apprentice

MATTHEW BROOKS

BRI SUDIA*…………………………………………………………………………………Sarah WeddingtonTERRI WEAGANT*……………………………………………………………………………Norma McCorveyKEDREN SPENCER≠…………………………………Aileen/Barbara/Uma/Pregnant Woman 3/EnsembleCOLLEEN LAFEBER…………………………………….Linda Co�ee/Judy/Pregnant Woman 1/EnsembleMARY ELLEN EVERETT………………………………………Helen/Pregnant Woman 2/Ronda/EnsembleTRACY MICHELLE ARNOLD*…………………………………………………………Molly/Mary/EnsembleMICHELLE ARAVENA*….………………………………………………………… Ofelia/Connie GonzalezDAVID LIVELY*………………………….……Doctor Kennedy/Henry Wade/Justice Blackmun/EnsembleJORDAN BROWN*.………………………Henry McCluskey/Robert Flowers/Abortion Doctor/EnsembleNATE BURGER*……………………………………….……Ron Weddington/Floyd/Flip Benham/EnsembleGIGI SPAGNOLO………………………………………………………………………………Melissa/EmilyJADE TURNER …………………………….………………………………………………………………Roxy


Roe SPONSORS



The videotaping and/or audio recording of this production by any means whatsoever is strictly prohibited.World Premiere Commissioned and Produced by The Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Artistic Director Bill Rauch, Executive Director Paul Nicholson

00 SPRING REP 1 | asolorep.org16

What did you know about Roe v. Wade before you started working on Roe? What about the decision, and the lives of these women, surprised you?Truth be told, I didn’t know much about the context of the case before I began working on the play -- the decision itself,

sure, but I was (as Sarah Weddington says in the play) one of the “young women who grew up with Roe, who don’t remember what it was like before.” I was most surprised by the complicated journey of Norma McCorvey, particularly the major shifts she made in terms of her identity politics and beliefs about this issue. Working on this play has made me realize how fragile the decision was -- I no longer take it for granted.

Roe is a play where you can easily get lost in the facts of the story. How do you �nd a balance between presenting the history of this case and presenting the play as written by Lisa Loomer?Lisa has given us such a gift by articulating this idea that there is no such a thing as “the true history.” A couple of characters in the play, including Sarah Weddington and Linda Co�ee, speak to that. There is an overwhelming amount of history in this

play, and there’s a huge responsibility we feel in tackling this issue, but

at the same time, it is a piece of theatre. Not only that, it’s a really funny and well-written piece of theatre. So of course there is rigorous research and prep involved before rehearsal, but after that, it’s really about getting into the room, trusting the script, and trusting our artistic instincts to tell the story in front of us.

Like the character Linda Co�ee points out, one of the major themes explored in Roe is the di�culty of telling a truly “objective” history of an event. Theatre is a subjective art form. So, how do we approach objectivity on stage? How do we tell history in the theatre? Lisa Loomer has said from the start that her goal in writing the play was that, whatever your point of view is on this issue, it should be represented, and represented authentically. When I �rst started working on this play in September 2015, I was like, “Where’s the big call to action? When’s she going to come out swinging?” Now, I have actually come to really love the fact that this play does not ask anybody to immediately spring into action, nor does it try to convert anybody to a di�erent point of view. Rather, what is proposed in the text—and certainly is the goal for me in this production at Asolo Rep—is to build empathy. The play is not written to tell an objective truth, but rather the personal truths of the narratives of each character. It’s not simply, “This is what happened.” It’s, “This is what I remember. This is how it felt.”

One of the goals of Asolo Rep’s Staging Our World initiative is to produce plays that start a conversation. If you could have the audience walk away with one question, what would that question be? The question I would like for people to walk away with is, “What did I learn about a person or community that holds a di�erent

point of view than I do on this issue?” Because I think that question is an

amazing thing to tackle right now, and theatre is such a great art

form to explore that.

Interviewed by Paul Adolphsen

Director LAVINA JADHWANI

Interview with

Working on this play has made me realize how fragile the decision was -- I no longer take it for granted.

Roelost in the facts of the story. How do you �nd a balance between presenting the history of this case and presenting the play as written by Lisa Loomer?Lisa has given us such a gift by articulating this idea that there is no such a thing as “the true history.” A couple of characters in the play, including Sarah Weddington and Linda Co�ee, speak to that. There is an overwhelming amount of history in this

“My point is that it’s really hard to talk

objectively about history, about the truth.

Which is why I never wrote a book…”

—Linda Coffee in Roe

Lavina JadhwaniPhoto by Claire Taylor. Allegra Imaging

00 SPRING REP 1 | asolorep.org16 asolorep.org | SPRING REP 1 17

Compiled by: Kris Karcher, Roxie Kennedy, Eugenia TitteringtonSpecial thanks to Roxie Kennedy and Eugenia Titterington for dramaturgical support on Roe.

REPR DUCTIVERIGHTS in the

U.S.

1821Connecticut passes the �rst law in the U.S. restricting abortion by prohibiting the use of a toxic substance to cause a miscarriage after “quickening” (the moment a woman feels fetal movement in the womb). Other states follow suit.

1857The American Medical Associationpushes to make abortion illegal at every stage of pregnancy, in an attempt to restrict competitors like homeopaths and midwives.

1873The Comstock Laws are passed. This anti-obscenity federal law bans the selling and distribution of materials related to contraception and abortion along with access to legal abortions.

ROE v. WADE Court rules in favor of Roe, giving women across the nation the right (with their physician) to legal abortion in the �rst trimester.

The winning argument is found in the right to privacy protected under the 14th Amendment. In the Majority opinion, Justice Blackmun states that the 14th amendment’s use of ‘person’ only has postnatal implications.

To balance the right to privacy and state interests, the Court gives states the right to regulate abortion to protect a woman’s health in the second trimester and an allowance to protect the potential life of the fetus in the third trimester.

HOW DID WOMEN RECEIVE ABORTIONS BEFORE ROE v. WADE?

◗ Self-induced by drinking toxic fluids or inserting foreign objects into the uterus.

◗ Seeking unskilled providers who often performed procedures with no anesthesia in unhygienic settings.

◗ Enduring external injury through danger-ous falls or direct blunt trauma to the abdomen.

1977

“I defended my lack of support for federal funds to be used for abortions among poor mothers […and] responded to a question on this issue by saying, ‘Life is often unfair.’”

JIMM

Y CAR

TER

(197

7-19

81)

. WADE

the right to privacy protected under the 14th Amendment. In the Majority opinion, Justice Blackmun states that the 14th amendment’s use of ‘person’ only has postnatal implications.

To balance the right to privacy and state interests, the Court gives states the right to regulate abortion to protect a woman’s health in the second trimester and an allowance to protect the potential life of the fetus in the third trimester.

the right to privacy protected under performed procedures with no anesthesia in unhygienic settings.

Enduring external injury through dangerous falls or direct blunt trauma to the abdomen.

the right to privacy protected under the 14th Amendment. In the Majority opinion, Justice Blackmun states that the 14th amendment’s use of ‘person’ only has postnatal implications.

To balance the right to privacy and To balance the right to privacy and state interests, the Court gives states the right to regulate abortion to protect a woman’s health in the second trimester and an allowance to protect the potential life of the fetus in the third trimester.

performed procedures with no anesthesia in unhygienic settings.

Enduring external injury through danger-ous falls or direct blunt trauma to the abdomen.

›

like homeopaths and

Billed as a cure-all for many ailments, Beecham Pills were used by women to induce abortions in the late 19th Century.

›

Texas State Representative Sarah Weddington resigns to become chief

counsel to U.S. Agriculture Dept., September 2, 1977.

Justices of the Burger Court, 1972-75

1977

Pills were used by women to induce abortions in Pills were used by women to induce abortions in

Texas State Representative Sarah Weddington resigns to become chief

counsel to U.S. Agriculture Dept., September 2, 1977.September 2, 1977.




the right to privacy protected under the 14th Amendment. In the Majority opinion, Justice Blackmun states that the 14th amendment’s use of ‘person’ only

To balance the right to privacy and state interests, the Court gives states

protect a woman’s health in the second trimester and an allowance to protect the potential life of the fetus in the third

1989WEBSTER v. REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICESCourt rules in favor of Webster, supporting the Missouri statute that required state laws to “provide unborn children with rights equal to those enjoyed by other persons. ” This prohibits the use of state employees, facilities, and funding to perform abortions or counsel women to have abortions (except where the mother’s life is in danger).

1992CASEY v. PLANNED PARENTHOODProvides the �rst oppor-tunity for the Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. Court rules in favor of Planned Parenthood, rea�rming the central holding of Roe by implementing the “undue burden” standard.

2007GONZALES v. CARHARTCourt rules that the ban on “partial-birth” abortions is not unconstitutional and doesn’t impose an “undue burden” by being too vague. The ban also doesn’t state any exception to protect the health of the mother.

2016WHOLE WOMAN’S HEALTH v. HELLERSTEDTCourt rules in favor of Whole Woman’s Health by stating that scienti�c evidence must be considered when evaluating the constitutionality of abortion restrictions.

›

2003Congress passes and President George W. Bush signs the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act.

›

BARA

CK O

BAM

A (2

009-

2017

)

›

››››››››››››

Norma McCorvey (L) and Gloria Alhred (R) outside the Supreme Court in 1989.

KEY TERMS

◗ Undue BurdenDefined by the Court as having the purpose or effect of placing a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion of a fetus that is not yet viable.

◗ ViabilityDefined by the Court as a fetus capable of prolonged life outside the mother’s womb.

RONA

LD R

EAGA

N (1

981-

1989

)

“I’ve noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born.”

GEOR

GE H

.W. B

USH

(198

9-19

93)

“I strongly support family planning and [...] disseminating information on birth control. I do not favor advocating abortion in any way, shape, or form.”

“The best public policy is to encourage fewer abortions through strong adoption laws

and giving children a clear pro-abstinence message.”

GEOR

GE W

. BUS

H (2

001-

2009

)

“We still may not agree on a woman’s right to choose, but surely we can agree […] that every woman should have access to the health care she needs.”

1980WILLIAMS v. ZBARAZ Court rules in favor of Zbaraz, allowing states to limit Medicaid payments to cover “life-saving” abortions.

›

PRESIDENTIAL STANCES ON ABORTION


where the mother’s life is in danger). rules in favor of Planned Parenthood, rea�rming the central holding of Roe by implementing the “undue burden” standard.

Norma McCorvey (L) and Gloria Alhred (R) outside the Supreme Court in 1989.

›››››

SAR A S O TA F LO R I D A S A R A S O TA F LOR I DA

of SarasotaV ICESCOMMUNITY MEMBERS SHARE

THEIR EXPERIENCES, AND UNCOVER

THE ACTUAL HUMAN LIVES BEHIND THE

DEBATE AT THE HEART OF ROE v. WADE.

In early April, Asolo Rep will present the sixth annual original community-based documentary theater project, Faces of Change. Inspired by this season’s production of Roe, Faces of Change asks: How have the reverberations of Roe v. Wade a�ected us in Sarasota? How have we responded, and how can we take action where we live?

Ria Cooper, Asolo Rep’s Community Engagement Specialist, interviewed Sarasota and Manatee County residents of all ages and backgrounds. Each interview and conversation was recorded and transcribed, and will be curated into a 60-minute script and performed by community members –all of whom were interviewed for the project.

The excerpts shared here were culled from interviews and represent just a small cross-section of real voices and experiences from the Sarasota community.

I’m very much for legal abortion. And yet... I had three children with my �rst husband, none with the second. I got pregnant for the third time, and the marriage was already bad. And I thought about getting an abortion and a divorce, in that order. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t do the abortion… But that’s just for myself. If someone else feels that they can do it, want to do it, need to do it, I don’t think they should be stopped.— Mary

When my daughter was 18 she told me she was pregnant. She had dropped out of school and was unemployed. I had just met a man to whom I would be married for thirty-plus years, till he passed away. When Debbi told me her news, I felt sad and panicked for the both of us. She was not in a position to care for a child and I saw my new romance �ying away –if she decided to birth the child, it would be my responsibility to raise both daughter and baby. Though my husband-to-be was supportive, to my delight, of helping to raise this child, my daughter elected to have an abortion. We went into Boston to Planned Parenthood. Years later Debbi said she was grateful for the choice though she wished she had been smarter to begin with.— Dee

For more information on Faces of Change,

and to reserve your FREE TICKETS, please visit

www.asolorep.org/education/faces-of-change.

Interviewed by Ria Cooper

›

SARASOTA FLORIDA SARASOTA FLORIDA

SAR A S O TA F LO R I DD AA S A R A S

of Sarasota

COMMUNITY MEMBERS SHARE

THEIR EXPERIENCES, AND UNCOVER

THE ACTUAL HUMAN LIVES BEHIND THE

DEBATE AT THE HEART OF ROE v. WADEv. WADEv .

In early April, Asolo Rep will present the sixth annual original community-based documentary theater project, Faces of Change. Inspired by this season’s production of Roe, Faces of Change asks: How have the reverberations of Roe v. Wade a�ected us in Sarasota? How have we responded, and how can we take action where we live?


›

ABORTION IN FLORIDA TODAY

I've always been very con�icted because I see both sides of the argument, very clearly, and I feel that I’m kind of in the middle. Because I get it, it’s the woman’s choice and it’s awful if you’re forcing someone to do something that they really don’t want to do. Especially when it comes to life. But to me? It is a baby, you know. It is a gift, and it is a baby. That’s what I personally believe.”

— Teenager from The SOURCE Productions, theatre and �lm company, Sarasota

This would have been 1982 and I was 20. I hadn’t yet turned 21, I was close to turning 21. I just feel like in a way I kind of got o� easy that I had a supportive partner at the time, we caught the pregnancy early, and I had a place that was safe and a�ordable and legal to go to. I had aftercare through that same clinic, not only for follow-up but for counseling, for my birth control. Like, it’s kind of the Cinderella of abortion stories, you know, I don’t know. But it really is sort of the best possible scenario. My choice at 20 was to not be a mother. My choice at 32 was…absolutely, this [becoming a mother] is all I’ve ever wanted.— Laura

You know, years ago, forty years ago, forty-�ve years ago…nobody really talked about it really, talked that much about killing a life. No one showed the images. I think when you start looking at di�erent images and the formation of a baby, people's hearts change. I spoke openly about this through social media and have been defriended and told o� by people. — Betsy

Interviewed by Ria Cooper

››

›

24 WEEKSCutoff date for women seeking an abortion in

Florida. After 24 weeks, abortions can only be

performed if the woman’s health is in danger.

ULTRASOUNDWomen must have

an ultrasound, and be offered the option

to view the image, before obtaining an abortion in Florida.

INSURANCE COVERAGEHealth plans offered on

Florida’s health exchange under the Affordable Care Act cover abortion only if the

woman’s life is endangered, or in cases of rape or incest, unless individuals purchase an

optional rider at an additional cost.

MINORSIf a minor seeks

an abortion, her parents must

be notified.

› › › ›

86 the number of abortion providing facilities in Florida, as of 2014

70% of Florida counties contain no clinics that provide abortions.

of Florida women live in these counties. 20%



SARASOTA FLORIDA SARASOTA FLORIDASARASOTA FLORIDA SARASOTA FLORIDA

I DA

I just wish I’d heard more people talk about it like it was something that wasn’t so- I don’t know- not normal.— Anonymous


Roe v. Wade, when argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973, aimed to grant all women the choice of how to control their bodies, without government intervention. Sarah Weddington, representing the plainti� Norma McCorvey (“Jane Roe”), argued that, “We are here to advocate that the decision as to whether or not a particular woman will continue to carry or will terminate a pregnancy is a decision that should be made by that individual.” However, decades of revisions and attempts to repeal Roe v. Wade have left obstacles that many women seeking abortions cannot overcome. In particular, racial and class challenges exist that prevent women from accessing abortions, raising the question: Is Roe for every woman?

CLASS BARRIERSNorma McCorvey faced signi�cant obstacles in trying to get an abortion when she became pregnant in 1969. She did not have the �nancial ability to pay several hundred dollars out of pocket for the procedure, and her social class barred her from the access to safer abortions that wealthier women possessed. In the early 1970s abortion was illegal in all but four states, and women who wanted to seek “professionals” had to rely on contacts to connect them to expensive underground services. Much like it was decades ago,

today access to medical abortions is still restricted by one’s �nancial situation. According to a survey by the Guttmacher Institute, being unable to support a child �nancially is the second most common reason for seeking an abortion in the U.S. However, the prices of abortion procedures make safe abortions inaccessible to many individuals. In Florida, for example, abortion costs range from $350 to $3,500 depending on insurance and procedure. Due to denial of government funding for abortions through Medicaid, a gradual decrease in state health clinics, and increasing constraints on what classi�es as a “life-saving” abortion, access to abortion has become more di�cult for people who cannot a�ord the medical procedures.

Is Roe FOR EVERY WOMAN?

By Roxie Kennedy

2013

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PRO-LIFE FEMINISMWritten by Paul Adolphsen and Kris Karcher

Some pro-life feminists argue that fixing the institutional inequalities women face could mean an end to abortion altogether. Many contemporary pro-life feminists rely on feminist and suffragist thought from the late 19th and early 20th centuries to support their perspective today. In an 1860 letter to the editor of The Revolution, suffragist and activist Mattie Brinkerhoff said, “When a man steals to satisfy hunger, we may safely conclude that there is something wrong in society—so when a woman destroys the life of her unborn child, it is an evidence that either by education or circumstances she has been greatly wronged.” The organization Feminists for Life argues that if all women were able to receive “practical resources and support through holistic woman-centered solutions,” we as a country could prevent abortions altogether.

RACE BARRIERSAccording to a study published in the Journal of the American Public Health Association, in the United States, female students of color on average receive less thorough education on reproductive health and birth control than their white peers. This, paired with less funding and resources, means that many women of color are less likely to have access to birth control and other contraceptives, even if they are informed about them. According to the Guttmacher Institute, African American women are three times more likely to have an unintended pregnancy compared to white women, with Hispanic women being twice as likely. Researchers have speculated that the link between lack of access to education and access to birth control a�ects rates of unintended pregnancy. This is signi�cant in understanding that abortion access and contraceptive education is essential for communities of color.

49%of U.S. abortion

patients lived below the federal poverty level

in 2014.

53%of abortion patients paid

out of pocket for their procedures

in 2014.

24%of U.S. women

will have an abortion by the age of 45.

Source: Guttmacher Institute


Faces of Change is made possible, in part, with support from the Koski Family

Foundation Fund for New Audiences.

�e CREATIVE TEAMPAUL ADOLPHSEN FIRST SEASON (Dramaturg, Shakespeare in Love; Morning After Grace; Rhinoceros; Roe) is a dramaturg, writer, and educator originally from Seattle, Washington. As a dramaturg, Paul has worked with Arena Stage, Hartford Stage Company, Book-It Repertory Theatre, Five College Opera, the UMass New Play Lab, Silverthorne Theatre Company, and Vashon Opera. From 2015-2016 he was a Fulbright Fellow at the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa. Paul’s writing about theatre and performance has been published in Theatre Journal, on HowlRound.com, and by Penumbra Theatre Company. He holds an MFA in Dramaturgy from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

NEIL BARTRAMFIRST SEASON (Composer/Music Director, Shakespeare in Love) is pleased to be making his debut at Asolo Rep. Neil is the composer and lyricist of Broadway’s The Story of My Life (four Drama Desk Award nominations) written with book writer Brian Hill. Regional credits include Something Wicked This Way Comes (Delaware Theatre Company); Senza Luce (CMTP); The Theory of Relativity (Goodspeed Musicals, O�-West End London); Spin (Signature Theatre); The Adventures of Pinocchio (Chicago Shakespeare Theater). Upcoming projects include You Are Here at Goodspeed Musicals and the stage adaptation of Disney’s Bedknobs & Broomsticks. Neil’s awards include the ASCAP Foundation’s Yellen Award, a Jonathan Larson Foundation Award, and a Dramatists Guild Fellowship. Cast albums include The Story of My Life and The Theory of Relativity (both on PS Classics).

KELLY A. BORGIA* TENTH SEASON (Production Stage Manager; Stage Manager, Rhinoceros; Assistant Stage Manager, Morning After Grace) Asolo Rep favorites include: Evita; Guys and Dolls; The Little Foxes; West Side Story; All The Way; Great Society; Josephine; Both Your Houses; The Grapes of Wrath; 1776; The Heidi Chronicles; Noah Racey’s Pulse; My Fair Lady; Yentl; Hamlet, Prince of Cuba; Bonnie & Clyde; Las Meninas; The Life of Galileo; The Perfume Shop. Regional theatre credits include: Relatively Speaking and Double Indemnity (Dog Days Theatre); 1776 (American Conservatory Theater); All in the Timing; Red; The Whipping Man; Boeing, Boeing; Deathtrap; Superior Donuts; Noises O�!; The Pavilion (Dorset Theatre Festival); Hedwig and the Angry Inch; Once on this Island; Betrayal (Hangar Theatre); Beauty and the Beast; The Full Monty (Northern Stage); The Miser; Picnic; am Sunday; Speed-the-Plow (Center Stage, Baltimore). O�-Broadway: Hurricane: A New Musical (2009 New York Musical Theatre Festival), Cato (The Flea Theatre). Endless love and gratitude to my Mom & Dad, Travis, Zoe, and the incredible Asolo Rep Stage Management Team.

JOE CERQUA FIRST SEASON (Sound Designer & Composer, Rhinoceros) is thrilled to be making his Asolo Rep debut. Joe has composed/designed sound for over 250 productions nationally and internationally. Original music and sound design: Steppenwolf, Goodman Theatre, American Players Theater, Milwaukee Rep, The Alliance, Mark Taper Forum, Deaf West, Northlight, Cleveland Playhouse, Clarence Brown Theatre, Forward Theatre, Kansas City Rep, Indiana Rep, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville. National Tours: Sideman, American Bu�alo, How I Learned to Drive, The Laramie Project, Broken Glass, Master Class. Joe is the Producing Director/Composer in residence for the Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre and the Director of Production for the music department at Columbia College. Future projects include concerts with Cerqua Rivera, and original music and sound designs for productions with Milwaukee Rep, American Players and Forward Theatre.

PARKER CONZONE FIRST SEASON (Lighting Programmer, Roe) is thrilled to be working on his �rst production at Asolo Rep. Primarily based in NYC, Parker’s recent credits include the west coast tour of Elf the Musical (Moving Light Programmer); Desperate Measures (Production Electrician) O�-Broadway at the York Theater Company; the national tour of PAW Patrol Live! (Head Electrician); the regional premiere of Heartbreak Hotel (Production Electrician) at the Ogunquit Playhouse. Special thanks to Kaelyn for all her support.

SCOTT DAVIS FIRST SEASON (Scenic Designer, Shakespeare in Love) O�-Broadway: Ride the Cyclone at MCC, Othello: The Remix at The Westside Theater. International credits with: Shakespeare’s Globe, Unicorn Theater (London), The Market Theater (South Africa), The Neuss (Germany), Gdansk Shakespeare Theater (Poland), The Cultch (Vancouver), DUCTAC Theater (Dubai), Brice Mason Center (New Zealand), and The Edinburgh Festival (Scotland). Regional credits with: Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Steppenwolf, Court Theater, Writers Theater, Milwaukee Rep, Signature Theater, Walnut Street Theater, Children’s Theater Company, Utah Shakespeare Theater, Delaware Theatre Company, Paramount Theater, Victory Gardens, Drury Lane, Northlight Theater, American Theater Company, Marriott Theater, Gri�n Theater Company, Steep Theater, Dallas Theatre Center, and Mercury Theater. Mr. Davis is a co-founder of the Chicago-based design �rm Aether & Nyx and serves as adjunct faculty at Columbia College, having received his MFA from Northwestern University. wwwscottadamdavis.com

PATRICIA DELOREY FIFTEENTH SEASON (Voice and Dialect Coach, Shakespeare in Love; Rhinoceros; Roe; Gloria) holds an MFA in Voice & Speech from MXAT/American Repertory Theatre Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University. She taught voice at the Moscow Art Theatre School in Russia, the University of Bologna in Italy, and Harvard University. She currently teaches voice & dialects at FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. Patricia has worked extensively as a professional voice and dialect coach including Bonnie & Clyde directed by Je� Calhoun, 12 Angry Men directed by Frank Galati, Phaedra 4.48 directed by Robert Woodru�, Studio Six’s production of Plasticine directed by Dmitry Troyanovsky at the Baryshnikov Center, Saturday Night Fever for Royal Caribbean International Cruises, and the world premiere of Adam Rapp’s Nocturne directed by Marcus Stern.

TRACY DORMAN FOURTH SEASON (Costume Designer, Roe; Gloria) has designed at numerous regional theatre and opera companies around the country including Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, The Cleveland Play House, Syracuse Stage, GEVA, Milwaukee Rep, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Maltz-Jupiter, Drury Lane (Chicago), Kansas City Rep, Virginia Opera, Kentucky Opera, Opera Omaha, Chicago Opera Theatre, Glimmerglass, and New York City Opera. From 2005-2008 she was an associate costume designer on the CBS daytime drama As the World Turns, for which she won a 2007 Emmy Award for Costume Design. Please visit www.tracydorman.com for a more extensive listing of production credits.

FRANK GALATI ASSOCIATE ARTIST, EIGHTH SEASON (Director, Rhinoceros) is a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago. His adaptation of John Steinbeck’s East of Eden opened the theatre’s 40th anniversary season. Over the years, he has received nine Joseph Je�erson Awards for his work in Chicago theatre. Here at Asolo Rep he has directed The Little Foxes; Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner; Both Your Houses; Philadelphia, Here I Come; 1776; My Fair Lady; Twelve Angry Men. He has directed at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Berkley Rep, Mark Taper Forum, Long Wharf Theatre, Chicago Opera Theatre, San Francisco Opera, Dallas Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, the Stratford Festival in Canada, and the Roundabout Theatre in New York. For twenty years he was an Associate Director at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. He won two Tony® Awards in 1990 for his adaptation and direction of the Steppenwolf production of The Grapes of Wrath on Broadway and was nominated again in 1998 for directing Ragtime on Broadway. In 1989, Mr. Galati was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay (with Lawrence Kasdan) of The Accidental Tourist. In 2000 he was inducted into The American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Mr. Galati is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Performance Studies at Northwestern University. He lives in Sarasota.


KELLY GALVIN FIRST SEASON (Directing Fellow, Morning After Grace; Roe) recently directed The Last Wife for WAM Theatre, where she served as Artistic Associate from 2012-2014. She has directed for Southwest Shakespeare, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, Shakespeare & Company, and the Boston University School of Theatre. She has assisted for BedlamNYC, Orlando Shakespeare, and Shakespeare & Company, completed a Directing Internship with Arena Stage, and held an observership with the Huntington Theatre Company. Kelly holds an MFA from Boston University and a BA from Wellesley College. www.kellydirecting.com

LEE HALL (Adaptor, Shakespeare in Love) was born in Newcastle Upon Tyne in 1966 and studied English Literature at Cambridge University. He has worked as a writer in theatre, TV, radio and �lm. He has been writer in residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company and Live Theatre, Newcastle Upon Tyne. Theatre: Wittgenstein on Tyne, Bollocks, Genie, Cooking With Elvis (nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Comedy), Spoonface Steinberg, Two’s Company, Billy Elliot(2004 - Olivier Award Best Musical). Theatre adaptations: Leonce and Lena, Mr. Puntila and his man Matti, A Servant to Two Masters, The Adventures of Pinocchio, Mother Courage, The Good Hope, The Barber of Seville. Opera: adaptation of Pagliacci for the English National Opera. TV: Spoonface Steinberg, A Prince of Hearts, Wind in the Willows. Film: Billy Elliot and War Horse.

WENDALL K. HARRINGTONFIRST SEASON (Projection Designer, Roe) received the Drama Desk, and American Theatre Wing awards for The Who’s Tommy. Broadway credits include: All The Way, Grey Gardens, Putting It Together, The Capeman, Ragtime, Company, Driving Miss Daisy, The Heidi Chronicles, My One and Only. O�-Broadway: Angels in America, Hapgood. Opera: Werther, The Grapes of Wrath, Nixon In China, A View from the Bridge, The Magic Flute. Ballet: The Fairy’s Kiss, Pictures at An Exhibition, Cinderella, Firebird, Anna Karenina, Opera all with Alexei Ratmansky. She heads the projection design concentration at the Yale School of Drama.

MICHELLE HART FIFTEENTH SEASON (Resident Hair/Wig & Make-up Designer, Shakespeare in Love; Morning After Grace; Rhinoceros; Roe) designs for Asolo Repertory Theatre and FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. Other credits: Sarasota Ballet, Palm Beach Drama Works, freeFall Theatre, Urbanite Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, Banyan Theatre, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Venice Theatre, Dorset Theatre, Barrington Stage and Open Stage Theatre. She has also done hair and/or make-up for Joan Rivers, Doris Roberts, Martin Short, Jane Russell, Arlene Dahl, Soledad Villamil, Jane Pauley, Richard Dreyfuss, Castille Langdon, Christopher Higgins, Mary Mara, Heather Robb, Lauren Sweetser, Justin Long, Paul Downs, Douglas Sills and Nia Hills; music videos Second Chance by Shinedown, Reverse Cowgirl by T-Pain; �lm and television: Paradise, FL and The Real Stephen Blatt.

RACHEL HAUCKFIRST SEASON (Scenic Designer, Roe) Previous Credits: Roe (OSF, Arena Stage, Berkeley Rep). Broadway: Latin History For Morons. Recent work in NY: Hadestown (NYTW, Citadel); Tiny Beautiful Things, Dry Powder (Public); Amy And The Orphans, On The Exhale (Roundabout); Parallelogram (2nd Stage); Fucking A, Night Is a Room, Our Lady of Kibeho (Signature); Animal (Atlantic); What the Constitution Means to Me (Clubbed Thumb); You’ll Still Call Me By Name (Sonya Tayeh); All The Ways To Say I Love You (MCC); Anlia Pneumatica (Playwrights Horizons); An Iliad (NYTW). Princess Grace, Lilly Awards. Drama Desk, Lortel Nominations. Obie Award for Sustained Excellence.

MATT HAWKINS FIRST SEASON (Fight Director, Shakespeare in Love) is a Chicago-based director, actor, �ght choreographer and movement director. He has been nominated for thirteen Je� Awards and has received �ve. He holds a BFA in acting from Southern Methodist University and an MFA in directing from The University of Iowa. This year he will direct Hat�eld & McCoy (The House Theatre of Chicago), direct and choreograph Spring Awakening (Notre Dame), and choreograph

violence for Macbeth (Chicago Shakespeare). He is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Notre Dame, where he serves as the head of musical theatre for the Department of Film, Television, and Theatre.

EUGÈNE IONESCO (Playwright, Rhinoceros) was a Romanian-born French playwright. He studied in Bucharest and Paris, where he lived from 1945. His �rst one-act antiplay, The Bald Soprano (1950), inspired a revolution in dramatic techniques and helped inaugurate the Theatre of the Absurd. He followed it with other one-act plays in which illogical events create an atmosphere both comic and grotesque, including The Lesson (1951), The Chairs (1952), and The New Tenant (1955). His most popular full-length play, Rhinoceros (1959), concerns a provincial French town in which all the citizens are metamorphosing into rhinoceroses. Other plays include Exit the King (1962) and A Stroll in the Air (1963). He was elected to the Académie Française in 1970.

LAVINA JADHWANIFIRST SEASON (Director, Roe) is elated to be making her Asolo Rep debut. Her directing credits include work at Actors Theatre of Louisville, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Phoenix Theatre, Teatro Vista, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, Silk Road Rising, Victory Gardens Theater, and Writers Theatre. As an adaptor, she has tackled both South Asian epics (The Ramayana, Shakuntala) as well as Western classics like Uncle Vanya. Up next: Lavina will direct the Chicago premiere of Qui Nguyen's Vietgone at Writers Theatre. Graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University (MFA, Directing), Carnegie Mellon University (BFA, Scenic Design; Masters, Arts Management). Love to my parents (Chander and Chandra) and my theatre parents (Bill and Nan). www.lavinajadhwani.com

TESS JAMESFIRST SEASON (Lighting Designer, Roe) is a freelance lighting designer and associate based in New York. Throughout her career, she has had the pleasure of working with a wide range of amazing institutions including New York City Opera, BAM, Glimmerglass Opera, St. Ann’s Warehouse, and Den Nye Opera in the Netherlands. Her most recent projects include the Tony® Award-Winning Broadway production of The Color Purple; Roundabout Theatre Company’s productions of Machinal, Violet, The Real Thing and Noises O�; BAM’s RadioLoveFest; and Monica Bill Barnes & Company’s national touring production of 3 Acts, 2 Dancers, 1 Radio Host. She is an adjunct professor at Princeton University, Brooklyn College, a Master Teaching Artist with the Roundabout Theatre Company and has guest lectured at NYU. She currently resides in Brooklyn with her husband, a dog, and a cat.

LISA LOOMER(Playwright, Roe) Lisa Loomer’s plays, including Roe, Living Out, The Waiting Room, Distracted, Café Vida, Homefree, Expecting Isabel, Two Things You Don’t Talk About at Dinner, Birds, and Bocón!, have been produced at such theatres as The Mark Taper Forum, Arena Stage, South Coast Repertory, The Kennedy Center, Seattle Rep, Denver Theater Center, Berkeley Repertory, OSF, Trinity Repertory, The Williamstown Theatre Festival, and, in New York, at The Roundabout, The Vineyard, Second Stage, Intar, and The Public. Her work has also been produced in Mexico, the Middle East, and Europe. She’s a two-time winner of the American Theatre Critics Award, and has also received awards from the Kennedy Center, the Pen Center, the Imagen Foundation, the Jane Chambers Award (twice), and the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, among others.

VICTOR MEYRICH FORTY-NINTH SEASON (Production & Operations Director, Shakespeare in Love; Morning After Grace; Rhinoceros; Roe) is a graduate of Carnegie Tech and worked at New York Shakespeare Festival, Brandeis, University of California Institute of Repertory, APA, American Conservatory Theater, and again in New York. As head of production and technical sta�s, he is responsible for the overall technical operation of Asolo Rep and serves as consultant for the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. He has been a member of the Asolo Rep family since 1969.


�e CREATIVE TEAM, continued

SUSAN MICKEY FIRST SEASON (Costume Designer, Shakespeare in Love) Susan Mickey’s design for The Marriage of Figaro opened the season at the Lyric Opera Chicago and her recent design for Shakespeare in Love at Chicago Shakespeare was nominated for a Je� Award. She has two previous Joseph Je�erson Awards for School For Lies and The Madness of George III. Susan has enjoyed extended design relationships with Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Huntington Theatre, and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, but her longest collaboration was with the Alliance Theatre (Atlanta) where she designed over 58 productions spanning 30 years. Her television and �lm designs includes Miss Evers’ Boys for HBO and Mama Flora’s Family for CBS. Susan is the Senior Associate Chair, a Regents Teaching Excellence Award winner, and holder of the Ragan Professorship in Fine Arts in the Department of Theatre and Dance at The University of Texas.

JACKSON MILLER FIRST SEASON (Lighting Programmer, Shakespeare in Love) is a New York-based lighting programmer, assistant, and designer. Recent programming projects include Dirty Dancing (2017-18 US National Tour); Part of the Plan (TPAC); Billy Elliot (GOU Producciones, Mexico City); Irving Berlin’s White Christmas(2016 US National Tour). www.jackmill.com

JACLYN MILLERFIRST SEASON (Movement Consultant, Roe) is delighted to be making her Asolo Rep debut. In eight seasons with Oregon Shakespeare Festival she has choreographed: Shakespeare in Love (U.S. Premiere), My Fair Lady, The Cocoanuts: A Marx Brothers Musical, Roe (World Premiere), Yeoman of the Guard (World Premiere Adaptation), Fingersmith (World Premiere), Sense & Sensibility, Twelfth Night, Taming of the Shrew. Other regional credits include: The Cocoanuts: A Marx Brothers Musical (Guthrie Theater); Hunchback of Notre Dame (Idaho Shakespeare Festival/Great Lakes Theater). Ms. Miller has also worked around the country as an Assistant/Associate Director and/or Choreographer-credits include: Pirates of Penzance (Portland Opera); Soul Doctor (Parker Playhouse); Chicago (Ogunquit Playhouse); Joseph…Dreamcoat (Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma); Spamilton (Kirk Douglas Theater).

DEVON MUKO* SECOND SEASON (Stage Manager, Morning After Grace; Assistant Stage Manager, Shakespeare in Love; Roe) is excited to return to Asolo Rep having previously worked as the stage management apprentice on The Matchmaker, Both Your Houses and Our Betters. Since then, she has functioned as the Production Stage Manager for Creede Repertory Theatre in Creede, CO and for the FSU/Asolo Conservatory here in Sarasota. Previous credits include Gulfshore Playhouse, The Santa Fe Opera and Saint Michael’s Playhouse. From South Dakota, she would like to thank her family and friends for their continued love, laughter and support. Proud AEA member.

RAY NARDELLI FIRST SEASON (Sound Designer, Shakespeare in Love) Mr. Nardelli’s credits include work at Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Court Theatre, American Theater Company, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Northlight Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Victory Gardens Theater, Dallas Theater Center, Syracuse Stage, Alliance Theatre, Actors Theatre, McCarter, Long Wharf Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, Arena Stage, Hartford Stage Company, Alley Theatre. New York/Chicago/national tour productions: Hamilton, War Horse, Book of Mormon, The Grinch, Flea, Jersey Boys. Chicago & National companies: Wicked, Rock of Ages, The Lion King, Billy Elliot, Come Fly Away, Cats, La Cage Aux Follies, Mary Poppins, Peter Pan. Pre-Broadway productions: The Last Ship, Bring It On, The Addams Family, The Light in the Piazza, All Shook Up, Death of a Salesman. Composed music in over 400 �lms, television programs, DVDs and computer games worldwide.

CHRISTOPHER OSTROMFOURTH SEASON (Lighting Designer, Rhinoceros) has previously designed Born Yesterday, Living on Love and Inventing Van Gogh at Asolo Rep, earning a Sarasota Magazine Theatre Award for best lighting design. His other credits include productions for Opera San Jose, Tulsa Opera, Kentucky Opera, Boston

Early Music Festival, Chautauqua Opera, Mobile Opera, Opera Boston, Odyssey Opera, New England Conservatory, Boston Conservatory, the Toronto Symphony, Macau International Music Festival, Curtis Institute of Music, New Repertory Theatre, Stoneham Theatre, Boston Ballet, Brandeis University, and Bard College. In addition, Christopher is the Executive Director of Well�eet Harbor Actors Theater on Cape Cod. www.christopherostrom.com

MATTHEW PARKER TWENTY-FIFTH SEASON (Sound Designer, Morning After Grace; Gloria) Previous Asolo Rep credits include Born Yesterday, The Little Foxes, Grapes of Wrath. Matt received his BPA in Theatre Production Design and Technology from Ohio University, where he designed the sound for Heartbreak House, Luann Hampton Laverty Oberlander, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Hot L Baltimore. While resident sound designer at the Monomoy Theatre on Cape Cod, he designed South Paci�c, Dracula, Private Lives, Richard III and others. He has worked sound and special e�ects at The Flat Rock Theatre in North Carolina on such shows as I Hate Hamlet, the world premiere of Gilligan’s Island: The Musical and many others. Since 1993, Mr. Parker has designed sound for most of Asolo Rep’s productions. In addition, he wrote and performed the musical scores for The Count of Monte Cristo and Nicholas Nickleby.

ROBERT PERDZIOLA THIRD SEASON (Scenic & Costume Designer, Rhinoceros) has designed sets and costumes for the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Opera Monte Carlo, Garsington Opera, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, San Francisco Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Fort Worth Opera, Opera Boston, Glimmerglass Opera, Manhattan School of Music, and the Juilliard School of Drama. Among these designs are Living on Love and Born Yesterday for Asolo Rep, Capriccio and Il Pirata for the Met, Anna Karenina for Florida Grand Opera and Giulio Cesare for Fort Worth Opera. In 2014 he designed Cosi Fan Tutte for the Hyogo Performing Arts Center and Falsta� for the Saito Kinen Festival in Japan.

PAUL JAMES PRENDERGASTTHIRD SEASON (Composer/Sound Designer, Roe) On Broadway he received a Drama Desk nomination for All The Way. His select theater credits include productions at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Guthrie, Mark Taper Forum, A.R.T., A.C.T., Atlantic, South Coast Rep, Long Wharf, Great Lakes, Florida Stage, Ge�en Playhouse, Playmakers Rep, Hartford Stage, Cal Shakes, Alley Theatre, Kennedy Center, Moscow Art Theatre, and the Edinburgh Festival. His theme park credits include Disney, Universal Studios and Knott’s Berry Farm. His museum credits include J. Paul Getty, Ge�en Contemporary, M.O.C.A., L.A.C.M.A., and the Autry National Center. His dance credits include Diavolo Dance Theater, Momix and Parsons Dance. His work as a singer/songwriter has appeared on television, in �lms, on recordings and in music venues nationwide.

RACHEL ROCKWELL FIRST SEASON (Director, Shakespeare In Love) is a Chicago-based director/choreographer. Some of her recent credits include: Ride The Cyclone at MCC (Joe A. Calloway Award for Choreography, Lortel and Drama League nominated); October Sky at the Old Globe (Craig Noel Award for Best Musical); the world premiere of Something Wicked This Way Comes at Delaware Theatre Company; the world premiere of Diary of A Wimpy Kid for the Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis. Other directing/choreography credits include: Ride the Cyclone (Je� Award for Best Director); Shakespeare In Love at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre; Brigadoon (Je� Award - Best Musical and Best Choreography) at Goodman Theatre; Billy Elliot (Je� Award for Best Choreography); Ragtime (Je� Award - Best Musical and Best Director) at Drury Lane Theatre; Enron (Je� Award nomination - Best Play) at TimeLine Theatre Company.

MARK ROSE FIRST SEASON (Fight Choreographer, Rhinoceros) is a member of the SAFD and has been choreographing �ghts for stage and screen since 2009 in both New York and Florida. As an actor and stuntman, he has appeared on Fox’s Gotham, Instinct, and South Beach Tow, as well as in the live Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Walt Disney World, and on the �ght team of the San


Diego Opera’s production of Romeo & Juliet. Most recently, he choreographed the �ghts for the Asolo/FSU Conservatory’s production of The Motherf**ker with the Hat. Other �ght choreography credits include: The Three Musketeers, Henry V, Chushingura (The 47 Ronin), Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and Hitgirls: An Ass-Kicking Musical Comedy in Heels. www.mark-rose.com

CELINE ROSENTHAL SECOND SEASON (Local Casting, Shakespeare in Love; Morning After Grace; Rhinoceros; Roe) is an NYU Tisch alum, Tony®-nominated producer (Leap of Faith, Seminar), and the current Artistic Associate at Asolo Rep. Her work has been seen at NYMF, New York City Center, MMAC, 54Below, 59E59, and in the Broadway’s Future Songbook Series at Lincoln Center. Recent projects include Asolo/FSU Conservatory’s, The Motherf**ker with the Hat. Borders in a Bedroom at The Tristan Bates Theatre in London and Adam Ashraf’s The Death of Grandma Hanem at Theatre For The New City. Celine received her MFA in Directing from The New School for Drama. She is a New Georges Jammer, the recipient of an SDCF Observership, and Directing Fellowships at MTC and Asolo Repertory Theatre. www.celinerosenthal.nyc

NIA SCIARRETTA* SIXTH SEASON (Stage Manager, Shakespeare in Love and Roe; Assistant Stage Manager, Rhinoceros) Previous Asolo Rep credits include stage manager for Born Yesterday and Disgraced, assistant stage manager for Guys & Dolls; The Little Foxes; All the Way; Ah, Wilderness!; Luck Be a Lady; South Paci�c; Hero: The Musical. Previous O�-Broadway credits include Jesus Hopped the A Train, In the Blood, and The Wayside Motor Inn at the Signature Theatre. Other NYC credits include Ful�llment at the Flea Theater. Regionally, Nia has also worked with Creede Repertory Theatre, the Hangar Theatre, the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, and Penguin Rep. Ithaca College graduate.

SIMON CASTING (Chicago Casting, Shakespeare in Love; Morning After Grace; Rhinoceros; Roe) regional credits include working with the Clarence Brown Theatre, Cleveland Play House, Guthrie Theater, Indiana Rep, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Lyric Opera in Chicago, New Theatre, Kansas City Rep, Madison Rep, Milwaukee Rep, Paramount Theatre, Syracuse Stage and Writers’ Theatre. Chicago theater credits: Broadway in Chicago’s Working; critically acclaimed The Doyle & Debbie Show; the Tony® Award-winning Million Dollar Quartet; Show Boat, Carousel, and The King and I for the Lyric Opera, Old Jews Telling Jokes. TV: Empire, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Sense 8, Crisis, Betrayal, Detroit 1-8-7, Boss, Mob Doctor, Chicago Code. Recent �lm credits: Divergent, Contagion, Jupiter Ascending, Unexpected. She won the Artios Award for casting Season One of Fox’s Prison Break.

STEWART/WHITLEY CASTING (New York Casting, Shakespeare in Love; Morning After Grace; Rhinoceros; Roe; Gloria) is headed by Duncan Stewart, CSA & Benton Whitley, CSA, with Paul Hardt, Christine McKenna, Danny Dunitz, & Allie Carieri. Selected credits include- Broadway/NY: The Great Comet, Chicago, A Clockwork Orange, Fiasco’s Twelfth Night, On the Town, Pippin, La Cage Aux Follies. International/National Tours: West Side Story, The Bodyguard, Sound Of Music, Finding Neverland, Dirty Dancing, Chicago, Elf, Bullets over Broadway. Regional: Asolo Rep, Goodspeed Opera House, TUTS, Alley Theatre, Bay Street Theatre, RCCL, Hollywood Bowl, Theatreworks. Upcoming: Hadestown, Other World, August Rush, Hard Times. Winner of the Casting Society of America Artios Award. www.stewartwhitley.com

MICAH J. STIEGLITZFIRST SEASON (Projection Programmer, Roe) is excited to join Asolo Rep and return to Roe after he did the initial video programming for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival production, where he works as the Video Supervisor. Other programming credits include Unison at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Amélie, X’s and O’s (A Football Love Story) and Tribes at Berkeley Rep; Fondly Do We Hope…Fervently Do We Pray with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, and others.

ROBERT WIERZEL FIRST SEASON (Lighting Designer, Shakespeare in Love) has worked with artists from diverse disciplines and backgrounds in art, opera, theatre, and dance on

stages throughout the country and abroad. Broadway credits include Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar & Grill, starring Audra McDonald; Fela! (Tony® Award nomination); David Copper�eld’s Dreams and Nightmares. His work has also been seen O�-Broadway and at numerous American regional theater companies. His extensive opera credits include productions with the companies of Paris, Tokyo, Toronto, New York City Opera, Glimmerglass, Chicago Lyric, Washington DC, and Seattle. He holds an MFA from the Yale School of Drama and serves on the faculty at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and the Yale School of Drama. In addition, Mr. Wierzel is a creative partner at Spark Design Collaborative. www.sparkdesigncollaborative.com

STEVEN WILSONFIRST SEASON (Directing Fellow, Shakespeare in Love; Rhinoceros; Gloria) is a freelance director, actor and educator. His directing work has been seen regionally in Pittsburgh (City Theatre), Arkansas (Theatre Squared), Austin, Texas (Zach Theatre) and in Chicago with both The Hypocrites, where he directed Green Day’s American Idiot, and with A Red Orchid Theatre where he most recently directed the world premiere of The Haven Place. Steven holds a BFA in acting from Point Park University and an MFA in Directing from The University of Texas at Austin.

Held during select Wednesday and Saturday performances throughout the 2017-2018 season, IllumiNation events begin on the mezzanine, continue with the performance, and conclude with a community conversation where audience members can further ex-plore the topical and social issues that they have just seen played out on stage.

ROE, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 216:30pm • Pre-show reception

FREE for IllumiNation Series ticket holders; $10 reception upgrade availabe through the box office

7:30pm • Roe performance

Promoting cross-culturalconversations in our community.

ILLUMINATION

SERIES

IllumiNation is made possible, in part, with support from Maurice Richards and Jack Kesler.

Additional IllumiNation PerformancesPre-show reception times

Saturday, April 21 • 1:00pm GloriaWednesday, May 16 • 6:30pm Ragtime

TICKETS START AT $20 when you purchase an IllumiNation PACKAGE.

asolorep.org/illumination_series941.351.8000 | 800.361.8388


�e CASTMICHELLE ARAVENA* GUEST ARTIST, FIRST SEASON (Ofelia/Connie Gonzalez, Roe) has performed in the original Broadway companies of A Bronx Tale (Dir. Robert De Niro, Jerry Zaks), Rocky, Jersey Boys and A Chorus Line (Revival). She was seen as Anita in the 2010 1st National Tour of West Side Story (Dir. Arthur Laurents). Other national tours include Mamma Mia! and Les Misérables. Regional credits include Old Globe, Bucks County, Goodspeed Opera, and Actors Theater of Louisville. Michelle won the Je� Award in 2015 for her portrayal of Anita in West Side Story and was nominated for Leading Actress in 2016 for her portrayal of Rose in Bye Bye Birdie both at Drury Lane Theater in Chicago.

TRACY MICHELLE ARNOLD*GUEST ARTIST, SECOND SEASON (Molly/Mary/Ensemble, Roe) happily returns to Asolo Rep where she played Regina in The Little Foxes. She has appeared in over 50 productions at American Players Theatre, her artistic home since 1999. Favorite APT roles include Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire, Cleopatra in Antony & Cleopatra, Arkadina in The Seagull, Kate in Taming of the Shrew, Judith in Hay Fever, and Julie in The Royal Family. Other regional credits include: Brooke in Other Desert Cities at The Goodman, Amanda in Private Lives at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Mrs. Erlynne in Lady Windermere’s Fan at Northlight Theatre, Rosalind in As You Like It at Writers Theatre and Juliana in The Other Place at Forward Theatre.

DUSTIN BABIN THIRD YEAR STUDENT, FIRST SEASON (Robin/Ensemble, Shakespeare in Love; Townsperson, Rhinoceros) is from Lafayette, Louisiana. He received a Bachelor’s degree in the Humanities from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. This is his debut with Asolo Rep. He is very thankful to his parents and teachers for their lessons and love. Big thanks to his sponsors Pam and Walter Hunt, Eva Slane, Don and Judy Markstein, and the Esther Mertz Endowed Fund.

ANDREW BOSWORTH

THIRD YEAR STUDENT, FIRST SEASON (Frees/Dance Captain/Ensemble, Shakespeare in Love; Waiter, Rhinoceros) is a third year student at the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. In his �rst year, he understudied and later went on in Ah, Wilderness! at Asolo Rep as the Salesman. He has performed in Iowa, Wisconsin, Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, and returns having spent the summer in Princeton, Illinois at Festival 56. He would be nowhere without the support of his sponsors Claudia Coville, Nanette Crist, Jon and Paula Stein, and the Foster and Martha Harmon Endowed Fund.

DAVID BREITBARTH* ASSOCIATE ARTIST, TWENTY-SECOND SEASON (Burbage, Shakespeare in Love; Berenger, Rhinoceros) Over 75 productions at Asolo Rep include: The Little Foxes, The Great Society, All The Way, Both Your Houses, The Grapes of Wrath, Glengarry Glen Ross, Clybourne Park, God of Carnage, Once in a Lifetime, Twelve Angry Men, The Front Page, The Immigrant, world premieres of Men of Tortuga and Perfect Mendacity, The Winter’s Tale, A Few Good Men, Laughing Stock, A Flea in Her Ear, Rounding Third, Art, Hobson’s Choice, and Nicholas Nickleby. Broadway 1st National Tour: Spring Awakening. O�-Broadway: Short Change, Perfect Crime, Fluorescent Hunger, and This Hard Life. Los Angeles: Life in the Trees (West Coast premiere) and David’s Mother. Film and television: Frasier, Taken!, Law & Order, and Fame. He has

appeared regionally around the country and is a member of Florida Repertory Theatre’s Ensemble of Theatre Artists.David is a proud 2013 Lunt-Fontanne Fellow selected by the prestigious Ten Chimneys Foundation.

JORDAN BROWN*GUEST ARTIST, FIRST SEASON (Will Shakespeare, Shakespeare in Love; Henry McCluskey/Robert Flowers/Abortion Doctor/Ensemble, Roe) is thrilled to be making his Asolo Rep debut. His Chicago theatre credits include By The Water, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Iphigenia In Aulis, White Guy On The Bus, Brigadoon, Wonderful Town, In The Company Of Men, and The Pitmen Painters, among others. Other regional credits include A Skull In Connemaraat Centerstage Theatre in Baltimore, MD and The Light In The Piazza at River Valley Rep in Poughkeepsie, NY. TV credits include Sirens (USA Network) and Crisis (NBC). He is a graduate of the University of the North Carolina School of the Arts.

NATE BURGER* GUEST ARTIST, FIRST SEASON (Ned Alleyn, Shakespeare in Love; Ron Weddington/Floyd/Flip Benham/Ensemble, Roe) makes his Asolo Rep debut. His selected regional credits include Love’s Labor’s Lost, The Heir Apparent, Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Wasteland, Master Harold...And The Boys (Timeline Theatre); The Liar (Writers Theatre); Butler (Northlight Theatre); Red (Forward Theater); A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre). He is a core company actor at American Players Theatre in Spring Green, WI where favorite credits over seven seasons include Mercutio, Cassio, Claudio, Troilus, Septimus Hodge, Andrei Prozorov, and Camille Chandebise, amongst many others. TV: Chicago Med, Chicago Fire. He is a proud graduate of Loyola University Chicago.

CHRISTOPHER CARLSON THIRD YEAR STUDENT, FIRST SEASON (Sam/Ensemble, Shakespeare in Love; Townsperson, Rhinoceros) is excited to join the Asolo Rep company after understudying All the Way, Living on Love, and Ah! Wilderness his �rst year. FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training credits include Sheri� Atkins (Book of Days), Eddie (The Drunken City), and Snout/Starveling (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). Many thanks to his sponsors Margot and Warren Coville, Shari and Stephen Ashman, and Carole Crosby and Larry Wickless, as well as to his family for their support.

BRANDON DAHLQUIST*GUEST ARTIST, SECOND SEASON (Wessex, Shakespeare in Love; Botard, Rhinoceros) is thrilled to return to Asolo Rep (Je�erson, 1776). Recent credits include Broadway: Bronx Bombers. Regional: American Conservatory Theater (1776, A Little Night Music); Milwaukee Rep (Glass Menagerie); Maltz Jupiter (Twelve Angry Men); SF Playhouse (Dog�ght, City of Angels); Peninsula Players (Sunday…George, Murder on the Nile, Lombardi). Chicago: Writers Theatre (Arcadia, Oh Coward, A Little Night Music-Je�erson Nomination); Drury Lane (Cabaret, Meet Me in St. Louis, Grand Hotel, Sugar); Porchlight (Sunday…George, Assassins, City of Angels). TV credits: Guest stars: Di�cult People (Hulu) and Chicago PD (NBC). Mr. Dahlquist is a graduate of The Second City Conservatory and a popular headshot photographer. brandondahlquist.actor & brandondahlquistphotography.com


MATT DeCARO* GUEST ARTIST, SECOND SEASON (Tilney/Sir Robert de Lesseps, Shakespeare in Love; Gene, Rhinoceros) was seen last season as LBJ in The Great Society and Oscar in The Little Foxes. Most recently he enjoyed a four-month run as Winston Churchill and Harold Wilson in The Audience at Chicago’s Timeline Theatre. Though a Chicagoan, he has been fortunate to play in theaters across the country including Lincoln Center, Manhattan Theatre Club, The Goodman Theatre, The Guthrie Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, The Old Globe Theatre, San Francisco’s A.C.T., and internationally on world stages in Dublin, Toronto and Wuzhen, China. Some favorite roles include the Judge in David Mamet’s Romance, Dave Moss in Glengarry Glen Ross, Boss Mangan in Heartbreak House, Boolie in Driving Miss Daisy, and Fa Hai in Mary Zimmerman’s The White Snake. His TV and �lm credits include The Wise Kids, Eagle Eye, Prison Break, House, and The O�ce among many others.

MARY ELLEN EVERETT THIRD YEAR STUDENT, FIRST SEASON (Kate/Ensemble, Shakespeare in Love; Helen/Pregnant Woman 2/Ronda/Ensemble, Roe) is incredibly thankful to be working with the Asolo Repertory Theatre this season. Most recent credits include performing improv comedy at the Second City Conservatory in Chicago, Illinois. Other training credits include Moscow Art Theatre/USA, William Esper Studio NY and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. A tremendous thank you to my lovely sponsors Phyllis and Jim Turner, and Colleen and Ken Rice. To my family, if you are reading this: I’m so excited you are here!

ANTHONY J. HAMILTON≠ THIRD YEAR STUDENT, FIRST SEASON (Ralph/Ensemble, Shakespeare in Love; Townsperson, Rhinoceros) is excited to return to the Mertz stage, where he last appeared as an understudy in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and Evita. Thank you to Maurie Richards, Jack Kesler, Betsy Coville and to the Conservatory family.

AMY HELMS THIRD YEAR STUDENT, FIRST SEASON (Ensemble, Shakespeare in Love; Housewife, Rhinoceros) is thrilled to join Asolo Rep for this season! In last year’s FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training season she was seen as Ruth Hoch in Book of Days, Catherine in A View from the Bridge, and First Fairy/Snug in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. At Asolo Rep, she understudied All the Way and Ah, Wilderness! Special thanks to her incredible family and donors: Marysue and Leon Wechsler, Margaret Churchill and Paul Oversmith, and Madelyn and Mike Tetmeyer.

NOLAN FITZGERALD HENNELLY THIRD YEAR STUDENT, FIRST SEASON (Nol/Ensemble, Shakespeare in Love; Townsperson, Rhinoceros) Recently understudied Asolo Repertory Theater’s All the Way and Ah, Wilderness! As an FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training student, Nolan was seen as Len in Book of Days, Frank in The Drunken City and Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Before coming to Florida, Nolan wrote and starred in The Two Month Rule for the New York Musical Theatre Festival. Many thanks to his family and his sponsors: Diana and Howard Armbrust, Carol and Marvin Baker, Judy Rudges and the Bill Yandow Endowed Fund.

ALEKSANDR KRAPIVKIN THIRD YEAR STUDENT, FIRST SEASON (Valentine/Ensemble, Shakespeare in Love; Dean/Devin, Gloria) is thrilled to make his Asolo Rep debut! Aleksandr appeared in the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training season as Reverend Groves in Book of Days, Marco in A View From The Bridge, and Pietr Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Credits: Sound of Music at Hope Summer Rep; Joseph and the Amazing... at Maples Rep; (u/s) All The Way and Ah, Wilderness! at Asolo Rep. Thank you for the support and love of my incredible sponsors, Doug Bradbury and Janice Kunkel!

COLLEEN LAFEBER THIRD YEAR STUDENT, FIRST SEASON (Mistress Quickly/Ensemble, Shakespeare in Love; Linda Co�ee/Judy/Pregnant Woman 1/Ensemble, Roe) is a current third year in the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training MFA program and completed her BFA in Musical Theatre at the University of MN Duluth. At Asolo Rep, she understudied Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and All the Way. She would like to thank her wonderful parents Beth and Kevin, as well as a huge thank you to her sponsors: Judy Zuckerberg and George Kole, Barbara Jacobs, and Chris Currie. www.colleenlafeber.com

AMBER LAGEMAN THIRD YEAR STUDENT, FIRST SEASON (Ensemble, Shakespeare in Love; Townsperson, Rhinoceros) is elated to be a member of Asolo Rep while in her �nal year with the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. She previously received her BA from Columbia College Chicago and MA from The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Shakespeare’s Globe. She would like to thank her sponsors, Jane and George Morgan and Tere Reis, for making this experience possible, and her parents for their unwavering love, support, and so much more.

DAVID LIVELY* GUEST ARTIST, SECOND SEASON (Fennyman, Shakespeare in Love; Doctor Kennedy/Henry Wade/Justice Blackmun/Ensemble, Roe) Previous Asolo Rep appearances: Colonel McKean, 1776. David played Juror 11 in the national tour of Roundabout Theater Company’s Twelve Angry Men, and Chicago appearances include 24 productions at Chicago Shakespeare Theater including King Charles lll, Love’s Labor’s Lost, Romeo and Juliet, and Henry IV in Henry IV Parts 1,2 (also RSC, Stratford, UK). Other Chicago Theaters include: Lyric Opera, Court Theatre, Marriott Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre, and Timeline Theatre. Regional credits include Milwaukee Rep, Indiana Rep, Geva Theatre, The Kennedy Center, and Virginia Stage Company. TV: Empire, The Chicago Code, Cupid, What About Joan, Prison Break. Film: Contagion and The Opera Lover.

MATTHEW McGEE* GUEST ARTIST, SECOND SEASON (Lambert/Wabash, Shakespeare in Love; Café Owner/Mr. Papillon, Rhinoceros) Asolo Rep: Living on Love (Bruce), Josephine (JouJou), All The Way (Tailor, et al.). Awards: BroadwayWorld.com’s Favorite Leading Actor in a Musical for performances in freeFall Theatre’s The Frogs and Mame. Matthew has been named Tampa Bay’s Favorite Local Drag Performer in Creative Loafing’s Reader’s Poll in both 2013 and 2017. Recently, Matthew appeared in the independent �lms Small Group and Waiting on Mary (now available on iTunes). This spring, you can see Matthew as Max


Bialystock in The Producers at American Stage in the Park in St. Petersburg. Follow Matthew on IG: @thematthewmcgee www.thematthewmcgee.com

MATT MUELLER* GUEST ARIST, SECOND SEASON (Kit Marlowe/Fight Captain, Shakespeare in Love; Dudard, Rhinoceros) last appeared at Asolo Rep as Kirk in HERO: The Musical. Chicago credits include productions at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Marriott Lincolnshire, and Northlight. Regionally he has appeared at Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Theatre at the Center, Capital Repertory Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Marin Theatre Company, Palm Beach Dramaworks, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Arvada Center, and Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company. His �lm and TV credits include Chicago Justice and the upcoming feature Popper Baxton’s Sickly Stew.

PEGGY ROEDER* GUEST ARTIST, SEVENTH SEASON (Queen Elizabeth, Shakespeare in Love; Mrs. Boeuf, Rhinoceros) has appeared at Asolo Rep in The Grapes of Wrath; Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike; Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner; Ah, Wilderness!; The Matchmaker; Good People. Other favorites include The Dresser (Steppenwolf ); Romeo and Juliet(Goodman); Clean House (Milwaukee Rep); Kabuki Macbeth (Chicago Shakespeare); Ciderhouse Rules (Atlantic Theatre Company); Wizard of Oz (Muny of St. Louis); Big Meal (ATC); Outside Mullingar (Peninsula Players); Float (About Face); Barefoot in the Park (Drury Lane Oakbrook). Her work has garnered four Je� Awards, three Artisan Awards, two After Dark Awards. Film and TV credits include Groundhog Day; Road to Perdition; Were the World Mine; Stranger Than Fiction; Star Trek: DS9; Law & Order.

LAURA ROOK*GUEST ARTIST, FIRST SEASON (Viola de Lesseps, Shakespeare in Love; Daisy, Rhinoceros) is thrilled to be making her Asolo Rep debut with such an exciting season. Ms. Rook is based in Chicago where favorite credits include: Love’s Labour’s Lost, Othello, Henry V, Romeo and Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); The Liar (Writers Theater); Skylight (Court Theater). Regionally, she has worked for the past six seasons at American Players Theater where highlights include Three Sisters, Cyrano De Bergerac, Mary’s Wedding, King Lear, Othello, Pride and Prejudice, The Seagull, and Troilus and Cressida. She has also worked regionally at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, and with Montana Shakespeare in the parks and schools. www.laurarook.com

ADDISON RUSCOE GUEST ARTIST, FIRST SEASON (John Webster, Shakespeare in Love) is thrilled to be making his Asolo debut! His recent credits include Ragtime (Little Boy); Into the Woods (Mysterious Man); Children’s Letters to God (Kicker Brown). He would like to thank Asolo Rep, his directors and cast members for this incredible honor. Much love to his family and Rise Above and Spotlight families for supporting him and helping his dreams come true!

CATHERINE SMITKO*GUEST ARTIST, FIRST SEASON (Nurse, Shakespeare in Love; Abigail/Fight Captain, Morning After Grace) is most happy to join Aoslo Rep Theatre! A native Chicagoan, Catherine has most recently been seen as Nurse in Shakespeare in Love at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and has also played Nurse in their NEA tour of Romeo and Juliet. Other Chicago credits include: Camino Real, Heartbreak House, The Rose Tattoo, A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre); Bye Bye Birdie, Oliver, Funny Girl (Drury Lane Theatre); Les Misérables, Singing In The Rain, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (Marriott Theatre). Some regional credits include: Animal Crackers (Centre Stage Theatre); Nero, Pleasure and Pain (Magic Theatre SF).

GIGI SPAGNOLO FIRST SEASON (Melissa/Emily, Roe) is thrilled to be making her Asolo Rep debut! Gigi’s passions are acting, dancing, theatre, traveling, and modeling. Her upcoming projects include the short �lm Beat the Clock, internet episodic The Real Kids of Lunchtime, and a commercial for Navy Nexcom. She can currently be seen in commercials for SeaWorld and My Little Pony. She has also walked the runway for NYFW. She is a 6th grade honor roll student. www.instagram.com/gigi_spagnolo_o�cial

KEDREN SPENCER≠THIRD YEAR STUDENT, FIRST SEASON (Molly/Ensemble, Shakespeare in Love; Aileen/Barbara/Uma/Pregnant Woman 3/Ensemble, Roe) is thrilled to be a company member of the Asolo Repertory Theatre! She was last seen on the Mertz stage in the fall production of Evita and the world premiere musical of Josephine. She thanks her family for their limitless love and support; sponsors Nancy, Ben, and Joyce. Other regional credits include the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. (The Tempest, Measure for Measure); Baltimore Center Stage (Amadeus); The Keegan Theatre (Hair). www.kedrenspencer.com

STING THE DOGFIRST SEASON (Spot, Shakespeare in Love) Fripon de Terra-Blue MX,MXJ,MJB,NF “Sting”, is a Pyrenean Shepherd, a herding breed native to the Pyrenees mountains. Sting competes in the sport of Agility and has earned numerous titles in the American Kennel Club. He has consistently ranked as one of the fastest dogs in his breed by “Breed Power 10”. Most recently, Sting was the cover dog for Pet Pages 2017. Owner/Trainer/Handler, Barbara Dumbaugh.

BRI SUDIA* GUEST ARTIST, FIRST SEASON (Sarah Weddington, Roe) makes her Asolo Rep debut! Chicago credits include: Wonderful Town (Je� Award Nomination) and Ah, Wilderness! (Goodman Theatre); Sweeney Todd (Je� Award nomination, Paramount Theatre); The Taming of the Shrew, Tug of War, Greatest Hits, The Tempest, Pericles, Sondheim’s Road Show and Red Velvet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre). Regional credits include three seasons at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, and the Arkansas and Texas Shakespeare Festivals. Ms. Sudia holds an MFA in acting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a degree in sign language interpreting for the deaf.

�e CAST, continued


WES TOLMAN THIRD YEAR STUDENT, FIRST SEASON (Adam/Ensemble, Shakespeare in Love; Lorin, Gloria) is a proud graduate student at the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training and is thrilled to be joining the Asolo Rep company this year! Asolo Rep credits include understudy for Living on Love and All The Way. FSU/Asolo Eddie Carbone in View From the Bridge. He is infamously known as the Prince spokesman for Squatty Potty. Thanks to his generous sponsors Nancy Gold, Bruce and India Lesser and Bill Evans, for their support.

JADE TURNER GUEST ARTIST, FIRST SEASON (Roxy, Roe) is thrilled to make her regional theatre debut with Asolo Rep. A native of Sarasota, she is a New York based actor, and a graduate of the University of Tampa Musical Theatre program. Jade was recently seen as Gary Coleman in the Stageworks production of Avenue Q. Jade would like to thank everyone at Asolo Rep and all the special people who made this possible – you know who you are.

TERRI WEAGANT* GUEST ARTIST, FIRST SEASON (Norma McCorvey, Roe) is thrilled to be making her Asolo debut. In Sarasota, she was last seen in the solo show Bo-Nita at Urbanite Theatre. She has worked with such companies as Seattle Shakespeare Company, ACT Theatre, 14/48 Projects, Book-It Repertory Theatre, Consolidated Works, CHAC, and the Radial Theatre Project. She has performed in many parts of the US, Canada,

Australia and the Czech Republic. Terri is producer/co-director of the documentary �lm Above the Bamboo Room, which will premiere in Haines, Alaska in 2018.

JACK WETHERALL*GUEST ARTIST, FIRST SEASON (Henslowe, Shakespeare in Love; Angus, Morning After Grace) Highlights. New York: Title role, The Elephant Man (Broadway); originated role of Mario in Tamara, Park Ave. Armory; Warwick in the Henry VI plays at TFANA; many roles for the Talking Band (O�-Broadway). Major Regional: Prospero, Pericles, Macbeth, Richard II, Orsino, Mercutio, Berowne, Cyrano, Shotover, Jack Absolute, Orestes, Lopakhin, Valmont, Oscar Wilde, Edward in Retreat From Moscow, Lyman in Other Desert Cities. He won Drama-Logue awards for Dionysus in The Bacchae and Jack Tanner in Man and Superman. Stratford, Canada (Robin Phillips, Artistic Director): Henry V; Orlando in As You Like It and Konstantin in The Seagull (opposite Dame Maggie Smith). TV: Vic on Queer As Folk. He leads The Shakespeare Lab in New York City. www.JackWetherall.com

REX WILLIS GUEST ARTIST, FIRST SEASON (Musician, Shakespeare in Love) is thrilled to be making his Asolo Rep debut. As State College of Florida’s Music Theory professor for 25 years, he has music directed twelve shows, including Into the Woods and West Side Story, and composed an original musical, In Ybor City. Mr. Willis is an accomplished classical guitarist, a widely published composer, and an in-demand conductor and clinician.


“All the World's a Stage,”and Asolo Rep has a role for you!

You can take part in creating the captivating productions on our stages.Your tax-deductible contribution to Asolo Rep helps build each set piece, stitch each costume, and keeps the spotlight burning bright on our talented actors.

With a gift of $75 or more, you have access to:¶ Discounts on single tickets¶ Complimentary admission to the Inside Asolo Rep series¶ Behind-the-scenes tours and events¶ And more!

Jordan Brown in Shakespeare in Love. Shakespeare in Love. Photo by Cli� Roles.

For more information on becoming a donor, contact Foundation and Individual Giving Associate, Colton Larsen at (941) 351-9010 ext. 4705, or visit asolorep.org/individualgiving.

asolorep.org | SPRING REP 1 31 30 SPRING REP 1 | asolorep.org

ACTORS at a Glance

* Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

≠ Appears courtesy of Actors' Equity Association

Shakespeare in Love ROERhinocerosMorning A�er Grace

DAVID ALAN ANDERSON* Ollie

MICHELLE ARAVENA* Ofelia/Connie Gonzalez

TRACY MICHELLE ARNOLD* Molly/Mary/Ensemble

DUSTIN BABIN Robin/Ensemble Townsperson

ANDREW BOSWORTH Frees/Ensemble Waiter

DAVID BREITBARTH* Burbage Berenger

JORDAN BROWN* Will ShakespeareHenry McCluskey/Robert Flowers/Abortion Doctor/Ensemble

NATE BURGER* Ned Alleyn Ron Weddington/Floyd/Flip Benham/Ensemble

CHRISTOPHER CARLSON Sam/Ensemble Townsperson

BRANDON DAHLQUIST* Wessex Botard

MATT DeCARO* Tilney/Sir Robert de Lesseps Gene

MARY ELLEN EVERETT Kate/Ensemble Helen/Pregnant Woman 2/Ronda/Ensemble

ANTHONY J. HAMILTON≠ Ralph/Ensemble Townsperson

AMY HELMS Ensemble Housewife

NOLAN FITZGERALD HENNELLY Nol/Ensemble Townsperson

ALEKSANDR KRAPIVKIN Valentine/Ensemble

COLLEEN LAFEBER Mistress Quickly/Ensemble Linda Co�ee/Judy/Pregnant Woman 1/Ensemble

AMBER LAGEMAN Ensemble Townsperson

DAVID LIVELY* Fennyman Doctor Kennedy/Henry Wade/Justice Blackmun/Ensemble

MATTHEW McGEE* Lambert/Wabash Café Owner/Mr. Papillon

MATT MUELLER* Kit Marlowe Dudard

PEGGY ROEDER* Queen Elizabeth Mrs. Boeuf

LAURA ROOK* Viola de Lesseps Daisy

ADDISON RUSCOE John Webster

CATHERINE SMITKO* Nurse Abigail

GIGI SPAGNALO Melissa/Emily

KEDREN SPENCER≠ Molly/Ensemble Aileen/Barbara/Uma/Pregnant Woman 3/Ensemble

BRI SUDIA* Sarah Weddington

WES TOLMAN Adam/Ensemble

JADE TURNER Roxy

TERRI WEAGANT* Norma McCorvey

JACK WETHERALL* Henslowe Angus

REX WILLIS Musician


1718 rep season | spring 1 rep 1 playbill_website.pdfnolan fitzgerald hennelly ... for viola de...

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