NicetiesNicetiesSEP 17 - OCT 4SEP 17 - OCT 4

The

by Eleanor Burgess

Directed by Delicia Turner Sonnenberg

With Deja Fields andMouchette van Helsdingen

moxietheatre.com/the-niceties

Virtual ProductionVirtual Production

MOXIE Theatre6663 El Cajon Blvd, Ste NSan Diego, CA 92115

THE NICETIESby Eleanor Burgess

Directed by Delicia Turner Sonnenberg

Zoe ReedJanine Bosko

Deja FieldsMouchette van Helsdingen

Assistant DirectorProduction ManagerScenic DesignerCostume DesignerLighting DesignerSound DesignerTechnical Directo/PropsStage ManagerCamera OperatorAssistant Camera OpDigital Outreach

ARTISTIC AND PRODUCTION STAFF

CAST

Vanessa DuronNicole RiesJulie LorenzFaith James

Cynthia BloodgoodMason Pilevsky

Angelica YnfanteBeonica Bullard

John BrooksJamie Fox

Danielle Lewis

MOXIE received a very generous matchingchallenge and we need your help to fulfill it.

An anonymous donor will match dollar for dollar all donations received during the virtualproduction of The Niceties up to $5,000.

DOUBLE YOUR GENEROSITY before Oct 4th! A gift today goes twice as far in supporting

women’s voices and the artists in our community atthis especially hard time for performing artists.

HELP US GET A $5,000MATCHING DONATION

MAKE YOUR GIFT BEFORE OCT 4TH

MOXIE Theatre is a non-profit organization, tax ID # 20-1080613.

www.moxietheatre.com/donate

payable to "MOXIE Theatre"mail to: 6663 El Cajon Blvd Suite

N, San Diego CA 92115

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by checkby checkby check

After studying History at Yale College and completing anM.F.A. in Dramatic Writing at Tisch School of the Arts,Burgess has had work produced by the Manhattan TheatreClub, McCarter Theatre Center, Huntington TheatreCompany, the Alliance Theatre, Merrimack RepertoryTheatre, the Contemporary American Theater Festival,Portland Stage Company, and Centenary Stage, anddeveloped with The New Group, New York TheatreWorkshop, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Salt Lake ActingCompany, the Lark Play Development Center, and theKennedy Center/NNPN MFA Playwrights Workshop. Theevents in her most popular work, and MOXIE’s firstproduction of the Sweet 16 season, The Niceties, are basedon her own experiences as an undergraduate student atYale in 2015, surrounding the campus conversation aroundcultural appropriation. The Niceties opened Off-Broadway atthe Manhattan Theatre Club in 2018 to stellar reviews, andhas since been produced at multiple theatre companiesacross the country, including the Huntington TheatreCompany and the Geffen Playhouse. Of her work, Burgess

MOXIE Theatre's mission is to create more diverse andhonest images of women for our culture. Every productionthat premieres on our stage embodies moxie and defiesstereotypes associated with "women's work." By expandingwhat we consider feminine, MOXIE celebrates our sharedhumanity.MOXIE is a professional nonprofit theatre, founded in 2004.MOXIE has garnered ten Patte Awards for TheatreExcellence, nine San Diego Critics Circle Awards including"Director of the Year," "Des McAnuff New Visions award"and the "Don Braunagel Award for Outstanding Work at aSmall Theater." In San Diego's 2013 & 2016 A-Lists, MOXIE ranked in the top three for "Best Theater" inSan Diego. In 2017, MOXIE was voted "Best Small Theatre inSan Diego" by San Diego Magazine.

President-Shannon SweeneyTreasurer- Vivienne EsrigSecretary- Jamie FoxPresident Emeritus- John Brook

MOXIE BOARD

MOXIE STAFF

Edith BenkovAurora BewickeMayra Garcia

Jennifer Eve ThornNicole RiesValentina LunatiCallie PrendivilleVanessa DuronMieko UshioSandra RuizKarla Garcia & Justine Sombilon

Exec. Artistic DirectorProduction ManagerDevelopment DirectorAssoc. Artistic DirectorBox Office/Sales DirectorBookkeeperCasting DirectorMOXIE Interns

the playwright

ELEANOR BURGESS

says: “I write to understandthings, I write about things thatconfuse me, I write about thingsthat trouble me, topics where Ireally thought I knew what Ibelieved and then someone saidsomething that shook me downto my core and all of sudden Irealize that maybe I don’t knowwhat I believe.”

majored in Musical Theatre and graduated with herBachelor of Arts 2019 from UCLA’s Theatre Film andTelevision program. This San Diego native is passionateabout her work and has had the privilege of working atvarious theatre companies throughout San Diego including

the cast

DEJA FIELDS (ZOE)is a founder and the former Artistic Director of MOXIETheatre, which she helmed for 12 acclaimed seasonsreceiving The Des McAnuff New Visions Award for “RiskTaking Leadership and Body of Work” and “2015 Directorof the Year” from the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle. Shehas also directed plays for Actors Theatre of LouisvilleHumana Festival, San Diego REP, The Old Globe Theatre, LaJolla Playhouse, Cygnet Theatre, New Village Arts,Diversionary Theatre and Playwrights Project. Some honors 

the director

DELICIA TURNER SONNENBER

include: TheatreCommunications Group's NewGenerations Program, San DiegoTheatre Critics Circle Awards,Women's International LivingLegacy Award, Van Lier FundFellowship (Second StageTheatre) and the New YorkDrama League's DirectorsProject.

special thanks and acknowledgements

Many thanks to the following individuals and organizations,without whom this production would not have been possible.

Canis Lupus Productions, The Women's Museum of California,Jamie Fox, Zoë Turner Sonnenberg, Genalyte, Shotgun Players, Leigh Rondon-Davis, Jocelynn Johnston, Leigh Scarritt, DanielJáquez, Justine Sombilon, Karla Garcia, Andréa Agosto, JohnBrooks

the San Diego Repertory Theatre,MOXIE Theatre, and lastly The OldGlobe. She specializes in Mezzo-Belting Vocal techniques, Acting,Dance, and seeks to use her voiceas a tool to share and create newand innovative stories many areafraid to tell.

During these challenging times, Mouchette is beyondgrateful to the MOXIE Theatre for the opportunity to be partof this amazing play. She is a member of the RuskinTheatre in Santa Monica, where she recently appeared in anew comedy, Bad Habits, starring the late Orson Bean.

MOUCHETTE VAN HELSDINGEN (JANINE)

Other productions include TheMousetrap and The Importance ofBeing Earnest at the Crown CityTheatre, and The Gun andRainbow Bridge at the RuskinTheatre. Born in Amsterdam, shestudied drama at the KleinkunstAkademie, and continued hereducation at The Drama Studio inLondon.

is thankful to be back designing sets at Moxie for TheNiceties, after designing Handbagged and Herland, as wellas working as Charge Artist on Dance Nation, Yoga Play,Madres and Anne Frank. She painted on Cygnet’s La Cageaux Follies, Rock of Ages, King Hedley II/Seven Guitars, andbackdrops at Lambs Players on See How They Run andServant of Two Masters. She has worked with LPT as ASM

Christmas & Senior Follies at ECPAC, and as Charge Artistfor Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Mt.Helix Amphitheater. Julie currently works at Aesthetics Inc.as Art Consultant for healing environments. Julie loves herown niceties, Macy Flynn, husband Jon and step-sonHudson Fox.

FAITH JAMES (COSTUME DESIGNER)is happy to be part of the MOXIE team and is honored tocome back as the assistant director for The Niceties. Someof her credits include San Diego County Fair’s Oz at theHotel (Director), Vagina Monologues (Director) Mesa

artistic and production staff

VANESSA DURON (ASSISTANT DIRECTOR)

College, Dream Hou$e (AssistantDirector) San Marcos University,Fade (Assistant Director) MOXIETheatre, Latinx New Play Festival(Assistant Producer, AssistantDirector and Actor) San Diego Rep.She would like to thank her familyand friends for their continuedsupport.

the Autry to big budget main stageproductions such as James and theGiant Peach where she alsofocused on puppet build. Her latestproject has been costumedesigning for The Niceties directedby Delicia Turner and a productionof The opera Orpheo (Peri) directedby Alan E.Hicks

iis a designer, educator and technical director.  She isthrilled to be a part of the Niceties.  Shows at Moxie includethe Blue Door, Anne Frank, the Madres (technical direction),and Handbagged (lighting design).  Local work in carpentryand stage electrician work with theaters, productioncompanies and IATSE 122.  Technical direction, design andeducation work with youth theater and for the past 15years, including San Diego Junior Theater, the San Diego

CYNTHIA BLOODGOOD (LIGHTING DESIGNER)

JULIE LORENZ (SCENIC DESIGNER)

on Mixtape, and constructedproperties on Joe vs. the Volcanoand Festival of Christmas. Shepreviously worked for CCT MusicalTheater as Scenic Designer for LetFreedom Ring on the Midway,Thoroughly Modern Millie, HelloDolly, Route 66, Traditions of

is currently completing her MFA degree in costume designand technology in the School of Theatre, TV and Film atSan Diego State University. She has studied and practicedcostume design and tech in Trinidad and Tobago where shespecialized in wire artisanry yearly for Trinidad andTobago’s Carnival. Her costume design and artisanryexperiences range from working on small experimental newplays such as Lying With Badgers with the Native Voices of

Kentucky, and Cancun, until shemade it to sunny California. She wasthe Props Master/ATD for SanDiego REP for 9 seasons, hasdesigned props for MOXIE for 9seasons, and worked forDiversionary, New Village Arts,Cygnet, Green Raven. She iscurrently with Pacific EventProductions.

BEONICA BULLARD (STAGE MANAGER)is a professional stage manager with a Bachelor of Art in

is an agender local freelance sound designer, audio mixer,and music composer, who is excited to return to the MoxieTheatre. Xie holds a BA from San Diego State University inTheatre Design and Technology. Recent highlights of xie’scareer include American Buffalo (Sound Design, BackyardRenaissance), Handbagged  (Sound Design, Moxie Theatre),

She graduated from Brigham Young University with adegree in Technical Theatre and Design, and is currentlyworking on her MFA in Technical Direction at San DiegoState University.

Theater 2017 from San Diego StateUniversity. She is a San Diego nativeand graduated from the San DiegoSchool of Creative and PerformingArts. Honors include a Certificate ofRecognition in Artistic Achievementfrom California LegislatureAssembly. Beonica feels blessed tobe working with Moxie.

has worked with MOXIE Theatre since 2007 as a volunteerJOHN BROOKS

assistant stage manager, boardmember, and board Presidentemeritus. John is currently involvedin filmmaking and editing during thispandemic.  In addition to releasing adocumentary film on the making ofThe NIceties, John will soon bereleasing a documentary filmentitled 19 Shades of Black.

MASON PILEVSKY (SOUND DESIGN)

Hir (Sound Design, Cygnet Theatre),and The Luckiest (Assistant SoundDesign, La Jolla Playhouse). Xie isalso dedicated to education and iscurrently working towards xie’s MAin Clinical Counseling at AlliantInternational University. Want toknow more? Visit xie at www.mrp-sound.com!

School of Creative and PerformingArts, and Canyon Crest Academy.Cynthia loves the creative,collaborative aspect of theatre andappreciates the energy, talent, anddrive her hard working colleaguesbring to this project.  Shepassionately believes that the artscan change and improve the world. 

ANGELICA YNFANTE (T.D. AND PROP DESIGN)is a Texas State University graduate with a BFA in Theatre.For five years, she worked across US and Mexico in Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Vermont, New York, Tennessee,

We are proud to give special recognition to the generousdonors who chose to support MOXIE's 16th Season.

THANK YOU!

MEET MOXIE'S SPONSORSSweet 16 CIrcle

Edith BenkovGingy & Bud Ferguson

Beth A. GoodmanJean & Gordon KellySheri & Jess Kraus

Laura Levine & Peter PolitzerPatricia R. Low & Mark W. Majette

Sue Marberry & Kay ChandlerSusan & Douglas McLeod

Wendy Nash & Wes Anson

additional support by

The Niceties Production Sponsor

Navigation RealtyPBRK & MLGCarol Rainey

Jeanette RigopoulosJocelyn Shannon

Felicia ShawSolar Punk Collective

Katherine & Joel SpenglerDr. Lynne Thrope

Chris & Julia Tollafield

Canis Lupus ProductionsBeth A. Goodman

Barbara Rose & Char Katz

RECURRING CHARACTERS ($100+/mo)

Anonymous (1)Alice Greene

Susan Jo KellerAline N. King

Patricia R. Low & Mark W. MajetteNavigation Realty

CAMEO ROLE ($50+/mo)

Anonymous (1)Jennifer Adams Brookover

Lois BloomElizabeth Corrow

Lee Lawless

RUN CREW ($25+/mo)

MOXIE is proud to give special recognition to this group oftheatre lovers who experience our art as Associate Producers.These donors give monthly to help sustain the art MOXIEproduces and the artists who make it, and for that we aredeeply grateful!

Join the ranks of our MONTHLY DONORS andsustain MOXIE's future! By becoming an AssociateProducer you will give MOXIE peace of mind toplan many more seasons of ground-breakingtheatre, virtual AND in person.

For more information go to moxietheatre.com/donate or email devo@moxietheatre.com.

Amy Besnoy & Michelle FischthalSUPPORTING ROLE ($200+/mo)

Jean & Gordon KellyENSEMBLE CAST ($75+/mo)

donorbox.org/moxie-associate-producers

someone special

become an associate producer