the rolling world premiere magic - olney · pdf file301.924.3400 olneytheatre.org2 a note from...

OLNEY THEATRE CENTER

THEMAGIC PLAY

ROLLINGWORLDPREMIERE

301.924.3400 OLNEYTHEATRE.ORG 2

A NOTE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Dear friend of Olney Theatre Center,

Get ready for a long letter – there’s much to celebrate, much to report, and much to discuss with you!

First: Tuesday, March 21 was a joyous day at Olney Theatre Center. At first rehearsal for the Rolling World Premiere of The Magic Play, we welcomed back to campus playwright Andrew Hinderaker, a generous, outrageously adventurous soul, and author of the Helen Hayes Award-winning Colossal that thrilled audiences at Olney two years ago. For that show, he created a unique mashup of football and theater, introduced us to the genius of director Will Davis and actor Michael Patrick Thornton, and demonstrated the guts to take a completely unproducible idea and turn it into live theater magic.

This time around, he’s introducing us to another wildly talented pair of collaborators: magician and actor Brett Schneider, for whom Andrew wrote The Magic Play, and director Halena Kays, who has shepherded the piece through readings and workshops to our Mainstage. And yet again, he’s taken an unproducible idea and spun it into theater gold.

Part magic show, part love story, The Magic Play is unlike any other theater event you’ve seen this year (and possibly ever). The story in the play – about a Magician’s inability to trust in the uncertainty of love – is mirrored in the play’s form: to succeed, the Magician must give up control of the performance itself. Not only is the ending never the same, it can never be anticipated by the actor performing it. There are no plants in the audience and no tricks up our sleeves when a volunteer comes onto the stage (yes, get ready for your closeup!). Give yourself over to Andrew’s magic, and I promise you a unique, enthralling and fulfilling visit to the theater.

Andrew and Brett have been working on The Magic Play for half a decade: they’ve built and tested literally hundreds of illusions and tricks, privately and before test audiences, to discern which pieces of hand crafted magic best reveal the heart of the Magician, and deepen his story. It turns into a high wire act of faith by a playwright completely trusting a performer, and a performer completely trusting you, his audience, to complete the event. Like a magician calling on a volunteer for the first time in his act, or a diver standing on the edge of a diving board (you’ll understand that simile later!), we don’t know what might happen. It’s terrifying to leap forward, but we can’t wait to take the plunge with you.

Another joyous day at Olney Theatre Center was April 12, 2017: not only was it first preview of The Magic Play, it was also the ribbon-cutting ceremony for our stunning new lobby, designed by our friends at Inscape Studio. This renovation is the first in a series of capital improvements we’re planning over the next five years that transform this 79-year old “mom-and-pop” rustic jewel into a professional, nationally-significant regional theater: new artist housing, the transformation of the Historic Theatre into a multi-use community space, and a restaurant on campus are just three of the improvements we envision for your theater. I’m so proud of Managing Director Debbie Ellinghaus and her amazing team (see her note in the program, too), and a stalwart group of generous individuals, corporations, and government agencies that enabled us to take this leap.

Speaking of generous government agencies… I’d be remiss if I didn’t admit a certain shadow hung over that joyous first rehearsal: the unveiling, less than a week before, of the President’s 2018 budget. Yet again, the arts community is rallying to defend the National Endowment for the Arts. What’s different this time is we’re not just arguing over funding levels; we’re being forced to justify the very existence of the agency, and by extension, the essence of the not-for-profit arts idea: that fostering creative expression as well as imagination and empathy, in every corner of this country, is as essential as the roads and bridges that get us there.

(Continued on page 4)

Olney Theatre Center is a non-profit arts organization with a mission to create professional theater productions and other programs that nurture artists, students, technicians, administrators, and audience members; to develop each individual’s creative potential using the skill and imaginative possibilities of theater and the performing arts.

Managing Editor: JJ KaczynskiAd Sales: 301.924.4485 x105

Copyright by Olney Theatre Center.

All editorial and advertising material is fully protected and must not be reproduced in any manner without written permission.



Opening Night: Saturday, April 15, 2017

OLNEY THEATRE CENTERDebbie Ellinghaus,

Managing DirectorJason Loewith,

Artistic Director

presents

THE MAGIC PLAY

By Andrew Hinderaker

Costume DesignerAlison Siple

Scenic DesignerLizzie Bracken

Lighting DesignerJesse Belsky

Sound DesignerMatthew M. Nielson

Associate Artistic DirectorJason King Jones

Director of ProductionDennis A. Blackledge

Production Stage ManagerElisabeth Ribar

With Magic Created by

Brett SchneiderDirected by

Halena Kays

featuring

Jon Hudson Odom Brett Schneider Harry A. Winter

Acrobatic Training provided by The Actors Gymnasium, Evanston, IL

The MagiC Play was produced in a developmental production in Goodman Theatre’s 2014 New Stages Festivaland received its first perfomance of its Rolling World Premiere at Goodman Theatre, Chicago, Illinois

on November 1, 2016. Robert Falls, Artistic Director, Roche Schulfer, Executive Director

Projections DesignerJohn “Smooch” Medina

Magic ConsultantJim Steinmeyer

Aerial ConsultantSylvia Hernandez-DiStasi

Flying Effects byD2 Flying Effects


This attack on our very reason for being – the choice all of us on staff and working on this production have made for our careers – is particularly poignant when we produce a world premiere like The Magic Play. If we were a for-profit company, we’d have extended Mary Poppins into June and cancelled the rest of the season. But we didn’t do that, because we have a duty to you in the audience and our community to balance the sure-fire hits with adventurous new works. Sure, we might end up producing the next Moose Murders (the legendary 1983 Broadway flop that opened and closed on the same night)… but what if we end up with the next hamilton or a Chorus line? Isn’t that worth the risk of an occasional misfire? Isn’t that worth fifty cents from every American each year?

And it’s not just the dollars, but what the dollars say: that works like hamilton and angels in america and a Chorus line and Fences – all brought to life by not-for-profit institutions – make such vital contributions to our nation’s greatness that, as our government subsidizes soybeans and stadiums and interstate roads, so must it subsidize our cultural lives. “Dynamism in arts and culture creates dynamism in a nation,” said former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. I agree. That’s what makes a dynamic nation. That’s what our budget should prioritize in word and deed.

Productions like The Magic Play are why Olney Theatre Center exists, and why it needs your support. Our vision to professionalize the Olney Theatre Campus in every way is to serve you, and make this a true community arts center. Let me know what you think about the play, and about why the arts matter to you at [email protected].

A NOTE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Onward!

Jason Loewith Artistic Director

OLNEY THEATRE CENTERwww.olneytheatre.org301-924-3400

MAY 17 – JUNE 18

PROOFBy DAvID AUbUrNDirecteD By TIMoTHY DoUGLAs

WitH DAWN UrsULA, CrAIG WALLACE,AAkHU TUAHNErA FrEEMAN, anD

bIko EIsEN-MArTIN

wINNER OF THE pulITzER pRIzE

MuLITz-GuDELSKY THEATRE LAB

(Continued from page 2)

mailto:[email protected]


oPENING NIGHT sPoNsor

sPECIAL THANks ToTHE MAGIC PLAY sPoNsors!

To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, please contactWes Meekins, Individual Giving Manager, at

301-924-4485 ext. 130 or [email protected]

CrEATIvE sPoNsorsNettie Horne sponsoring Andrew Hinderaker

ArTIsT sPoNsorsSteve C. phan and Richard J. poster

sponsoring Brett SchneiderKathleen Quinn sponsoring Jon Hudson Odom

Barry and Marie Fleishman sponsoring Harry A. winter


Saturday, May 13, 2017

• • • • • • • AN EvENING OF • • • • • • •

• • • • • MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE • • • • •

cocktails D dinner D live performances D music D dancing

• • • • • • • PLuS • • • • • • •Silent and sealed bid auction featuring: A Walt Disney World Resort Trip for four

A week’s stay in St. Maarten D Golf lessons with a pro golferrestaurant deals, winery tours and more!

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

••••••••••••

The annual gala is Olney Theatre’s biggest fundraiser of the year! Funds raised support our theatrical programming and education activities, including our Arts Integration

partnership with local elementary and middle schools.

Gala Chairs George and Kristie Bradford andOlney Theatre Center’s Board of Directors cordially invite you to

Saturday, May 13, 2017at Olney Theatre Center • 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, MD 20832

Please contact Wes Meekins at 301-924-4485 ext. 130 oremail [email protected] or visit olneytheatre.org/gala for more information on how you or your business can participate

in this one of a kind event.

brETT sCHNEIDEr

IsIAH (IkE) LEGGETT

Award winning actor and illusionist, starring inour current production of The Magic Play.

Montgomery County Executive

••• SPECIAL GuESTS •••

••• AND •••

Recipient of the 2017 Betty Mae Kramer Award


wHO’S wHO - CAST

CAST OF THE MAGIC plAY (in order of appearance)

Magician .....................................................................................................................................BRETT SCHNEIDER*

Diver ....................................................................................................................................JON HuDSON ODOM*^

Father .........................................................................................................................................HARRY A. WINTER*

Production Stage Manager - ELISABETH RIBAR*

*Member, Actors’ Equity Association ^Olney Theatre Center Artistic Associate

Jon Hudson Odom (Diver) Olney Theatre Center and Round House Theatre: angels in america, Parts 1 & 2 [Helen Hayes Nomination, Outstanding Supporting Actor]; Olney Theatre Center: Colossal [Helen Hayes Nomination, Outstanding Ensemble], Piano lesson, and hay Fever; Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company: an Octoroon; Forum Theatre: Passion Play [Helen Hayes Award, Outstanding Supporting Actor]; Round House Theatre: Father Comes home From the Wars Parts 1, 2 & 3; Baltimore Center Stage: Twelfth Night; Goodman Theatre: a Christmas Carol; The Public Theatre: Under the Skin; Rep Stage: yellowman; Everyman Theatre:

you Can’t Take it With you; Ford’s Theatre: a Christmas Carol and Our Town; Studio Theatre: 2-2-Tango and invisible Man; Keegan Theatre: a Few good Men; Theater Alliance: Reals; Imagination Stage and The National Children’s Theatre: The BFg [Helen Hayes Nomination, Outstanding Ensemble]; Constellation Theatre: The Ramayana; National Gallery of Art: Framed. Jon is a company member at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, an Artistic Associate at Olney Theatre Center, and a member of The Ensemble at Forum Theatre. Education: University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Brett Schneider (Magician/Magic Creation) is thrilled to be appearing at Olney Theatre Center for the first time. Previous credits include OFF-BROADWAY: Roundabout Theatre Company: The Magic Play (workshop). REGIONAL: Goodman Theatre: The Magic Play; Steppenwolf Theatre Company: The glass Menagerie; Lookingglass Theatre Company: Peter and the Wolf. CHICAGO: Next Theatre: The great god Pan; Chicago Dramatists: homecoming 1972; Steep Theatre: The life and Sort of Death of eric argyle; The House Theatre: Rose and the Rime. TV: Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Chicago MeD (NBC), Sirens (USA), Vinyl (HBO).

EDUCATION: BS in Theatre from Northwestern University, graduate of The School at Steppenwolf. Mr. Schneider is also a professional magician, illusion designer, and a member of the Magic Castle in Los Angeles, California.

Harry A. winter (Father) Olney Theatre Center: how to Succeed..., 1776, laramie Project, Racing Demon. National Tours: gigi, Jolson – the Musical. Signature Theatre: 110 in the Shade, Pacific Overtures, Bringing Up amy. Studio Theatre: Red Speedo, Circle Mirror Transformation. Shakespeare Theatre Company: government inspector, a Funny Thing happened on the Way to the Forum, a Midsummer Night’s Dream.

CONNECT wITH uS!


OlneyTheatre.org

Brett Schneider is a professional magician. No actors or stooges are used as volunteersin the show, and the video feed of The Magician’s table is an unaltered live feed.

THERE WILL BE ONE 15-MINUTE INTERMISSION.The use of recording (audio and video) or photographic equipment during the show is strictly prohibited.

Please silence all cellular phones and personal paging devices before the performance begins.


CrEATE

INsPIrE

INForM

THrILL

ENrICH

EDUCATE

PErForM

JUsT ANNoUNCED!

Save on the BEST SEATS and enjoy EXCluSIVE MEMBER BENEFITS such as free member programming, discounts on

additional tickets and special events, free ticket exchange and replacement, bimonthly e-newsletters, and MORE!


For more info, visit Olneytheatre.org/Joinor call 301-924-3400 (Wed - Sun • Noon - 6pm)

IN THE HEIGHTS September 6 - OctOber 8, 2017 • mainStage

Co-produced with Round House Theatre

OUR TOWNOctOber 4 - nOvember 12, 2017 • mulitz-gudelSky theatre lab

BIG FAMILY MUSICAL (TO BE ANNOuNCED ApRIl 24)

nOvember 8 - december 31, 2017 • mainStage

AUBERGINEFebruary 7 - march 4, 2018 • mainStage

EVERY BRILLIANT THINGFebruary 28 - march 25, 2018 • mulitz-gudelSky theatre lab

THE CRUCIBLEApRIl 18 - MAY 20, 2018 • MAINSTAGE

THE INVISIBLE HANDMAY 9 - JuNE 10, 2018 • MulITz-GuDElSKY THEATRE lAB

ON THE TOWNJuNE 20 - JulY 22, 2018 • MAINSTAGE

THE HYPOCRITES’ PRODUCTIONS OF

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCEand H.M.S. PINAFOREJulY 11 - AuGuST 19, 2018 • MulITz-GuDElSKY THEATRE lAB


Andrew Hinderaker (Playwright) returns to Olney Theatre Center, where the inaugural production of the National New Play Network (NNPN) rolling world premiere, Colossal, received four Helen Hayes Awards, including The Charles MacArthur Award for Best Original Play or Musical. Mr. Hinderaker is an ensemble member of The Gift Theatre and an emeritus resident playwright at Chicago Dramatists. His plays include i am going to Change the World, Dirty, Kingsville and Suicide, incorporated, which premiered at The Gift Theatre and was subsequently produced off-Broadway at Roundabout Theatre Company. Mr. Hinderaker was a member of the 2013/2014 Playwrights Unit at the Goodman Theatre where he wrote The Magic Play, commissioned by the Roundabout Theatre Company and produced in a developmental production in the Goodman’s 2014 New Stages Festival. As a television writer, Mr. Hinderaker has worked as a staff writer for John Logan’s Showtime series Penny Dreadful and currently writes for The Path. He holds an MFA in playwriting from the University of Texas at Austin.

Halena Kays (Director) is thrilled to be working at Olney Theatre Center for the first time. A Chicago based director, Halena is former Artistic Director of The Hypocrites and a founding member of the artistic collaborative, The Ruffians. She is an artistic associate with The Neo-Futurists: Pop Waits, Burning Bluebeard, 44 Plays for 44 Presidents, Daredevils, Daredevils hamlet, Fake lake; The Hypocrites: endgame, ivywild, Six Characters in Search of an author; Goodman Theatre: The Magic Play; Steppenwolf Theatre: lord of the Flies; The Albany Park Theatre Project at the Goodman Theatre: Feast (part of a collaborative directing effort). Kays is the co-founder and former artistic director of Barrel of Monkeys where she directed the majority of their public performances. EDUCATION: BS in Theatre from Northwestern University, MFA in Directing from UT-Austin. Halena has been nominated for a Jefferson Citation for Best Supporting Actress and Best Direction, was the recipient of the prestigious 3Arts Award and was named one of the top 50 “players” in Chicago theater by NewCity. She is professor of directing at MTSU.

wHO’S wHO - CREATIVE

OLNEy tHEatrE CENtEr SuMMEr StOCK is a one-of-a-kind theater arts program for students in grades 4-6. Students will work with OTC theater artists dai-ly, taking classes in Acting & Improvisation, voice & Sing-ing, Dance & Movement, and Scene Creation. Masterclasses from Guest Artists and special visits to rehearsals of active OTC productions are also on the schedule. At the end of the two-week session, students will perform in a showcase featuring their original scene along with musical theater song and dance: parents and family members are invited!

bEForE ANDAFTEr CArE AvAILAbLE

sToCksUPEr THEATrE AT oLNEY For CrEATIvE kIDs

sUMMEr

kIDs MAkE THEATEr HAPPEN THIs sUMMEr AT

OLNEY THEATRE CENTER GrADEs 4-6

For INFo AND rEGIsTrATIoNVisit OlneyTheatre.org/Camp or contact Jason King Jones

Associate Artistic Director/Director of Education301.924.4485 ext 127 • [email protected]

Session One: July 17-28 • Session Two: Aug. 7-18

http://www.goruffians.org/

http://www.barrelofmonkeys.org/


A NOTE FROM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR

Dear Friends,

In the theater world, we often speak of “theater magic” as the thing we do to make things appear real onstage, like the blood in Sweeney Todd or Mary’s enchanted bag in Mary Poppins. What’s the secret to all that magic, you might wonder? human beings and the sheer talent they bring. At Olney Theatre, we have an extraordinary pool of talent on and off stage. It takes 60-80 people to put on a show. And when we have two shows running? Even more! Everyone from the box office associate to the stage manager to the follow spot operator to the shop foreman to the dramaturg (see our dramaturg’s work on page 13) plays a critical role in bringing you a magical theater experience. Olney Theatre employs 30 full-time staff, 40 part-time staff, and more than 250 artists each year. Human talent is what makes our institution thrive. And the creative people we recruit to work at Olney Theatre help make our community stronger, healthier, and more vibrant.

So, while you enjoy the magic from your seat, please remember to think about all the people who work tirelessly to create a special experience for you. On May 13th, we will celebrate our artists and raise critical funds for theatrical and educational programming at our Annual Gala. I hope you will join us. For more information, please look at the ad in this program, go to OlneyTheatre.org/gala or call Wesley Meekins at 301.924.4485 ext. 130. We’re also always happy to accept contributed support anytime of the year! There is an envelope in your program for you to send back to us at your convenience.

And speaking of magical things, I hope you enjoy our “new” lobby! Enjoy a drink at Joe’s Players Club, relax in the Mulitz-gudelsky Family lounge, or buy a gift in the The Room. There’s plenty of charm in this new space and we look forward to sharing it with you.

Thanks for being with us,

Debbie Ellinghaus

Managing Director

ANNE OFGREEN GABLES

SAT, MAY 20, 201710:00 AM, 12:30 pM & 2:30 pM

SuN, MAY 21, 201712 NOON & 2:00 pM

Join us at Olney Theatre Center for our

THEATEr For YoUNG AUDIENCEs sErIEs

OLNEY THEATRE CENTERTICKET pRICES: $15

301-924-3400 • www.olneytheatre.org

Olney Theatre Center makes it easy and affordable to introduce your youngest kids, grandkids, nephewsand nieces to the magic of theater with a series of presentations based on children’s classics.



Jesse Belsky (Lighting Designer) This is Jesse’s first production at Olney Theatre Center. DC AREA: Studio Theatre: Three Sisters/No Sisters and aNiMal; Ford’s Theatre: Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf?; Arena Stage: The year of Magical Thinking; Signature Theatre: The Mystery of love & Sex; Folger Theatre: Sense & Sensibility and a Midsummer Night’s Dream. Everyman Theatre: The Roommate, Deathtrap, Blithe Spirit and Outside Mullingar. REGIONAL: Yale Repertory Theatre: lydia and Rough Crossing. PlayMakers Repertory Company: The year of Magical Thinking; Triad Stage: The 39 Steps, Pump Boys & Dinettes, Shipwrecked and Kingdom of earth. Mr. Belsky holds a BA from Duke University and an MFA from the Yale School of Drama and has taught lighting design at Connecticut College and UNC Greensboro. Member USA 829.

lizzie Bracken (Scenic Designer) is delighted to be designing at Olney Theatre Center for the first time. Previous credits include: REGIONAL: Goodman Theatre: The Magic Play; Steppenwolf Theatre Company: lord of the Flies, The Book Thief, Blacktop Sky, and See What i Wanna See; The Ruffians: Burning Bluebeard; The Hypocrites: endgame, ivywild and Six Characters in Search of an author; The Neo-Futurists: PopWaits and 44 plays for 44 Presidents. EDUCATION: MFA from The University of Texas at Austin; BArch from The University of Notre Dame. Prior to her career in theater, Lizzie was an architect with Fairfax and Sammons Architects, and is currently an assistant professor at North Central College.

John “Smooch” Medina (Projections Designer) is thrilled to be making his Olney debut with The Magic Play. Smooch Medina is a Chicago area designer whose other show credits include Projection design for Silent Sky (First Folio), Saturn Returns (Neo-Futurists), a life extra Ordinary (The Gift Theater) estrella Cruz: The Junkyard Queen (Halcyon Theatre), The White Road - Jeff Nominated (Irish Theatre of Chicago), Tightwire (Chicago Tap Theatre), a life extra Ordinary (The Gift Theater) and lighting design for a little World of Our Own (Irish Theatre of Chicago), Nutcracker (Legere Ballet Company), The Feast (Red Theatre Company). Smooch holds a BFA in Lighting Design from Columbia College Chicago and you can see his other work by visiting Smoochdesign.com

Matthew M. Nielson (Sound Designer) Mr. Nielson made his Olney Theatre Center debut in 2005 with lend Me a Tenor and is happy to be back after designing and composing i and you in 2014 and The Diary of anne Frank earlier this season. Off-Broadway credits include The Public Theater’s New York Shakespeare Festival. Regional credits include Round House Theatre [Helen Hayes Award, a Prayer for Owen Meany], Catalyst Theatre Company [Helen Hayes Award, 1984], Forum Theatre [Helen Hayes Award, The illusion], Theatre Alliance [Helen Hayes Award, The Wonderful World of Dissocia], Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Signature Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Delaware Theatre Company, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Barrington Stage Company, Contemporary American Theater Festival, Smithsonian, Ford’s Theatre and Arena Stage. Film and television credits include Death in Time, elbow grease, Blue, epix Drive-in, From hell to here, The good Ways of Things and The long Road. Mr. Nielson is a founding member of audio theatre company The Audible Group and creator of the series Troublesome Gap. He is currently running Sound Lab Studios, a recording studio and production house. Samples can be heard online at www.CuriousMusic.com.

Elisabeth Ribar (Production Stage Manager) is a former Olney Theatre Center stage management apprentice and excited to be back at Olney Theatre Center. Previously at OLNEY THEATRE CENTER: a Christmas Carol: a ghost Story of Christmas (2012, 2016), Dial ‘M’ for Murder, The Tempest, Bedlam’s hamlet and Saint Joan, Sleuth, you’re a good Man, Charlie Brown, The Sound of Music, Witness for the Prosecution. DC AREA: Studio Theatre: i Wanna F*cking Tear you apart. Folger Theatre: Sense and Sensibility, District Merchants, a Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pericles, Rosencrantz and guildenstern are Dead, Mary Stuart, Julius Caesar. Imagination Stage: When She had Wings. Signature Theatre: Beaches. Education: Murray State University.

Alison Siple (Costume Designer) OLNEY THEATRE CENTER: Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado; REGIONAL: airness (Actors Theatre of Louisville), The Magic Play (Goodman), The Royale (Milwaukee Rep), The 39 Steps (Actors Theatre of Louisville), The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window (Goodman Theatre), The yeomen of the guard (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), The Flick (Steppenwolf), The Jungle Book (Children’s Theatre Company), angels in america (Kansas City Rep); Our Town (Almeida Theatre London, Kansas City Rep, Huntington Theatre, Broad Stage, Barrow Street, Hypocrites), earthquakes in london (Steep Theatre), all Our Tragic (The Hypocrites). Alison is a community member with The Hypocrites, an artistic associate with Lookingglass Theatre Company and an artistic associate with Steep Theatre. She is a graduate of Northwestern University. Alisonsiple.com



Jim Steinmeyer (Magic Consultant) has created the illusions for the Broadway shows including Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, aladdin, into the Woods, and for professional magicians around the world. He is also the author of books on the history of magic and its development. He lives in Los Angeles.

The Actors Gymnasium (Acrobatic Training) Founded in 1995 to bring new physicality to the American Theatre, The Actors Gymnasium is recognized as one of the nation’s premiere circus and performing arts training centers. Locally, our work was recently seen at Arena Stage in Moby Dick, which is nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Visiting Production. Our three core programs are 1) teaching circus arts, stage combat and physical theatre; 2) providing unique event entertainment, and 3) producing circus-theatre, often in association with prominent companies. In addition to the longstanding partnership with Lookingglass Theatre, recent collaborators include Goodman Theatre, Chicago Children’s Theatre, and Lucky Plush. Artist development opportunities include a six-week SUMMER INTENSIVE, and a 9-month PROFESSIONAL CIRCUS TRAINING PROGRAM. At The Actors Gymnasium people learn to fly – physically, emotionally, and creatively. We believe in making the impossible possible so that you, the audience, can experience awe and delight. For more information, please visit www.actorsgymnasium.org

Debbie Ellinghaus (Managing Director) was born in Washington, DC. Her mother was a Montgomery County Public School math teacher and her dad was a college professor. She can trace her mother’s family back to the 1500’s when they were ousted from Spain because they were Jewish. Other family ancestry connects her to Eastern Europe. In 1976, her parents moved to Columbia, MD, where she was raised in the “new planned city” built to encourage racial, ethnic and religious harmony in a suburban utopia. Debbie, the oldest of two, did not inherit her dad’s speed on the football field, her mom’s quick serve on the tennis court, or her sister’s strength in the swimming pool; instead she found her feet in the theater, thanks in large part, to her grandmother who took her to see annie at the Kennedy Center in 1978. But also thanks to her parents who spent Sunday mornings listening to Broadway show-tunes on the record player before turning on the football game. Despite her suburban upbringing, Debbie longed for the city life. So, upon graduating from the University of Maryland, she moved to New York. In the Big Apple she had many jobs and met many interesting people, including Andrew, whom she married. After getting hitched, they moved to New Haven, Connecticut, where they had their kids, Madeline and Griffin, and spent some years enjoying life in New England. Career and family twists and turns eventually brought them to Howard County where they now live in an old farmhouse with a backyard view of a cornfield. Debbie volunteers in the community where she lives: as chair of the Downtown Columbia Arts and Culture Commission; and in the community where she works: as a member of the Board of Medstar Montgomery Medical Center and the Olney Chamber of Commerce. She’s frequently found applauding loudly for her daughter, who’s got the “performing bug”; cheering wildly for her son at track meets; grooving to her husband’s music (he’s a drummer in a band); and spoiling her dog, a 75 lb pit-bull rescue. In her down-time she likes to run, swing kettlebells, and do the occasional yoga from the privacy of her own home. Also, thanks to her kids’ interests, she’s attempting to learn to bake and build cities with legos. She’s been employed since age 12 when she had a paper route; thankfully, gigs at universities and non-profit organizations followed. She’s been Managing Director of Olney Theatre Center since August 2014.

Jason loewith (Artistic Director) grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut, and on weekends he took the train to New York with his family to see shows. His dad was the comptroller of a Formica manufacturing company, and his mom was the first woman in the state to be president of a conservative synagogue. After her parents became ill, she took over their dress shop in a now sadly derelict part of Bridgeport. Jason particularly enjoyed hiding in the poufy dresses on the rack, and selling costume jewelry during the store’s annual sidewalk sale. He inherited his father’s love of numbers, working part-time as a bank teller in high school and as a bookkeeper for various nonprofit organizations as an adult. From his mother he inherited a dedication to Jewish causes, joining the international Board of United Synagogue Youth and working at the Jewish Home for the Aged during high school, and serving as chair of Brown University’s Committee for Soviet Jewry as an undergraduate. Jason seriously considered studying to become a rabbi, but the theater intervened, taking him to Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and finally the Washington, DC region, where he’s been for eight years. Jason has directed some 30 plays, written a handful, managed or produced hundreds, and done just about every other job there is to do in a theater--all of which has helped him learn the value of a dollar, the importance of honesty, and the fact that you do not put a silk suit in either the washing machine or the dryer. On days off, Jason loves to cook (ask him how he learned to make bouillabaisse), hang out with his twelve nieces and nephews, play Civilization, bike and jog (just don’t ask the last time he did either), vacation in faraway places, and listen to music written between 1950 and 1986. He volunteers for local and national arts organizations, and has just begun volunteering for a youth mentoring organization in DC. He lives on Capitol Hill with his partner Ned and their dog Mortimer in a teeny but charming Victorian row house that is majority-owned by Citibank. Jason has been the Artistic Director of Olney Theatre Center since 2013.

A CONTEXT GuIDE TO

Want to know more about The MAgic PlAy ? Check out our blog at otc-dramaturgy.tumblr.com.There you can explore the history of magic, learn classic tricks, discover the world of

competitive diving, and more.

Magic and love aren’t so different. They’re both visceral, intoxicating, and miraculous. Even more than that, while “frauds master our minds,” as Adam Gopnik wrote in The New yorker, “magicians, like poets and lovers, engage them in a permanent maze of possibilities.” They both relish in the infinite potential of a moment. The catch is that love requires two mutual participants, whereas magic requires a magician and a spectator. One controls the show while the other wonders at marvels.

Magic, after all, requires manipulation. Of course there’s the sleight-of-hand, the manipulation of cards and props. But also manipulation of the audience. It requires control and misdirection, an understanding of psychology and storytelling. Magicians have to keep us guessing between any number of explanations, each as unlikely or likely as the next—while they, on the other hand, have everything finessed and tightly planned. As Jim Steinmeyer (master illusionist and magic consultant on The Magic Play) puts it in his book hiding the elephant, magic is “a collection of tiny lies, in words and deeds, that are stacked and arranged ingeniously to form the battlement for an illusion. It’s a delicate battle of wits—an audience that welcomes being deceived, then dares to be fooled, alternately questioning, prodding, and surrendering.”

We surrender, not only because we want to believe magic is real, but also because to be constantly questioning and planning is to never be present. And, as the Magician of our story discovers, never being present precludes real intimacy. Love isn’t something we get to summon or disappear with a deft flick of the wrist. It’s risky and messy and terrifying. Love contains infinite potential for the miraculous…but also for failure. The real trick is releasing control without knowing the outcome.

Playwright Andrew Hinderaker has crafted a show, in close collaboration with magician Brett Schneider, that gives some of that control over to the audience. Hinderaker says he’s more interested in “writing theatrical events rather than plays,” shows whose very existence depend on the liveness of their audience and “can only happen in the theatre.” The Magic Play is such a work, demanding our engagement and promising to never be the same twice. Hinderaker has made a career of daring and genre-bending plays—such as Colossal, a mash-up between theatre and football that had its world premiere here at Olney Theatre Center in 2015. It’s not surprising to see him return with an equally surprising work.

Less surprising is the constant presence of magic throughout history. We can’t let go of it in the same way we can’t let go of love. The art of magic and illusion goes back to the origins of humanity, finding its roots in ritual, developing through the occult, being persecuted as witchcraft, growing into spectacle with Houdini’s escape acts, and ultimately becoming what we know today: a mix of kids’ birthday parties, cheap roadway shows, and dazzling theatrical experiences. Magicians have relentlessly innovated, refining techniques, incorporating new technologies, and challenging our perceptions of what magic is.

The audience usually has the easy job: sit back, laugh and clap in awe of seeming miracles. But just as The Magician has to give up control, we have to lean in and participate. Together, we can create something new, because in Hinderaker and Schneider’s hands, the possibilities are endless.

–Emily Sorensen, Dramaturg

THE MAGIC PLAY

CONTEXT GuIDE

What sparked the idea for The Magic Play?I first had the idea for this play in early 2013, so at that point we were still very much working on Colossal. I found one of the aspects of that process that made it so rewarding was collaborating with other kinds of theatre artists because it changes the type of collaboration.

I have been a fan of magic for a very, very long time. I had an uncle who was an amateur magician, and he taught me my very first magic trick when I was a little kid. So that was some piece of it, this personal connection.

On a larger level, I just like what magic can do as a form of theatre. For me, the essence of theatre is its impermanence, the idea that we are in this space together for a limited amount of time. There’s something that I find a little sad and profoundly beautiful about that—that it’s there and it’s gone. I think magic in some ways captures the essence of that so beautifully, and it is really about the profound beauty in the theatricality of a moment. An exquisite effect in magic is so powerful that it eclipses literally everything else.

That idea of a moment that either teaches us we’ve been looking at exactly the right thing, but somehow we still missed something, is such an extraordinary experience as an audience, to sort of supercharge us to be more present—to be more awake, and to appreciate what’s six inches in front of our face. I think that is the essence of theatre at its best. I’ve been to magic shows where people are gasping out loud, or where they’ve just burst into tears. And I can’t help but ask: why doesn’t the theatre feel like that more often?

That was the initial inspiration, and I pretty quickly thereafter started working with Brett Schneider—we came together in early 2013—and started talking about this piece. Initially I reached out to Brett just to talk about magic and why he does it, and by really the end of the first meeting I thought, ‘I’ve got to try to write the role for and with this person.’ That’s sort of how the project evolved.

Read the full interview with Andrew atotc-dramaturgy.tumblr.com/mpinterview

Magic on Every Page:An Interview with Andrew Hinderaker

Being a playwright is not totally unlike being a magician: you are crafting an experience, you are manipulating an audience.”

– Andrew Hinderaker

THE MAGIC plAY

What is it like writing for a specific performer?Oh, it’s fantastic. There are a lot of pieces of the character that are a result of the ways in which Brett has inspired me, either literally by showing me magic tricks that became the launching point for pieces of magic in this play, or just the way that he thinks about magic and theatre, and the way that we both think about life. Our meetings together really run the gamut from talking about specific magic tricks to talking about life and love and loss. What you’re seeing feels miraculous because it’s the result of a four-year collaboration rather than just handing it off and saying ‘you do it’ somewhere else.

How has the story evolved in that time?It’s evolved quite a bit. Like a lot of plays, some of the seeds of what folks will see at the Olney have been there since almost the very beginning. But then there are other ways that it’s evolved a lot. The temptation with a play like this is to just let the magic be great and let the audience just sit back and enjoy a magic show—and that’s how the play starts. It begins as a magic show and Brett comes out, not as an actor who’s learned an easy trick you can learn in a few weeks; he’s coming out and you’re seeing magic that is the result of 20 years of craft. What I’ve found in working and reworking the play is how demanding the play is, and that the rest of the play—the characters, the relationships, and the narrative—live at the same level as the world-class magic, that it rises to that bar.

I sort of said there should be a piece of magic on every page of the script—that’s not just a trick, but what is the moment that feels like magic. So I think it’s evolved in a deepening of the Magician’s character, in a deepening of his relationship with the Diver and with his Father and with the audience. And it’s definitely evolved a lot in this particular production, in a pretty massive rewrite of the first act. What I’m so excited about in this iteration is that I’ve always wanted this to be a piece of theatre about a magician, and not a magic show.

What have you discovered duringthe development process?I was interested in telling a piece about a theatre artist that was broken in some way. And when I got into the world of magic one of the things that struck me was this intrinsic metaphor of someone who can never be fully present for the miraculous experiences they were providing for somebody else.

Being a playwright is not totally unlike being a magician: you are crafting an experience, you are manipulating an audience. And one of the things that interests me is how do I loosen that grip a little bit. How do I become more of a generous theatre artist, both toward the collaborative team that I work with and the audience we’re fortunate to engage with. What does that mean to give up a little control? And I think that’s a big part of what we’re exploring in this play.

What will you take with you to your future work?A lot. For me, [magic] sort of raises the bar for what you demand from a piece of theatre. One of the things that’s so rewarding about this play that I’ll continue to take into future work is that this can only happen in the theatre. More and more I’m interested in writing theatrical events rather than plays, and this has been a huge inspiration for continuing to lean into that.


CORpORATE AND FOuNDATION GIFTSThis list consists of contributions of $250 or more for the period 8/1/16 through 3/31/17

$100,000+

$10,000+

$5,000+

$2,500+

$1,000+Bernard Family FoundationFidelity Charitable Gift Fund

$500+America’s Charities

Brooke Grove Retirement VillageCQI Associates, LLC.

Kanter Kallman FoundationUnited Jewish Endowment Fund

Matching GiftCompanies

Astra-Zeneca-MedImmune LCCEdelman Financial

GEICO Philanthropic FoundationIBM International Foundation

Johnson & JohnsonPEW Charitable TrustsVerizon Foundation

In-Kind DonationsSandy Bieber and Linda Rosenzweig

Brooke Grove Retirement VillageClyde’s Restaurant Group

Debbie and Andrew EllinghausDavid and Laura Epstein

Dempsey’s of AshtonSusan and Jay Finkelstein

GrillmarxDiane Grimes - In memory of Bill Grimes

Mr. and Mrs. Kevin HasserMr. and Mrs. Jason King Jones

Ann M. LaurenceKathryn Lindquist and Terry Newendorp

Mr. Jason LoewithPotomac River Boat Company

Kathleen QuinnSouthwest Airlines

Walt Disney World Resort

Government Support

Maryland Department ofGeneral Services

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Eugene B. Casey Foundation

Dallas Morse CoorsFoundation

for the Performing Arts

$50,000+

$25,000+

George Preston MarshallFoundation

William S. AbellFoundation

Clark-WincholeFoundation


INDIVIDuAl GIFTSThis list consists of contributions of $250 or more for the period 8/1/16 through 3/31/17

$500,000 +Bob and Eveline Roberts

$100,000+ Mrs. Eugene B. Casey

$50,000+Mrs. Maggi RootHelen Marshall

$25,000+Sandy Bieber and Linda Rosenzweig Susan and Jay FinkelsteinBarbara Lynne Kelly Mr. and Mrs. Tommy Mulitz in honor of the Mulitz - Gudelsky Family

$10,000+AnonymousPaul Henderson in memory of Marilyn HendersonCharles S. Mack and Alice Barrett MackKathleen QuinnMargaret T. Roper and Clifford L. Johnson

$5,000+Alec and Lee Aronow Susan and Dixon ButlerRhonda Friedman and James RaffertyAnonymous - In memory of Kate GibsonMorty and Meghan GudelskySimmel HaimRobert E. HebdaMr. and Mrs. Stephen Z. KaufmanBill and Babi MeekinsBob and Marlene MitchellMr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Senker Mr. Vernon L. SkinnerJohn R. and Andrea Z. UrcioloJames D. WarringPatricia Woodbury

$2,500+Mr. and Mrs. David BottegalM. Charlene DorrianJoan Elise Dubinsky and Craig N. PackardDebbie and Andrew Ellinghaus

John HaugeMs. Winifred E. HerrmannNettie HorneLane and Cheryl JenningsStephen and Mary KleinThe Honorable Karen S. Montgomery and Mr. Harry MontgomeryTony and Connie MorellaJames Pape and Nancy Newman-PapeMita M. Schaffer and Tina M. MartinVictor Shargai and Craig PascalDr. and Mrs. Steven C. White

$1,000+Connie and Larry AaronsonDeborah and Bruce BermanCathy S. BernardRichard and Rebecca Boker Robert BurkNed CramerEd and Leslie CroninEileen and Paul DeMarcoScott and Athena Dalrymple Edith L. EmbreyMaureen and Tom EstrinBarry and Marie FleishmanRobert and Carole FontenroseHal and Karen GordonMrs. Mary GrahamThe William H. Graham, Sr. FamilyDebbie L. HarnerEric HorowitzLou and Susan Iaquinta Max and Helen Jacobs in memory of William GrahamAndi KasarskyJane Thérèse LarsenMr. Jason LoewithAmy LowensteinJohn and Kathy LyonsPaul and Pat MangusMaggie and Tico McCreadySue Morss In loving memory of Lester Robert MorssSteve C. Phan and Richard J. PosterMargaret Ann RossRobert and Lelia RussellLinda SchwartzRoger and Barbara SchwarzMarlin R. and Alicia B. Taylor

Lois Taylor and Stephen Simpson Ken and Jaki Ulman Adolph VezzaSandy and Alan Wade in celebrationof the work of Steve Greene

$500+Matthew and Heather Ahrens Sanford and Bettye AmesLynne BarnesHarold M. and Christine A. BartlettMerle and Nancy BigginDennis and Holly BlackledgeTim and Julia BoulayGeorge and Kristie BradfordJeanne BrushRichard and Joan CurtisKaren CuvielloSteve Danielson and Dr. Kenneth HoyleMs. Andrea DrimmerDavid DunnBob and Pat FauverBerdie and David FirestoneRobert J. and Liane A. GiardinaWilliam A. Hanson and Gail A. LiebermanJoan and Doug Groves Holly HassettMr. and Mrs. James E. Hensley Richard and Debra HughesJon and Michelle HulsizerDavid C. HummBarbara HumphreyMr. and Mrs. Richard JourdenaisSean and Laura KleinThe Honorable Benjamin F. KramerRobert E. Liles, IIDavid and Jennifer LubitzJim and Dorie Mangan Mr. William L. Mitchell and Mr. David A. VignoloLisa MixOsborne C. Parchment, PhDMr. Fred T. Paul Adrienne and Louis SacksKathleen and David Siefken in memory of Lelia Russell Cora and Murray Simpson Family FundLeslie F. Smith and Stacy P. SmithRoger and Carolyn Sorensen


OlNEY THEATRE CENTER THANKS THE FOllOwING FOR THEIR GENEROSITY

Ms. Donna SpieglerRusty Suter in Loving memory of Dick and Nancy ThomasKate and Craig ThorntonMr. William L. Mitchell and Mr. David A. VignoloJonathan WeissRobert and Sarah WheedletonGeorge A. and Katherine C. Whitehouse

$250+The Ackland FamilyRay and Michele AliNancy AnastasiSarah Allen and John AndersonGregory and Patricia ArgyrosDean and Jo Aulick Dan Bayne Fran and Harvey BergerGary and Linda BittnerMichael Bloom Jim and Monica Bradford Richard BrushGlen and Robin CameronDr. Thomas A. Clark Patricia CorridonGeorge and Patricia CowperthwaiteEmilie and Monty CrownSuzanne Rotbert and Jim DawsonLarry and Kay DildineThe Ellinghaus FamilyMark B. EpsteinLeroy and Doris Evans Laura Graham Fetters and Matthew Fetters

Paul and Marguerite Frampton Dr. Christopher FreyLawrence and Joan FriendLucian and Lynn Furrow Padma GoturPat GrossFreddi and Dick HammerschlagRob and Shar HellieElizabeth A. HenriksenDick Kafka and Val HildebrandCharles and Pamela HoffmanRandy C. HowesArthur and Laura IbersMary and Larry JudgeCasey KalebaElizabeth S. KingStephen and Katharine KovarcikTom LansfordJames LaTorre and Nancy Frohman Barbara LatvanasStephen and Kathleen LeslieThe Lewanda Family Alexander LewinRichard W. LeyCarol and Tim LeydigMr. Albert LindquistMrs. Lillian LitowskyMarcia D. LitwackGregory and Marina LowenWes MacAdamFrederick and Betty MarcellMaury and Beverly MarksBarbara Mayo-WellsLisa McKillop in honor of the cast of Mary Poppins

Missy McTamney and Bill Dolan Charles and Marilyn MessFrederick and Elizabeth MontgomeryNancy Root MuirConnie NewettNancy M. (Nan) Norton Solomon Petersen, Jr.Patrick PhillipsWilliam PhillipsSherry Rhodes and Dan MazurNancy RicksSuzanne Rotbert and Jim DawsonFill and Linda RueggMr. Donald SauerKelly and Robert SauerCharlie and Marie SchaubMs. Susan J. ShawhanAlda and Jerry SimpsonLinda and Steve SkaletCarl W. Smith and Michael L. BurkeMichael and Camilla SmithGary and Janet SowersDuane and Sylvia StraubCarrie and John TrauthMimi Tygier and Robert RubinDr. and Mrs. Mark A. WallaceMs. Beverly WallingMarc Walton and Toni Stifano-WaltonThomas and Tara WattsHelene Weisz and Richard Leiberman Ms. Halo WinesDeborah and David Yaffe in honor of Linda RosenzweigRay and Ellen Youstra Ms. Suzanne Yuskiw

We thank these individuals for including Olney Theatre Center in their estate plans. Remembering Olney Theatre Center in your estate plans allows you to have a significant impact on our ability to serve future generations of theatre-makers and audiences. To notify us of your planned gift or for information on how you can be a part of our Legacy Society, contact Wes Meekins at 301-924-4485 ext 130 or [email protected]

1938 LEGACYsoCIETY

Scott and Athena Dalrymple Bob Davis and Henry Schaliziki Edith L. Embrey Richard Hass Robert E. Hebda Paul Henderson

Steve C. Phan and Richard J. Poster Sylvia PlattLillian Roehl Maggi Root



THEATER pOlICIESLatecomers are seated at the discretion of the house manag-er. Please do not bring food into the theater (beverages are allowed). All buildings are smoke-free. The use of recording or photographic equipment during the show is prohibited. Olney Theatre Center is not responsible for any items left on our campus. All children, including babies, require a ticket. We will ask parents to take their children to the lobby if their behavior is disturbing patrons. Please turn off your cell phone in the theater.

SIGN-INTERpRETED pERFORMANCESSign interpretation is available for the third Thursday eve-ning during a show’s run. The service must be requested two weeks in advance and is based on the availability of qualified interpreters. To request this service, please [email protected].

pOST-SHOw DISCuSSIONSJoin the artistic staff and/or invited guests after select Sat-urday matinees for afterWords. Please call the Box Office at 301.924.3400 for more information on these events.

lISTENING ASSISTANCEWe offer devices that amplify sound free of charge in ex-change for identification. Please ask the house manager for assistance. (This service is not available on the third Wednesday evening of a show’s run.)

AuDIO-DESCRIBED pERFORMANCESAudio-described performances are offered during the third week of a show’s run on Wednesday evenings. This includes pre-show program notes and descriptions of the action, scenery, and costumes during pauses in the dialogue.

AuDIENCE SERVICES

Every gift makes a difference. Thank you.

TO MAKE A GIFT:• Send your donation to us in the envelope provided in your program• Make your gift online: www.olneytheatre.org/support• Call 301-924-4485 ext 130

MAKE A GIFT TO OlNEY THEATRE CENTER TODAYPatron and community support is vitally important to Olney Theatre Center. Ticket sales cover only 50% of our production and operating expenses. When you make a gift to Olney Theatre, you directly help us to train the next generation of theatre-makers, and make programming

accessible and affordable for our ever-growing and diverse community.

Your contribution allows us to continue to produce the kind of theatre that matters to you.

Photo: Olney Theatre Center production of M

ary Poppins by Stan Barouh


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EXECuTIVE COMMITTEECharles S. Mack .................................................................................................................................... President Susan Finkelstein ................................................................................................................................Board ChairLinda E. Rosenzweig ........................................................................................................................Vice PresidentClifford Johnson ......................................................................................................................................TreasurerRobert Mitchell ......................................................................................................................................SecretaryJennifer Kneeland ............................................................................................................ Immediate Past President

DIRECTORSPhyllis Bottegal • George Bradford • Debbie Ellinghaus • Rhonda Friedman • Robert E. Hebda • Stephen Klein • Jason Loewith

Helen Marshall • William Meekins • Thomas J. Senker • Ken Ulman • Alan Wade • James Warring

HONORARY BOARD MEMBERSStephen Kaufman • Anthony Morella • Mita M. Schaffer

William H. Graham, Sr. (in memoriam)

OlNEY THEATRE CORpORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ARTISTIC ASSOCIATES

ACTORSEvan Casey • Julie-Ann Elliott • Rick Foucheux • Helen Hedman • Valerie Leonard

Susan Lynskey • Donna Migliaccio • Paul Morella • Jon Hudson Odom • Tracy Lynn OliveraMichael Russotto • Bobby Smith • Stephen Gregory Smith

DIRECTORS, CHOREOGRApHERS, AND MuSICAl DIRECTORSMichael J. Bobbitt • John E. Going • Derek Goldman • Eleanor Holdridge • Tara Jeanne Vallee • Mark Waldrop

DESIGNERS AND STAGE MANAGERSColin K. Bills • James Fouchard • Misha Kachman • Pei Lee • Josiane M. Lemieux

Milagros Ponce de León • Ivania Stack

ABOuT OlNEY THEATRE CENTER

Olney Theatre Center is an award-winning, nonprofit, Equity theatre. Our mission is to produce and present extraordinary theatre and performance on our four-theatre campus for an ever-more diverse set of audiences in our community, and to educate the next generation of theatremakers to follow in our footsteps. We strive every day to unleash the creative potential of our artists and audiences, and in so doing, become Maryland’s premier center for theatre performance and education. In the past four years, Olney Theatre has produced eight world

or regional premieres, including Andrew Hinderaker’s Colossal (2015 Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical), and Jennifer Hoppe-House’s Bad Dog (2015 Steinberg Award nominee). Olney’s shows and educational activities are accessible and affordable, and we strive to provide a thought-provoking and enjoyable theatrical experience.

Olney Theatre Center is situated on 14 wooded acres in the heart of the beautiful Washington-Baltimore-Frederick “triangle,” within easy access to all three cities, and is also home to National Players, America’s longest-running touring company. Olney Theatre Center is led by Artistic Director Jason Loewith and Managing Director Debbie Ellinghaus. For more information, please visit www.olneytheatre.org.

Follow Olney Theatre Center on Twitter@olneytheatre and on Facebook at facebook.com/olneytheatre.


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CELEBRATINGTHE “MAGIC”

OF OLNEY THEATRE

Congratulations on 79 years!


The Pettit Family Charitable Foundationwould like to thank Olney Theatre Center

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At Sandy Spring Bank, our goal is to be more than just your bank. We strive to be your advocate in life and for life. Whether that means today, tomorrow, or in the future. We’re here for the growing family. The new home addition. The commercial loan for a growing business. People looking to retire and manage their assets. For whatever life brings, we’re ready to help you. The way we’ve been for nearly 150 years. We’re Sandy Spring Bank.

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Follow National players as they go on the road.

National players, a program of Olney Theatre Center, are bringing their three-show repertory of hamlet, The grapes of Wrath, and The giver around the country to schools, performing arts halls, community centers, and correctional facilities. National Players empowers learners of all ages to build stronger communities through artistic collaboration, bringing the mission of Olney Theatre Center to a national audience.

where in the uSA are

Tour Stops Now Thru May 6

?www.nationalplayers.org

ARTISTICArtistic Director Jason LoewithAssociate Artistic Director/ Director of Music Theater Christopher YoustraAssociate Artistic Director/ Director of Education Jason King JonesArtistic Apprentice Danielle Markowitz

pRODuCTIONDirector of Production Dennis A. BlackledgeAssociate Production Manager/ Company Manager Josiane JonesTechnical Director Stephen M. GreeneAssistant Technical Director Preston SullivanShop Foreman Sarah SplaineCarpenters Joseph Caverly, Benjamin WerfelResident Scenic Artist Fred viaCostume Shop Supervisor Jeanne BlandResident Costume Designer/ Assistant Costume Shop Supervisor Seth GilbertMaster Electrician Samantha CampbellAssociate Master Electrician Tyler J. BristowProperties Master Kate BrittinghamResident Sound and Projections Supervisor Eric BosticProduction Management Apprentice Grace K. MurrinCompany Management Apprentice Charlotte CugniniCarpentry Apprentices Abby Bender, Anna FeinermanCostume Apprentices Mackenzie Bunch, Kimberlee vandenburgElectrics Apprentices Jennifer Ives, John Ponder WhiteProperties Apprentice Jason DearingSound Apprentice Tosin OlufolabiStage Management Apprentices Jack Riley, Rebecca Silva

SHOw STAFFAssistant Director Skylar GriecoAssistant Lighting Designer John Ponder WhiteAssistant Stage Managers Jack Riley, Rebecca SilvaDramaturg Emily SorensenDeck Chief Sarah SplaineDeck Crew Abby BenderWardrobe Kimberlee vandenburgFollow Spot Operator John Ponder WhiteLight Board Operator Jenna IvesSound Board Operator Tosin OlufolabiAdditional Carpenter Jess Bittorf, Stephanie Jo ClarkAdditional Painters Claire Jones, Courtney Jones, Gracie Jones, Anna MihmAdditional Electrics Kathryn Moncure, Elliot Shugoll, Ashley WagonerTrucker Pat Fries

OlNEY THEATRE CENTER STAFF

ADMINISTRATIONManaging Director Debbie EllinghausGeneral Manager Fred T. PaulDirector of Finance Chyeslan BusoHuman Resources/ Finance Manager Andrew HurstFacilities Manager Michael Plater

DEVElOpMENTIndividual Giving Manager R. Wesley Meekins Institutional Giving Manager Karen ChalmersMarketing and Development Apprentice Josiah Hernandez

COMMuNICATIONSDirector of Marketing and Communications Joshua FordSales Director Weldon C. BrownBrand Director/ Graphic Designer JJ KaczynskiMarketing Associate Kristina ErwinPatron Services Manager Julie viaBox Office Supervisors Chisomo Maluwa, Josh RoseFront of House Managers Nic Lopez, Desirée WardBox Office Associates Judy Abrams, Jessica Comstock, Shayla Garfield, Marion Levy Qualls, Rachel Spory-Harper, Emily Townsend

EDuCATIONEducation Programs Manager Kevin HasserArts Integration Manager Sara Qureshi Dramaturgy Apprentice Emily SorensenEducation Administration Apprentice Katie Jeanneret

NATIONAl plAYERSAllyson Boate, Guadalupe Campos, Jered Hobbs,Kenneth Hopkins, Jr., Shawn Morgenlander, Claire Allegra Taylor, Audrey Tchoukoua, Moira Todd, Adam Turck, Alex Turner

SpECIAl THANKSAlex Gauvin, Wesley Mattice,Department of Theatre, Shepherd university, Trent Kugler,Department of Theatre, uMBC, Adam Mendelson,John Collins and Goodman Theatre

Olney Theatre Center for the Arts is a professional theater employing members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

Actors’ Equity Association, founded in 1913, represents more than 45,000 actors and stage managers in the U.S. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Equity seeks to foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society.

Olney Theatre Center for the Arts is a member of Theatre Communications Group, the national service organization representing the not-for-profit American theater; the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington; the League of Washington Theatres; and the Baltimore Theatre Alliance.

The Director is a member of the

SPECIAL THANkS TO OUR SEASON SPONSORS


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