Theatre Speech and Dance
Moon Under Miami
MOON
UNDER MIAMI
TRANSLATIONS
EMMA
FALL DANCE CONCERT
VENUS
KING LEAR
DRACULA
SPRING DANCE CONCERT
MOON UNDER MIAMI
by John Guare
October 12-15, 19-21, 2000 - 8PM - OCTOBER 22 - 3PM
STUART THEATRE
CATHERINE BRYAN DILL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
CAST
(in order of appearance)
OTIS PRESBY Kevin Landis
THE MERMAIDS Susanna Harris
Anne Robinson
Emily D. Young
MAITRE'D Paul Greenamyer
FRAN FARCUS Rachael Miller
BOBBY DEVINE Jeb Havens
REGGIE KAYAK Joe Zarrow
OSVALDO MUNOZ Josh Landay
WILCOX Michael Crane
BELDEN David Myers
SHELLEY SLUTSKY John Krasinski
GISELLE ST. JUST Tara Summers
WAYNE BENTINE Greg Machlin
SHEIK Jeff Kurtz
CORLEEN Miriam Silverman
CAMERAMAN Paul Greenamyer
Time: The Reagan/Bush years
Place: Alaska, The Boom Boom Room, the Everglades, Fountain Moon Hotel
There will be one fifteen-minute intermission.
Produced by special arrangement with John Guare.
Judith Swift and Charles Cofone's services have been made possible through the generosity of the Guarnaschelli's Family Theatre Endowment .
This production is also sponsored in part by the Vicki and Peter Halmo
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
John Guare's Moon Under Miami is a bit like feeding time at the zoo. We might prefer not to watch the rattlesnake swallow the rabbit but we are mesmerized nonetheless. We humans distance ourselves from our own "rabbits" by disguising them in poly-wrapped containers of flesh plucked bloodlessly from our SuperMart shelves. Along comes Guare to stick our noses in the metaphorical entrails. The real challenge is to derive wisdom from reading them in the tradition of Roman augury.
During the Reagan years, America embraced a return to the American Dream--a return to possibility and prosperity. When Ronald Reagan entered the White House, Nixon had brought shame upon us and Jimmy Carter had floundered despite a return to idealism which seemed all too na•ve given the continued aftershocks of Vietnam and Watergate.
We swirled through the Reagan years, American Express card in hand, swept up in the veneer of a return to the American way of life--Aunt Bea meting out apple pie and Sheriff Andy meting out justice. The Iran-Contra scandal was ultimately diffused by focusing on Ollie North as patriot and defender of nationalism. Throughout the Reagan, Bush and into the Clinton years, the FBI and CIA indulged in numerous questionable activities couched in dedication to national security but leading to a steady string of Congressional investigations. The FBI emerged bruised and battered from Waco. J. Edgar Hoover was posthumously exposed as a blackmailer par excellence with the psyche of a confused and troubled man. Mainstream Americans were not so quick to dismiss anything as a CIA plot-- from foreign wars to the proliferation of Wal-Mart.
Guare takes us to the heart of "heavenly deception" Miami where breathtaking tropical beauty is a pastel façade for the underbelly of corruption, arms deals and drug deals. As the frequenters of the Boom Boom Room listen to Fran Farkus belt American standards like Carolina in the Morning and Don't Get Around Much Anymore, they only hear the memory of the tune sweetly reminiscent of an America gone by, not the corruption of the lyrics. While it is almost sacrilegious to muck with these innocent old standards, in Guare's world it is the perfect metaphor for American myopia in the face of political corruption. To a younger generation, Iran-Contra and ABSCAM are the stuff of textbooks, but they would perhaps be equally offended if we substituted the words of James Whitcomb Riley in an Eminem rhyme.
As we watch the remarkable young men and women who populate the Brown campus move from the theoretical world of college into the real world opportunity of influence as leaders and decision makers, Guare's irreverence gives life to events all too important for them and us to ignore. Enter the world of Moon Under Miami where the rattlesnake is eyeing that bunny. It won't be pretty but ...c'mon, you know you want to look. -- Judith Swift
DRAMATURG'S NOTE
Long, long ago, in the days before Monica Lewinsky, prior to Waco and Marion Barry smoking crack with a hooker, in that nowhere land after Watergate and before Iran-Contra known as the Carter Administration, there was ABSCAM. Launched by the FBI in 1978 as an investigation into stolen art and securities, it rapidly shifted its focus to political corruption. Culminating in 1980, the operation (in which a phony "Sheik Abdul" attempted to buy favors from politicians) resulted in the conviction of twelve public officials, including five congressmen and a senator, on charges including bribery and corruption. Then the details of the investigation came out: how unsupervised FBI agents, aided by criminal middlemen, had been granted nearly unlimited power to assume false identities and pursue public officials suspected of no wrongdoing. Most troubling of all were the strong-arm tactics employed by the Bureau to entrap officials into accepting bribes, including some politicians who repeatedly denied money until convinced by the operatives that the "donations" were completely legal. In their zeal to uncover not only corruption but also potential corruption, the FBI had succeeded in creating criminals.
When playwright John Guare (THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES, SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION) learned the ugly truth about ABSCAM, he did what any red-blooded American might have done: he turned the scandal into a screenplay for John Belushi. In 1982, however, Belushi wound up dead at the wrong end of a syringe full of heroin, and the unproduced screenplay languished in the hands of the studio. Over the following years, Guare retreated entirely from the twentieth century and wrote a series of three plays (LYDIE BREEZE, GARDENIA, and WOMEN AND WATER) about the only-too-fallible inhabitants of a nineteenth century utopian community.
In 1987, Guare recovered the rights to his aborted screenplay and reworked it into play form, rewriting it over the next eight years. MOON UNDER MIAMI also begins in a utopia (the icy, empty wilderness of Alaska) that, like all Edens before it, has already begun to hemorrhage. Deprived of the friendly local Evil Empire just across the Bering Strait, the United States has begun to devour itself through drugs, greed, politics, and bad art (pick your poison), and our own trusty FBI once again leads the charge. MOON unfolds like a thirty-car pileup of overzealous G-men, crooked politicians, debonair drug lords, and those bastions of bad taste, lounge singers. We may be living the American Tragedy, but Guare realizes that tragedy, sped up, equals farce. Perhaps the American Dream was always a hallucination, and thereÕs no hope for any of us, but (he seems to say) we can at least turn a few somersaults (and a backflip or two) as we slide together into the inky pit. -- Branden Kornell
PRODUCTION STAFF
Stage Manager Allison M. Geffner
Assistant Director Alex Aixalá
Assistant Stage Managers James Egelhofer, Nicholas Risteen, Carrie Weinstein
Assistant Technical Director Alonzo Jones
Production Coordinator Holly Ratafia
Technical Assistance Timothy D. Cryan
Technical Assistants Whitney Braumstien, Brian Ferrell-Locke, Tim Havens, Teresa Wells
Dimmerboard Operator Angela Serio
Sound Operator Toni Moffett
Followspot Operator Amir Sajjadi
Properties Coordinator Alicia Wolcott
Props Committee Whitney Brim-DeForest, Meytal Budin, Abi Hobbs
Costume Shop Managers Lisa Batt-Parente, Henry Dubois
Costume Shop Assistants Portia Johnson, Heather MacKenzie, Alicia Wolcott, Carrie Weinstein
Cutter/Draper Lisa Batt-Parente
Wigmaster/Milliner/Costume Props Henry Dubois
Costume Special Effects Brian Ferrell-Locke
Fabric Painting Jennifer Kennedy
Wardrobe Brent Lang, Patrick Louis, Dominique Pérez
Costume Construction TA 28, 129
Music Consultant Jeremy Kahn
Fight Director Michael Heckler
Set Crew TA25
Dramaturg Branden Kornell
Choreographic Assistant Madeline Diaz
Sock and Buskin Production Liaison Ian White
Box Office Manager/Publicity Karen Longest
Box Office Assistants Allison M. Geffner, Alexis Prussack
Poster Designer Andy Rah
Publicity Photographer Mark Heyman
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Nancy Horgan, Barbara Bell, Rita Saltz, Trinity Rep. Co., Bob Gara-Gara's Tuxedos, Darius Pierce, Lynn Varadian
SOCK & BUSKIN BOARD
Amy Sonnenborn (Chair), Pannill Camp (Vice-Chair), Jen Beckmann (Secretary), Alex Aixala, Dion Banville, Harry Barandes, Sarah DiGregorio, Jenny Gaskins, David Laibstain, Emily O'Dell, Darius Pierce, Michele Traub, Mac Vaughey, Ian White
TRANSLATIONS
by Brian Friel
NOVEMBER 9-12, 16-18, 2000 8PM NOVEMBER 19, 2000 3PM
LEEDS THEATRE CATHERINE BRYAN DILL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Directed by Lowry Marshall
Set Design by Michael McGarty
Costume Design by Phillip Contic
Lighting Design and Technical Direction by Tim Hett
CAST
(in order of appearance)
MANUS Lance Rubin
SARAH Rebecca Fishman
JIMMY JACK Adam Lewis
MAIRE Allison White
DOALTY Josh Green
BRIDGET Diana Fithian
HUGH Ian White
OWEN Gabriel Kahane
LANCEY Bryant Romo
YOLLAND David Walton
MUSICAL ENSEMBLE:
Musicians: Karen Iny Fiddle, Ben Keyes Banjo, Jay Gilbert Guitar
Soloists Sheila Hogg, Alix Sobler, Rebecca Fishman, Adam Lewis, Ellen Sweeney, Tony Rykowski, Greg Shilling, Molly Tannenbaum-Dutton
Place: A hedge-school in the town of Baile Beag/Ballybeg, an Irish-speaking community in County Donegal.
Act One: An afternoon in late August 1833.
Act Two: A few days later.
Act Three: The evening of the following day.
There will be one fifteen-minute intermission after the first scene of Act Two.
Produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.
This production is sponsored in part by the Vicki and Peter Halmos Family Fund for Theatre Arts.DIRECTOR'S NOTE:
During the third decade of the 19th Century, the British government conducted the Ordnance Survey in Ireland. Members of the Royal Corps of Engineers were ordered to go there to create a detailed map of every county--six inches to the mile. The ostensible purpose of the Survey was to provide the information necessary for more equitable tax assessment. Every village and hillock, inlet and lake was described in detail and given an English equivalent name. The eventual result, whether intentional or not, was the near extinction of the Irish language and a clash of cultures which was to reverberate for centuries to come.
Recognizing the dramatic potential of this "hinge moment" in Irish history, Brian Friel uses it as a jumping-off point for Translations. Although the story of the play is based in historical fact and many of its characters are inspired by easily identifiable historical personages, Friel--like Shakespeare and many other great writers--takes liberty with history when it does not suit his dramatic purposes. For example, it would have been extremely unusual in 1833 for an English officer and gentleman to be ignorant of the classical languages. It certainly strains credibility to believe that neither Captain Lancey nor Lieutenant Yolland would possess rudimentary skills in Latin, but Friel's play is about our inability to "interpret between privacies," and so he selects from fact to create theatrical truth.
Working on Translations has been a remarkable education for all of us. Help has come from all over the campus in innumerable important and unexpected ways. Joe Pucci in Classics sent us Madeline Miller, a graduate scholar, who has given generously of her time to help actors with Latin and Greek language and classical references. Thanks to Perry Curtis of the History Department, I found Sheila Hogg in the Orwig Music Library. A remarkable repository of Irish language and culture, Sheila jumped into the project with such enthusiasm that she made me believe that it was possible to create for our production an Irish musical ensemble and a live incidental score which could capture the passion and lyricism of the Irish common folk.
I've long been a believer that participation in the theatre production can offer students what one of my own teachers called "the whole university in one course." Reaching as it does into Anglo-Irish political history, classical languages, and the broad spectrum of Irish culture and dialect, Translations is a perfect illustration of that remarkable potential! -- Lowry Marshall
PRODUCTION STAFF
Stage Manager Freddy Gonzalez
Assistant Director Emily Wartchow
Assistant Stage Managers Mara Cerezo, Tony Rykowski
Assistant Technical Director Alonzo Jones
Production Coordinator Holly Ratafia
Technical Assistance Timothy D. Cryan
Technical Assistants Whitney Braumstien, Brian Ferrell-Locke, Tim Havens, Teresa Wells
Dimmerboard Operator Gideon Arthurs
Sound Operator Harry Barandes
Properties Coordinator Michele Traub
Props Assistant Meytal Budin
Furniture Construction David Laibstain, Heather MacKenzie
Costume Shop Managers Lisa Batt-Parente, Henry Dubois
Costume Shop Assistants Portia Johnson, Heather MacKenzie, Alicia Wolcott, Carrie Weinstein
Cutter/Draper Lisa Batt-Parente
Makeup and Hair Design Alix Sobler
Hair/Makeup/Costume Distressing Henry Dubois
Uniform Construction Nancy Horgan
Run Crew Sarah DiGregorio, Adam Shulman
Costume Construction TA 28, 129
Set Crew TA25
Gaelic Coach Sheila Hogg
Classical Language Coach Emmy Miller
Sock and Buskin Production Liaison Sarah DiGregorio
Box Office Manager/Publicity Karen Longest
Box Office Assistants Allison M. Geffner, Alexis Prussack
Poster Designer Kelvin Chan
Publicity Photographer Mark Heyman
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Trinity Rep. Co., Joseph Pucci, Perry Curtis, Sheila Hogg, Elizabeth Meloy
SOCK & BUSKIN BOARD
Amy Sonnenborn (Chair), Pannill Camp (Vice-Chair), Jen Beckmann (Secretary), Alex Aixal‡, Dion Banville, Harry Barandes, Sarah DiGregorio, Jenny Gaskins, David Laibstain, Emily O'Dell, Darius Pierce, Michele Traub, Mac Vaughey, Ian White
EMMA
A modern, musical version of Jane Austen's classic novel
Book, Music and Lyrics by Stephen Karam
NOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 3, 7-9, 2000 - 8PM - DECEMBER 10, 2000 - 3PM
STUART THEATRE
CATHERINE BRYAN DILL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Directed by Darius Pierce
Musical Direction by Emma Boroson and Jaemi Blair Loeb
Set Design by Tracy Schultz
Costume Design by Alicia Wolcott
Lighting Design by Mac Vaughey
Choreography by Jennifer Cutler
Sound Design by Brendan Baran
Technical Direction by Brian Ferrell-Locke
CAST
(in order of appearance)
EMMA WOODHOUSE Emily Young
JOHN KNIGHT Jeffrey Kurtz
MR. WOODHOUSE Philip Curtis Pierce
MISS BATES Rachael Miller
TREVOR HOCKETT Paco Tolson
MRS. JANE WESTON Elizabeth Hayes
HIGHBURY HARMONY/CAFE PATRONS/CAROLERS : Arthur Hur, Lila Rose Kaplan, Elaine Loh, Brad Naylor, Philip Curtis Pierce, Lealah Pollock, Angela Serio, Laura Wood
HARRY BERMAN Nick Collins
FLY GIRLS Elaine Loh, Lealah Pollock, Laura Wood
MARTIN Jeb Havens
EILEEN PEMBROKE Sarah Coogan
JACK WESTON Brad Naylor
AARON EYRE Marcos Santiago
JUNE Jessie Austrian
SWING INSTRUCTOR Lealah Pollock
SCARY GUYS Arthur Hur, Laura Wood
PARAMEDIC Lila Rose Kaplan
PROFESSOR DARCY Angela Serio
Place: Highbury, CT - Time: Present
There will be one ten-minute intermission.
This production is sponsored in part by the Vicki and Peter Halmos Family Fund for Theatre Arts.
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
Hello there.
I must admit, I feel a little odd being able to talk to you this way. All I can say is this--It has been an extraordinary joy to be a part of the show that you are about to see--or have seen, depending on when you're reading this. This is my first experience as a director, and while it continues to be an extraordinary learning experience, it also remains a great source of pride and awe.
Pride in everyone who has worked in any capacity on the show. Everyone listed in the program, and then some. They have made my directorial debut a tremendous success even before the curtain rises on opening night--or has risen, depending on when you're reading this.
Awe because there are actually people here to watch the show. Just think: you are among the first people to see EMMA. Ever. No one can ever take that away from you. Be proud. I cannot express what the process of putting on a world premiere musical has meant to all of us, so I will stop now and let the show pick up where I leave off--or not, depending on when you're reading this.
Enjoy. -- Darius Pierce
ORCHESTRA
Jaemi Blair Loeb, conductor
Emma Boroson Piano
Cynthia Willner Flute
Hilary Gerstein Clarinet/Alto Saxophone
Julia Bulkowski Clarinet
Kaolin Kinsey Bass
Whitney Brim-DeForest, Ilana Sherer, Dmitri Seals Violin
Tyler DeWitt, Alexandra Lynn Cello
MUSICAL NUMBERS ACT I
Wedding Song (Pachelbel's Canon) Emma, Miss Bates, Mrs. Weston, June, Eileen, Martin, Aaron, Highbury Harmony
Handsome and Clever Emma, John
Mystery Emma, John, Trevor, Highbury Harmony
Aaron Eyre Emma, Miss Bates, Mrs. Weston
Highbury Harmony Trevor, Highbury Harmony
Sports Page Emma, Harry
Sports Page (reprise) Harry
No Emma, John
I Saw The Sign Trevor, Fly Girls
Hey Emma, Harry, Trevor, Martin
Quartet Emma, John, Harry, Mrs. Weston
I Can Feel You Trevor, Highbury Harmony
I Can Feel You Again Highbury Harmony
Emma Triumphant Emma
Email Sequence Emma, Harry, Martin
Emma's Advice Emma, Harry
IÕm Gay Harry, Trevor
Emma's Thoughts on Eileen Emma
Look At Him! Emma, Harry, Trevor
My First Snowfall Miss Bates
Silent Night Highbury Harmony
I Hate Musicals Emma, Trevor
The Way He Looked at Him (Snow) Emma
Carols Highbury Harmony, Emma
ACT II
Get Up Emma, John, Harry, Trevor, Miss Bates, Mrs. Weston, Eileen, Martin, Aaron, Highbury Harmony
I Do Not Deserve Him (Preprise) Emma, Harry
IÕm June June
Hey (IM Sequence) Harry, Martin
I Can Aaron, Highbury Harmony, Emma
Yes Emma, John
A State of Happiness Emma
Let Me Feel You One More Time Trevor, Highbury Harmony
Habañera Eileen, Highbury Harmony
Harry's Attack Harry, Aaron, Highbury Harmony, Scary Guys
The Problem Emma
Ah! Emma, Mrs. Weston
I Do Not Deserve You Emma, John
Finale Company
PRODUCTION STAFF
Stage Manager Jennifer Beckmann
Production Manager Michele R. Traub
Assistant Stage Managers Nicole Fischler, Cindy Poo
Assistant Technical Director Abi Hobbs
Master Electrician Yiwan Tan
Assistant Master Electrician Gabriel Wildau
Assistant Lighting Designer Sarah LaMendola
Dimmerboard Operator Adam Lewis
Electrics Crew Julia Glenday, Gayle McDonald, AJ Rothmann-Noonan, Kristen Sandberg
Sound Engineer Brendan Jerzy Baran
Sound Operator Jaime Green
Prop Mistresses Susan Bickerstaff, Emily Egan
Assistant to the Costume Designer Carrie Weinstein
Makeup and Hair Design Susanna Harris
Wardrobe Run Crew Lyn Edelman, Miko Laube
Costume Construction TA28, TA129
Set Crew Jen Beckmann, Joseph Blodgett, Emma Boroson, Nick Collins, Sarah Coogan, Julie Cramer, William Hong, Lila Rose Kaplan, Stephen Karam, Naomi Kenner, Darius Pierce, Anne Robinson, Marcos Santiago, Paco Tolson, Emily Young, TA25
Musical Orchestration Jaemi Blair Loeb
Vocal Director Emma Boroson
Faculty Advisors Phillip Contic, Michelle Bach-Coulibaly
Sock and Buskin Production Liaison Alex Aixalá
Box Office Manager/Publicity Karen Longest
Box Office Assistants Allison M. Geffner, Alexis Prussack
Poster Designer Kelvin Chan
Publicity Photographer Mark Heyman
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Phillip Contic, Gara's Men's Shop, Trinity Rep, Michael McGarty, Tim Hett, Matt McGarrell, Miriam Goldstein, David Savran, Anne Reilly, the Karam crew, the Pierce family, Chris Hayes, Sara Ciarelli, Julie Cramer, Cardboard Box Theatre Company, Kerry Silva, Suite 530, David at Metcalf Copy Center, Randi at MTA, Maria Goyanes, David Rivello, Adam Robertson, and those who participated in workshops and recordings: Nikki Phillips, Taylor White, Michael Crane, Matt Goldstein, Rebecca White, Isaac Hurwitz, Jen Percival, Noam Katz, Kelsey Merrow, Susanna Harris, Alicia Wolcott, Elizabeth Hayes, Sarah Coogan, Emma Boroson, Shana Harvey, Rebecca Bellingham, and Sam Kusnetz.
BROWNBROKERS BOARD
Rebecca Low (Chair), Susanna Harris (Vice-Chair), Sam Kusnetz (Secretary), Jori Ketten (on leave), Philip Pierce, Anne Robinson, Alix Sobler, Amy Sonnenborn, Paco Tolson, Alicia Wolcott, Jason Yust, Joe Zarrow
DANCE ENSEMBLE
FALL CONCERT 2000
December 7-10, 2000 - ASHAMU STUDIO
CATHERINE BRYAN DILL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
JULIE A. STRANDBERG, PRODUCER
THE HIVE (Premiere)
Choreography Lowell Smith
Music by Carter Burwell, excerpts from "The General's Daughter", Moby, "Natural Blues", "Down Slow"
Rehearsal Directors: Julie A. Strandberg, Annamaura Silverblatt
Costumes by Debbie Mall
DANCERS: (THE DANCE EXTENSION)
I - Ama Codjoe, Alexandra Fidler, Margaret Kilroy, Lauren Hale, Félice Lê, Hosanna Marshall, Marcie Muscat, Ruth Streiter, Stacey Yen
II - Benjamin Asriel, Chad Ebesutani, Kyle Shepard, Ryan Smith
III - Alexandra Fidler and Kyle Shepard (Thursday), Ryan Smith and Ruth Streiter (Friday), Chad Ebesutani and Félice Lê (Saturday), Benjamin Asriel and Stacey Yen (Sunday)
IV ? The Company
A LESSON IN A DYING ART FORM
Choreography by Scott Franco
DANCERS:
Scott Franco, Monica Herrera, Sara Kaplan, Tisola Logan, Bridget Picano
DANCE BOBO "TANDORO"
Choreography by Seydou Coulibaly and Michelle Bach-Coulibaly
Musicians: Komme Josse Percussion Ensemble Moussa Traore (Lead Jembe), Issa Coulibaly, (Jembe) Annie Geissinger, (Jembe/Djoun Joun), Seydou Coulibaly, (Djoun-Djoun)
Costumes designed after traditional costumes by Alexandra Huttinger '97
DANCERS: (Members of NEW WORKS/WORLD TRADITIONS DANCE THEATRE)
(Thursday/Saturday) Candace Batts, James Brown, Scott Franco, Charlene Lat, Tisola Logan, Kate Marks, Claire Tan, Hentyle Yapp, Jessica Zenk
(Friday/Sunday) Yoshie Cely, Lauren Hale, Alison Harris, Yaya Johnson, Leta Malloy, Sara Nolan, Jonah Rosen, Kyle Shepard, Mia Simrig
The Bobo peoples of Mali and Burkina Faso are divided into four large factions. The two largest are known in Bambara as Bobo-fing (black Bobo) and Bobo-ule' (red Bobo). The Bobo-fing are commonly known as the Bwa. The Bobo in Mali are primarily Bob-uleÕ farmers who, to a remarkable degree, have retained their traditional religious beliefs and customs. Legend has it that at one time these peoples were professional dancers called the "Red Horsemen", and were servants of the Masai chief of Upper Volta. It was the duty of these men to care for the horses belonging to the chief. The movements performed in the dance represent those of the galloping horses. Their bodies were painted a deep red hue, the same color as that of the saddle blankets used on the horses. The dancers carry horse tail whisks as a reminder of their former station in the community.
TRIO (1980)
(Commissioned be the Festival Ballet of Rhode Island.
Original Cast: Julie Acevedo, Eva Marie Pacheco, Patricia Toro)
Choreography by Julie A. Strandberg
Music: Antonio Vivaldi, "Concerto for Two Lutes"
Costumes: Phillip Contic and Sara Levi DANCERS (in order of appearance):
Alexandra Fidler, Natalie Shimmel, Félice Lê
MY SPACE (2000)
Choreographed and performed by Kyle Shepard
Music: Tom Waits, "Big In Japan"
THE PARSONS ETUDE (1999)
Choreography by David Parsons
Music by Tony Powell
DANCERS: (THE DANCE EXTENSION)
Thursday and Saturday:
Ama Codjoe, Alexandra Fidler, Lauren Hale, Hosanna Marshall, Ruth Streiter
Friday and Sunday:
Benjamin Asriel, Margaret Kilroy, Marcie Muscat, Ryan Smith, Stacey Yen
The audience is invited to join in for a barefoot jam the second time around.
"The Parsons Etude is included in the Repertory Etudes Collection, a series of solos and small group works made available to dancers for ongoing study and performance
I N T E R M I S S I O N
GROUNDING
Choreography by Lauren Hale
Music: Kronos Quartet
DANCERS: Benjamin Asriel, Sarah Burns, Yoshie Cély, Ama Codjoe, Margaret Kilroy, Félice Lê, Leta Malloy, Sara Nolan, Kyle Shepard, Daryl Springer, Ruth Streiter
Special thanks to my wonderful dancers for their energy and support throughout the creation of this piece. Thanks especially to Tim Cryan, Leta Malloy, Julie Strandberg, and Michelle Bach-Coulibaly for the help, advice, and care they have given me in the making of this piece as in past ones.
WE
Choreographed and performed by Kent Stetson
Music: Maurice Ravel, "Bolero", Goldie, "Mother"
**Note: A strobe light will be used during this piece.
DUST DEM (Stampede in Trinidad)
Choreography by Sean A. Thomas
Music: Dust Dem (Stampede in Trinidad)
DANCERS: (FUSION DANCE COMPANY)
James Brown, Yolanda Covington, Jody Green, Allison Harris, Jesus Hernandez, Monica Herrera, Yaya C. Johnson, Rob J. Joseph, Lauren Linder, Tisola Logan, Briana Masterson, Daryl Springer, Ruth Streiter, Sean A. Thomas, Catherine Wong, Jessica Zenk
CONTACT
Choreography by Monica Herrera, Sara Kaplan, Bridget Picano, Jessica Zenk
Costumes by Debbe Kaplan
Music: Method Man, Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, BReal, Coolio, "Hit 'Em High"
DANCERS:
Marion Billings, Michele Fujimoto, Camille Gerwin, Monica Herrera, Sara Kaplan, Tisola Logan, Bridget Picano, Ilissa Schild, Alexa Van Brunt, Jessica Zenk
Thanks to Mrs. Kaplan for making the skirts, to Timothy Cryan for technical and moral support and to TA32 for your feedback.
FALLING STILL
Choreography by RJC (Jonathan Martin, Courtney Rowe, Ryan Smith)
Costumes by RJC
Music: The Baby Namboos: Ancoats2Zambia GAS: Dillinja (Dillinja Remix)
LIQUID: Jonathan Martin (Autumn Remix)
SOLID: The Baby Namboos (Original)
DANCERS: (Members of RJC DANCE)
Benjamin Asriel, Abbey Dehnert, Kimberly Insel, Jonathan Martin, Wendy Rein, Courtney Rowe, Ryan Smith
Many thanks to the company (Abbey in particular for finding off-campus space), to Lauren Hale, and to Suites 510 and 540.
WASALUNKA
Choreography by Seydou Coulibaly, BaIssa Diallo and Michelle Bach-Coulibaly
Musicians are all members of Komme Josse Percussion Ensemble: Seydou Coulibaly (joun joun), Issa Coulibaly (jembe), Annie Geissinger (jembe), Moussa Traore (lead jembe)
DANCERS: (members of NEW WORKS/WORLD TRADITIONS DANCE THEATRE)
Candace Batts, James Brown, Yoshie Cely, Scott Franco, Lauren Hale, Allison Harris, Yaya Johnson, Charlene Lat, Tisola Logan, Leta Malloy, Kate Marks, Sara Nolan, Jonah Rosen, Kyle Shepard, Mia Simrig, Claire Tan, Hentyle Yapp, Jessica Zenk
Wasalunka is a dance of celebration from the Southwestern region of Mali, West Africa.
TECHNICAL CREW
Producer Julie A. Strandberg
Technical Director/Lighting Designer/Board Operator Timothy D. Cryan
Assistant to the Technical Director Kent Stetson
Box Office Manager/Publicity Karen Longest
Box Office Assistants Allison Geffner, Alexis Prussack
Poster Design Andy Rah
Sock and Buskin Liason Jenny Gaskins
Funded in part by the Guarnaschelli's Family Theatre Endowment and the Vicki and Peter Halmos Family Fund for Theatre Arts
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Senior Director's Showcase production of
VENUS
by Suzan-Lori Parks
February 21-25, 2001 8PM
LEEDS THEATRE
CATHERINE BRYAN DILL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Directed by Maria Goyanes
Set Design by Alicia Wolcott
Costume Coordination by Jillian Waid
Lighting Design by Mac Vaughey and Neil Alger
Sound Design by Scott Richmond
Technical Direction by Brendan Jerzy Baran
CAST
MISS SARTJE BAARTMAN / THE GIRL / THE VENUS HOTTENTOT Tisola Logan
THE MAN / THE BARON DOCTEUR David Myers
THE MANS BROTHER / THE MOTHER-SHOWMAN / THE GRADE-SCHOOL CHUM Rachael Miller
THE NEGRO RESURRECTIONIST Paco Jerry Tolson
THE CHORUS:
Didi Ilkson - Jonathan Martin
Adam Lewis - Sarah C. Petersiel
Michael Linden - Maythinee Washington
Sugarcane Marks - Stacey Yen
Scene 16 is a fifteen-minute intermission.
Produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
VENUS was commissioned by The Women's Project and Productions, Inc. (Julia Miles, Artistic Director)
Originally produced by The Joseph Papp Public Theater/NYSF, George C. Wolfe, Producer and the Yale Repertory Theatre, Stan Wojewodski, Jr., Artistic Director
This production is sponsored in part by the Vicki and Peter Halmos Family Fund for Theatre Arts.
"Since history is a recorded or remembered event, theatre, for me, is the perfect place to "make" history - that is, because so much of African-American history has been unrecorded, dismembered, washed out, one of my tasks as playwright is to - through literature and the special strange relationship between theatre and real-life - locate the ancestral burial ground, dig for bones, find bones, hear bones sing, write it down." -- Suzan-Lori Parks
Baron Dr. Georges Cuvier's notebook can be found in the John Hay Library, Prospect Street, RI.
The remains of Saartjie Baartmann were displayed in the Musee de l'Homme in Paris as recently as 1985. They remain the property of the museum.
PRODUCTION STAFF
Stage Manager Liz Drew
Production Manager Alexis R. Prussack
Assistant Stage Managers Ollie Rasini, Ryan Roark
Assistant Technical Directors Abi Hobbs, Mac Vaughey
Master Electrician Gayle MacDonald
Master Painter Alicia Wolcott
Properties Coordinator Janine Szczepanski
Assistant Properties Coordinator Joel Rozen
Costume Advisors Phillip Contic, Lisa Batt-Parente
Assistant Costume Coordinator Emily Appel
Costume Shop Managers Lisa Batt-Parente, Henry Dubois
Costume Shop Assistants Portia Johnson, Jillian Waid
Alicia Wolcott, Carrie Weinstein
Cutter/Draper Lisa Batt-Parente
Costume Construction TA 27, Francis Chien, Portia Johnson, Naomi Kenner, Amy Komarnicki, Julia Krol, Sara Sakomoto
Set and Paint Crew Alex Aixalá, Neil Alger, Cari Cymanski, Maria Goyanes, Didi Ilkson, Jonathan Martin, Nina Miguez, Rachael Miller, Nick Risteen, Paco Tolson, Michele Traub, Michael Troutman, Alicia Wolcott, Nancy Wong
Electrics Crew Cari Cymanski, Liz Drew, Laura Jellinek, Adam Lewis, Nina Mamikunian, Nina Miguez, Rachael Miller, Hung Nguyen, AJ Rathmann-Noonan, Kate Shaw, Yiwen Tan
Makeup Design Alix Sobler
Fight Choreography Sam Kusnetz
Faculty Advisors Don Wilmeth, John Emigh
Sock and Buskin Production Liaison Dion Banville
Box Office Manager/Publicity Karen Longest
Box Office Assistants Brian Ferrell-Locke, Allison M. Geffner, Vikki Harris, Alexis Prussack
Poster Designers Janine Szczepanski, Joel Rozen
Publicity Photographer Marisa Catalina Casey
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Phillip Contic, Lisa Batt-Parente, John Emigh, Don Wilmeth, Oskar Eustis, Elmo Terry-Morgan, Michael McGarty, Timothy Hett, Spencer Golub, William Beeman, Karen Longest (and baby), peedubs (1/14), S&B, OUAP, Pedro and Violeta Goyanes, Crico (Happy Birthday!), the NFM Monkey, Amy Anne Lipkin (for support), Mac Vaughey (for his love), 204 Williams (for dinner), Alex Aixala, Christopher Hayes, Julie Cramer, Seth Bockley, Liz Loza (for snacks!), Ayanna Peake, Izetta Mobley, Albert Wolcott, Michele Traub, and the most fabulous production staff.
KING LEAR
by William Shakespeare
March 8-11, 15-17, 2001 8PM MARCH 18, 2001 3PM
STUART THEATRE
CATHERINE BRYAN DILL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Directed by John Emigh
Set Design by Michael McGarty
Costume Design by Lisa Batt-Parente
Lighting Design by Kate Shaw
Sound Design and Music by Sam Kusnetz
Technical Direction by Tim Hett
CAST
(in order of appearance)
KENT Nick Rosenblum
GLOUCESTER Colin Cheney
EDMUND Ben Steinfeld
KING LEAR Darius Pierce
GONERIL Susanna Harris
CORDELIA/FOOL Kerry Silva
REGAN Miriam Silverman
BURGUNDY Greg Shilling David Myers
FRANCE David Walton
EDGAR Harry Barandes
OSWALD Alex Aixalá
ALBANY Jeffrey Kurtz
CORNWALL Seth Bockley
ENSEMBLE: Jonah Cohen, Tim Havens, Sam Kusnetz, Brent Lang, Nick Mitchell, Angela Serio, Greg Shilling, Josh Shulruff, Justin Slosky, David Walton
There will be two ten-minute intermissions.
This production is also sponsored in part by the Vicki and Peter Halmos Family Fund for Theatre Arts.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR'S and DIRECTOR'S NOTES
In October of 1603, the two eldest daughters of a Mr. Brian Annesley, of the county of Kent, began proceedings to have their aged and sickly father certified as insane. This maneuver was an attempt to gain control over his vast estate and invalidate his will. Fortunately for Annesley, his youngest daughter Cordell stepped forward and succeeded in blocking the judgment through a battery of letters to the local powers that be. The now infamous family drama, coupled with a recent anonymously written play, The True Chronicle Historie of King Leir (1605), were probably the catalysts that inspired William Shakespeare to pen King Lear in 1606.
The legend of Lear dates back to the year 1135, when Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia regium Britanniae mentions the tenth British king called Leir (also Leyr or Llyr), who ruled before the birth of Christ. This King, having no male heir, decided to divide his kingdom amongst his three daughters. In choosing who would get the better part, he asked which of them loved him most. After listening to her sisters' unabashed flattery of their father, the youngest, Cordeilla, made a more honest statement, was misunderstood, and quickly disinherited by the King. Unfortunately Lei r learns all too soon that he has cut off the child who loved him most, and later pays a heavy price for his prideful mistake.
Complementing "Lear" is the tale of Gloucester and his sons. The story is based on minor characters from Sir Philip Sidney's Arcadia (1590). Here the Paphlagonian King is tricked by his wicked bastard son and turns out the faithful one. Again, the father pays dearly for his rash judgment.
Since the original Leir epic is traced before Christianity, Shakespeare was able to incorporate a kind of hybrid paganistic religion for his characters. Roman gods are sworn to, the stars are consulted, and (Mother) Nature is called upon. This mish-mash of ancient beliefs was certainly used to highlight the uncivilized and barbaric times in which the play is set. One must wonder, however, what the author thought of his own so called civilized society given the actions of the Annesley sisters and others like them.
Each of us as human beings have suffered the consequences of pride, covetousness, lust, envy, gluttony, anger and sloth. And at one time or another, each of us (like Lear and Gloucester) must make that spiritual journey of introspection in order to arrive at peace. In the meantime, there are constant reminders of our past follies to help us keep on our path. One of them is Lear. -- Tonietta Moffett
King Lear, my colleagues around the country remind me, seems an odd choice for a college theatre. I reply, half in jest, that Lear is a comedy about young people. For a very long time, I have wanted to direct this play with an eye towards the young in the story. It is the often blind aspirations and struggles towards empowerment of the young, their false steps and false triumphs, and?for Edgar and Cordelia at least?their stumbling progress to maturity in uncharted borderlands of experience, that provide the framework and agency for Lear's and Gloucester's tragic encounters with lifeÕs capacity to be cruel. The play, it strikes me, is as much Edgar's unchosen rite of passage as Lear's unwitting rite of sacrifice; and it is the surviving young in this war of attrition that are left to make sense of its cruel lessons as they are administered with searing pain and (surprisingly often) with startling humor. Then, last spring, both of my parents died. Past 90, both had suffered severe memory loss: my mother after a decades-long battle with Alzheimer's disease, my father after suffering crippling blows to his memory from several small strokes. As they were stripped of the sureties of reason and recall, touching gestures of warmth and generosity, stubborn displays of unyielding pride, and instances of the most remarkable humor surfaced in their behavior. This production is done with wonder at Shakespeare's capacity to suggest the richness of such experience, with love and with gratitude for the gift their lives and the accomplishments of their passing generation, and with admiration for and thanks to the talented young people who have shared the deep and paradoxical joys of unfolding this ancient narrative on our stage. And now we pass the traces of this process on, in the hopes that you, too, will find enjoyment in the encounter. -- JE
PRODUCTION STAFF
Stage Manager Michele R. Traub
Assistant Director Tonietta Moffett
Assistant Stage Managers Lesley Freiman, Nick Risteen
Assistant Technical Director Alonzo Jones
Production Coordinator Holly Ratafia
Assistant Lighting Designer / Master Electrician Dov Lebowitz-Nowak
Technical Assistants Lily Burickson, Tim Havens, Laura Jellinek, Teresa Wells
Dimmerboard Operator Rebecca Stang
Sound Operators Rebecca Minkoff, Kavita Mishra
Properties Master Laura Jellinek
Weapons Construction Adrian Sellers, Brett Levin
Costume Shop Managers Lisa Batt-Parente, Henry Dubois
Costume Shop Assistants Portia Johnson, Amy Komarnicki, Jillian Waid, Alicia Wolcott, Carrie Weinstein
Cutter/Draper Lisa Batt-Parente
Wigmaster/Milliner/Costume Props Henry Dubois
Dressers Alessia Cook, Eustacia Huen, Naomi Kenner, Caroline Wright
Costume Construction TA 28, 129
Fight Director Sam Kusnetz
Fight Consultant Normand Beauregard
Speech Consultant Barbara Tannenbaum
Running Crew Gayle MacDonald
Set Crew Alex Aixal‡, Brendan Baran, Pannill Camp, Kung Foo Chin, John Emigh, Chris Hayes, Rebecca Low, Nick Risteen, Kate Shaw, Skip, Alix Sobler, Michele Traub, TA26
Sock and Buskin Production Liaison Jennifer Beckmann
Box Office Manager/Publicity Karen Longest
Box Office Assistants Brian Ferrell-Locke, Vikki Harris, Allison M. Geffner, Alexis Prussack
Poster Designer Andy Rah
Publicity Photographer Marisa Catalina Casey
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Yann Montelle, Trinity Rep. Co., Kung Foo Chin, Phil O'Hara, James O. Barnhill, Matt McGarrell, Samuel Beckett, Michael Langham, Michelle Bach-Coulibaly, Alex Khalil, and Ullie and Eric Emigh
SOCK & BUSKIN BOARD
Amy Sonnenborn (Chair), Pannill Camp (Vice-Chair), Jen Beckmann (Secretary), Alex Aixal‡á, Dion Banville, Sarah DiGregorio (on Leave), Jenny Gaskins, Branden Kornell, David Laibstain (on leave), Rebecca Low, Emily O'Dell, Darius Pierce, Nick Risteen, Michele Traub, Mac Vaughey, Ian White
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DRACULA
by Mac Wellman
April 12-15, 19-21, 2001 - 8PM - APRIL 22, 2001 3PM
LEEDS THEATRE
CATHERINE BRYAN DILL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Directed by Pannill Camp
Set Design by Michael McGarty
Costume Design by Lisa Batt-Parente
Lighting Design and Technical Direction by Tim Hett
Original Score Composed by Jeb Havens and Joshua Schulruff
Sound Design by Keith Crowder and Joshua Eichenbaum
CAST
VAMPIRETTE - Lucy Boyle
VAMPIRETTE - Georgia Cohen
MINA - Diana Fithian
SIMMONS - Patrick Halliday
VAN HELSING - Kevin Landis
SEWARD - Michael Linden
DRACULA - Benjamin Percy
NUN - Rebecca Rouse
JONATHAN HARKER/SCARDINELLI - Greg Shilling
QUINCEY - Josh Shulruff
VAMPIRETTE - Euphemia Thomopulos
LUCY - Emily Wartchow
ENSEMBLE - Lori Leibowitz, Nina Mamikunian, Erica Saleh, Cassie Tharinger
The action takes place in the last days of 1899.
There will be one fifteen-minute intermission.
Produced by special arrangement with International
Creative Management, Inc.
This production is sponsored in part by the Vicki and Peter Halmos Family Fund for Theatre Arts.
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
Welcome to Dracula andÉ watch your step. Mac Wellman deals with the familiar tale like one would deal with an overripe pomegranate: by breaking it open and picking through its guts. This telling of the vampiric legend bears its own type of teeth: an aggressive critique of the late Victorian melodramatic consciousness embedded in the story, and a ferocious narrative illogic--the causality, locations and sequences are secondary to the lifting out and spinning of the story's deeper structures. Amazingly, and to Wellman's credit, this project does not stifle the curious and sordid song that radiates Dracula's appeal. Here is a deeply moving beauty, a lyric of chronic want and an aching desire to repossess the forbidden pleasures of the body.
The question of Dracula's origins, I think, is effectively redirected at the bizarre cultural climate that created and then received Bram Stoker's novel so voraciously. The value of this play is partially payable in the unpacking of its origins. Living with Dracula has been a delicious kind of affliction: the paranoia, fitfulness and nocturnal existence that have come with it have been my lucky burden for the last six weeks. May it rob you of sleep as well. -- Pannil Camp
PRODUCTION STAFF
Stage Manager - Allison Carter
Assistant Director/Dramaturg - Jennifer Madden
Assistant Stage Managers - Nina Mamikunian, Erica Seleh
Assistant Technical Director - Alonzo Jones
Production Coordinator - Holly Ratafia
Assistant Lighting Designer - Dov Lebowitz-Nowak
Master Electricians - Timothy D. Cryan, Neil Alger
Technical Assistants - Lily Burickson, Tim Havens, Laura Jellinek, Teresa Wells
Dimmerboard Operator - Becky Low
Sound Operator - Adam Griska
Properties Coordinator - Laura Jellinek
Properties Assistan - Janine Szczepanski
Costume Shop Manager Henry Dubois
Costume Shop Assistants - Portia Johnson, Amy Komarnicki, Jillian Waid, Alicia Wolcott, Carrie Weinstein
Cutter/Draper - Nancy Horgan
Makeup, Hair and Millinary Design - Henry Dubois
Run Crew - Jessica End, Rebecca Minkoff, Adam Singer, Genan Zilkha
Dressers - Divya Reddy, Joclyn Cleary
Electrics Crew - Celia Adelson, Alex Aixala, Cari Cymanski, Maria Goyanes, Adam Griska, Sam Kusnetz, Gayle MacDonald, Nina Mamikunian, Erica Saleh, Alix Sobler, Michele Traub, Mac Vaughey, Alicia Wolcott, TA26 Costume Construction - TA 28, 129
Set Crew - TA26
Sock and Buskin Production Liaison - Nicholas Risteen
Box Office Manager/Publicity - Karen Longest
Box Office Assistants - Brian Ferrell-Locke, Allison M. Geffner, Alexis Prussack
Poster Designer - Kelvin Chan
Publicity Photographer - Marisa Catalina Casey
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Dracula Would Like to Thank: Paul Grellong, Rachael Miller, Trinity Repertory Company, Melissa Camp, Spencer Golub, John Emigh, William Beeman, Yann Montelle and Lowry Marshall
Special Thanks To: Brenda Foley and Don Wilmeth
SOCK & BUSKIN BOARD
Amy Sonnenborn (Chair), Pannill Camp (Vice-Chair), Jen Beckmann (Secretary), Alex Aixal‡, Dion Banville, Sarah DiGregorio, Jenny Gaskins, Branden Kornell, David Laibstain, Rebecca Low, Emily O'Dell, Darius Pierce, Nick Risteen, Michele Traub, Mac Vaughey, Ian White
SPRING DANCE CONCERT 2001
Michelle Bach-Coulibaly, Producer
May 2-5, 2001 - 8PM - May 6, 2001 - 3PM &8PM
STUART THEATRE
CATHERINE BRYAN DILL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
The Hive (2000)
Choreography: Lowell Smith
Music: Carter Burwell, excerpts from "The Generals Daughter," Moby, "Natural Blues," "Down Slow."
Lighting Design: Timothy Cryan
Costume Design: Lisa Batt-Parente with assistance by JillianWaid
Dancers: (Members of The Dance Extension) - In order of appearance - Alexandra Fidler, Ruth Streiter, Felice Le, Hosanna
Marshall, Stacey Yen, Kyle Shepard, Chad Ebesutani, Ben Asriel, Ryan Smith
Too Many Maurice (2001)
Choreography: Alison Mara Friedman
Costume Design: Caroline Weinstein
Lighting Design: Alonzo Jones
Dancers: Alison Mara Friedman, Monica Herrera, Tisola Logan, Jessica Zenk
Choreographed with appreciation and admiration of Josh Hilberman, Barbara Duffy, Brenda Bufalino, Bakaari Wilder, and many wonderful folks at Knock on Wood Studios.
Lynchtown (1936) from suite Atavisms
Choregraphy: Charles Weidman
Reconstruction: Laura Bennett (Brown 92)
Music: Lehman Engel
Costume Design: Phillip Contic
Lighting Design: Timothy Cryan
Dancers: (Members of The Dance Extension - in order of appearance - Laura Bennett '92, Ruth Streiter, Alexandra Fidler, Hosanna Marshall, Felice Le (The Inciter), Stacey Yen, Kyle Shepard, Ben Asriel, Ryan Smith, Jonathan Martin
Water to Water
Choreographers: RCJ (Jonathan Martin, Courtney Rowe, Ryan Smith)
Music: "Agua Para Mis Abuelos" by Icarus
Costume Design: Lisa Batt-Parente
Lighting Design: Timothy Cryan
Dancers:
Bathing: Jocelyn Brooks, Courtney Rowe, Charis Venditti
Drinking: Jocelyn Brooks, Abbey Dehnert, Kimberly Insel, Ryan Smith
Coursing: Jonathan Martin, Wendy Rein
Birthing: Jonathan Martin, Ryan Smith, Wendy Rein
Dunking: Abbey Dehnert, Jonathan Martin, Ryan Smith, Charis Venditti, Stacey Yen
Crying: Stacey Yen
Bathing: Kimberly Insel, Olivia Ma, Courtney Rowe
Raining: Olivia Ma, Jonathan Martin, Courtney Rowe Ryan Smith
"ritual carves marks in culture as water carves marks in earth"
Excerpts from "Puzzle w/o Example" (1994)
Choreography: Anthony Rizzi
Staging, Reconstruction: Jeffrey Edwards
Music: Billy Holiday, John Lurie, Nina Simone
Photography: Tara Roy and Carrie Shepard
Lighting Design: Timothy Cryan
Costumes: Amy Komarnicki
Dancers: Performed by members of New Works/World Traditions Dance Theatre.
Sarah Burns, Yoshie Cely, Alison Friedman, Yaya Johnson, Sara Nolan, Jonah Rosen, Leta Malloy, Kyle Shepard, Joy Williams, Hentyle Yapp, and Ryan Smith (guest)
Puzzle w/o Example was given its world premiere in theHague, Netherlands
INTERMISSION
The Envelope (1986)
Choreography: David Parsons
Music: excerpts from Rossini
Original Lighting Design: Howell Binkley
Ligting: Timothy Cryan
Costume Design: Judith Wykula
Reconstructions by: Janna Pederson
Dancers: (Members of The Dance Extension)--In order of appearance--Ben Asriel, Kyle Shepard, Laura Bennett (Brown 92), Felice Le, Hosanna Marshall, Ryan Smith, Alexandra Fidler
These performances are lovingly dedicated to Jennifer Perlman (1987) who died this year after a valiant battle with cancer. Jenny was a member of The Dance Extension while at Brown and was in the original Brown cast-- one of the first casts ever--of David Parsons now classic, The Envelope. While reconstructing the piece for this season, the cast watched Jenny dance as they learned from her and the other dancers in the original cast. "Jenny, you are here in spirit."
River Songs (2000)
Choreography: Melody Ruffin-Ward
Music: The Water is Wide/Shenandoah
Traditional/Adapted and Arranged by Dave Grusin with featured soprano Renee Fleming
Costumes: Lisa Batt-Parente
Lighting Design: Alonzo Jones
Movement coach: Michelle Bach-Coulibaly
Dancers: performed by members of New Works/ World Traditions
(Wednesday/Sunday matinee) Hentyle Yapp and Kyle Shepard
(Thursday/Saturday) Sara Nolan and Alison Friedman
(Friday/ Sunday evening) Sarah Burns and Yaya Johnson
with one hand (see it there?)
we can count
the things we need in this world
finger: this channel, for inrushing hope
finger: this river, of flowing remembrance
finger: this lake, for quiet stillness of honor
finger: this ocean, for down-crashing love
finger: this sea, for praise of possibility
these five gentle tools of touch
drift past our eye
as if those that we long for (the water is so wide) can infuse a gesture
a reaching towards what we hold there, tightly, against the fray -- Sara Nolan (February 25, 2001)
Flow Form (1989)
Choreography: Ruth Andrien
Music: Mike Ford, "Flow Form"
Costume Design: Deb Newhall and Phillip Contic, assisted by Sara Levi
Lighting Design: Alonzo Jones
Dancers: (Members of The Dance Extension) Laura Bennett ('92), Felice Le, Ryan Smith, Ruth Streiter
Maliba (1998 and 2001)
Choreography: Michelle Bach-Coulibaly with members of New Works/ World Traditions and Komme Josse Percussion Ensemble
Musicians and composers: Moussa Traore: Lead jembe and vocals Issa Coulibaly: Accompanying jembe and lead vocals Seydou Coulibaly: joun-joun and vocals
Original Dama, Chi wara, and Stiltwalker Costumes: Jordan Batty and Emily Koch
Original Antelope and Bush Genie costumes: Ayana Evans and Phillip Contic
Costume Design, Reconstruction: Henry Dubois, with assistance by Alicia Wolcott and Portia Johnson. Bush Genie, Chi wara Mask reconstruction: Holly Ratafia
Lighting and props: Tim Cryan
Slides: Lauren Edgar
I. The Dogon Dama scene:
Kanaga masked dancers: Jonah Rosen, Enrique Rivera, Scott Felluss
Namadjan: Kate Marks
Dogon villagers: Kyle Shepard, Leta Malloy, Sara Nolan, Sarah Burns, Yaya Johnson, Kani Romain, Alison Friedman
As the dama, or "end of mourning" ceremony is danced, the villagers are released from prohibitions placed upon them during the time of mourning the newly deceased. The masks act as agents of transformation and through them, the spirits of the deceased are guided to their final resting place to receive the word of Amma, the Creator. The Kanaga masks represent the movement imposed upon the universe by Amma. These movements, "the trembling of outstretched arms" align them with the vital forces that ensure the fertilization of the land and fecundity to the women and herds.
The Namadjan or stiltwalker is an important character in this ceremony that reminds men to rise above the toils of earth and, as the bird, gain new insight into human strife through a higher vision.
II. Wasalu Forest Scene
The Bush Genie: Mia Simrig
Antelope: Candace Batts, Martha Oatis, Claire Tan
Hunters: Jessica Zenk, Alison Harris
The Bush genie is a transformative character, played in abstraction with great energy. The genies are believed to inhabit the forested regions of Mali. It is in the forests where hunters go to catch their prey, and sometimes they stumble upon a troublesome genie who delights in upsetting their hunt.
The Antelope's graceful movements and natural beauty are much admired in Bamana society. As the antelopes dance, the women of the village sing sweet songs of lamentation for the feelings of loss that it's death evokes in humanity. They exist as a symbol of cooperation and solidarity within the village.
III. Chi Wara Scene
Chi Wara; Kyle Shepard
Bamana farmers: Scott Franco, Krishna Hathaway, Nicholas Beem, Hentyle Yapp, Enrique Rivera, Scott Fellus
Women farmers: Sara Nolan, Leta Malloy, Alison Friedman
In the Bamana heartland of central Mali, the Chi Wara is an important myth of creation and danced as a reminder of the delicate balance between man, earth and the universe. Chi Wara was born of the first woman "Moussou KoroniÕ and a serpent. With the aid of his staff and his claws, he taught the people how to turn the thorny dry land into fertile fields of millet. Those who honored Chi Wara prospered through their hard work and obedience. As time passed the people became lazy and forgot to honor their great teacher. Chi Wara reacted to their disrespect by burying himself deep in the earth, leaving them to their own destruction. In order to realign themselves with the harmony of former days, the people carved effigies of the antelope, which is associated with the Chi Wara, and took them out into the millet fields to honor their benefactor.
At planting time the young Bamana farmers compete in hoeing contests. The women cheer them on as masked male dancers wearing elegantly carved Chi Wara headdresses perform to honor and encourage them.
IV. Dyeli Scene
Dyeli: Tisola Logan
Sandia Women: Sara Nolan, Leta Malloy, Yaya Johnson, Kani Romain, Sarah Burns, Alison Friedman
In pre-colonial Mande society dyeli were the keepers of all oral histories, laws, constitutions and genealogies. Traditionally, they aligned themselves with specific nobles and benefactors. Their art form developed in praising these benefactors through songs and dances. Many of today's afro-pop stars are from the dyeli caste of Mande artisans. Sandia is the dance of these female griots.
V. Woloso street party scene
The Woloso: Jori Ketten, Monica Herrera, Hannah Schwadron, Joy Williams, Adriana Lopez, Bridget Stokes, Taly Brolin, Tisola Logan, Alison Friedman
Drummers: Moussa Traore and Issa Coulibaly
The Woloso are casted slaves who were born in the house of the King. In traditional society they were highly influential in the court through their powers of persuasion, broad physical comedy and buffoonery. Their dances and actions taunt and ridicule those socially above them, and no one dare stop them. The Woloso are proud and dangerously funny.
VI. Finale:
All members of Maliba join on stage. The title "Maliba" refers to the vast cultural diversity and rich traditions of the peoples of Mali, West Africa. This piece exists as a mosaic of these various groups.
Acknowledgments: I would like to thank all of the dancers and musicians of New Works for all of their creative imput and hard work. I am indebted to Jeffrey for bringing such a professional and dignified work to our company, and to Melody for keeping us real and in love with dance. We all feel indebted to Tim Cryan, Holly, Lisa and Henry for their unwavering support and encouragement through out this process. Thank you all for being as wonderful as you are. -- MBC
About the Guest Choreographers:
(The Hive)
Lowell Smith has had a long and distinguished international career as a performer, choreographer, and educator and is a principal with the Dance Theater of Harlem. He created "The Hive" especially for The Dance Extension.
(Lynchtown)
Charles Weidman is considered one of the great American Modern Dance Pioneers. Originally a student of Ted Shawn and the Denishawn School, he soon left to develop his own school and choreographic style with long time associate Doris Humphrey. Together, they developed the Humphrey-Weidman technique; which has become famous for is unique look at the body as being either in a state of balance (recovery) or imbalance (falling). As a choreographer he is known for his kinetic pantomimic style as well as his colorful and moving narratives.
(Puzzle w/o Example)
Anthony Rizzi was born in Dedham, MA and trained at the Boston Ballet. In 1984 William Forsythe asked him to join the Frankfurt Ballet where he is now the head ballet master and a principle dancer. He has created works on the Frankfurt Ballet, the Boston Ballet, the Pennsylvania Ballet, the Scappino Ballet, and the JazzX company in Holland, as well on the Royal Ballet in London, England.
(Puzzle w/ o Example)
Jeffrey Edwards received his early ballet training at the School of American Ballet under the tutelage of Stanley Williams and coached by Rudolf Nureyev. In 1994 he was asked to join the New York City Ballet Company where he remained for ten years as a soloist. Mr Edwards moved on as premiere dancer with the Zurich Ballet and later with the Lyon Opera Ballet Company in France, where he worked closely with resident choreographer Bill T. Jones and Netherlands Dance Theater director Jiri Kylian, as well as William Forsythe
(The Envelope)
David Parsons, was a leading dancer with the Paul Taylor Dance Company from 1978-1987 He is now the artistic director of the Parsons Dance Company and has created over 50 works for the troupe. David is committed to dance education and was awarded the National Artist Award by the University of Arizona at Tuscon for outstanding work with young people.
(RiverSongs)
Melody Ruffin-Ward hails from Atlanta. She is a graduate of Spellman College and the University of Michigan where she received her MFA in Choreography and Performance. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Dance at Rhode Island College and is the beloved guest of New Works/World Traditions.
(Flow Form)
Ruth Andrien, former principal dancer with the Paul Taylor Dance Company, is on the faculty of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. "Flow Form," set to an original score by her brother-in-law, is her signature work. Ruth has assisted The American Dance Legacy Institute in the development of the Repertory Etudes methodology as a researcher, dancer, and coach.
Producer's Notes:
This 2001 Spring Dance Concert is a foray into the Traditions and Innovations of American Dance. Highlights include the work of two faculty directed dance companies, New Works/World Traditions and the Dance Extension, plus two student dance companies, RCJ and WhatÕs on Tap. Each company brings a unique perspective and investigation into the world of dance as it exists today. While keeping a reflective eye on our Modern Dance pioneers, we continue to develop new vocabularies and movement voices influenced by our increasing globalization. Vernacular and folk traditions blend with modern dance idioms. Neoclassic European Dance theater melds with Post- Modern notions of contact, while highly codified classical vocabularies sweep through ritualized settings. West African masked theater, once a sacred practice, is recreated in spectacle format on this stage and across the globe with a resignation of things past. But there is an excitement in the air about what is possible as young choreographers begin their careers as dancing visionaries. What is perceived as old becomes new in an instant, the moment a young dancer " tries on" the complexities of another cultureÕs or generationÕs moving body. The moving body is the house of evolution and revolution, and those who partake in the process are in constant realignment with the past, present and the future. Thank you for being with us as we explore our own place in time and in our evolution as performing artists. MBC
The Dance Extension, celebrating its 22nd season, is one of the oldest continuously existing contemporary dance companies in the state of RhodeIsland and has performed in diverse venues throughout the country.Established in 1979 by Julie A. Strandberg, artist-in-residence and founding director of dance at Brown University and executive director of The American Dance Legacy Institute, the Dance Extension is the official company of The Institute. As such, its repertory is a living museum of dance classics and contemporary works. The company is also engaged in educational programs, community outreach, and cutting edge technology designed to bring dance to undeserved populations.
New Works/World Traditions
Co-Directed by Michelle Bach-Coulibaly and Seydou Coulibaly is a dance, theater and music troupe whose aim to explore cultural material through the development of new theatrical works based in Mande Tradition and American Modern Dance. Many of their full- length ballets look at the West African perspective in American Concert and vernacular dance forms. New Works members have toured throughout America, West Africa and Europe giving lectures and workshops in Mande culture. Over the past six years, members of the company have traveled to Mali, West Africa to do continue to research in Mande Studies.
PRODUCTION STAFF
Stage Manager Holly Ratafia
Production Assistant Lauren Edgar
Assistant Stage Managers Janine Szczepanski, Lauren Edgar
Technical Directors Tim Cryan, Alonzo Jones
Production Coordinator Holly Ratafia
Master Electrician Teresa Wells
Technical Assistants Lily Burickson, Tim Havens, Laura Jellinek, Teresa Wells
Dimmerboard Operator Padma Sundaram
Sound Editing Lauren Edgar
Properties Assistant Laura Jellinek
Costume Shop Managers Lisa Batt-Parente, Henry Dubois
Costume Shop Assistants Portia Johnson, Amy Komarnicki, Jillian Waid, Alicia Wolcott, Carrie Weinstein
Cutter/Draper Lisa Batt-Parente
Hair/Makeup/Costume Distressing Henry Dubois
Wardrobe/ Stage Crew Camille Cole, Diana Ots
Electrics Crew TA26, Ernest Baxter, Duke Gillwater, Rachel Miller, Kimberly Dan, Mark Ewalt
Costume Construction TA 27
Sock and Buskin Production Liaison Michele Traub
Box Office Manager/Publicity Karen Longest
Box Office Assistants Brian Ferrell-Locke, Allison M. Geffner, Alexis Prussack
Poster Designer Kelvin Chan
Publicity Photographer Marisa Catalina Casey
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Janna Pederson, Michael Getz and Trinity Repertory Company, Kirk Reid, Ernest, Duke, Maurice and all at the Rites and Reason Theatre, David McKenna and the Brown Athletic Department, Kenji Kono, Michael Humesser and Brown Media Services, Edrex Fontanilla, Edward Huff and Brown Multimedia Lab, Annamaura Silverblatt, Don Wilmeth, Lisa Batt-Parente, John Emigh, Yann Montelle, Spencer Golub, Camrin Fredricks
SOCK & BUSKIN BOARD
Amy Sonnenborn (Chair), Pannill Camp (Vice-Chair), Jen Beckmann (Secretary), Alex Aixalá, Dion Banville, Sarah DiGregorio, Jenny Gaskins, Branden Kornell, David Laibstain, Rebecca Low, Emily O'Dell, Darius Pierce, Nick Risteen, Michele Traub, Mac Vaughey, Ian White