The Glass Menagerie

SIERRA MADRE PLAYHOUSE
Presents
The Glass Menagerie
By Tennessee Williams
Directed by Christian Lebano
Original Score Composed by Jonathan Beard
The Glass Menagerie is presented by arrangement with Dramatists Play
Service, Inc. on behalf of The University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee.
CAST
(in order of appearance)
Tom Wingfield (The Son) ........................Christian Durso*
Amanda Wingfield (The Mother) .......... Katherine James*
Laura Wingfield (The Daughter) ................ Andrea Muller*
Jim O’Connor (The Gentleman Caller) .......... Ross Philips
Jim O’Connor: Understudy ......................Jackson Kendall
*Member Actors’ Equity Association,
the Union of Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
Setting
St. Louis, Missouri – 1936 & 1941
Any taping, filming, recording or broadcast of this play (musical or
otherwise) is strictly prohibited.
No food or beverages (other than water) are permitted in the
seating areas.
Please turn off all electronic devices.
FROM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR
There is a phenomenon in the theater community
in which suddenly everyone is simultaneously
selecting plays by the same playwright creating an
unintentional retrospective. Five years past
Tennessee Williams’ centenary, there will be six
different Williams plays produced in Los Angeles
this year by six different companies. I’m curious
what made 2016 the year to revisit some of the
characters and the emotional landscapes he
shaped. For me, there is no American playwright
who so deftly finds such poetic beauty in human
weakness or brings such compassion to those lost souls seeking personal
redemption. Producing our first Williams play ever, The Glass Menagerie
(Williams’ first success,) has been a great moment in our 2015/2016 season.
The cast and creative team have brought to the project what our Artistic
Director and this show’s director, Christian Lebano, always encourages - a
desire to go beyond the obvious notes and find music in unexpected places.
This has certainly been the case for this wonderful ensemble of actors and
designers.
This approach to our productions, I can say with assurance, has been
recognized and embraced by our patrons. Our audience has grown by
approximately 25% since last year (many of whom were first introduced to
our work by our smash-hit Always…Patsy Cline) which has led to higher presales and many sold-out houses. Another happy statistic we see in our data
is that there is a far greater number of regular patrons coming from
communities as distant as Claremont and Redondo Beach. (I will exclude
the couple from New Zealand as outliers!)
This imperfect data reinforces what we hear from you about what we are
doing - our mix of plays, audience engagement events, lobby exhibits, spring
Field Trip Series for local schools, our new free monthly play reading series,
children’s acting classes and chamber music are fulfilling your desires and
our mission to become a cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. It proves,
in spite of the sound-bytes, that we have not yet surrendered completely to
digital media but still find sharing creative experiences as a community
appealing and, indeed, vital. The sharing of stories is what creates
understanding and builds bridges and SMP recognizes that. We have a
wonderful season planned for next year with plays both provocative and
thought-provoking and romantic and fun – look for the announcement soon.
Please stop me in the lobby to let me know how you think we are doing or
contact me at ecampbell@SierraMadrePlayhouse.org – this is your
Playhouse. Let’s continue sharing our stories out loud.
Estelle Campbell
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director...................................................................... Christian Lebano
Assistant Director ...................................................... Alexandra Wright
Stage Manager ................................................... Derek R. Copenhaver
Assistant Stage Manager / Wardrobe Mistress .............. Emily Hopfauf
Producers ...................................... Estelle Campbell, Christian Lebano
Music Composed by .................................................... Jonathan Beard
Score Arrangements......................... Jonathan Beard, Jamie Thierman
Score Assistance......................................................... Markus Cancilla
Projection Designer ......................................................... Shara Abvabi
Costume Designer ........................................................... Candice Cain
Choreography.................................................................... Cate Caplin
Sound Designer................................................................ Jeff Gardner
Properties Designer ..................................................... Thomas Nagata
Lighting Designer ......................................................... Pablo Santiago
Set Designer ...................................................................... Erin Walley
Lobby Curator and Outreach Coordinator ......................... Diane Siegel
Assistant Lighting Designer ...................................... Rebecca Hairston
Scenic Painter .......................................................... Orlando de la Paz
Hair & Makeup Designer ............................................... Krys Fehervari
Dialect Coach ................................................... Deborah Ross-Sullivan
Production Manager ........................................................ Jennifer Gies
Technical Director .......................................................... Todd McCraw
Technical Consultant ..................................................... Robert T. Kyle
Set Builder............................................. Red Colgrove, Grove Scenery
Electricians .......... Vicky Aguilar, Derek Copenhaver, Sonny Frankland
Lace Drapery ................................................................. Emily Hopfauf
Poster Design & Graphic ...................................................... Kiff Scholl
Production Photography ....................................................... Gina Long
Portrait Photograph / Poster Photograph ..................... John Dlugolecki
Publicist ..........................................................................Philip Sokoloff
Website ........................................................................ Daniel Pelletier
Program .................................................................... Christian Lebano
THE SIERRA MADRE PLAYHOUSE
Artistic Director .......................................................... Christian Lebano
Managing Director ..................................................... Estelle Campbell
Operations Director ....................................................... Ward Calaway
Technical Director .......................................................... Todd McCraw
Accountant .................................................................. Louise Calaway
Box Office Manager ........................................................... Mary Baville
Administrative Assistant ................................................. Emily Hopfauf
Volunteer Coordinator .....................................................Penny Arroyo
Exhibits and Special Events Curator ................................. Diane Siegel
“Off the Page” Reading Series Curator ................................. DJ Harner
Associate Artist - AKT Youth Workshop.................. Alison Eliel Kalmus
Social Media Manager ........................................... Elizabeth Sollebello
Website Manager ......................................................... Daniel Pelletier
Board Members ........................................ Paul Van Dorpe (President)
Louise Calaway, Ward Calaway, Estelle Campbell, James Harnagel,
Christian Lebano, Joan Riback, Randy Ruppart, Serge Varela
A Date Night Special
SMP
Three Course Dinner and a Show for $98 ($115 value)
Through the run of The Glass Menagerie
For more information please contact
Zugo's Cafe (626) 836-5700 or
Sierra Madre Playhouse (626) 355-4318
Sierra Madre Playhouse
87 West Sierra Madre Blvd. Sierra Madre Ca, 91024
Zugo's Cafe
74 West Sierra Madre Blvd. Sierra Madre Ca, 91024
A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR
“The past is never dead. It isn’t even past.”
– W. Faulkner
“The past keeps getting bigger and bigger at
the future’s expense.”
- Tennessee Williams
I am pursued by my past. There are
decisions I have made, words I have spoken,
actions I have taken, that I have difficulty
letting go of and which I would undo if I could.
Does everyone feel that way? In our version
of Tennessee Williams’ beautiful play, Tom returns to St. Louis to find out
what happened after he left – particularly to his sister, Laura. The play
becomes a reverie – or as Williams has Tom say: “This play is memory.
It is not realistic.” The Glass Menagerie was truly a memory play for
Williams, who based the characters on his own family and personal
history and whose own real name was Tom.
There have been thousands of productions of The Glass Menagerie since
it premiered in 1944. Why? What about this story makes it so appealing?
Perhaps we feel, as Tom does, trapped in our everyday lives, longing for
fulfillment, longing to express our true natures; or perhaps the play makes
us think about our relationship to our actions, to our past; or perhaps it is
simply the richness of the characters Williams has created that draws us
in, the beauty of the relationships, the music of the words he has written.
I suspect it is a combination of all of these.
It has been such a privilege to work on this show with this team of
collaborators. I have been thinking about this play for years – imagining
how I would tell this story and these designers, our composer, our
choreographer have all taken my vision to heart and made it real. I am
particularly grateful to the cast who have not only brought these
characters to life so beautifully, but also embraced my approach to the
play and contributed so many ideas that made it richer. The time we’ve
spent in the rehearsal room with these words and characters has been
thrilling. Special thanks to: Derek Copenhaver, our Stage Manager, and
Alex Wright, our Asst. Director, who have been such great partners.
Without their support and dedication this play would have been much less
than it is. And finally, and because I don’t thank them often enough,
thanks to Doug and Gideon who put up with my horrible schedule so that
I can spend time doing what I love, and to Estelle Campbell, who is the
best partner and friend a guy could ever ask for.
Christian Lebano
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tennessee Williams, winner of two Pulitzer
Prizes for Drama, was one of the seminal
American playwrights of the 20th century. He
was born Thomas Lanier Williams on March
26, 1911, in Columbus, Mississippi.
Williams described his childhood in
Mississippi as happy. But life changed for him
when his family moved to St. Louis, Missouri,
and as a result he turned inward and began
writing. His parent's marriage was often
strained and never happy. The family
situation, however, did offer fuel for the
playwright's art. His mother became the
model for Amanda Wingfield in The Glass
Menagerie, while his father became Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
In 1929, Williams enrolled at the University of Missouri to study journalism.
But he was soon withdrawn from the school by his father. Despondent,
Williams retreated home. At his father's urging he took a job with a shoe
company. He hated the position. Eventually the depression took its toll and
he suffered a nervous breakdown. In 1937, he returned to college at the
University of Iowa. He graduated the following year.
In 1940 the Group Theater produced his play, Battle of Angels (later Orpheus
Descending). It flopped, but Williams caught the attention of the prominent
literary agent Audrey Wood who became a staunch supporter.
Other work followed, including writing scripts for MGM. But Williams' mind
was never far from the stage. On March 31, 1945, a play he'd been working
on for some years, The Glass Menagerie, opened on Broadway after starting
life as a short story and then a screenplay. The play won the New York
Drama Critics’ Circle Award and forever changed Williams' life and fortunes.
Two years later, A Streetcar Named Desire opened, surpassing his previous
success and cementing his status as one of the country's best playwrights.
That play earned Williams his first Pulitzer Prize. The hits from this period
include Camino Real, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Pulitzer Prize) and Sweet Bird
of Youth.
The 1960s were a difficult time for Williams. His work received poor reviews
and increasingly the playwright turned to alcohol and drugs. He churned out
several new plays as well as Memoirs in 1975, which told the story of his life
and his afflictions.
He never fully escaped his demons. Surrounded by bottles of wine and pills,
Williams died in a New York City hotel room on February 25, 1983.
THE CAST
Christian Durso* (Tom) Previous credits
include Romeo in Romeo And Juliet (Great
Lakes Theatre, Idaho Shakespeare Festival);
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lake Tahoe
Shakespeare Festival); Leontes in The
Winter’s Tale, King Lear, The Tempest,
Taming Of The Shrew, Much Ado About
Nothing, Two Gentleman of Verona, The
Madness Of George III, Amadeus (The Old
Globe); Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s
Dream (Shakespeare Santa Cruz); the World
Premiere of A Nice Indian Boy (East West
Players). Television credits include One Life
to Live (ABC); Guiding Light (CBS). Christian
is the Co-Artistic Director of Los Angeles’s
IAMA Theatre Company. He teaches Shakespeare at East West Players
and The Art of Acting Studio. Proud member of AEA. BFA: NYU. MFA:
USD. Christian once worked in a shoe store and wrote poems on the
shoe boxes when it was slow! Love to Mom, Dad, and Sis.
Katherine James* (Amanda) is
thrilled to be making her SMP debut. Last
season she was Capulet and Sister
Laurence in the acclaimed gender bent
production R&J (Mine Is Yours). A
company member of Theatricum
Botanicum for over thirty years she fondly
remembers the two-handers with favorite
actor, husband Alan Blumenfeld –
Talley’s Folly and Tone Clusters. She
has played dozens and dozens of roles in
classics from Aeschylus to Williams, and
plays by living emerging playwrights.
Founder of Free Association Theatre,
she is a playwright and director as well
as an actor. Training: M.F.A. from A.C.T. Proud member of AEA and
LAFPI. www.katherinejamesplays.com. Her performance is dedicated to
Jordan and Nathan, who taught her how tender, fierce and consuming
Mother Love can be.
Jackson Kendall (Jim u/s) is happy to be
back at the Playhouse. A graduate of Loyola
Marymount University ('13) where he
received the Virginia Barnelle Award for
outstanding achievement in acting, he was
most recently seen at SMP as Homer in
Charlotte's Web. Other favorite credits
include Ash in Evil Dead the Musical, Fred in
Kiss me Kate, Bennie in Getting Out, and
Panch in The 25th Annual Putnam County
Spelling Bee. He would like to thank his
family, Alex Wright, Christian Lebano, and
everyone at SMP
Andrea Muller (Laura) is excited to be
making her debut at the Sierra Madre
Playhouse. National tours: Spank! The Fifty
Shades Parody and Spank! Harder. Select
theater: Perfect Quiet Place, Once Upon a
Mattress, Urinetown, Cabaret. Select film:
Scythe, Schooled, Golden California, and
videos for Buzzfeed.com. Andrea is ecstatic
to be in her favorite play working with such an
extraordinary team. Thanks to her friends,
family, her managers at STG, her incredible
new family in The Lacy Group, Tennessee
Williams, and everyone at the Sierra Madre
Playhouse for casting her in her dream role
and giving this play such a beautifully unique life.
Ross Philips (Jim) is excited to be making his
SMP debut. Most recently seen as James
Bosworth on AMC's Halt and Catch Fire and
Tom Long on the CW's Hart of Dixie. Thanks to
the entire cast and crew! BFA from Carnegie
Mellon University. Theatre Credits: Picnic,
Antaeus Theatre Company. Henry V & As You
Like It, Utah Shakespeare Festival. Three Days
of Rain, Heart of a Dog, Richard III & Twelfth
Night, Carnegie Mellon University.
The Producers, Cast, and Crew thank the following for
their contributions to
The Glass Menagerie
Serge Varela and Marvyn Galsim at GrandCare Health Services for providing
rehearsal space for this production.
Penny Arroyo and the volunteers from Volunteer Center of San Gabriel Valley
for all the work they have contributed to our efforts.
The Only Place in Town for providing our delicious coffee.
Jen Gies for not only joining us as Production Manager on this show, but also
catering the opening night party!
Judy Webb-Martin for her help in securing and Queeny & John Yeghiaian for
their loan of the opening night party venue.
The Bottle Shop and Happy Liquor for providing wine and The Flowerman for
providing roses for our opening night party.
The Laguna Playhouse for the loan of the phonograph used in this production.
The Colony Theater for set dressing used in this production.
Vice President Elmano Osorio and the Aztec Hotel and Mayan Grill of
Monrovia; General Manager Richard G. Lascano and Denny’s of Arcadia (The
old Van de Kamp Windmill Coffee Shop); Owner Chris Kidd and Becky Rivanis
of Tired Iron Works of Monrovia, for providing venues for our April 30th, Route
66 - Theater in Unexpected Places event.
Pam Barkas of the Monrovia Historical Museum and Jim Wigton of the
Monrovia Preservation Society for their advice and assistance on the April 30th
Theater in Unexpected Places event.
Author Scott Piotrowski and local historian Kim Anderson for their insights and
assistance on the history of Route 66 in the San Gabriel Valley.
PRODUCTION TEAM
Shara Abvabi (Projection Designer) is a Los Angeles based projection and
lighting designer as well as stage and production manager. Her most recent
work includes Plan-B Entertainment's Always...Patsy Cline National Tour and Old
Jews Telling Jokes Regional Tour, lighting design for artists such as Englebert
Humperdink, Don Rickles, and The Zombies at the Saban Theatre. Her recent
design and production management work at the Malibu Playhouse includes
Stand Up! (w/ Jimmy Dore and Mike Scully), God of Carnage directed by
Graham Clifford (w/ A Martinez), Oxymorons (w/ Ed Asner and Mark Rydell), A
Man and His Prostate directed by Ed Weinberger (w/ Ed Asner), and Dick Van
Dyke and the Vantastics starring Dick Van Dyke.
Jonathan Beard (Composer) creates music for media and the concert stage,
based in Los Angeles. His work has received many accolades, including an
NAACP Theatre Award nomination for his original score to Driving Miss
Daisy at SMP, where he is composer-in-residence. Recent composition projects
include the feature Frank vs. God; serving on the composing teams for the video
games Star Wars Battlefront, Star Wars Knights of the Fallen Empire, and guestcomposing for ABC's Once Upon A Time; as well as numerous concert music
commissions from organizations such as Hear/Now, Contemporary Performers
Collective, and Ensemble Bizarria. He has served as orchestrator on dozens of
films (such as Deadpool) and television shows (such as Marvel Agents of
SHIELD). Jonathan holds composition degrees from Stanford and UCLA.
www.jonathanbeard.com.
Candice Cain (Costume Designer) Costume Director at CTG for 20
seasons designing productions at Mark Taper Forum and Kirk Douglas Theatre
including: different words for the same thing, Nightingale- Lynn Redgrave, Stuff
Happens, Living Out, Stones In His Pockets, The Body of Bourne, Blade to the
Heat, Mules, Neat, Dealer’s Choice, Tongue of a Bird (Intiman/NY Public
Theatre), Enigma Variations, The Affliction of Glory- with J. Paul Getty Museum.
Other theaters : Geffen Playhouse -THOM PAIN (based on nothing),
Shipwrecked!; South Coast Repertory - Madwoman in the Volvo, The Injured
Party, Shipwrecked!, A Feminine Ending, The Violet Hour, Everett Beekin, Dinner
with Friends, Three Days of Rain ( Manhattan Theatre Club), Collected Stories;
Berkeley Repertory Theatre; Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Virginia Stage
Company; La Jolla Playhouse; Evidence Room
Cate Caplin (Choreographer) has produced, directed and choreographed
over 200 productions and her work has been seen on television, in films, music
videos, commercials and in theatrical venues worldwide. She is a 34 times
regional and international Theatrical Ballroom Champion, and wrote and directed
her first feature film, Mating Dance which won an Accolade Award and can be
found on Amazon.com. Cate has been honored with a Garland Award, a Women
in Theatre Red Carpet Award, multiple LA Stage Alliance Ovation, Eddon and
Scenie Awards and was the recipient of an Award of Excellence from the LA Film
Commission for her work as a Writer, Director, Choreographer and
Producer. She is delighted to return to SMP having directed and choreographed
last season’s Sondheim review Putting it Together.
Derek R. Copenhaver (Stage Manager) is a recent addition to the LA
theatre scene, having moved here from the Midwest just a few months ago.
Derek graduated from Doane College with a BA in Theatre last year. He has five
years of experience in stage management, lighting design, set design, and
directing, working on shows such as: August: Osage County, Hedda Gabler,
Mother Courage and Her Children, Jerusalem, Around the World in 80 Days,
American Idiot, and many others.
Krys Fehervari (hair and make-up design) has been designing for the
theatre since 1993. After graduating from UC Irvine with a theatre arts degree,
she went on to receive both cosmetology and esthetician licenses. One of the
few who truly does both hair (not just styling but cutting and coloring) and makeup, Krys’s work has been everywhere: film, TV, print, stage, L.A. Opera and
Vegas. Some of her proudest work has been with the Actors Co-op, in Dr. Jekyll
and Mr. Hyde, The Diviners, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, 110 in the Shade
(Ovation winner - best production of a musical), and Around the World in 80
Days. Recent work includes SMP’s production of Always, Patsy Cline (Ovation
award nominee) and Summer and Smoke at the Actors Co-op (Critics’ choice).
Jeff Gardner (Sound Designer) is excited to be back at SMP where he has
previously designed A Walk in the Woods, Einstein is a Dummy and An Ideal
Husband. Other design credits include Picnic (Ovation Nomination), Wedding
Band, The Curse Of Oedipus, Top Girls, The Crucible, You Can't Take It With
You and The Seagull (The Antaeus Company), Juno & The Paycock (The
Odyssey Theatre), One November Yankee (NoHo Arts Center), Harbor (The
Victory Theatre), Trevor (Circle X Theatre- Ovation Award for Best
Production) and The Recommendation (IAMA Theatre, Ovation Award for Best
Production). Jeff can be seen at L.A. Theatre Works where he regularly performs
live sound effects (foley) and is a resident sound designer for the Westridge
School in Pasadena.
Jen Gies (Production Manager) did “a ton” of technical theater as a
Northwestern University undergrad, including stage-managing the summer
repertory and writing for WAA-MU. Upon graduation, she worked at the Berkeley
Repertory Theater for a year. She has spent the intervening years working
extensively in the music industry. For the last 7 years, she has been producing
house concerts and is currently helping to expand Gigable.net, a music
production service that specializes in crowd-funding for live-music events and
house concerts. Gigable’s mission is to bring more live music to more people in
more places. Jen also enjoys writing in the screenplay format. She is glad to be a
member of The Glass Menagerie production team and hopes to have a long,
rewarding relationship with SMP.
Rebecca Hairston (Assistant Lighting Designer) is delighted to join the
artistic team at the SMP as ALD. She is excited to be working with Pablo
Santiago for the first time. She has recently transplanted from New York City.
Some of her favorite experiences are working with Martha Graham Dance
Company, Isabella Rossellini on Green Porno Live On Stage, J.J. Hairston,
Hezekiah Walker, Kirk Franklin, touring the country with Marc Bamuthi Joseph on
his shows The Break/s: A Mix-Tape for Stage and red, black and Green: a blues.
She is thrilled to be getting back to her theatrical roots with this production of The
Glass Menagerie.
Emily Hopfauf (Asst. Stage Manager) is excited to be working on her
seventh show with SMP having ASM’ed Charlotte’s Web, Deathtrap, A Christmas
Memory, The Odd Couple and Einstein is a Dummy and been the Wardrobe
Mistress/Dresser for Always…Patsy Cline. She has constructed costumes for
Color of the Stars at Childsplay Theater. She received a BA in Theater, Film,
and Dance with an emphasis in costume design at Humboldt State University.
Emily also is Assistant to the Management Team at SMP.
Robert T. Kyle (Technical Consultant) is pleased to be working with SMP
for the first time. After receiving training at the Los Angeles Theatre Academy, he
has worked for Entertainment Lighting Services, Burbank Unified School District,
The Hollywood Bowl, and more Los Angeles theatres than possible to mention.
He has had the pleasure of working with the best crew, directors, designers and
actors in the business. He would like to thank his wife, son, friends and family for
their continuing love and support.
Christian Lebano (Director) directed Deathtrap, 4000 Miles, Battledrum,
Driving Miss Daisy (Ovation Recommended), and Woman in Mind (LA Times
Critic’s Choice) at SMP. He played Atticus in To Kill a Mockingbird
(BroadwayWorld.com Best Actor Nom.), Jerry in God’s Man in Texas, and Stage
Manager in Our Town and will be back on stage at SMP later this fall in BeeLuther-Hatchee. He was in the long-running Opus at The Fountain Theater
(Ovation nom’s Best Play and Best Ensemble, LADCC Best Ensemble winner
and nom Best Play, LA Weekly nom Best Actor.) He has worked at regional
theaters across the country as both an actor and director. Christian is the Artistic
Director of the Playhouse and a Board member.
Todd McCraw (Technical Director) just moved here from NYC. Todd has
spent 28 years working in all aspects of theater tech, in every theater in NYC.
He is head rigger for Fly-By-Night Dance Theater. He rigs for many other silk
acts & trapeze acts & other theatrical productions. Todd spent four years in Big
Apple Circus, assisting world-famous horse trainer & performer Katja Schumann.
Other horse work: riding horses onstage at Lincoln Center for La Boheme, Aida &
Manon Lescaut. Todd brings to LA his production company Sounds Like Art Inc.
SLA supports live music, festivals, & corporate events. Regular clients: World
Music Institute, Irish Arts Center, Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, & Korean Arts.
Todd is delighted to be working his first production in LA at SMP.
Thomas Nagata (Properties Designer / Asst. Set Designer) graduated
from Wheaton College with a BA in Theatre Design and Technology. Worked as
a stage manager on many productions including Into the Woods (Norton
Singers), Bonnie and Clyde (Actors Training Center), The Irish Curse (Odyssey
Theatre Ensemble), Cock (Studio Theatre), Jean Anouilh’s Antigone (A Noise
Within), and The Trojan Women (Wheaton College). Other properties credits
include Clybourne Park and Hidden Valley Ranch (Wheaton College), The
Breakfast Club (Café Theatre), The Lion King and Urinetown (Milken Community
Schools), and The Irish Curse (Odyssey Theatre Ensemble). He is thrilled to be
working on The Glass Menagerie at SMP.
Deborah Ross-Sullivan (Dialect Coach) defines herself as a “voice
actress,” one who is heard but not seen. Dialect and accent coaching is a natural
fit for someone who lives for sound. The goal of the dialect coach is not only to
give actors correct sound changes, but also to understand rhythm and inflection.
My job is to give actors reasons to sound the way they do. Deb has coached
many dialect/accent productions for Sierra Madre Playhouse and is most happy
to be working with Christian Lebano again.
Pablo Santiago (Lighting Design) won a Stage Raw Award for his work on
The Brothers Size (Fountain Theater). Pablo has been nominated for Ovation
and LA Weekly Awards. Pablo's designs have been seen at Disney Hall, ODC in
SF, Su Teatro in Denver, MOCA-Geffen, The Getty Villa, The Broad Museum,
REDCAT, the Broad Theater, The New Vic in SB among others. Recently he
designed at Santa Barbara Opera, I Am My Own Wife with ETC Santa Barbara,
Soundbox in SF, Destiny of Desire at Arena Stage in Washington, DC. Upcoming
projects include: Breaking the Waves (Opera) at the Pearlman Theater for
OperaPhila and On the Town with SF Symphony. At SMP: Deathtrap, The Odd
Couple, A Walk in the Woods, 4000 Miles. Instagram: @pablosdesign
Diane Siegel (Lobby Curator) Context and curiosity. These are the things
that can lead you down many paths, be they lobby exhibits or a google searches.
Diane has been professionally “curious” for museums like the Pasadena Museum
of History and the Museum of Television & Radio and Libraries like the Central
Library in Los Angeles – American Originals, and Sierra Madre – Teen History
Docents. This is her 10th lobby exhibit for the Playhouse: Battledrum, 6 Rms Riv
Vu, A Walk in the Woods, The Odd Couple, Einstein/Putting it Together,
Always…Patsy Cline, A Christmas Memory, Deathtrap, and Charlotte’s Web.
Erin Walley (Scenic Designer) graduated with an MFA in Theatre Scenic
Design from University of Missouri, Kansas City in 2012. Her recent scenic
designs include The Complete History of America at the Falcon Theater,
Deathtrap at SMP, and The Tempest & Treasure Island with Young Actors
Project in Malibu. Her recent prop work includes Six Characters in Search of an
Author, Antigone, and All My Sons at A Noise Within, and Shiv at The Theater @
Boston Court, and prop shopping for The Mysteries of Love and Sex at the Mark
Taper Forum. Her current projects include Endgame at the Kirk Douglas Theater
and The Playground at Milken Community Schools.
Alexandra Wright (Assistant Director) is thrilled to be back at SMP after
performing as Bec in 4000 Miles and Annabelle in Battledrum. Alexandra has
performed in over fifty productions--favorite roles include: Kali in The Avenue of
Saints (Skylight), Helena and Hippolyta in A Midsummer's Night Dream,
Igraine/Edmund in Lear (Theatricum Botanicum), Rosalind in As You Like It
(ART). Favorite TV credits: Gilded Lilys, Trending, Greek. Film credits: Abductee,
Captive, Valentine's Day. Acting has given her the opportunity to work with Neil
Gaiman, Scott Zigler, and Neil Patrick Harris, as well as work in London, Paris,
and Moscow. She holds a BA from the University of Southern California, and an
MFA from the Moscow Art Theater/Harvard University.
The Marquee Circle*
The Sierra Madre Playhouse thanks the following members of the Marquee
Circle for their generous contributions in support of our work.
Foundations, Grants, & Underwriters
Charles E. & Ruth V. Gilb Family Foundation
CIGNA
GrandCare Home Health Services
Los Angeles County Arts Commission
Ralphs
Sierra Madre Civic Club
Sierra Madre Community Foundation
The Spero Foundation
Angels ($5,000 and higher)
Ward & Louise Calaway
George Enyedi
Paul Van Dorpe & Jill Maglione
Broadway Stars ($1,500 - $4,999)
Anonymous x2
Rising Stars ($1,000 - $1,499)
Patrick Holland
Estelle Campbell
Carlos Rodriguez
Center Stage ($500 - $999)
Karol Ballard & Kathryn Mickaliger
Jeffrey Branch
Julie Rosenthal – In Memory of Ruth King
Christian Lebano
Southern California Lyric Theater
John Lusche
Rodney Spears
Duane Poole
Glenda & Greg Vanni
Dress Rehearsal ($250 - $499)
Delna Abernathy
Carole & Donald Roback
Karie Beth Brown
Anne Scott-Putney & Astrid Sheil
Buccaneer Lounge
Daniel & Margaret Van Dorpe
Kathy E. Calleton
Susan Wittmer
David Pierce
Green Room Friends ($100 - $249)
Pamela Allen
Shirley & Ken Anhalt
Roxanne Barker
Patricia Barron
Laura Beal
Nancy Bechtolt
Erica Blodgett
Robert Cardenas
Gerald B. Carlton
Sarah Carpenter
Judith Cimino
Carol Ann Collins
Joan Crow
Michael & Margaret Ellis
Marlene Enmark
Paul & Pauline Fairbanks
Carl Gebhardt
Eric Gentry
Russell Guiney
Mindy & Jim Halls
James B. Harnagel
Michael Hegeman
Lance Ito
Janet Kadin
Harvey & Kazuko Kagasoff
Dorothy Keane
John Koeppel
JE & Danielle Kolesnik
Mark J. Levinson
Carol & Richard Libby
Susan Lompe
Kathy Meagher
Katherene L. Meisch
Glen Moulder
Kelsey O’Keeffe
Bill & Judy Opel
Leslie Jane Park
Thomas Pocock
Margaret Quigley
Sharon Ramsey
Joan Riback
Paul Scranton
Donald Songster
Sierra Madre Historical Society
Robert H. Stevens
John Szura
Pearl Tyree
Kevin Whelan
*The gifts listed above were received between April 1, 2015 and March 31, 2016.
To report a misspelling or omission, please contact
Info@SierraMadrePlayhouse.org.
Your gift is deeply appreciated by all of us here at SMP, and any errors will be
corrected as soon as possible. Thank you for your support of the Playhouse!
How to Support the Playhouse
Without Writing Us a Check!
You must renew yearly – in September – please do. Thanks.
Sign up your Ralphs’ Rewards Card and up to 4% of your grocery bill
will be donated to Sierra Madre Playhouse.
1. Visit Ralphs.com and sign-in or register for a Ralphs’ online account.
2. Click the My Account button and select Account Settings.
3. Scroll to Community Rewards and search for Sierra Madre
Playhouse or enter our group number 83942
4. Select us under Organization Name. Click Save!
And that’s all there is to it!
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Family fun at SMP’s summer musical
By Fran Syverson
What An expectant hush falls over the audience as the first
contestant steps up to the microphone. “The word is
‘salmagundi,’” says the word pronouncer. We all wait,
holding our breaths. Will she spell it correctly?...would I?
Thus begins The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,
where six finalists vie for the championship title and prize,
and hope to go on to the National Bee.
We’re in a school gym, with six overachieving youngsters and three volunteer
audience members onstage suffering varying degrees of angst. And we, the
audience, are the Spelling Bee’s audience, cheering each correct answer, sad for
each defeat when a student is eliminated.
“Would you repeat the word, please?” “Would you use it in a sentence,
please?”
Each contestant at the Spelling Bee seeks every clue possible before starting to
spell the word, because once a letter is said, there’s no going back.
Why do we care so much about how the kids do? It’s not just that we may
identify with them from our own schooldays. It’s because flashbacks help us get
to know each of them as the Spelling Bee gets underway.
The three adults conducting the Bee are the word pronouncer (a former winner
herself), the judge, and—would you believe?—a “comfort counselor” to console
losers with a juice box and a hug!
Working together again after last summer’s smash hit Always…Patsy Cline are
the creative team of Robert Marra and Sean Paxton. As director, Marra says he
loves the play’s humor and the ridiculousness of some of the words the kids are
asked to spell. Music director Paxton and a live combo will offer such lighthearted tunes as “My Friend, the Dictionary,” “My Favorite Moment of the
Bee,” and “I’m not that Smart.”
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee opened on Broadway in 2005. It
was nominated for six Tony Awards, winning two.
Are you ready for The Spelling Bee? Can you spell H I L A R I O U S? After a
couple of hours with these bright young spellers, you probably will. You and
your family (appropriate for all but the youngest children) can join the fun from
July 8 through August 21, Friday and Saturday nights, with matinees on
Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets on sale now.
Coming Next…
The 25th Annual
Putnam County Spelling Bee
Music and Lyrics by William Finn; Book by Rachel Sheinkin;
Conceived by Rebecca Feldman
Additional Material by Jay Reiss
Directed by Robert Marra; Music Directed by Sean Paxton
July 8 to August 21
“Six spellers enter; one speller leaves! A surprisingly poignant laugh fest."
LA Times
An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents vie for the spelling championship of a
lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their
home life, the tweens spell their way through a series of words hoping to
never hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life un-affirming "ding" of the
bell that signals a spelling mistake! At least the losers get a juice box. A riotous
ride complete with audience participation.
Bee-Luther-Hatchee
By Thomas Gibbons
Directed by Saundra McClain
September 23 to October 22
"A powerful, provocative piece of theatrical writing. You want to run down the
street twisting people's arms to see it."
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Shelita Burns, an African-American editor, publishes Bee-Luther-Hatchee, the
autobiography of a reclusive 72-year-old black woman named Libby Price.
Shelita has never met Libby, and when the book wins a prestigious award she
decides to deliver it to her in person. To her profound shock, the actual author
of the book is not whom Shelita expected. A fascinating and provocative look at
cultural appropriation and who has the right to tell someone’s story.