Laura Eason - Geffen Playhouse

AUDREY SKIRBALL KENIS THEATER AT THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE
WELCOME TO THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE
Photo by Jeff Lorch Photography
SEX WITH STRANGERS
FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
WELCOME TO LAURA EASON’S CAPTIVATING
new play, Sex With Strangers. Friends and colleagues for many years,
Laura and I first crossed paths 25 years ago in a booming Chicago
theater community, and so welcoming her to the Geffen is certainly
my pleasure.
Infused with ideas that examine what it means to live in the modern
world, Sex With Strangers dares us to discern between public and
private personas, no small task in today’s realm of online personalities
and sound bite sum-ups of the human condition. How do two people talk
to one another when these distractions are taken out of the equation?
Real conversation plus sex and literature — what could be better?
Chicago director Kimberly Senior has assembled an incredible team
of designers, who have skillfully rendered both the rural bed and
breakfast where writers Olivia and Ethan seek escape from the noise
of their lives and the urban apartment where the two must later face
reality. Guided by Kimberly and Laura, stellar actors Rebecca Pidgeon
and Stephen Louis Grush have brought to life two writers who share a
common angst about how their work is perceived by the outside world.
As the characters muddle through a quagmire of doubt, first about
themselves, then about one another, they take us on a funny, deeply
personal journey that is recognizable to us all. In a partnership of any
kind, our audience of one can be our greatest supporter or our harshest
critic. Laura’s characters walk the line between encouragement and
ego with great delicacy and humor.
While this play promises a fun, sometimes silly, always sexy ride, it also
poses questions that we hope you will continue to contemplate during
your ride home and long after.
Enjoy the show!
Randall Arney
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P1
LETTER FROM THE CO-CHAIRS
BOARD
OF DIRECTORS
MARTHA HENDERSON
CO-CHAIR
PAMELA ROBINSON
CO-CHAIR
PATRICIA KIERNAN APPLEGATE
RANDALL ARNEY
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
BETH BEHRS
DR. GENE D. BLOCK
KEVIN BRIGHT
HAROLD A. BROWN
GIL CATES JR.
Photo by Bobby Quillard
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
MICHAEL CENTENO
MARY ANN CLOYD
MERLE DANDRIDGE
DR. BRAD EDGERTON
MARK FLEISCHER
HERBERT M. GELFAND
CHAIRMAN EMERITUS
MARTHA
HENDERSON
PAMELA
ROBINSON
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AT THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE
to kick off 2016 in the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater with Sex With
Strangers, written by Laura Eason and directed by Kimberly Senior. This
provocative new work is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!
As we dive into the new year, we invite you to save the date for our 14th
annual Backstage at the Geffen event on Saturday, May 21, 2016. Our
biggest fundraiser of the year supports our Education, Veterans and
Community Engagement programs, as well as the artistic performances
on stage. This special evening promises to keep you totally entertained,
as surprise musical performances and guest artists take the stage to
share their favorite backstage stories and hilarious behind-the-scenes
memories of life as an artist. Our guest performers have included Lady
Gaga, Samuel L. Jackson, Helen Mirren, Tom Hanks, Anjelica Huston,
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Andy Garcia, Arturo Sandoval, Steve Carell and
Jennifer Garner, just to name a few. We are delighted to share that David
Geffen has graciously agreed to be our Honorary Chair this year, and we
look forward to announcing the honorees soon.
We hope you will consider joining us on May 21 to help support Geffen
Playhouse’s critical Education, Veterans and Community Engagement
programs. We are committed to changing lives through theater,
and Backstage at the Geffen makes this possible. Be a part of this
change and join us on May 21! For more information, please contact
Regina Miller, Chief Development Officer, at 310.208.6500 ext. 112 or
reginam@geffenplayhouse.com.
We hope you enjoy the show!
PATRICIA L. GLASER
SAM GORES
ADI GREENBERG
ARTHUR GREENBERG
JOAN KALOUSTIAN
LORETTA EVERETT KAUFMAN
DR. GERALD S. LEVEY
CARLA MALDEN
SUSAN MALLORY
GINNY MANCINI
BARRY MEYER
SCOTT MINERD
STEVEN A. OLSEN
HOLLY RICE
LINDA BERNSTEIN RUBIN
TERI SCHWARTZ
RICHARD SHERMAN
FRED SPECKTOR
LORRAINE SPURGE
CYNTHIA P. STAFFORD
HOWARD TENENBAUM
VICE CHAIRMAN
FOUNDING TRUSTEES
KIRSTEN COMBS
ROBERT A. DALY
DAVID GEFFEN
QUINCY JONES
JEFFREY KATZENBERG
GLORYA KAUFMAN
FRANK G. MANCUSO
CHAIRMAN EMERITUS
RON MEYER
LESLIE MOONVES
JERRY MOSS
JERRY PERENCHIO
BRUCE M. RAMER
FOUNDING CHAIRMAN
VICTORIA MANN SIMMS
ANDY SPAHN
STEVEN SPIELBERG
STEVE TISCH
DR. CHARLES E. YOUNG
CHAIRMAN EMERITUS
IN MEMORIAM
GILBERT CATES
FOUNDER
Martha Henderson
Pamela Robinson
CO-CHAIR, GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE
CO-CHAIR, GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE
MARCIA ISRAEL-CURLEY
AUDREY SKIRBALL KENIS
CHARLES KENIS
KARL MALDEN
EDIE WASSERMAN
LEW WASSERMAN
PETER ROSEN
LEGAL COUNSEL,
LATHAM & WATKINS LLP
P2 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
2015 honoree Elton John with Lady Gaga,
who opened the show
2015 host Nathan Fillion greets
storyteller Samuel L. Jackson
SAVE THE DATE
BACKSTAGE at the GEFFEN
Saturday, May 21, 2016
YOU NEVER KNOW WHO WILL TELL A STORY ...
WHO WILL PERFORM ...
AND WHO WILL STEAL THE SHOW!
For more information please contact Regina Miller
at 310.208.6500 ext. 112 or reginam@geffenplayhouse.com
Photos by Jordan Strauss.
TITLE SPONSOR
PRESENTING SPONSOR
Violinist Lee England Jr. with
legend Quincy Jones
Storyteller Anjelica Huston
GEFFENPLAYHOUSE.COM/BACKSTAGE
As of printing date February 17, 2016.
THE
PERSON
IN
PERSONA
CURATING
IDENTITY IN THE
DIGITAL AGE
BY AMY LEVINSON
IN LAURA EASON’S
SMART, SAUCY PLAY,
SEX WITH STRANGERS,
WE ARE INTRODUCED TO
TWO CHARACTERS, BOTH
WRITERS BY PROFESSION.
What we witness on stage, or even in interviews, is,
While Olivia has taken a more traditional route of
generous, open-minded, hard-working, lovable and
writing and selling novels, to mediocre success, Ethan
loving woman. With that said, her true personality did
has completely embraced the world of the online
not suffer fools gladly, and that key part of her was
persona including a blog, a Twitter presence and
integrated and exponentially amplified in her onstage
constant interaction with fans, successfully monetized.
persona. Stephen Colbert is another example of the
This phenomenon, due to the combination of product
person versus the persona. The character of “Stephen
exposure and personal invisibility that online life
Colbert” on The Colbert Report had a political agenda
creates, is relatively new in our culture, but the curation
completely at odds with Colbert’s own. He used this
of a persona for the sake of one’s art is ages old.
enormously conservative persona to comic purpose
granted, a part of who the artist is, but the attributes
they emphasize have been turned up so loud that the
person they are at their core is barely visible. Joan
Rivers’s persona was that of an insult-hurling, crass,
nasty woman who had a bone to pick with everyone.
Ask the majority of people with whom she worked
and they will tell you they’ve rarely met a more
Before the ease and simplicity of being able to
— so effectively that many actually believed that the
craft a persona behind the comfort of one’s computer
persona he created in fact held his political views. In
screen, there were plenty of people working to
an interview in which he spoke as himself and not as
create these alter egos in other forms. Take stand-
his TV personality, he stated that he didn’t allow his
up comedians as a prime example of the difference
children to watch his show because he never wanted
between a person and the persona they project.
them to see him being so entirely insincere.
P4 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
THE PERSON IN PERSONA
There are those too, in our popular culture, who are
famous solely for their personas. Society’s obsession
with the Kardashians or Hiltons, famous for being
famous, is further proof that we often fail to separate
the people from their personas and this can make for
challenging interpersonal relationships — a theme
Eason explores in Sex With Strangers to great interest.
With the internet playing such an important role
in all of our lives, this idea of creating a version of
one’s self for public consumption has been taken to
new heights. Using Eason’s play as inspiration, let us
consider the world of online dating. The first thing
one is asked to do when entering into the fray of
connections made via computer (and I choose the
word “fray” carefully — it’s a minefield out there) is
create a profile. While you are ostensibly being asked
to talk about yourself, in the “creation of a profile”
there is an automatic response to lean into the best
version of one’s self. Unlike a job interview, where
we certainly bring our personality A game to the
table, in these online profiles, we can be whomever
we wish. And this is not lying, per se. It is akin to the
persona of the comedian, but instead of turning up
negative attributes for the sake of humor, we focus
on the positive. And presumably we’re going to ‘sell’
our best selves when creating an online profile, but
this is often taken to extremes as people strive to
get noticed in a sea of competition for attention.
Interestingly, what often emerges is a sense of the
generic. Time and again, in reading online profiles
(which, of course, I did purely for research purposes
for this article), one is struck by the similarity in
descriptions, as people put forth what they assume
others will find attractive. Recurring themes include
“sense of adventure, well-travelled, strong sense of
self, successful and romantic.” No one focuses on
their desire to binge watch Netflix in yoga pants
and order in. Not unlike the job interview, where,
when we are asked what our biggest weakness is,
we don’t admit our propensity for procrastination
or our ongoing need to beat everyone we know in
online Scrabble (again, purely for research). We talk
about our perfectionism being our greatest downfall.
But what can’t be hidden in an interview — how well
spoken one is, knowledge about one’s field (or lack
thereof), social aptitude, etc. — is writ large in that
first meeting. Online, one can pretend to be all of
those things. The “confident, hard-working, sensitive
person” you read about in a profile may in fact be
an “arrogant, career-obsessed person with anger
management issues.” It’s all online spin.
Of course, many of these profile “facts” are easily
sorted upon a first meeting. And this is just where
Eason’s play begins. By choosing for the internet to be
down when the first meeting between Ethan and Olivia
occurs, Eason immediately creates a scenario where
two strangers have no choice but to deal with one
another face to face, without electronic interruption or
online fact-finding. Ethan, who has had great success
with an online persona (a magnified, exaggerated
version of himself), is introduced to us and to Olivia as
the person, and not until Act II are we exposed to the
online persona. As the play progresses, we and Olivia
are confronted by the differences between the two.
Apart from how these two sides of Ethan’s
character impact the interpersonal aspects of this
play, there is much focus on the selling of one’s
self professionally and the spin required to make
headway in an over-saturated market. Art, whether it
be visual, literary or performance, needs to cultivate
an audience and also falls prey to the pitfalls of mass
media online. When we turn on our computers and
log on anywhere, our “likes” lead us into a maze of
advertising catered directly to our online habits.
Inevitably, art becomes something that can be mass
marketed according to the likes and dislikes of
consumers. An algorithm finds an audience for art
and vice versa. Therein lies a similar problem to how
an online profile becomes watered down to hold the
most appeal for the largest audience. The algorithm
can only pull out the most generic attributes of what
we read, listen to or attend. As Olivia strives to write
something that separates her from the masses, Ethan
wants her to focus on what makes her work saleable
to the greatest number of readers, and often these
elements are diametrically opposed.
Sex With Strangers navigates between the personal
and the professional lives of these two characters
by making them inextricably linked and, in doing so,
makes each side of their lives a metaphor for the other.
In Eason’s play — indeed, as in our own lives — it is
an inarguable fact that we are slaves to our obsession
with the online world. We have had to employ the term
“unplugging” to define turning off our electronics and
paying attention to the people in the room. But on- and
offline, we seek the same thing. Eason understands
our fundamental need as humans to be seen and
recognized in our work, in our art and in our lives. And
this deep recognition never comes in regards to the
persona, which is only click-bait; it comes in seeing the
person across from us.
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P5
THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE
PRODUCTION OF
Written by
Laura Eason
Scenic Designer
Costume Designer
Sibyl Wickersheimer
Elisa Benzoni
Lighting Designer
Sound Designer
Joshua Epstein
Production Stage Manager
Julie Haber
Cricket S. Myers
Casting Director
Phyllis Schuringa, CSA
Directed by
Kimberly Senior
New York Premiere produced by Second Stage Theatre, New York, 2014
Carole Rothman, Artistic Director
“SEX WITH STRANGERS” was developed through Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s
New Play Initiative, was presented as part of its First Look Festival of New Work and
the world premiere was produced by Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago, IL;
Martha Lavey, Artistic Director and David Hawkanson, Executive Director
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS CIRCLE MEMBERS
Laurie & Bill Benenson • Martha Henderson • Pamela Robinson Hollander & Robert Hollander
Loretta Everett Kaufman & Victor Kaufman • Jason & Yvonne Lee • Gail & Andrew Roth
Linda Bernstein Rubin & Tony Rubin • Miranda & Brett Tollman
Opening Night: Wednesday, March 9, 2016
OPENING NIGHT SPONSORS
P6 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
(In alphabetical order)
Ethan ................................................................................................................................... Stephen Louis Grush
Olivia .......................................................................................................................................... Rebecca Pidgeon
SETTING
ACT I: A bed and breakfast in rural Michigan
ACT II: Olivia’s apartment in Chicago
RUNNING TIME
Approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes
There will one 15 minute intermission.
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P7
SEX WITH STRANGERS
CAST OF CHARACTERS
PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES
STEPHEN LOUIS GRUSH
(Ethan)
Stephen Louis Grush makes
his Geffen Playhouse debut.
Recent theater credits
include: Airline Highway, The
March, Sex With Strangers,
The Tempest, Dublin Carol,
Good Boys and True and Last
of the Boys (Steppenwolf
Theater Company); he was
also commissioned to write
and direct Adore as a part
of Steppenwolf’s initial
Garage Rep Series in 2009.
Other recent Chicago credits
include: The Seagull, A True
History of the Johnstown
Flood, Oedipus Complex
and Pericles (Goodman
Theatre); Cymbeline,
Romeo and Juliet (Chicago
Shakespeare Theater);
True West (American
Theater Company); and
Topdog/Underdog (Congo
Square). Recent television
credits include: Longmire,
Gracepoint, Lucky 7, The
Mob Doctor, Powers, Cooper
and Stone, Detroit 187, The
Chicago Code and Starting
Under. Recent film credits
include: The Free World,
Catch Hell, Return to Sender,
At Any Price, The Express, Left
Alone, Nightlights, Dead Girl,
Attrition, Lac Du Flambeau
and Lifeguard.
P8 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
REBECCA PIDGEON
(Olivia)
Rebecca Pidgeon has starred
in the films: The Spanish
Prisoner, The Winslow Boy,
State and Main, Heist, Red,
Two Bit Waltz and most
recently played a role in The
Divergent Series: Allegiant.
Her television credits include
Phil Spector for HBO and
Jesse Stone: Sea Change
for CBS. She had recurring
roles on the hit series The
Unit for CBS and The Shield
for FX and played a regular
role on In Justice for ABC.
She starred in Uncle Vanya
for the BBC, and in Samuel
Beckett’s Catastrophe
opposite Sir John Gielgud
and Harold Pinter for Channel
4. Pidgeon played “Deeny”
in The Old Neighborhood
on Broadway and “Claire”
in Boston Marriage at the
Geffen Playhouse. She
originated the role of “Carol”
in Oleanna Off-Broadway,
which had its world premiere
at the Orpheum Theatre.
As a member of The Royal
National Theatre in London,
she starred in its productions
of Speed-the-Plow and The
Changeling. She is a member
of the Atlantic Theater
Company and is a graduate
of the Royal Academy of
Dramatic Art in London. In
addition to her career as an
actress, Pidgeon is a singer/
songwriter whose album
Slingshot was nominated for
a Grammy award. Her latest
album is Bad Poetry.
LAURA EASON
(Playwright)
Laura Eason is a screenwriter,
playwright of both original
work and adaptation, and
a musical book writer. As a
screenwriter, she recently
finished her third season
on the Emmy-nominated
Netflix drama, House of
Cards (WGA nomination for
Outstanding Writing in a
Drama Series), sold a drama
pilot to 20th Century Fox
TV/FOX network, executive
produced by Danny Strong,
and is writing a feature film
for Sarah Jessica Parker’s
company, Pretty Matches. Her
more than twenty produced
plays include Sex With
Strangers (Second Stage
Theatre, NYC; Steppenwolf
Theatre, Chicago; Sydney
Theatre, Australia; Blackwing
Productions, Buenos Aires,
Argentina; fifteen productions
in 2015–2016 including the
US, UK, Spain and Australia)
and Around The World In
80 Days (recently at the
St. James, London, world
premiere at Lookingglass
Theatre, Baltimore Center
Stage, KC Rep., also New Vic
and Royal Exchange Theaters,
UK). Her musical Days Like
Today, music and lyrics by
Alan Schmuckler, has its
world premiere at Writers
Theatre, Chicago. Laura
is a long-time Ensemble
Member of Lookingglass
Theatre Company in Chicago,
recipient of the 2011 Regional
Theatre Tony Award, and
served as the company’s
Artistic Director for six years.
In New York, she is a member
of Rising Phoenix Rep, New
Georges and an alumna of the
Women’s Project Playwright’s
Lab. Laura is a proud
graduate of Northwestern
University. Born and raised
in Chicago, she now lives in
Brooklyn, NY with her family.
Information and updates
at lauraeason.com and
@LeasonNYC.
KIMBERLY SENIOR
(Director)
Kimberly Senior is a freelance
director and the director of
the 2013 Pulitzer Prize winning
play Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar.
She is also a 2013 Finalist for
the SDCF Joe A. Callaway
Award, the Zelda Fichandler
Award and the Alan Schneider
Award. In Chicago, Kimberly is
a Resident Director at Writers
Theatre and an Associate Artist
at TimeLine Theatre. Her work
has received multiple Joseph
Jefferson nominations. As an
educator, Kimberly spent 10
years as both an administrator
and Resident Artist with
Steppenwolf for Young Adults.
In addition, Kimberly either ran
programs or taught for Court
Theater, Northlight Theatre,
Redmoon Theater, Roadworks
Productions, Victory Gardens,
Metropolis, Act One Studios
and Acting Studio Chicago. She
has served as adjunct faculty
at Columbia College and
DePaul University. She is the
recipient of Columbia College’s
2010 Excellence in Teaching
Award. Kimberly has served
as Program Director and as a
dramaturg for Steppenwolf’s
First Look Repertory of New
Work. New York: Disgraced
(Broadway), The Who and
The What, Disgraced (Lincoln
Center Theater 3). Chicago:
Disgraced and Rapture, Blister,
Burn (Goodman Theatre);
Marjorie Prime, The Diary of
Anne Frank, Hedda Gabler,
The Letters (Writers Theatre);
4000 Miles, The Whipping Man
(Northlight Theatre); Want,
The North Plan (Steppenwolf);
Inana, My Name is Asher Lev,
PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES
SIBYL WICKERSHEIMER
(Scenic Designer)
Sibyl’s regional set design
credits include productions
at Oregon Shakespeare
Festival, Woolly Mammoth
Theatre, Lookingglass
Theatre, Seattle Repertory
Theatre, Portland Center
Stage, Portland Playhouse,
Berkeley Rep, Arizona Theatre
Company, The Kirk Douglas
Theatre, Geffen Playhouse
and South Coast Rep. In Los
Angeles, Sibyl has designed
for numerous companies,
including 10 productions at
The Actors’ Gang of which
1984 and The Trial of the
Catonsville 9 have toured to
five continents. Outside of the
traditional theater space, her
art installations and sculpture
have been exhibited in
galleries throughout Southern
California. Sibyl’s set design
for The Unfortunates at OSF
was recently displayed at
the Prague Quadrennial for
Performance Design and
Space, and will be exhibited
at the 2016 USITT conference
in Salt Lake City. Sibyl is also
an Assistant Professor at
the University of Southern
California in the School of
Dramatic Arts.
ELISA BENZONI
(Costume Designer)
Elisa is an Italian born costume
designer working in LA and
San Diego. She is currently
the resident costume designer
for North Coast Repertory
Theatre. Select Credits include:
The Who and The What, Our
Town; Tall Girls; Brahaman/I;
Sam Bendrix at the Bon
Soir (La Jolla Playhouse);
Pericles, Reckless, Much Ado
About Nothing, Measure for
Measure (Old Globe/USD);
Snakeskin, Lifeblood Harmony,
Chagall; A Man Found
Wanting (Malashock Dance);
The Storm; The Threepenny
Opera; A Man, His Wife, and
His Hat (UCSD). Assistant
costume credits: Dialogues des
Carmelites (Teatro Petruzzelli,
Bari), Paradise Found (Menier
Chocolate Factory, London),
Milk Like Sugar (La Jolla
Playhouse), As You Like It,
Midsummer Night’s Dream
(The Old Globe). Elisa holds
a costume design MFA from
UCSD where she is now an
adjunct lecturer.
www.elisabenzoni.com
JOSHUA EPSTEIN
(Lighting Designer)
Joshua has designed lighting
for many of the top regional
theaters in the country
including: the Mark Taper
Forum, Kirk Douglas Theatre,
Pasadena Playhouse, The
Guthrie, The Goodman,
Philadelphia Theatre Company,
Trinity Repertory Company,
Baltimore Center Stage, Long
Wharf Theatre, Paper Mill
Playhouse, Alliance Theater,
Actor’s Theatre of Louisville,
Playmakers Repertory and
Cincinnati Playhouse in the
Park. He has served as a
lecturer at the UCLA School
of Theater, Film and Television
since 2014. Josh received his
MFA from NYU’s Tisch School
of the Arts. He is a recipient
of the NEA/TCG Career
Development Program for
Designers and a Member of the
O’Neill National Playwrights
Conference Artistic Council.
Josh lives in Los Angeles with
his wife and three daughters.
www.joshepsteindesign.com.
CRICKET S. MYERS
(Sound Designer)
On Broadway, Cricket earned
a Tony Nomination and a
Drama Desk Award for her
design of Bengal Tiger at the
Baghdad Zoo. Off Broadway
designs include The Marvelous
Wonderettes. She has also
designed regionally at Geffen
Playhouse, La Jolla Playhouse,
The Ahmanson, The Mark
Taper Forum, Berkley Rep,
Arena Stage, South Coast
Rep, The Kirk Douglas Theatre
and Pasadena Playhouse.
Other selected L.A. designs
include NoHo Arts Center,
The Rubicon, Ghost Road
Theater Company, The
Celebration Theater, and Circle
X. She has earned 18 Ovation
Nominations, as well as
winning The Kinetic Award for
Outstanding Achievements in
Theatrical Design, an LADCC
and a Garland Award.
www.cricketsmyers.com
JULIE HABER
(Production Stage Manager)
Julie is delighted to be
working again with director
Kimberly Senior, with
whom she just completed a
Berkeley Rep/Seattle Rep
co-production of Disgraced,
by Ayad Akhtar. She has stage
managed at many regional
theaters around the country,
including Pasadena Playhouse
(A Song at Twilight), as well as
Magic Theatre in San Francisco
and four summer seasons
at Santa Cruz Shakespeare
(formerly Shakespeare
Santa Cruz). She served as
Administrative Stage Manager
at American Conservatory
Theater for three seasons and
as Company Stage Manager
at South Coast Rep for 20
seasons. She enjoys working
on children’s theater at
MainStreet Theater Company
in Rancho Cucamonga. Julie
received her MFA from Yale
School of Drama, has taught
stage management at UC
Irvine, UC San Diego, Cal
Arts and Yale and is a proud
member of Actors’ Equity.
PHYLLIS SCHURINGA, CSA
(Casting)
Phyllis has been the casting
director at Geffen Playhouse
for 12 years and now is also
the Artistic Associate. Recent
plays at the Geffen include
Barcelona; Bad Jews; The
Night Alive; Switzerland; The
Country House; Wait Until
Dark and American Buffalo.
Before joining the team at the
Geffen, she was the casting
director for Steppenwolf
Theatre in Chicago where
her favorites include Frank
Galati’s adaptation of The
Grapes of Wrath (also La Jolla
Playhouse, National Theatre in
London, and Broadway, where
it received the Tony Award
for Best Play), the original
production of Steve Martin’s
Picasso at the Lapin Agile
(and subsequent productions
including Westwood
Playhouse and Briar Street
Theater in Chicago), Austin
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P9
SEX WITH STRANGERS
All My Sons, Dolly West’s
Kitchen (TimeLine Theatre);
The Great God Pan, After
the Revolution, Madagascar,
The Overwhelming and The
Busy World is Hushed (Next);
Waiting for Lefty (American
Blues); Old Times, The
Conquest of the South Pole,
Uncle Vanya, Cherry Orchard,
Three Sisters, Fuddy Meers and
Knives in Hens (Strawdog);
Cripple of Inishmaan, Bug
and The Pillowman (Redtwist
Theatre); Thieves Like Us (The
House Theatre), among others.
Regional: Disgraced (Berkeley
Rep/Seattle Rep); The Who
and The What (La Jolla
Playhouse); Little Gem (City
Theatre); Murder on the Nile,
A Few Good Men (Peninsula
Players); Mauritius (Theatre
Squared, Fayetteville, AR).
PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES
Pendleton’s Orson’s Shadow
and Charles L. Mee’s Time
to Burn. Broadway transfers
include One Flew Over the
Cuckoo’s Nest (Tony Award for
Best Revival) and The Song
of Jacob Zulu. She teaches
auditioning at Steppenwolf
West and is a member of the
Casting Society of America.
RANDALL ARNEY
(Artistic Director)
Randall Arney has been
a theater professional for
over 30 years and has
served as Artistic Director
of the Geffen Playhouse
since 1999. In addition to
his artistic programming
and oversight at the Geffen,
Arney has helmed more
than 10 productions for
the theater, most recently
Outside Mullingar, The Night
Alive, Reasons to Be Pretty,
Slowgirl, American Buffalo,
Superior Donuts, The Female
of the Species, The Seafarer,
Speed-the-Plow and All My
Sons. Arney is an ensemble
member and former Artistic
Director of Chicago’s
Steppenwolf Theatre where
his directing credits include:
Slowgirl, The Seafarer, The
Beauty Queen of Leenane,
Death and the Maiden, Curse
of the Starving Class, Killers
and The Geography of Luck,
among others. Arney also
directed Steppenwolf’s world
premiere of Steve Martin’s
Picasso at the Lapin Agile,
as well as the subsequent
national and international
P10 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
acclaimed productions. Mr.
Arney’s acting credits with
Steppenwolf include Born
Yesterday, Ghost in the
Machine, The Homecoming,
Frank’s Wild Years, You
Can’t Take it with You, Fool
for Love, True West, Balm
in Gilead and Coyote Ugly.
As the Artistic Director
for Steppenwolf from 1987
to 1995, he oversaw the
creation of a new stateof-the-art theater which is
Steppenwolf’s current home.
Broadway transfers under his
leadership include The Rise
and Fall of Little Voice, The
Song of Jacob Zulu (six Tony
Award nominations) and The
Grapes of Wrath (1990 Tony
Award, Best Play). Mr. Arney
has an MFA degree in Acting
from Illinois State University
and has taught master
classes and workshops at
UCLA, Steppenwolf, around
the U.S. and in Tokyo.
GIL CATES, JR.
(Executive Director)
Gil Cates, Jr. has proudly
served on the Geffen
Playhouse Board since 2012
and has years of producing
and directing experience in
theater, film and television.
Gil’s theater credits include
the award-winning Names
(Matrix Theatre) starring Dixie
Carter and Greg Mullavey,
The Night I Knocked Out Joe
Frazer and Lost 90 Pounds
(Gardner Stage Theater),
as well as Three Sisters and
David Mamet’s A Life in the
Theatre (both at Syracuse
Stage). Gil’s film credits
include The Surface (starring
Sean Astin and Geffen
Playhouse alumnus Chris
Mulkey), Jobs (starring Ashton
Kutcher, Josh Gad, Dermot
Mulroney, as well as Geffen
Playhouse alumni Matthew
Modine and Ron Eldard) and
the 2011 feature film Lucky
(starring Colin Hanks, Ari
Graynor, Ann-Margret and
recent Golden Globe winner
Jeffrey Tambor). In addition,
Gil produced and directed
the critically acclaimed Life
After Tomorrow, featuring
Sarah Jessica Parker, which
won best documentary at
the Phoenix Film Festival
and later had its premiere
Christmas Eve on Showtime.
His other films include Deal
(starring Burt Reynolds,
Bret Harrison and Charles
Durning), The Mesmerist
(starring Geffen Playhouse
alumnus Neil Patrick Harris),
and the critically acclaimed
independent film Order of
Chaos. Gil also made his TV
directorial debut with an
episode of the NBC comedy,
Joey, starring Emmy winner
Matt LeBlanc. He studied at
the National Theatre Institute
in Waterford, Connecticut, and
holds a BFA in Drama from
Syracuse University in 1991.
REGINA MILLER
(Chief Development Officer)
Regina has been a
development professional
for over 18 years, working
with non-profit institutions,
foundations and corporations
on strategy, analysis and
fundraising. She has worked
for Simon Wiesenthal Center,
The Clinton Foundation,
Ben Affleck’s Eastern Congo
Initiative, Hank Azaria’s
Determined to Succeed,
Charlize Theron's Africa
Outreach Project, Water.org,
Codenow.org among others.
Prior to the Geffen, Regina
served as the Director of
Partnerships for Big Brothers
Big Sisters of Greater Los
Angeles and the Inland Empire
where she led strategic
planning and development
while executing policies that
advanced the organization’s
visibility and growth. Regina
also has a strong passion for
teaching. After graduating
from University of North
Carolina School of the Arts,
she taught in preschools and
kindergartens in New York.
From the age of 13, Regina
worked as a professional
dancer on Broadway as well as
with a number of prominent
modern dance ensembles.
Fusing two of her interests,
she created a highly successful
program which incorporated
dance therapy and creative
movement into an early
childhood curriculum as
well as wrote and produced
a television show based on
this concept. In addition to
being a published author and
photographer with Tallfellow
Press and Prometheus Books,
Regina has taught and lectured
at numerous schools in New
York, Los Angeles and abroad.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
GEFFEN
AT A GLANCE
PRODUCTION STAFF FOR SEX WITH STRANGERS
ADDRESS
Assistant Set Designer Yuri Okahana and Dreem Qin
Assistant Lighting Designer Ning Ji
Wardrobe Supervisor Kit Peterson
Sound Board Operator Michael Gunderson
Production Assistant Marissa Putnick
Stage Crew Alex Norkus
Properties Artisan Cami Viand
Properties Artisan Devin Lennon-Davey
Properties Artisan Lilian Bartenstein
Geffen Playhouse
10886 Le Conte Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90024
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Set provided by Scenic Highlights
Lighting Equipment provided by 4Wall Entertainment Lighting
Sound Equipment provided by Jon Sound Inc.
Production Photographer Michael Lamont
Media Filming Four Leaf Media
SPECIAL THANKS
UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Scene, Prop, Sound and
Costume Shops; London Cleaners
UCLA SCHOOL OF THEATER, FILM AND TELEVISION
Geffen Playhouse is affiliated with the University of California at Los Angeles,
specifically the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Geffen Playhouse
values its role as an important educational resource by providing students
with master classes, workshops and internships. Students are also able to work
and learn from distinguished visiting Geffen artists such as Alan Ayckbourn,
Jon Robin Baitz, Annette Bening, Ed Harris, David Ives, Neil LaBute, David
Mamet, Donald Margulies, Terrence McNally, John Rando and Kathleen Turner
in areas of directing, playwriting, acting, design, dramaturgy, management and
production. Geffen Playhouse also draws upon the distinguished experts in the
university to enhance the theater’s programs and research.
Administrative Offices ... 310.208.6500
Mon – Fri ................. 10:00 am — 6:00 pm
Box Office Phone Line ... 310.208.5454
Daily ............................ 7:00 am — 6:00 pm
Subscriber Hotline . ......... 310.208.2028
Mon – Fri ................. 10:00 am — 6:00 pm
Sat & Sun ................ 12:00 pm — 6:00 pm
Please visit geffenplayhouse.com for
hours, parking and more information
TICKET SERVICES
BOX OFFICE WINDOW
When shows are not in performance,
the box office window is open:
Mon – Fri ................. 10:00 am — 6:00 pm
Sat & Sun ................ 12:00 pm — 6:00 pm
During the run of a show, the window
will be open until curtain. Please
note: the box office is unable to
process exchanges and future sales
one hour prior to curtain time on any
performance day.
ACCESS
ASL
ACCESSIBLE
ACCOMMODATION
Geffen Playhouse is fully
committed to ensuring a
satisfying theater experience
for our patrons with special
needs or disabilities. Please
contact the box office or an
usher to discuss your needs.
AT THE THEATER
This theater operates under agreement between the League of Resident Theaters
and Actors Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers
in the United States.
The Actors and Stage Managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity
Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
This theater operates under agreement between the League of Resident Theaters and
Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, an independent national labor union.
LATE SEATING
Should you arrive late to the theater
or vacate your seat during the
performance, please expect to be held
in the lobby until an appropriate pause
in the action on-stage. To minimize
disturbance to other patrons, you may
be seated in the first available location
by the house staff even if different from
your assigned seat. Be advised that
some productions or circumstances may
not allow for late or return seating.
The scenic, costume, lighting and sound designers in LORT theaters are represented
by United Scenic Artists Local USA-829, IATSE.
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P11
ANNUAL DONORS
Geffen Playhouse recognizes the following individuals and organizations for their generous support of our Annual Fund and Backstage
at the Geffen. Donors are listed at the Associate level and higher for gifts made between December 1, 2014 and February 1, 2016.
In appreciation, donors enjoy a host of special benefits including house seats, complimentary drinks, receptions and much more.
For more information, please call Jamie Mikelich at 310.208.6500 ext. 128.
CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE
$50,000+
Anonymous
Audi of America, Inc
Ben/Joyce Eisenberg Foundation
Mrs. Carol K. Block & Chancellor Gene D. Block
Claudia & Kevin Bright
City National Bank
Elizabeth Lacey & Gilbert Cates, Jr.
Mary Ann Cloyd
David Geffen Foundation
Edgerton Foundation
The Edward A. & Ai O. Shay Family Foundation
Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer & Melvin Keefer
Herbert M. & Beverly J. Gelfand
In Memory of Alice Ghostley & Felice Orlandi
Sam Gores
The Adi & Jerry Greenberg Foundation
Guggenheim Partners Investment
Management Holdings, LLC
Carole & Bill Haber
Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust
Martha Henderson
Rabbi Uri D. Herscher & Dr. Myrna Herscher
Cindy & Alan Horn
HSBC Private Bank USA
Marilyn & Jeffrey Katzenberg
Glorya Kaufman
Loretta Everett Kaufman & Victor Kaufman
Kenneth T. & Eileen L. Norris Foundation
Keyes Automotive Group
Robert K. Kraft
Sandra Krause & William Fitzgerald
L&N Andreas Foundation
Latham & Watkins LLP
The Lauder Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Jason & Yvonne Lee
Susan & David Leveton
George Lucas Family Foundation
Ginny Mancini
Fay & Frank Mancuso
John McCrite & Juan Lopez
Donna McKenna & Flynn Chernos
Kelly & Ron Meyer
Scott Minerd
Ann & Jerry Moss
Moss Foundation
Paradigm Talent Agency
Ralph M. Parsons Foundation
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Madeline & Bruce Ramer
P12 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
Pamela Robinson Hollander & Robert Hollander
Linda Bernstein Rubin & Tony Rubin
Richard & Barbara Sherman
Shubert Foundation
Skirball Foundation
Karen & Vic Smith
Cynthia P. Stafford
Jodi & Howard Tenenbaum
UCLA
The Walt Disney Company
Ken Willner & Jim Stine
Elaine Wynn Family Foundation
Judy & Chancellor Charles E. Young
Dirk & Natasha Ziff
ARTISTIC CIRCLE
$25,000 - $49,999
Anonymous
Katie McGrath & J.J. Abrams
Aegon Transamerica Foundation
Patricia Kiernan Applegate
Aria Resort & Spa
Ariel Investments
Robert C. Baral
Stephanie & Jonathan Carson
Valarie De La Garza & Michael Centeno
CenterStaging
Kathy & Mitch Clark
Classic Party Rentals
Clay Lacy Aviation
DreamWorks Animation
Dwight Stuart Youth Fund
Fox Entertainment Group
Carol & Paul Frimmer
Gang, Tyre, Ramer & Brown, Inc.
Jim & Ann Gianopulos
Goldman Sachs
Andy & Carlo Brandon-Gordon
Greater Los Angeles New Car Dealers Association
Mellody Hobson
The Lear Family Foundation
Los Angeles County Arts Commission
Los Angeles magazine
Marcia Israel Foundation, Inc.
Sandra E. Milken
Napa Valley Grille
Holly Rice
Judith & Bruce Stern
Shel & Cynthia Stone
Warner Bros. Entertainment
Samantha & John Williams
Anthony P. Zinge
PRODUCER
$10,000 - $24,999
Anonymous
Beth Behrs
Charles A. Black, Jr.
Board of Supervisors County of Los Angeles
Heather Thomas & Skip Brittenham
Brotman Foundation of California
Amanda Brown & Justin Chang
Eileen & Harold Brown
Bulgari Corporation of America
Roma Downey & Mark Burnett
The Capital Group Companies Charitable
Foundation
The Chatwal
City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs
Carole Bayer Sager & Robert A. Daly
Edward Avedis
Dr. & Mrs. Paul Eisenberg
Susan & Mark Fleischer
The Friedman Group
Sarinda & Gian Fulgoni
Gagosian Gallery, Inc
Dr. Hilary Garland
Ghurka
The Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Foundation
Patty Glaser & Sam Mudie
Manuela & James Goren
Arthur Greenberg
C. Curtis Grisham
In Memory of Morris A. Hazan
HBO
Samantha & Eric Heer
Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa
Stanley Iezman & Nancy Stark
Vicki Iovine & David Coiro
Joseph Drown Foundation
Joan Kaloustian
Fred Latsko
Janine & Peter Lowy
Carla Malden
Mona Malden
Malibu Family Wines
Susan & Peter Mallory
Nancy & Michael McClelland
Wendy & Barry Meyer
MOCA Foundation
Marcia & Brett Molotsky
Leslie Moonves & Julie Chen
Morgan Stanley
James L. Nederlander
& Margo MacNabb Nederlander
Northern Trust, NA
Laurie MacDonald & Walter Parkes
Popland Studios
Judith Reichman, MD
Gail & Andrew Roth
ANNUAL DONORS
DIRECTOR
$5,000 - $9,999
Anonymous
Jehan F. Agrama & Dwora Fried
AMC
Amgen Foundation
Hilary & Jack Angelo
The Alec Baldwin Foundation
AVID
The Baxter International Foundation
Ruth & Jake Bloom
Annette Blum
Mara & Jonathan Blum
The Eli & Edythe L. Broad Foundation
Glenn & Lynn Cardoso
Marcy Carsey
Comcast | NBC Universal
Merle Dandridge
Debra Davis
Dream Warrior Group
Fielding Edlow & Larry Clarke
Jo & Larry Feldman
Lawrence N. Field
Eric Flamholtz & Yvonne Randle
Susan & Eric Fleishman
Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea
Kiki & David Gindler
Priscila Giraldo
Gloria & Peter Gold
Grand Wailea,
a Waldorf Astoria Resort
Leo S. Guthman Fund
Bucky Hazan, Teles Properties
Gail & Stanley Hollander
Bernice & Wendell Jeffrey
Yvonne & Damien Jordan
Marvin Jubas & Janet Wald
Mannon Kaplan
Sally & Dr. Manny J. Karbelnig
Julie & David Kavner
Wendy Kurtzman
La Valencia
Alan & Cindra Ladd
Eileen & Kase Lawal
Drs. Gerald & Barbara Levey
Padma & Rao Makineni
Merle & Jerry Measer
Judy Zaban Miller & Lester Miller
Kate Moran & Mikki Rosenberg
Liza & Conan O’Brien
Christine Marie Ofiesh
Mo Ostin
Pure Cheesecakes
Kay & Bob Rehme
Joyce Rey
Jane Rissman & Richard Sondheimer
Howard Rose
Rikki Rosen
Thomas L. Safran
Sheri Salata
Hon. Nicole A. Avant & Ted Sarandos
Judi & Bruce Schindler
Jody & Arthur Schmid
Ken & Carol Schultz Foundation
Steve & Paula Mae Schwartz
Helen & Martin Scorsese
Sidley Austin LLP
The Simon-Strauss Foundation
Singer Family Foundation
Sondheimer Foundation
Lorraine Spurge & Patrick Mitchell
Susan & Don Starr
Arnold Stiefel
Eric Stonestreet
Tanino Ristorante
Tanzy Restaurant
Barbara & Larry Tenan
Lynda Thomas
Thomas Safran & Associates
Janet & Michael Schwartz
Michael & Glenda Shaw
Theatre Communications Group
Karen Zoller, MD & David Tillman, MD
The Travel Corporation
Alice & Norman Tulchin
Jennifer von Schneidau
Deborah & Michael E. Walsh
West LA Poker
Rita Wilson & Tom Hanks
Karen & Rick Wolfen
Paula Wolff, Ph.D.
& Wayne W. Whalen
Jennifer Young & Katrina Nason
Gail Zappa
Leslie & Robert Zemeckis
Ruth & Stan Zicklin
In Loving Memory of Herman Ziegler
Ellen & Ken Ziffren
Ziffren Brittenham LLP
SPONSOR
$3,000 – $4,999
Janis Adams & John Lyons
Pat & Sandy Adams
Shelly & Libby Bergen
Susan Booth & Christopher Wadden
Van Boyd
Robert Brook & Jacqueline Kosecoff
Dr. Fanya Carter, PhD
Scott, Susan & Joshua Corwin
Mica Ertegun
Stephen Sass & Steven Hochstadt
Dora & Neil Kadisha
Barbara & Ronnie Kahn
Thea & Neal Koss
Renee & Meyer Luskin
Vicki Fisher Magasinn
Sherry Martin
Rio & Frank Morse
Benedicta & Geoffry Oblath
Judi & Tim Ritchie
Maria Rodriguez & Victoria Bullock
Sue Rosenwasser
Lori & David Rousso
Judy & Mike Sapir
Leigh Silverton
Allen Blue & Kira Snyder
Karen & William Timberlake
Vernon, Barry & Dale Tyerman
In Honor of Ruth Tyerman Lentz
Uniworld River Cruises Inc
The Waterman Family Foundation
Leslie White & Al Limon
Lynn & Mark Williams
Patricia Youngman
PARTNER
$1,500 - $2,999
Anonymous (3)
Miriam Aguiar
Olga S. Alderson
Margaret & Howard Arvey
Aversano Family Trust
Robert E. & Maria H. Barron
Richard Bautzer & David McDowell
Patricia & Mark Benjamin
Martin Bloom
Debra Cappos
Pat & Bill Chin
Darcy Christal
Laurel & Aaron Clark
Linda & John Coleman
David Conney, M.D.
Shelley Wike Cranley
Pam Dawber
Susan & Jonathan Dolgen
Victoria Dummer
Robert & Sonia Freedman
Helen & Arthur Geoffrion
Kitzia & Richard Goodman
The Guerin Foundation
Alan & Michelle Heilpern
Mel & Faith Henkin
In Honor of Development
Roger & Linda Howard
Nancy & Len Jacoby
Carrie Johnson
Manny Klausner
Katherine Kleindienst
Janis B. McEldowney
Carol & Alan Ostroff
Cheryl Petersen
Lisa Pierozzi
Tara & Robert Pietri
Herbert & Marilyn Piken
Lindy Robbins
Sonny & Cynthia Rodriguez
Wil Rosser
Susan Schwarz Berton
Jackie & Charles Schwartz
Dominique Shelton
Rita & Jose Sigal
Snyder Family Foundation
Bruce & Patti Springsteen
Mitch & Sherry Stein
Lisa Stonich
Audri & Stan Tendler
Paul Tetreault
Daniel Tongbai
Susan & Peter Van Haften
Roberta Weintraub
Gelena & Seth Weissman
Cherie Wrigley
Barbara & Stanley Zax
Marcie & Howard Zelikow
Ellen & Arnold Zetcher
David Zuckerman
& Ellie Kanner-Zuckerman
EDUCATION
ADVOCATE
$1,000 - $1,499
Anonymous (3)
Harry & Gay Abrams/Abrams
Artists Agency
Dr. Richard Ackerman
& Miriam Shakter
Laura & Harvey Alpert
Charitable Foundation
Merryl & David A. Alpert
Bonnie & Bill Apfelbaum
AudioQuest
Russ, August & Kabat
Carol Ann & D.C. Bakeman
Richard & Shelley Bayer
Jerry Beckman
Susan & Eric M. Bender
Peter & Barbara Benedek
Paula & Bruce Bennett
Wendy & John Bergquist
John Bjorge & Mary McKelvey
Joe Blackstone & Jamie Mohn
The Bordy & Leibovic Families
Brenda & Alan Borstein
Dr. Wallace P. Brithinee
Wendy & David Brotman
The Busch-Schifino Family
Chancellor Albert Carnesale
& Mrs. Robin Carnesale
Scott Carter & Bebe Johnson
David Cates & Christine Vavak
Jane Cates
Jonathan & Elena Cates
Melissa Cates & Roger Claman
Steven Cerasale
& Mary Katherine Cocharo
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P13
SEX WITH STRANGERS
Richard Ruskell Pastries
The Richenthal Foundation
Ronen Levy Events
Loren Rothschild
& Hon. Frances Rothschild
The Simms/Mann Family Foundation
Fred Specktor & Nancy Heller
Sugarfish
Steve Tisch
Miranda & Brett Tollman
U.S. Bank
Union Bank
Well Done Catering
Westfield Group
William Morris
Endeavor Entertainment
Linda Yellin
Ruth Ziegler
Richard & Mae Ziman
ANNUAL DONORS
Martha Chase
Sachiko T. Cochran MD
& Joseph T. Araki
Janine Cristiano
Ruth Daugherty
Deluscious Cookies
Carolyn Dirks/Brett Dougherty
Dennis & Jeralyn Doty
Jan & Thea Drayer
Gerald & Sally Ducot
William Duncan
Marilyn P. Dunn
Dr. & Mrs. William M Duxler
Colleen M. Ellis
Terri & David Elston
The English Language Center
Carl & Courtenay Enright
Carol & J.B. Esterkin
Michael & Lynne Feldman
Donnovan Field
Barbara Fodor
Steve Freedman
Ben & Susan Friedman
G2 Graphic Service, Inc.
Pat & Sandy Gage
Jeanne & Arnold Geffner
Diane & Bruce Gewertz
The Gibbs Family
Charlotte Gold
Dr. Irene Goldenberg
Marion Goldenfeld
Helene Gordon
Adrienne Grant & Paul Jennings
Jack Grossbart & Marc Schwartz
Sunny & Alvin Grossblatt
Michael Grunwald
Deidre Hall
Monty & Marilyn Hall
Salli Harris
Michael Parks & Judith Hayward
Murray & Gail Heltzer
Lynda Klein & Neal Hersh
David Coleman
& Jean Himmelstein Coleman
Dr. John D. Hofbauer & Dr. Laura E. Fox
Tamara Horwich & Gerry Lipshutz
Toni Hoyt
Lynn Hunt & Margaret Jacob
Nancy & Len Jacoby
Linda Janger
Joseph B. Gould Foundation
Linda & David Kagel
Joyce & Don Kaiserman
Marcy Kaplan & Eric Gold
Karney Guren Family Foundation
Sabrina Kay Charitable Foundation
Lenny & David Kelton
Barbara & Stuart Klabin
Kent Klavens & Judy Vourlas
Leslie & Norman Koplof
Carol Krause
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Bethany Joy Lenz
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Steven & Nancy Lippman
Jeffrey & Elisabeth Lipsman
P14 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
Judith Locke & Dennis Massie
London Cleaners, Inc
Karen & Frederick Lorig
The Jennifer and Greg Malins
Foundation
Eric G.C. Mark
Sue McHugh & Herb Seese
The Miles Family
Craig & Catherine Miller
Andrew & Laura Mintzer
Joanne & Joel Mogy
Lon Morse & Toni Hollander Morse
Albert & Barbara Nichols
John Nickoll
Deborah & Stacey Olliff
Michael R. Oppenheim
Ornest Family Foundation
Gia Paladino & Michael Wise
Carol Parry & John Fox
Philip & Leslie Paton
Amanda Crick & Glenn Pfeffer
Craig Piligian
In Memory of Michael Piller
Berta & Lou Pitt
Ruth Popkin
Richard Rasiej & Joan Herman
Harvey & Joyce Reichard
Rabbi Steven & Didi Carr Reuben
Donald B. & Susan F. Rice
In Memory of Frances Esther & Howard Richmond
Beth Roberts & Warren Smith
Richard Roberts
Craig E. Rogers
Brad & Nancy Rosenberg
Nancy Stephens & Rick Rosenthal and
The Rosenthal Family Foundation
David A. & Karen Richards Sachs
Susana Salazar
Mark San Filippo
Nancy & Ted Sanborn
Savitsky Satin & Bacon
Lizbeth Schiff
Toni & John Schulman
Joanna & Jonathan Schwartz
Peggy and Robert Shapiro
In Memory of Diane Barnett-Shapiro
John & Lori Shaw
Phyllis & Martin Shephard
Doris & Michael Sherman
Holly & Larry Shulman
Steven Siegel & Lily Carey
Ron Silverman & Soraya Ross
Joan & Jerry Snyder
Drs. Matthew & Marion Solomon
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Marcella, Joy & Grant Stanley
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Katy Sweet
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Joyce & Josh Trabulus
Catherine & Leonard Unger
Daniel & Shauna Valenzuela
Alan Van Vliet
Peter & Denise Walsh
Julie & Peter Weil
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Joanne & Ken Weinman
Alison Whalen & Steven Marenberg
Marcia Williams & Gene Lucero
Anna & Stephen Yallourakis
Debra Zavala
ARTISTIC
ADVOCATE
$500 - $999
Anonymous (2)
Laurence & Ilene Abramson
Sylvia Almstadt
Patti & Harlan Amstutz
Ares Management LLC
Bonnie Arnold
Jeanne Bailey
Janet & Irwin Barnet
Alan Belinkoff
Joanne & Miles Benickes
Madelyn Bennett & Eric Gibson
Jim & Diane Berliner
Kristen Bird
Black Market Gelato
Janet & Mark Brown
Lee & Shelby Chaden
Elsbeth Collins & James Greene
Ted Cordes
Donald & Zoe Cosgrove
Morgan Dameron
Geraldine Darrow
Daniel & Gayle Devin
The Milton L. & Betty J. Dranow
Family Foundation
Roni & Ethan Eller
David & Joyce Evans
Marjorie & Arthur Fine
Sydney M. Finegold, M.D.
The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Fund
Michael & Lynne Flynn
Myrna Forest
Burt & Nanette Forester
Lois & Gerald Gallop
Sharlene & Sol Galper
The Gewecke Family
Benita & Bert Ginsberg
Dr. Diane & Michael Glazer
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Louis & Linda Goldsman
Abner & Roz Goldstine
Ellie Goodman
Lori & Robert Goodman
Roger Gordon
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Marcy & Edgar Gross
Madeline Gussman
Carolyn & Bernie Hamilton
Kay Harrington
Arlene S Harris
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Zvia Hempling
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Mrs. Dorothy Hoffman
Rand Hoffman & Charlotte Robinson
Kelley M. Hogan
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Traci Shelton
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Robin & Robert Sills
Martin & Leah Sklar
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Sold Out Crowd
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Sharon Suarez
Alec Sulkin
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Ira & Laurie Waldman
Marcia & Dr. Charles Wasserman
Connie & John Weston
Geoffrey & Susan Wharton
Philip & Judith Winik
Jay Weinstein & Lori Woldar
ANNUAL DONORS
$250 - $499
Anonymous (5)
Emanuel & Nancy Abrams
Norman & Toshka Abrams
Patricia Abrams
Terry & Richard Abrams
Actors Equity Foundation, Inc
Anne Adair & Steve Ganzberg
Barbara Adams
Elaine & Michael Agran
AKW
Charles & Annick Allen
Jan & David Altemus
Paul Alter
Robert C. Anderson
Philip Angerhofer
& Stephen A. Jones
Eloise & Mark Appel
Jc & Jack Appelbaum
Mark Archer
Steven D. Arias
Barbara & Ethan Aronoff
Marc & Elizabeth Axelrod
Lynne & Lee Babbitt
Deborah Baine
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Cecilia Ball
Edward Barad & Carol McCully
Linda Barnett
Irene Baron
Randy Bayard
Judith & Thomas Beckmen
Dawn & Marshall Bein
Dr. Timothy Belavich
& Bernie Knobbe
Yvette Bergeron
Karen Berko-Gibson
Barbara Berkowitz
Marsha C. Berkowitz
JoAnn Bernard
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Claudia & Ronald Bitzer
Marjorie Blatt
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Deanne Bosnak
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Mona Brandler
John & Debbie Brincko
Leah Lynn Broidy
Marshall Bull
David & Kathy Burke
Laura D. Campbell
Marlene & David Capell
Andrew Carlberg
Phil Carlin
Tia Carrere
Miss Irene Castaldo
In Memory of Gil Cates
Ling Chan
Sandra Chan
Barry Charles
Diane Chernansky
Nancy Clark
Mike Clements
Anselm Clinard
Ken Coelho
Donell Cohen
In Memory of Dr. Alan Cohn
Ginger Conrad
Ivan Contreras
Lionel Conway
Gail Cottingham
Linda Covette
Susan Georgine Craig
Norman & Nancy Cravens
Valerie & Donald Cravitz
Shawn Cunningham
Ingrid Curtiss, MD
Ames Cushing
In Loving Memory of Ed Cypert
Muriel Dance & Alvin Martin
Col. Tony, Donna & Taylor Daniell
Hedva & Dr. Dudley Danoff
Jeffrey S. Davidson
Ruth B. Davis & Pearl Schultz
Brian Demsey
Robert Ditullio
Suzanne & Bruce Dodds
Carol Jean Doehring
Penelope Donnelly
Fred & Marilyn Dorer
Daryl & Paul F. Doucette
Paul Dowling
Helina Dreicer
Jacki & Murray Drechsler
Earthlings.com
Michael East
Chiedu Egbuniwe
Larry & Elke Ereshefsky
Ellen Farwell
Janet Fattal
Aleyne Larner Fawcett
Mimi Alpert Feldman
Judy & Jerry Felsenthal
Abby & Malcolm Field
Paul & Karen Finkel
Donna Finley
Evaline Fishman
Margaret Flanders
William & Elisabeth Fleischman
Myrna ‘Pepper’ Forest
Rosella Forte
Sandy & Mitch Francis
Dolores Franco
Gilbert & Marilyn Frank
Julia Franz
Fran Fredella & Scott Rubin
Donald & Sandy French
Kenneth J. Friedman & Marilynn J.
Friedman Family Foundation
Laurelle Frome & Brady Frome
Gina Furth
Lori Galin
Lee Gardenswartz
Larry & Judith Garshofsky
Russell Gersten
Andrew Glassman
& Pilar Frausto-Glassman
Richard & Lori Glucksman
Hannah Godwin
Mark & Molly Goldberg
Marshall & Patti Goldberg and Family
Francine Golden
& Marvin Schlossman
Dr. Peter Goldman
Dina Goldstein
Ellie & Barry Goldstein
Mae Goodson
Jo-Ann Gordon
David Goren
Liz Gottainer & David Sadkin
Joan Green
Paul & Louise Greenberg
Randi & Jerome Greenberg
Eve Haberfield & David N. Johnson
Janet S. Hadley
Roberta L. Haft
Kambiz Hakim
Mary & Alan Halkett
Roberta Hamilton
Katherine Hardie
Tess Harper
Eugene Harris
Marcia Harrow
Dr. & Mrs. Samuel Haveson
Allan Heinberg
Carla & Alan A. Herd
Michael & Candice Herman
Matthew Herrmann
Jim Hliboki & Hildi Snodgrass
Cina Hodges
Gayle Hooker
Dale & John Hopmans
Lynn & David Horowitz
Jonathan Howard
Mr. & Mrs. John Huber
Lonnie Levi Israel
Jackie & Warren Jackson
Frederic A. & Nancy Jacobus
Barbara & Buford James
Martha Jones & Paul Zerella
Robert Jones
& Julie Anne Robinson
Carolyn & Dan Jordan
Jerry Joseph
Yolla Kairouz
Pat & Stan Kandel
Jean Kaplan
Jo Ann & Charles Kaplan
Owen Kato
Dana Katz
Dean Kauffman & Carlos Andres
Mosquera-Tangarife
Beverlee Bickmore & James Kelly
William & Renee Kendall
Debra Kessler
Irwin Kishner
Annette & Charles Kleeman
Donna & Jeffrey Klein
Dr. Phyllis Klein
Laurie & Milton Klorman
Dolph Kornblum & Florence Robins
John & Kimberly Kruse
Doctors Mark & Lena Labowe
Eleanor & Mark Lainer
Lynne Lainer
Bruce Landau
Carol D. Lande
Jill & Michael Lasky
Helene & Arthur Laub
Susan Lava
In Memory of Katie Layman
Ginger Leibovitz
Ann Leland
Charles Letzgus
Steve & Valerie Lev
Ron & Marcia Levenson
Donna Levi
Marla E. Levine
Suzann Levine
Beth Levy & Lloyd Bookman
Rick & Vivian Levy
Lawrin & Linda Lewin
Reuben Lim
Lee & Therese Linden
Victor & Madeline Lindenheim
Bonnie Lisle
Cynthia Llaca
Leslie & Adam Lobel
Anne L. Lynch
Guillaume & Crystal Maillet
John & Susan Mamer
Carol & Doug Mancino
Pauline Marks
Tracy & Noah Maze
David Israeli & Dr. Marie Mazzone
Douglas Mcavoy, Jr.
Jim & Kathy McCaffery
Cheryl McCormick
Patrick W. McDivitt
Marlene McRae & Terry Winter
Robert Mercer
Eileen & Paul Meshekow
Erik & Melanie Messerschmidt
Reed & Linda Metzger
Norma & Larry Meyers
Philip & Joan Miller
Teddie J. Milner
Peter Minarik & Sharon Vera
Farbod Mirfakhrai
Matlin & Robert Mirman
Shelagh Moriarty
Carol & Jerry Muchin
Bill Mullins
My-Petite
Murray & Lenore Neidorf
Mark & Diane Neubauer
Tom Nevermann
Jeff Newman
Robert & Anita Nitta
Adrienne & Arthur Omansky
Dr. Ronald & Iris Onkin
Cynthia & Todd Palm
Edward Parker
Joanne Patten
Kathy & Jeff Perkins
Rebecca Perlow
Naidu & Jane Permaul
Zazi Pope
Michael & Rose Porterfield
Diane & Michael Poryes
Lance Powell
Jeff Prater
Sarah & Christopher Priore
Philip Pritchett
Neil & Lisa Greer Quateman
Elyse Resch
Joyce S. Rich
Mr. & Mrs. James Richards
Carlene Ringer
Lindy Robbins
Charles Robertson
Barbara & David Rognlien
Janis & Avi Rojany
Robert Rosania
Barry Rosen & Neil Bokal
Adrienne Rosenthal
Beverly & Melvin Rosenthal
Joyce & Deane Ross
Lawrence Ross & Linda Nussbaum
Terry Ross
Virginia Ross
Georgina & Alan Rothenberg
Bert Royal
Tyler Rubin
Mr. & Mrs. Simon Salloom
Penny Grosz Salomon
& Eugene Korney
Tawny & Gerry Sanders
Nan Sarno
Susan & Kenneth Sarno
Ellen Sassa
Maxine Savitz
Clifford Schaffer
Joel & Sonia Schneider
Gary & Karen Schneider
Elaine Carey
& Vincent J. Schodolski
Jane & Bill Schopf
Christine Schultz
Susan & Peter Schwab
John H. Scott
Nell Scovell
Michele & Peter Serchuk
Andrea Sexton
Scott Shagrin
Elise Shanfeld
Annette & Leonard Shapiro
Sasha & Eugenia Shapiro
Steven & Annabelle Shulman
Melinda & Yossi Sidikaro
Seymour & Dorothy Siegel
Nancy & Bruce Silverman
Adam Singer
Evelyne & Joel Smason
Diane Good & Frank Smith
Barbara Meissner & Hal Smith
James Smith & Loreen Ayer
Marcia L. & Mark J. Smith
Jean Smith-Moore
Karen Smits
Christine Sorgi
Dr. Robert & Margo Sorrentino
Debra Spector
Lynette Sperber
M Leslie Stearns
Arthur Stern
Roger K. Stewart
Sy Strasberg
William Stringer
Kathryn & Mark Sullivan
Mr. Kayser Sume
& Dr. Renee Sabshin
Ann Sunderland
Katherine Sung
Keith & Judy Swayne
Lance & Maureen Tan
James Tate
Phyllis & Franklin Tell
Robyn Tenenbaum
Troy Thompson
Marjorie Thomson
Jay & Courtney Tobin
Jacqueline G. Tousley
Brigitta Troy
Beryl Turner
Leon & Stephanie Vahn
Deborah Valdez
Anthony Vasek
Bobette Vikan
Arnold & Carol Vinstein
Carole Wagner-Vallianos
& Peter Vallianos
Dr. & Mrs. William Walsh
Gloria Walther
Marvin Wasserman
Seth Freeman & Julie Waxman
Sherry Weinman
Ben & Rose Weinstein
Marsha & Steven Weiss
Pat West
Haskell & Rita Wexler
Rae Jeane Williams
Patrick Wilson
Bruce & Marci Wiseman
Marc Wishingrad
Shana Wong
Diana Lynn Woods
Joseph Wu
Karen & Frank Wurtzel
The Yarkins
Gerald Yoshitomi
Arnold & Tricia Zane
Harriet Zaretsky
Sandy Zwirn
HAVE WE MADE AN ERROR?
To report a misspelling or omission in these listings, please contact
the Development Department at 310.208.6500 ext. 128
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P15
SEX WITH STRANGERS
ASSOCIATE
GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE STAFF
Randall Arney
Artistic Director
ARTISTIC
Gil Cates, Jr.
Executive Director
MARKETING & SALES
Amy Levinson
Phyllis Schuringa
Young Ji
Rachel Wiegardt-Egel
Lauren Buangan
Emily Zetterberg
Clara Shader-Seave
Artistic Associate / Literary Director
Artistic Associate / Casting Director
Artistic Coordinator /
Company Manager
Literary Associate
Artistic Intern
Artistic Intern
Literary Intern
DEVELOPMENT
Regina Miller Ellen Catania Jessica Brusilow Rollins
Jamie Mikelich
Kristen Smith Eshaya
Scott Kriloff
Clay Dzygun
Taylor Dearden
Jessie Sherman
Justin Baer
Sophia Jane Wilkof
Chief Development Officer
Senior Vice President, Development
Director of Education Partnerships & Donor Relations
Associate Director of Individual Giving & Spotlight Manager
Development & Education
Programs Coordinator
Development Concierge Manager
Development Associate
Development Assistant
Development Assistant
Development Intern
Development Intern
Karen Gutierrez
Director of Advertising &
Sponsorships
Brian Dunning
Graphic Design Manager
Kevin O’Brien
Marketing & Graphics Coordinator
Mark San Filippo
Ticket Services Director &
Database Administrator
Stephanie Strand
Audience Services Manager
Janice Bernal
Box Office Manager
Bryan Martin
Box Office Manager
Zack Hamra Box Office Assistant Manager
Korie Benavidez, Kaitlin Huwe, Richard Martinez,
Cameron Reck, Celia Rivera, Christine Rivera, Celeste Russi,
Alyssa Tyson
Box Office Staff
COMMUNICATIONS
Katy Sweet,
Pam Giangregorio
Katy Sweet & Associates
Public Relations
Sue Fleishman
Consultant, September Media
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Karim Bouzzit EDUCATION
Jennifer Zakkai
Director of Education &
Community Engagement
Carolyn Marie Wright
Manager of Education & Community Engagement
Mariel Higuera Education Assistant
Corky Dominguez, David Guerra,
McKenna Kerrigan, Kristina Leach, Juan Rivera,
Connor White
Teaching Artists
Richard Tucker, Jr.
Education Intern
ADMINISTRATION
Behnaz Ataee
Frankie Ocasio
Peter Banachowski
Samone Watts
Marguerite Harris
Chief Financial Officer
Executive Assistant
Accounting and Payroll Manager
Accounts Payable
Receptionist
PRODUCTION
Daniel Ionazzi
Jill Barnes
Sam Craven-Griffiths
Evan Friedman Rich Gilles James Grabowski
Darren Rezowalli
Ramine Ameli
Joel Fullerton
Production Manager
Associate Production Manager /
Company Manager
Technical Director
Assistant Technical Director
Properties Master
House Sound Supervisor
Lighting & Video Supervisor
Production Electrician
Stage Supervisor
System Administrator
FRONT OF HOUSE
Jeni Pearsons Director of Special Events
David Gerhardt Supervising House Manager
Jane Phillips Harper Deputy Supervising House Manager
Josiah Davis, Brett Donaldson, Amy Farkas,
Caroline Harrison Kohler, Roxana Meyers,
Jonathan Schwartz
House Managers
Ally Aberrotman, Rebecca Birstock, Kailey Bray,
Christopher Caron, Taylor Cerny, Vianney Cossyleon,
Taylor Dearden, Ida Herndon, Mariel Higuera,
Netta Lee Joseph, Brigid Leahy, Nathaniel Meek,
Keith Mitchell, Aaron Newman, JoJo Nwoko,
Shannon O’Hara, James Porter, Juan Rivera,
Luis Ruiz, Oliver Vaughn, Cody Williams,
Dennis Woullard Ushers
Rob Mersola
Bar Manager and Mixologist
Manuel Mayorga
Weekend Bar Manager
Adam Carr, Brenda Davidson, David Gregory,
Mariel Higuera, Lyndsi LaRose, Kimberly Legg,
Ryan Turner Bartenders
FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
Miguel del Castillo
Facility Manager
Mario Santillan-Perez
Custodial
Juan Carlos Umaña
Cleaning Custodial
Geffen Playhouse is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.
This project was also funded in part by the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles.
Geffen Playhouse, a not-for-profit theater company, is proudly affiliated with the University of California at Los Angeles.
P16 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE