A Bright New Boise

Chance Theater proudly presents
A Bright New Boise
by Samuel
D. Hunter
Directed by Trevor
Biship
Goodrich
Lighting Design by Tim Swiss
Sound & Video Design by Jeff Polunas
Costume Design by Christopher Scott Murillo
Props Design by Elizabeth Gibson
Production Stage Manager Sarah K. Ormsby
Dramaturg Jocelyn L. Buckner
Rehearsal Stage Manager Bebe Herrera
Asst Sound/Video Designer Devon Swiger
Asst Costume Designer Adam Ramirez
Scenic Design by Bruce
Cast:
Will ............................................................................ Casey Long*
Alex........................................................................... Andrew Guerrero
Anna ......................................................................... Alex Bueno*
Leroy......................................................................... David Christian Vera
Pauline...................................................................... Karen Jean Olds
Voice 1 ...................................................................... Robert Foran*
Voice 2 ...................................................................... Will Jorge
Time:
Present Day
Places:
A windowless breakroom of a Hobby Lobby in Boise, Idaho; the parking lot of the Hobby Lobby
Running Time: 2 hours. This show is performed with one 15-minute intermission.
Executive Producers
TOD & LINDA WHITE
A Bright New Boise is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.
* Chance Resident Artist
2015 Season v
1
Additional Production Credits
Booth Operator
Production Assistant
Master Carpenter
Casting Associate
Load-In Crew
Production Photos
Sarah K. Ormsby*
Kevin Cordeiro
Teodora Ramos*
Crystal Phillips
Michelle Brescia, Barrett Roseman, Josh Cardenas
Doug Catiller, True Image Studio
Special Thanks
Frome Enterprises, The City of Anaheim, Bruce Goodrich/CSUF, Cal State Los Angeles,
Saddleback College Cinema / Television and Radio, Janna Segal, Robert Neblett, and, of course,
Jim Book.
* Chance Resident Artist
Official Chance Catering Partner since 2013
Visit us at www.SallyAnnCatering.com
801 S. Lakeview Ave, Ste B, Placentia 92870
Phone 714.779.1260
FAX 714.779.7629
[email protected]
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v 17th Anniversary Season
Rapture. Redemption. Religion. Retail.
by Dramaturg Jocelyn L. Buckner
Samuel D. Hunter’s A Bright
New Boise (2011 Obie Award
for Playwriting and Drama
Desk nomination for Best Play)
focuses on the ideas of faith
and salvation, in one’s sense
of self, in religion as a structure
of meaning making, and in
commerce as an institution of
worship for many individuals in
the capitalist society in which
we live.
Hunter is known and lauded for
his plays about average folks struggling with life’s banal challenges: The Whale chronicles
the last days of a 600-lb man’s life, while Rest unravels the complicated connections
between individuals caught in an assisted care facility during a blizzard. In A Bright New
Boise, Hunter crafts a cast of characters who are all searching for understanding and
purpose and struggling to keep hope and faith alive in a social and cultural landscape
dotted with big box stores and underscored by the endless chatter of talking heads on
television.
The break room of a Hobby Lobby may seem an unlikely setting in which to find salvation
from life’s setbacks and disappointments, yet it is just the sort of place where Hunter has
said he is most likely to contemplate the fragility of humanity and what is, for many, the
desperate need to believe in something beyond this earthly existence. It is often these
sorts of contexts wherein a belief in redemption and something better are most desperately
needed and clung to, especially by individuals who have little else to sustain them. Will,
the main character, struggles to protect his faith in God and to believe that “there are
greater things in life. There have to be.” Testing his faith and pleading for recognition from
the universe, he beckons a rapture, a transcendent event in which souls will be freed from
their earthly human vessels by a benevolent god and will ascend in a glorious light towards
a perfect spiritual eternity. The imagined circumstances of the rapture and deliverance
stand in dramatic contrast to the fluorescent lit break room and the harsh realities of life’s
shortcomings. The stakes of Will’s insistence on the existence of something greater are
high; for him to admit otherwise is to fully face a life absent of strong interpersonal ties and
filled with spiritual doubt and financial uncertainty.
While the circumstances of the play are bleak, there is a remarkable resilience, humor, and
humanity to each of the characters. These relationships model redemption and faith, but
they also model what Hunter has called the kernel of all of his plays: empathy. This is the
singular thread of Hunter’s dramaturgy to date; despite life’s challenges, there is humor –
and hope – in the relationships characters forge with one another.
Our production of A Bright New Boise invites you to consider: What would you do, and
where would you go, if you were at a point of crisis in faith or in life?
Where’s your bright new Boise?
2015 Season v
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Artist Biographies
Casey Long (Will/Managing
Director) is excited to be returning
to the Chance stage in this rich and
rewarding piece by Sam Hunter.
Casey is a Chance Founding Artist,
and has appeared in numerous
shows, including the OC premiere of Passion Play,
the SoCal premiere of Reborning, the West Coast
premiere of Nerve, and the SoCal premiere of
Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter, among others. Casey
has also directed three shows featured in Chance’s
Holiday Literature Series -- Anne of Green Gables,
Little Women - The Broadway Musical, and The Secret
Garden - The Musical. He would like to thank Trevor,
Sarah, Bebe, all the designers, and especially his
fellow cast members for going on this emotional and
rewarding journey with him. “For Camryn, who helps
put me back together every time I fall apart.”
Andrew Guerrero (Alex) is thankful
to be working at Chance Theater on
this production of A Bright New Boise.
Favorite credits include: Barry (The
Boys Next Door), Tito Merelli (Lend
Me A Tenor), Clyde Barrow (Bonnie
& Clyde A New Musical), and Harry Houdini (Houdini).
Andrew was a 2015 Regional Finalist in the Kennedy
Center American College Theatre Festival for the Irene
Ryan Scholarship. Andrew is a 2015 graduate of South
Coast Repertory’s Acting Intensive Program.
Alex Bueno (Anna) feels so honored
to be a part of such an amazing and
beautiful play. Alex is no stranger to
the Chance -- she’s been here since
2001! She recently portrayed the role
of CJ in Loch Ness, a new musical.
Some other Chance roles are Comet in The Eight:
Reindeer Monologues, Village Idiot in Passion Play
and Mime-a-saurus in Triassic Parq. She wants to
thank her friends and family for being so supportive,
Trevor for the wonderful opportunity, the cast and
crew for their great talent and friendships and, finally,
to Chance Theater for being her home, family and
constant artistic playground. Oh, and to Nate for being
the most amazing nerd!
David Christian Vera (Leroy) is a
recent graduate of the SCR Acting
Intensive program and is thrilled to be
taking part in a production at Chance
Theater. A three-time nominee and
two-time Semi-finalist of the Kennedy
Center American College Theatre Festival, his past
roles include Cornelius Hackle in Hello Dolly!, Dwight
and Gordon in Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Charlie Brown
in A Charlie Brown Christmas and Buck Barrow in
Bonnie and Clyde the Musical.
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v 17th Anniversary Season
Karen Jean Olds (Pauline) was
raised among the copper mines
of Butte, Montana, and is now
elated to be making her debut at
the Chance! Stage: The 39 Steps
(Outstanding Lead Actress, The
Desert Theatre League); Don’t Dress For Dinner, ICT
(Best Performance, StageSceneLA); world premiere
of Sheila Callaghan’s Everything You Touch, Boston
Court; world premiere of Dan Dietz’s American Misfit,
Boston Court; world premiere of Becca Wolff’s The
Last Days of Mary Stuart, An Electro-Opera, Son of
Semele. Other Favorites: Javier Grillo-Marxuach’s
Reverse Parthenogenesis, starring Amber Benson
and Adam Busch; Seth M. Sherwood and Sarah
Baker Grillo’s multi-award winning Fruitcake: A short
film; Delolo Tv; Wacko Smacko, the series; P.J. and
Camilla Ochlan’s latest, January; Disney Records VO;
audio book for the cult hit series, Dark Shadows: The
Haunted Refrain. Karen holds a BFA from University of
Montana, an MFA from UC Irvine, and is a member of
AGVA, performing with Disney Entertainment.
Robert Foran (Voice 1) got a late
start and didn’t begin studying acting
until 1994 at Saddleback College.
This led to being accepted to the
American Academy of Dramatic Arts
in Los Angeles. Upon graduating from
the Academy in 1998, Rob and 21 other Academy
students started their own theater company in
Hollywood. They experienced some initial success and
were nominated for two LA Weekly Theater Awards for
Susan Yankowitz’s Terminal. Rob worked on a couple
of student films and showcases, but devoted most of
the next 13 years to being a husband and father. In
2013, Rob auditioned for The Laramie Project Cycle at
Chance Theater. This began an intense and rewarding
relationship with this theater. Rob has done several
readings as well as worked on The Eight: Reindeer
Monologues and Passion Play. After Passion Play,
Rob was asked to become a Resident Artist at the
Chance. Rob considers himself fortunate to have
found a group of focused and passionate artists, and
looks forward to future seasons to come.
Will Jorge (Voice 2) attends Cal State
Long Beach after transferring from
Fresno City College. He has a year
left in completing a BA in Theatre Arts.
Will is privileged and grateful to have
been a part of CSULB’s Threshold
LIVE!, Red, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, and Out
of Orbit. See him next in CalRep’s production of Far
Away. “Thank you for supporting theater! Enjoy!”
Tod & Linda White
(Executive Producers) love
theater. One of their first dates,
fifty plus years ago, was to a
play and they’ve been active
theatergoers ever since. They’re active supporters
of SCR, where Tod is an emeritus member of the
board. When they discovered the Chance, they
“were extremely impressed with the quality of the
productions and of the people and of the massive
good energy.” Linda is an artist. She graduated
from Long Beach State then earned an MFA from
the University of Pennsylvania. Tod graduated from
Occidental, went to Long Beach State where he
met Linda, then she put him through school at the
U of Minnesota for his PhD in Industrial Psychology.
Moving to Princeton, Tod co-founded Blessing/
White, a company that provided employee training
for large corporations. After selling the company,
they moved back to Newport Beach where Linda
actively paints and both are avid tennis players
and sailors. This is Tod & Linda’s third time being
executive producers at the Chance, having
previously produced She Loves Me and Time
Stands Still.
Samuel D. Hunter (Playwright)
Plays include The Whale (Drama
Desk Award, Lucille Lortel Award
for Outstanding Play, GLAAD Media
Award, Drama League and Outer
Critics Circle nominations for Best
Play), A Bright New Boise (Obie Award, Drama
Desk nomination for Best Play), The Few, A Great
Wilderness, Jack’s Precious Moment, Rest, and
Pocatello. His newest plays, Lewiston and Clarkston,
are set to premiere in the 2015/2016 season. He is
the recipient of a 2014 MacArthur “Genius Grant”
Fellowship, a 2012 Whiting Writers Award, the 2013
Otis Guernsey New Voices Award, the 2011 Sky
Cooper Prize, the 2008 PONY/Lark Fellowship, and an
honorary doctorate from the University of Idaho. His
plays have been produced in New York at Playwrights
Horizons, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Clubbed
Thumb and Page 73, and around the country at such
theaters as Seattle Rep, South Coast Rep, Victory
Gardens, Williamstown Theater Festival, The Old
Globe, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Denver
Center Theatre Company, Marin Theater Company,
and elsewhere. His work has been developed at the
O’Neill Playwrights Conference, the Ojai Playwrights
Conference, Seven Devils, and PlayPenn. A published
anthology of his work, including The Whale and A
Bright New Boise, is available from TCG books. He is
a member of New Dramatists, an Ensemble Playwright
at Victory Gardens, a member of Partial Comfort
Productions, and was a 2013 Resident Playwright at
Arena Stage. A native of northern Idaho, Sam lives in
NYC. He holds degrees in playwriting from NYU, The
Iowa Playwrights Workshop, and Juilliard.
Trevor Biship (Director) directs
the works of diverse contemporary
playwrights. This is Trevor’s fifth
production at the Chance Theatre,
including the premieres of Sarah
Ruhl’s Passion Play and Bridget
Carpenter’s Up. His production of the Southern
California Premiere of Jerry Springer: The Opera,
earned the Ovation Award for Best Musical – Intimate
Theatre, and Trevor received the Backstage Garland
Award for Best Direction. World and regional
premieres include Film, Grey Gardens, Just Say No,
Bash: Latterday Plays and Psalms of a Questionable
Nature. He has worked with numerous Los Angeles
theatres, including South Coast Repertory, Circle
X Theatre, Theatre of NOTE, California Repertory
Company, Cornerstone Theatre Company and the
Pasadena Playhouse. Biship’s productions have
been lauded by every major press outlet in Southern
California and have received nominations from the
Ovation Awards, Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle
Awards, LA Weekly Theatre Awards and Backstage
Garland Awards. Trevor teaches directing at California
State University, Long Beach, and received his M.F.A.
in Directing from the University of California, Irvine.
Bruce Goodrich (Scenic Designer)
Recent designs include Samsara and
She Loves Me for the Chance, The
Odd Couple for Laguna Playhouse
and Broadway Bound for The
Odyssey Theatre, directed by Jason
Alexander. New York/Regional credits include A
Room of One’s Own (featuring Eileen Atkins), All in
the Timing by David Ives as well as many projects
for Ensemble Studio Theatre, Primary Stages Co.,
Musical Theatre Works, American Stage Co., New
Jersey Shakespeare Festival, Arena Stage, Ford’s
Theatre Co., Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey,
Montclair Theatrefest, Skylight Opera Theatre of
Milwaukee, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, McCoy
Rigby Entertainment, El Portal, The Colony, The
Rubicon, The Falcon Theatre, The Human Race
Theatre (Dayton) and many others. Carnegie-Mellon
School of Drama (MFA), University of WisconsinMilwaukee (BFA), Professor of Design & Production
at California State University, Fullerton, Department of
Theatre & Dance.
Tim Swiss (Lighting Designer) is
happy to be doing his first show at
the Chance. His Los Angeles area
designs include Psyche: A Modern
Rock Opera, Very Still and Hard to
See (LA Weekly Award Best Lighting
Design), The Color Purple (Ovation Nomination),
2015 Season v
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Wolves, amd Justin Love. He has designed Rabbit
Hole and Good People for La Mirada Playhouse. Tim
is the Lighting Designer for Saddleback College where
he has had the pleasure working with Trevor Biship on
productions of Bonnie and Clyde and Next to Normal.
He would like to thank the creative team and cast for
their hard work and collaboration.
Jeff Polunas (Sound & Video
Designer) received his M.F.A. in
Sound Design at UC Irvine and
is currently the Production Sound
Engineer at CSU Fullerton. Jeff has
designed over 100 productions in
theatre and dance during his career. Selected credits
include: Venus in Fur, Ivy & Bean, Anastasia Krupnik,
Between Us Chickens (South Coast Repertory),
Passion Play (the Chance), The Full Monty, Peter
Pan, The Wedding Singer, The Producers (Summer
Repertory Theatre), Company, Much Ado About
Nothing, The Importance of Being Earnest (PCPA
Theaterfest), Route 66, You Never Can Tell, Pump
Boys and Dinettes (Moonlight Stage). Jeff also
designed at the following universities: UC Irvine, USC,
UC Riverside, CSU Northridge, San Diego State, CSU
Long Beach, Saddleback College, Pomona College
and MiraCosta College. He was part of the design
team that received the Scenie for Best Production
Design (Larger Theater) for his work on Passion Play
at the Chance and has been nominated four times for
the KC/ACTF Sound Design Award.
Christopher Scott Murillo (Costume
Designer) is thrilled to be working on
A Bright New Boise. Selected recent
credits include: at Chance Theater:
Passion Play, Lysistrata Jones,
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,
The Who’s Tommy, Merrily We Roll Along, Hair. At
East West Players: Bejing Spring, Steel Magnolias.
At Playwright’s Arena: Cinnamon Girl, Dallas Non
Stop, The Anatomy of Gazellas. Christopher holds
an MFA (’13) from the UCSD Department of Theatre
and Dance and a BA (’07) from the UCLA School
of Theater, Film and TV. He would like to thank
his family and friends for their continued support.
christopherscottmurillo.com
Sarah K. Ormsby (Production Stage
Manager) is delighted to be working
with Chance Theater on A Bright New
Boise. Her most recent favorite stage
management projects include Driving
Miss Daisy, Bonnie & Clyde and the
opportunity to fill the same role for various shows
and events at the Disneyland Resort. Other favorites
include Nine, Seven Guitars and Mickey’s Halloween
Party 2014. Sarah is a freelance stage and event
manager working in Southern California.
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v 17th Anniversary Season
Jocelyn L. Buckner (Dramaturg)
is Assistant Professor of Theatre at
Chapman University. She holds a
Ph.D. in Theatre Studies from the
University of Kansas, an M.F.A. in
Theatre Pedagogy from Virginia
Commonwealth University, and a B.A. in Theatre and
Economics from Converse College. Before moving
to California, she held a Postdoctoral Fellowship in
the Department of Theatre Arts at the University of
Pittsburgh. As a dramaturg, Jocelyn has collaborated
with theatres including Pitt Repertory Theatre,
Shakespeare Orange County, Center Stage Theatre,
and Chance Theater, where she most recently served
as dramaturg for Maple and Vine. Jocelyn is honored
to contribute to the Chance production of A Bright New
Boise.
Bebe Herrera (Rehearsal Stage
Manager/Production Manager) is
delighted to be working with Chance
Theater. A member of Theatre of
NOTE in Los Angeles, some previous
stage management credits include
Chance’s Maple and Vine, the world premiere of Pat
McGowan’s FILM, regional premiere Holy Ghost by
Jon Tuttle, B. Walker Sampson’s Alceste, and The
Pity of Things, an evening of one-act plays. Hailing
from the South Bay, she has worked with theatre
companies from Hollywood to Anaheim and back
including Rangeview Productions, the University
Players, Movimiento Estudiantil de Teatro y Artes and
Moveable Piece. She would like to thank Chance
Theater for making every time working with them such
memorable experiences.
Devon Swiger (Asst Sound & Video
Designer) is a student at California
State University Fullerton studying
technical theater with an emphasis
in Sound Design. She just recently
returned from Massachusetts after a
summer of being a Production Intern at Jacob’s Pillow
Dance Festival. She is excited to be doing her first
show at The Chance! Enjoy the show!
Adam Ramirez (Asst Costume
Designer) is a Junior at Concordia
University Irvine studying Theatre with
an Emphasis in Technical Design.
His credits include at Concordia;
Brothers Menaechmus (House
Manager/Assistant Costume Designer), Falling (Sound
Board Operator), The Drowsy Chaperone (Assistant
Costume Designer), One Acts (Assistant Stage
Manager), Proof (Sound Design), Reckless (Stage
Manager), and The 39 Steps (Assistant Costume
Designer), Chamber Music (Costume Designer),
Refrain and Reprise (Costume Designer), Two Rooms
(Costume Designer). This is his first show at the
Chance and is extremely grateful for the opportunity.
He would like to thank all his family and friends. He
hopes you will enjoy the show.
Oanh Nguyen (Artistic Director) has
been serving as Chance Theater’s
founding Artistic Director since 1999.
Oanh is a recipient of TCG’s New
Generations Grant and the TCG
Nathan Cummings Young Leaders of
Color Fellowship. He was awarded the Outstanding
Artist Award by Arts Orange County, profiled in
Orange County Register’s “Most Influential People”
2014 series and OC Weekly’s 2014 People Issue,
inducted into Anaheim High School’s Hall of Fame
and recently was the commencement speaker to
the 2014 graduation class of Chapman University
College of Performing Arts. Oanh was Producing
Associate at South Coast Repertory for four years.
He also served on the advisory board of the Anaheim
High School Performing Arts Conservatory, the board
of Network of Ensemble Theatres, LA’s 99-seat
Transitional Committee, multiple SDC committees
and grant panels for the National Endowment for the
Arts and Theatre Communications Group. Oanh is a
proud member of SDC and SAG-AFTRA. His directing
credits include productions at Chance Theater, East
West Players, the J. Paul Getty Museum, Segerstrom
Center for the Arts, and South Coast Repertory, and
served as the Associate Director for the international
tour of David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish (Berkeley
Repertory, South Coast Repertory, Hong Kong
Arts Festival). His selected film credits include Two
Brothers directed by Jean-Jacques Annaude, Rush
Hour 3 directed by Brett Ratner, and Lonely Boy
directed by Dale Fabrigar (Best First Feature Grand
Jury Prize at the 2013 Louisiana International Film
Festival and Audience Award Winner at the 2013
BolderLife Festival).
Erika C. Miller (Development
Director) is a Chance Founding Artist
alongside husband, Oanh Nguyen.
She began singing professionally
with The Los Angeles Children’s
Chorus where she was privileged to
perform with Peabo Bryson, Barry Manilow, Andre
Previn, Yo-yo Ma, Doc Severinsen, Luther Vandross,
among others. She can be heard on the soundtracks
of “Hero”, “The Dark Half” and “Merry Christmas from
Doc Severinsen and The Tonight Show Orchestra”.
Opera credits: Die Frau Ohnne Schatten and El Gato
Montez with Placido Domingo at The Music Center,
Carmina Burana at the Hollywood Bowl, and The
Magic Flute at UCLA’s Royce Hall. Ragtime solist at
Steamers Jazz Club, Old Town Music Hall, and the
Muckenthaler Cultural Center. Backup singer for local
Celtic band Craic in the Stone, and featured on their
two albums. Favorite Chance Roles include: She
Loves Me (LA Times Critic’s Choice), Little Women
(remounted at La Mirada Theatre in 2013),The
Laramie Project Cycle, Jerry Springer: The Opera
(Ovation Award for Best Musical, LA Times Critic’s
Choice), title role in Evita, Into the Woods (Back Stage
Critic’s Pick and Garland Award Honorable Mention),
Cabaret (Garland Award nominee: Best Actress),
Closer Than Ever (LA Times Critic’s Choice), and Lee
Miller: The Angel and The Fiend (OC Weekly Award).
Teodora Ramos (Master Carpenter)
is a proud Chance Resident Artist.
She earned her BA in Theater Technical Production and Design
from Cal State Fullerton. Recent
credits include Anne of Green Gables
(Stage Manager), World Premiere of The Boy in the
Bathroom (Master Carpenter), The Secret Garden
(Stage Manager), Edward Albee’s The Goat or, Who
is Sylvia? (Master Carpenter, Back Stage Critic’s Pick
and LA Times Critic’s Choice), The Who’s Tommy
(Master Carpenter), Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter
(Master Carpenter), Merrily We Roll Along (Assistant
Stage Manager), Little Women - The Broadway
Musical (Assistant Stage Manager), The Seagull
(Master Carpenter), Hair (crew), Guys and Dolls
(Assistant Technical Director), and Noises Off (Stage
Manager). She would like to thank Calvin for his
constant love and support.
Jeff Hellebrand (Box Office
Associate) co-founded Chance
Theater in 1999 in his native Orange
County. He received his degree from
Cal State Fullerton and additional
training at Cal State Chico and The
Professional Actors Conservatory. He has worked
on both sides of the curtain in venues throughout
California. He currently sits on the Stagecraft
Technology advisory committee for North Orange
County Regional Occupational Program. Chance
Theater acting credits include Anne of Green Gables,
Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol (Back Stage Critic’s
Pick), The Stroop Report, Therese Raquin, The
Diary of Anne Frank (O.C Register Best Ensembles),
Memories on the Wind and the O.C. entry in 365
Days/365 Plays by Suzan Lori-Parks. Script writing
credits dear to his heart are Is Pepperoni a Vegetable?
And Other Mysteries of Love, But I Don’t FEEL Grown
Up, and The Beach... Without Leo.
Jocelyn A. Brown (Associate
Artistic Director) Chance directing
highlights include The Artist as a
part of the Chance’s “On The Radar”
Series, Evita, Never In My Lifetime
(Back Stage Critic’s Pick), Big Love,
and The Cherry Orchard (OC Weekly Best Direction
nomination). Chance acting highlights include Blitzen
in The Eight: Reindeer Monologues, the Witch in Into
The Woods (Back Stage Critic’s Pick), Cathy in The
2015 Season v
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Last 5 Years (Back Stage Garland nomination for
Best Actor), Nancy in Closer Than Ever (LA Times
Critic’s Choice), and Ann in Goodnight Children
Everywhere (OC Weekly Award for Best Female Lead
Performance). Outside of the Chance, Jocelyn teaches
at Laguna Hills High School, is earning her Masters in
Education, runs around after two toddlers, Kyden and
Torin, and on occasion sees her loving husband, Kirk.
Jennifer Ruckman (Literary
Manager) is endlessly proud
to be a Resident Artist here at
the Chance. Since joining this
amazing group of artists, she has
appeared in the Southern California
premiere of Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter (Ovation
Recommended), the West Coast Premiere of Jesus
Hates Me (Chancie Award - Best Supporting Actress),
Rabbit Hole (Back Stage Critic’s Pick), and Frozen
(Garland Award Honorable Mention: Performance).
You may also have seen her deflecting bullets as
Wonder Woman in the West Coast Premiere of The
Superheroine Monolgoues. Additionally, Jennifer
has performed at The Oval Theatre in London and
in the remounting of Jesus Hates Me at South Coast
Repertory. She studied at USC and the British
American Drama Academy and has lent her face to
Smallville and her voice to the Bratz Babyz.
Courtny Greenough (Company
Manager) is a Chance Resident
Artist and the Company Manager.
Previous shows with the Chance: In
the Heights, Lysistrata Jones, Bloody
Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Laramie
Project & The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later, West
Side Story, Reborning (Back Stage Critic’s Pick), Jerry
Springer: The Opera (Ovation Award- Best Musical,
Intimate Theater), Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter
(Southern California Premiere), Hair: The American
Tribal Love Rock Musical (Stage Manager; five
Ovation Award nominations, including Best Musical,
and six LADCC Award nominations), the West Coast
premiere of The Girl, The Grouch and The Goat
(Rehearsal Stage Manager). Graduate of Concordia
University, Irvine.
Darryl B. Hovis (Co-Education
Director) earned his MA in Theatre
Production at Central Washington
University and studied acting at the
Professional Conservatory at UCSD
under Anna Shapiro (Steppenwolf) as
well as South Coast Repertory under Karen Hensel.
He is the co-founder and artistic director of the Culver
City Academy of Visual and Performing Arts, where
he developed an intensive arts program for high
school students in theatre, film, music, and art, and
has gone on to develop theatre programs at other
8
v 17th Anniversary Season
Southern California high schools, as well as Theatre
International at Leysin American School in Leysin,
Switzerland. Some of his favorite shows that he has
directed include Therese Raquin (Chance Theater),
Rent and The Threepenny Opera (Samohi Theatre),
Machinal and Resurrecting Antigone (UniTheatre),
and The Miracle Worker and Treehouses (AVPA). He
dedicates his work to God and his wife, Angela, and
three children, Dylan, Andrew, and Julia.
Karen O’Hanlon (Co-Education
Director) received her B.A. in Theatre
from East Stroudsburg University.
She has worked as a teaching artist,
actress and director throughout
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware
and New York, including and most notably at the
McCarter Theatre at Princeton University. Previous
performances include Cinderella Waltz, Are the Lights
Still on in Paris, Great Western Wanderlust, Coyote
Ugly, Slaughter City and Tony and Tina’s Wedding.
She would like to thank her family and friends for their
ongoing support, especially her loving and patient
husband Nick for being her rock.
Marc Sanford (Associate House
Manager) is very happy to be a
Chance Theater Resident Artist. In
1994, Marc did a production of Little
Shop of Horrors at Rancho Santiago
College (now known as Santa Ana
College), where he met future Chance founders Oanh
Nguyen and Jeff Hellebrand. Marc first performed
at the Chance in A History of the American Film as
Mickey (plus 4 other characters) and soon became a
resident artist. In 2004, Marc had to drop out of the
company due to the discovery of a tumor about the
size of a ping-pong ball on his optic nerve. His surgery
was successful, but he moved up to the Seattle area
to stay with family to recuperate. While he was up
there, he attended the Seattle Film Institute where he
received a Filmmaking Certificate. Marc has been a
resident artist since June 2008.
Robin “George” Shorter (Associate
House Manager) is very excited
to be working with the Chance.
She has been very involved since
2012’s 24hr Chance-a-thon, where
she stayed up all night with some
Chance staff members. Since then, she has built
sets, ushered people, but you’ll recognize her most
as the person who’s usually behind LindaBAR. When
not volunteering her time at the Chance, “George”
(as she’s lovingly known at the Chance) hands
out caffeine drinks at Starbucks in Disneyland and
California Adventure. Come by and say “hi” the next
time you visit the happiest place on earth.
Crystal Phillips (Casting Associate)
stays quite busy at the Chance in
a variety of ways: Chance-a-thon,
the Gala, community outreach,
auditions, On The Radar, and more inbetween… She is always interested in
finding ways to increase engagement. You may even
catch her doing the curtain speech before the show.
What she loves more than just about anything else is
to engage in conversations about how theater honestly
relates to our own lives and how we’re affected by our
experiences. She is grateful for her husband: Steve
and mom: Melody, who ceaselessly stand by her with
love and support. :)
is also a recipient of the LADCC’s Polly Warfield Award
for Excellence. Founded in 1999, we are focused on
the goal of being Orange County’s premiere mid-size
contemporary theater by contributing to a more
compassionate, connected, and creative community.
As a constituent member of Theatre Communications
Group, Network of Ensemble Theaters, and the LA
Stage Alliance, Chance Theater continues to bring
national attention to the Southern California and
Orange County theater scenes.
Chance Theater is proud to be one of the leading
ensemble-driven theatre companies in Southern
California. We have won five Ovation Awards
(including two for Best Production of a Musical for
Triassic Parq -- The Musical and Jerry Springer: The
Opera). The Chance also received an LADCC Award
for our reimagined revival of West Side Story. Anaheim
City Council named us “the official resident theater
company of Anaheim”. Twice named “Outstanding Arts
Organization” by Arts Orange County, Chance Theater
NEW PLAY SERIES
On The Radar presents a staged reading of a new play from our 2012
Resident Playwright:
by Zayd Dohrn
Directed by Jeremy Aluma
"Ripped directly from the headlines and brimming with sex and scandal... an evening full
of rich debate and scintillating seduction" -- Edge Media
A young female activist brings an older man – a famous political hacker/journalist – home to her Brooklyn
apartment to spend the night. But as they start to expose each other’s secrets, personal and political desires
collide, testing the limits of privacy in the modern world.
NOTE: This show contains strong language and adult subject matter
$5 OFF
CODE: ZAYD
October 13, 2015
Limited amount so reserve early
Cannot be combined with other offers.
Not valid on previously purchased tickets.
2015 Season v
9
Thank you to all our
Capital Campaign Donors
Naming Donor ($285,000)
Bette & Wylie Aitken
Naming Donor ($100,000)
Naming Donor ($87,500)
Sophie & Larry Cripe
Tod & Linda White
Naming Donor ($40,000)
Naming Donor ($25,000)
Mary Kay Fyda-Mar
Yvonne & Damien Jordan
Naming Donor ($20,000)
Scott & Sandra Graham
Naming Donors ($10,000-$19,999)
Founding Artists
Chance Resident Artists
Dr. Michael & Jean Abdalla
Robert Berman & Robin Preiss Glasser
Lily M. Fan
Camille Goulet
David & Danice Limberg
Sammy Pierce
Eddie Schuller & Rachelle Menaker
Scott & Georgia Well
Premium Chair Donors ($5,000)
Argyros Family Foundation
Manny & Betsy Porto
Martin & Wendy Benson
Frances Riggs
Victor & Marnie Ceporius
Eddie Schuller & Rachelle Menaker
David Emmes & Paula Tomei
Laurie Smits Staude
Gail & Ernie Doe
Zeinab H. Dabbah & Daniel Temianka
Pamela J. Lorenz, CFP
Priority Chair Donors ($2,500)
AJIS Lamb
Chapman University – Sheryl Bourgeois
Susan Carol Carpenter
Susie Dittmar
Kathy & Bahram Esfahani
Stephen & Susan Faessel
Michael Garcia & Burt Vosburgh
The Hamman Family
Jeffrey Hellebrand
Patti Howard & Carol Hellebrand
Nancy Johnson
Elizabeth Jones Dan Kee & Judy Todd
Joanne & Dennis Keith
Anonymous
AT&T Pioneers
The Boeing Company
Alan & Theresa Corcoran
City of Anaheim
John Dominguez
In Honor of
Don Laffoon & Grace Songolo
James & Marsha Lindsey (2)
Casey Long
Tommy & Madeleine Long (2)
Jolynn & Pat Mahoney
Christina Mar
Richard Martin
Marc Masterson
Bryan McCormick & Gary Kuwahara (2)
In memory of David McCormick
Bill & Jane McDonald
Contributors ($150-$2,499)
John Lane
Guy W. Marr
Bill & Jane McDonald
Drs. Pauline Merry & John Goodman
Dr. and Mrs. Eberhard S. Neutz
Oanh Nguyen & Erika C. Miller (2)
Pacific Western Bank (2)
Muriel Pollia Foundation (2)
Ron & Marilyn Rice
Michelle & Terry Schomburg
Leonard & Susan Silberman (2)
Karen Smits
Tom & Julie Tait
The Well Family
Tod & Linda White (2)
Lisa C. & Thomas E. Zaradich
Irina Morris
John & Margi Murray
Rey O’Day
Marshall Pailet & Kellie Spill
Herb & Jan Parks
Fran & Leonard Rich
In-Kind Donors
FoundationAC
Bradley Kaye
Fred Kinney
Roger Parkman
Ken & Kristi Wilcox
KC Wilkerson
THEATER FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES
World Premiere
the LEGEND(S) of
SLEEPY HOLLOW
by Jonathan Josephson
Directed by Darryl B. Hovis
Adapted from "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving
Join us on a spooky adventure
This theatrical adaptation of the timeless tale of Ichabod Crane
and the fair damsel Katrina Van Tassel awakens the imagination
and the dreaded specter of the Headless Horseman. Delightfully
adventurous, an ideal Halloween story for literature and theater
lovers of all ages.
October 8-18, 2015
Special relaxed performance on Thursday, October 15 at 7pm
40-60% discount for groups of 10 or more
$5 OFF
CODE: SCARY
Good for any performance
Limited amount so reserve early
Cannot be combined with other offers. Not valid on previously purchased tickets or opening night.
HOLIDAYS @ THE CHANCE
Book by Joseph Robinette
Music & Lyrics by Evelyn D. Swensson
Directed by Casey Long
Associate Director Travis K. Donnelly
Music Direction by Bill Strongin
Generations of readers have adored the best-selling novel
Anne of Green Gables, and now the musical adaptation
of the beloved book hits the stage at Chance Theater. The
Cuthberts expect to adopt a boy, but receive, instead, a
red-haired, wide eyed orphan girl. Though clever young
Anne Shirley has a penchant for getting into trouble, she
works her way into the hearts of her adoptive parents as
well as the residents of rural Prince Edward Island. It’s a
heartwarming story for the whole family.
It’s not easy growing up with red hair
November 27 - December 27, 2015
$15 OFF
CODE: REDHAIR
Good for any performance before December 14
Limited amount so reserve early
Cannot be combined with other offers. Not valid on previously purchased tickets or Opening Night.
“SCREAMINGLY
”
NY
NCou
FUnge
nty Register
ht year!
THE EIGHT:
Back for the 12th straig
-- Ora
ES
REINDEER MONOLOGU
by Jeff Goode
directed by Alex Bueno
Christmas gets very naughty
December 4-20, 2015
WARNING!
This show contains FOUL-MOUTHED REINDEER and very
inappropriate ADULT HUMOR! Definitely no kids or anyone
who doesn’t want to see the dark side of Santa Claus,
Mrs. Claus and everything at the North Pole!
$10 OFF
CODE: BADSANTA
Good for any performance
Limited amount so reserve early
Cannot be combined with other offers. Not valid on previously purchased tickets.
Ghost Light Vocal Jam
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!
Broadway Inspired Open-Mic Night
Come hear some of the best new voices
in Southern California or share your talent
at one of the hottest venues.
Monday, September 28 and Tuesday, October 27
Sign-up starts at 7pm / Music starts at 7:30pm
$10 pre-sale or $15 at-the-door
Official Chance Photographer since 2005
ENDOWMENT FUND DONORS
The endowment fund ensures the future of the Chance for years to come.
MAJOR INDIVIDUAL GIFTS
Tod & Linda White
DEFERRED ESTATE GIFTS
Robert E. Campbell
Sophie & Larry Cripe
Camille Goulet
To find out more
or to make a donation
Call Erika at
(714) 970-0592
Thanks to our Annual Fund Donors
The following provide outstanding support to the Chance, and enjoy a host of special benefits, including meet-theartists receptions, behind-the-scenes access, and much more. For information, call Erika C. Miller at (714) 970-0592.
VISIONARY CIRCLE
Sapphire ($8,000+)
Wylie & Bette Aitken
City of Anaheim
Annenberg Foundation
The Argyros Family Foundation
Martin & Wendy Benson
The Boeing Company
Steve Brown
Sophie & Larry Cripe
Mary Kay Fyda-Mar
GFS, Inc.
Robin Glasser & Robert Berman
Google, Inc.
Laurie Smits Staude
Scott & Georgia Well
Tod & Linda White
Diamond ($5,000-$7,999)
The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation
Elizabeth George Foundation
Scott & Sandra Graham
Nexgen Pharma
Sarah Pierce
Jennifer Ruckman
Sally Ann Catering
Lee Seymour
Angel ($2,500-$4,999)
Dr. Michael & Jean Abdalla
Disney VoluntEARS
Community Fund
Wendy Hooper
Nancy Johnson
Bradley Kaye
Guy W. Marr
Eddie Schuller & Rachelle Menaker
Robin “George” Shorter
Orange County Community
Foundation, Robert J. &
Doreen D. Marshall Fund for
Dramatic Arts & Classical Music
Wendy Tobiska
Dan Kee & Judy Todd
True Image Studio
List as of September 17, 2015
PATRON CIRCLE ($1,200-$2,499)
Anaheim Arts Council
Anaheim Community Foundation
Broadway Knights
Rachel Oliveros Catalano
Marnie & Victor Ceporius
Craic in the Stone
Dramatists Guild Fund
Roger Friedman
Bruce Goodrich
Carol Hellebrand & Patti Howard
Huston School of Music & Theatre, Yorba Linda
Elizabeth Jones & Dennis O’Connell
Shannon C. Lamb, APC
David & Danice Limberg
Tommy & Maddy Long
Robyn Manion
Bill & Jane McDonald
Marshall Pailet
Xanet Pailet
Tom & Amy Prenovost
Fran & Leonard Rich
Terry & Michelle Schomburg
Sunwest Bank
Kelly Todd & John Robinson
Heather M. Young
BENEFACTOR CIRCLE ($600 - $1,199)
Ashleigh Aitken & Michael Penn
Chimo & Diane Arnold
Anaheim Council Member
Jordan Brandman
Nyle Brenner Management
Marshall Bull
Joe Dale & Judy Flindt
Disneyland Resort
Susie Dittmar
Alisa & Jason Duffey
Sarah DuVal
Clown College
Robert & Jennifer Foran
Chelle Friedman
Margaret Gates
ADVOCATES ($300 - $599)
Joyce M. Givens
Lynn Gold & Jade Martner
Gregory Heiertz & Carollyn Lobell
David & Gail Hirstein
Yvonne & Damien Jordan
Sam Joslin & Max Espinoza
Dierdre Kelly & Howard Privette
Kiwanis Club of Greater Anaheim
Andy & Judith Lamb
Lorin E. Liesy
Jim & Betsy Little
Pamela Lorenz
Carole Markee, PRP Wine International
David Merrell & Charlie Harfouch
Keith & Elizabeth McDonald
Mayor Pro Tem Kris Murray
Oanh Nguyen & Erika C. Miller
Rey O’Day
Orange County Symphony
Ted Pailet
Jolene Perez
Crystal & Steve Phillips
MJ Poptanich
Fran Riggs
South Coast Repertory
Amanda Spencer
Steve & Linda Sundvold
Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait & Julie Tait
Anaheim Council Member
James Vanderbilt
Karen Webster
Stephen & Susan Faessel
Mary Jane Foster
June Glenn
Nathan & Elaine Gochman
Camille Goulet
Laura M Hathaway,
Rachel McLaughlan,
Stanton Kane Morales,
Robert Parkison, & Matt
Takahashi
Leslie Hayman
Jeff Hellebrand
David & Judy Joss
Jared Kaitz
Bernard & Marcia Kamine
Patrick Kelly
Laura La Ferr
Lorin Liesy
Casey Long
Michael Mcgowen
Men Alive - Orange County
Gay Men’s Chorus
Angeline Mirenda
Rachel Mount
Kristine Proctor
Reynolds Family Foundation
Doyle Smiens
Kathy Coyle Smith
& Stephen Smith
Stephen Tomassi
Total Wine and More, Brea
James Vaughn
Sam U. Well
Nancy & Scott Witlin
Howard & Sumi Yata
Laura & Will Young
Sherry & John Louis Domerego
Sheryl Donchey
Kerry Drake
Michele & Peter Duncan
Hoa Nguyen & John Campbell
Jay & Sharon DuVal
Al Enderle
Yoga Sol, Rozanne Englehart
Louis Euzarraga
Valerie & Geoff Fearns
June Glenn
Trish Goff
Irwin Goldberg
The Gourmet Detective
Emily & Niles Guichet
Terri & Eric Guichet
Courtny Greenough
Greg Hammer and Louis Pardo
Jon Hyrkas
Peggy Ann Immerman
Nora Jacob
Sonia Jekums
Craig & Cathy Johnson
Olivia A. Johnson
Traci Kaas
Lisa Keating
Bonnie Kent
Rachel Knapp
Susan Konier
Cathy & Tom Kroopf
Eric Kuchel
Sunjay Kumar
April Kurtyka
Keith & Pat Kusunis
Vincent La Barbera
Mike & Cheryl Laven
Robin Ligerman
Corky Loupe
Jerry Luedke & Joan Merritt
Robyn Mack
Molly Mahoney
& John Dominguez
Pat & JoLynn Mahoney
John & Regina Mangum
Chris Merritt
Richard Messenger
Frank Mickadeit
Lindy & Mike Michaelis
Jennifer Mirenda
John & Deborah Montevideo
Irina Morris
Margi & John Murray
Karen O’Hanlon
Art Partridge
Paige Payne
Maureen Peltzer
Michael & Carol Penn
The Pierce Family
Charlie & Kristi Proctor
Irmagaard & Bill Waltz
Rick Reiff & Mary Ann Brown
Jim & Becky Riddit
Maria Rigatti
Ronda & Rolf Rolnicki
Joan Rowe & David Brown
Marc Sanford
Nicole & Jeremy Schlitt
Mary & Mark See
Lisa Silbar
Rick & Cheri Smetanka
Dee Dee & Donald Sodaro
Rick & Alison Stein
Wendell Stephenson
Rosalynn Nguyen
& Bill Strongin
Peter H. Tanner
& Charlotte Hemme
Masako Tobaru
Julie Ann & Jim Ulcickas
Kathy & Frank Vargas
Barbara Venezia
Michael Vu
Eleanor & Sig Wacker
Chris & Danielle Weiler
Kathy Whelan & Susan
Saunders, In memory of
David McCormick
Maureen Wilcut
Peter Wilson
Kay & John Yamasaki
Susan & Thomas Alexander
Nicholas C. Avila
Joni & Miles Benickes
Barbara & Don Barkemeyer
Ana Bomgaars
Capital One Card
Lab Connect
Joe & Helen Carter
Sue & Bob Crowson
Lewis & Marty Crouse
Sharon Edlin
David Emmes & Paula Tomei
Kathy & Bahram Esfahani
SUPPORTERS ($150 - $299)
3-D Theatricals
Darren & Laurie Aitken
Sherry & Terry Aitken
Anaheim Fall Festival
Sally Anderson & Tom Rogers
Matthew Arkin
Shelly Aronson
Lisa Bethune
Rob Blaney
Thomas Borchard
Frederick M. Borges
Fred Boucher
Kelsey Buck
Alex Bueno
Sylvia Burnett
Angela Burton
Josh Cable
Center Club Orange County
Joseph Chairez
Chemers Gallery
Glenn Chitjian
Sally Chumbley
Karen & Bruce Clark
Loise Clark
Nancy Clark & John Burton
Peggy Grover-Courtney
Mary Dessecker
Deutsche Bank Americas
Foundation
Donna & James Di Cesare
Christina Dixon
MISSION
Chance Theater seeks to create exciting theatrical experiences that will engage, surprise and unite our audiences, our
artists, and our community.
The mission of the Chance is to contribute to a more compassionate, connected and creative Orange County.
We do this by:
•
•
•
•
producing powerful, socially-conscious, provocative, intimate theater experiences
generating participation and dialogue between our diverse communities
nurturing and supporting local artists
inspiring and empowering creative young minds
R E C E N T H O N O R S / AWA R D S
Named official “Resident Theater of Anaheim”
Winner of 6 Ovation Awards, including 2 for Best Musical (Triassic Parq and Jerry Springer: The Opera)
Winner of 5 LADCC Awards, including the Polly Warfield Award for Excellence for Outstanding Season
29 Ovation Award nominations
15 LADCC Award nominations
6 Robby Award nominations
Winner of 7 Back Stage Garland Awards
Recipient of National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) Grant
Two “Outstanding Arts Organization” Awards from Arts Orange County
STAFF
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Oanh Nguyen, Artistic Director
Casey Long, Managing Director
Erika C. Miller, Development Director
Masako Tobaru, Technical Director
Teodora Ramos, Master Carpenter
Bebe Herrera, Production Manager
Jeff Hellebrand, Box Office Associate
Jocelyn A. Brown, Associate Artistic Director
Jennifer Ruckman, Literary Manager
Courtny Greenough, Company Manager
Darryl B. Hovis, Co-Education Director
Karen O’Hanlon, Co-Education Director
Marc Sanford, Assoc. House Manager
Robin “George” Shorter, Assoc. House Manager
Scott B. Well, Chair
Larry Cripe, Vice-Chair
Andy Lamb, Treasurer
Mary Kay Fyda-Mar, Immediate Past Chair
Mary Beth Adderley
Bette Aitken
Martin Benson
Robert Berman
Susie Dittmar
Bruce Goodrich
Wendy Hooper
Guy W. Marr
Casey Long
RESIDENT ARTISTS
Jocelyn A. Brown, council
Alex Bueno, council
Courtny Greenough, council
Laura M. Hathaway, council
Jeff Hellebrand, council
Casey Long, council
Erika C. Miller, council
Oanh Nguyen, council
Teodora Ramos, council
Jennifer Ruckman, council
Marc Sanford, council
Bill Strongin, council
Masako Tobaru, council
Kelly Todd, council
16
Karen Webster, council
Sherry Domerego
Robert Foran
Robyn Manion
James McHale
Karen O’Hanlon
Sarah Pierce
Nicole Schlitt
David McCormick, member emeritus
Myrna Niles, member emeritus
v 17th Anniversary Season
Rachelle Menaker
Oanh Nguyen
Terry Schomburg
Laurie Smits Staude
Georgia Well