for an e-program of this performance with cast bios and an interview

MACHOMER
MARCH 30-31
A BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH RICK MILLER
Where did MacHomer come from?
In the summer of 1995, I had a very small part (Murderer #2, to be exact) in a touring
production of Macbeth with Montreal’s Repercussion Theatre. Somehow, a tragedy
always seems funnier backstage than onstage, and I spent many hours concocting
this strange little joke for the cast party: what if the Simpsons were to parody Macbeth? That same joke has grown into something much larger, but the conceit remains
the same: one dysfunctional family does another.
Wherefore the Simpsons? Wherefore Macbeth?
The initial ‘casting’ decision was entirely subjective, based on which voices I could
imitate best and which play I was performing in at the time. Despite countless suggestions since then, I still haven’t found a better fit. I find it somewhat poetic that
in Homer’s hands, Macbeth’s vaulting ambition ranges from wanting the throne to
wanting a doughnut. There is also something vaguely tragic about the residents of
Springfield: flawed, vulnerable, but ultimately noble in their own pathetic way.
Is Shakespeare rolling in his grave?
I wouldn’t think so. It may not be ‘Art’, but ‘The Simpsons’ TV show is extremely artistic, holding a satirical mirror up to present-day society much like Shakespeare’s plays
did to Elizabethan England. I think Ol’ Bill would prefer watching MacHomer over
some badly acted production of Macbeth.
How would you classify ”MacHomer”?
MacHomer has been called many things but, essentially, it’s a tribute to the creative
vision of Matt Groening and to the genius of William Shakespeare. Thank you for
indulging my silliness.
IT H
E
AP
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W
EN
wRITTEN AND PERFORMED by RICK MILLER
DIRECTED by SEAN LYNCH
DESIGNED BY BETH KATES
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ABOUT WYRD
Founded by Rick Miller and Jeff Lord as a company devoted to multi-disciplinary artistic creation, WYRD Productions has since
evolved into one of Canada’s leading international exporters of culture. Since 1995, WYRD has produced the award-winning
shows Art?, Slightly Bent, Into The Ring and the worldwide hit MacHomer, which has now been seen by over 500 000 people in
170 cities. Two WYRD Productions have been co-creations with Daniel Brooks and Necessary Angel: Bigger Than Jesus (which
Miller has performed all over the world, in English, French, Italian and German) and HARDSELL (now on tour). WYRD is currently
co-developing a TV series based on HARDSELL, a feature film of Bigger Than Jesus, a new play developed with the Stratford
Festival in 2013 and a new adaptation of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea.
www.wyrd.ca
RICK MILLER
Rick Miller is a Dora and Gemini award-winning actor/writer who has performed in five languages on five continents. For 3 years,
Rick hosted ABC’s hit primetime series “Just for Laughs”, and Entertainment Weekly has called him “one of the 100 most creative
people alive today”. As Artistic Director of WYRD Productions, he has created and performed shows such as Art?, Slightly Bent,
Into the Ring and MacHomer, which has now been seen by 500 000 people in 170 cities. His two latest WYRD Productions have
been co-creations with director Daniel Brooks and Necessary Angel: Bigger Than Jesus and HARDSELL. Rick is also a frequent
collaborator with Robert Lepage, on such plays as Géométrie des Miracles, Zulu Time (co-created with Peter Gabriel), Lipsynch
and on the film Possible Worlds. Rick recently starred as Brian Mulroney in the satirical film “Mulroney: The Opera”. He is currently
hosting a new doc series called Canadian Made and developing various projects, including the plays BOOM, Twenty Thousand
Leagues Under The Sea and the web / TV series Rick Miller’s History. He lives in Toronto with his wife Stephanie Baptist and their
2 daughters. www.rickmiller.ca
THE PRODUCTION TEAM
SEAN LYNCH (DIRECTOR) first met Rick under the starry skies of Montreal in the summer of 1994, when they were both playing
in Macbeth for Repercussion’s ‘Shakespeare in the Park’. It was during this time that everyone first became acquainted with
Rick’s phenomenal talent for parody and Simpsons impersonations. What started as backstage trickery soon took shape into
something far more sophisticated as Rick began his epic journey of MacHomer - from ‘party trick’ to ‘fringe hit’ to ‘comedy act’
to the international touring sensation it is today! It has been a wonderful and amazing time working with Rick along this journey
and witnessing the energy, dedication and imagination that has gone into this show by all involved, including designer Beth Kates
and the creative team at Logograph. These days, Sean lives in Ottawa with his wonderful family and is an Executive Producer
on digital projects across Canada and around the world, including the direction and development of Twenty Thousand Leagues
Under The Sea. His firm Rampant Digital is a transmedia producer, focusing on the development of interactive properties
across platforms – with over 15 years developing video games, mobile applications, social media experiences, and web-based
concepts for brands and entertainment properties. www.rampantdigital.com
ERICH JUNGWIRTH for VOICECHAIR PRODUCTIONS (PRODUCER) Erich’s VoiceChair Productions currently playing in
New York alongside MacHomer, are Joseph Gallo’s My Italy Story, starring Emmy winner Tom Pelphrey, and the hit show 7
Fingers Productions’ TRACES. Erich worked with Pig Iron Theatre Company in New York and was General Manager for Arielle
Tepper’s production of The Moonlight Room. As a producer, London/Edinburgh/New York: Nine Parts of Desire by Heather Raffo
(Original Producer). Off-Broadway: Kahlil Ashanti’s Basic Training, Conor McPherson’s Rum & Vodka, Theatre O’s 3 Dark Tales.
Downtown: Robert Lyon’s PR Man and No Meat No Irony, Pig Iron Theatre’s Gentlemen Volunteers, and Hush Productions’ The
Hush (U.K.). He was the Producing Director of Soho Think Tank at the Ohio Theatre for over 10 years: during his tenure, Soho
Think Tank presented OBIE winning productions of Hell Meets Henry Halfway, John Clancy’s FATBOY, and Ice Factory. Erich has
worked extensively with Broadway Across America, Live Nation, and Nickelodeon, producing the blockbuster touring productions “Dora the Explorer Live!” and “Go Diego Go Live!” He currently runs the Foxwoods Theatre, the home to Broadway’s
Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark.
BETH KATES (PRODUCTION/STAGE MANAGER, DESIGNER) is an award winning Lighting, Projection, Set and Costume
designer and the co-creative director (with husband Ben Chaisson) of Playground Studios, a Canadian design firm dedicated to
creating beautiful productions for the entertainment industry. They have created two interactive installations; Night Light Travels
which saw 1400 participants at Toronto’s 2011 Nuit Blanche, and The ToyBox which was awarded the 2011 CITT Award for
Technical Merit, and which will take over Toronto’s Theatre Passe Muraille and areas of Toronto as part of the massive Beyond
Walls project. They also designed and co-produced Malaria Lullaby an aerial dance performance, and are currently designing
projections for Ragtime at the Shaw Festival. For WYRD she has designed MacHomer, Bigger Than Jesus (Dora Award for
Lighting), HARDSELL, and others. Other design highlights include Brimful of Asha by Ravi Jain (Tarragon) Max & Ruby which
visited Broadway, The Backyardigans, world premiere of two plays by Judith Thompson (Such Creatures & Sick), and the opera
Dark Star Requiem. Beth also creates original projections for bands The ElastoCitizens and Ninja Funk Orchestra. Currently in
development is her co-creation with Steven McCarthy The Synesthesia Project; Beth’s next major production, as yet unnamed,
will debut in Spring 2012.
RICHARD JORDAN for RICHARD JORDAN PRODUCTIONS LDT (PRODUCER) Richard Jordan Productions Ltd is a Londonbased production company. Since 1998, the company has presented over 160 productions of plays and musicals in 16 countries
enjoying associations with the world’s leading theatres and producing organisations. With WYRD and VoiceChair, he has
co-produced tours of MacHomer in North America, Australia and New Zealand and the Australian premiere of Bigger Than Jesus
at Sydney Theatre Company. Other North American productions include: A Behanding in Spokane; Miriam Margolyes in Dickens
Women; Basic Training: Itsoseng; en route; an oak tree; Once and For All We’re Gonna Tell You Who We Are So Shut Up and Listen; Stefan Golasweski Speaks About A Girl He Once Loved; Die Roten Punkte – Robot/Lion Tour; Victor Spinetti - A Very Private
Diary; Funk it Up About Nothin’; Goodness; East 10th Street; Nine Parts of Desire; Impressionism; Shylock; In the Continuum and
Rum and Vodka. Awards include: John Gassner Award for Best New American Play; US Black Alliance; Helen Hayes; Obie. Nominations in the TONY, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards. Richard was the first recipient of the TIF/Society of London
Theatre Producers Award. He has been named six times in the UK’s Stage Newspaper’s Top 100 British Theatre professionals.
www.playgroundstudios.org and www.bethkates.com
JEFF LORD for KIDOONS Inc. (PRODUCER) is the co-founder and General Manager of WYRD Productions, as well as a
principal and the CEO of KIDOONS Inc. Jeff has managed Rick Miller’s productions and tours for MacHomer, Slightly Bent, Into
The Ring, Bigger Than Jesus, HARDSELL, and the upcoming productions BOOM! and Rick Miller’s History. He also manages the
Logograph marketing software and services company, specializing in providing full tour support for theatrical shows, as well as
a sophisticated system for managing theatre websites and social marketing. The KIDOONS® Network is a content incubator, with
extensive intellectual property holdings in Canadian trademarks related to evergreen children’s properties, and an expanding family network. Jeff Lord is also shepherding the development of the WYRD / KIDOONS co-production Twenty Thousand
Leagues Under The Sea, the Jules Verne classic premiering theatrically in 2013 and reimagined to promote ocean and water
education. Projects are underway for KIDOONS properties Rose Red, Hansel and Gretel, Rip Van Winkle, as well as bringing to
life American environmental giant Thornton Burgess. Characters such as Bowser The Hound, Reddy Fox, Jimmy Skunk, Paddy
The Beaver, and many more will be returning children’s imaginations, arts and entertainment, throughout the Americas.
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JACK H. SKIRBALL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
The Skirball Center is the premier venue for the presentation of cultural and performing arts events for NYU and lower Manhattan.
The programs of the Skirball Center reflect NYU’s mission as an international center of scholarship, defined by excellence and
innovation and shaped by an intellectually rich and diverse environment. Since 2003, the 860-seat Center has provided a unique
venue for enhancing a sense of community while continuing the Greenwich Village traditions of creativity and artistic discovery with
a broad range of compelling performance events at affordable ticket prices. Led by Executive Producer Jay Oliva
(President Emeritus, NYU) and Director Michael Harrington, a natural and vital aspect of the Center’s mission is to build
young adult audiences for the future of live performance. www.skirballcenter.nyu.edu
INVEST IN THE FUTURE
The Skirball Center’s ability to continue providing affordable ticket prices, presenting high-quality and innovative performances,
offering support to exciting young artists, and developing new audiences for the future of live performance relies heavily on the
generous and valued support of our friends.
Consider making a gift today, become a Friend of the Skirball Center, and influence the future of the performing arts. Contributions
are welcome through our wesbite or checks made out to ‘NYU Skirball Center’ can be mailed to:
60 Washington Square South, Suite 503, NY, NY 10012.
SKIRBALL CENTER STAFF
Executive Producer
assistant house managers Adam Kreiselman, Yvonne Rigby, Molly Robert-
son, Kelly Strandemo
L. Jay Oliva
Michael Harrington
Operations Director Amy Coombs
SENIOR Director
Executive Assistant to Dr. Oliva
Patrice Fealy
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Donald Webster
production manager Jason Adams
INTERIM Manager of Ticket Services
Ellen Holt
DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Kimberly Olstad
BUSINESs manager
Liz Olson
Front of House MANAGER Ian Tabatchnick
Assistant Box Office Manager Jason Stuart
Barbara Espinoza
Ethan Bade
Head Lighting Technician Jeffrey Collier
Administrative Coordinator
Head Audio Technician
Head stage Technician
Eric Fulk
Alan Busch
Associate Audio Technician
Associate Lighting Technician
Stephanie Schechter
Head Ushers Karen Hashley, Ashley Horton, Arielle Siegal, Mindy Baucicot*,
Shawn Belpanno, Josh Blye, Grayson Brannen, Evelyn Cruzatte*, Amara
Dieter, Chelsea Garbell*, Ryan Hamelin*, Coleen Jasinski, Meagan Kensil,
Rebecca Kostell*, Michelle Kuchuk, Katelyn Manfre, Jennie McGuinness,
Justin Pifer, Stephanie Plachy*, Paul Sanguino, Ari Schrier, Spencer Young
Adam Carey*, Shelby Coleman*, Jonathan Crevier*, Julia Deutsch*,
Mahliesia Douglas, Samantha Garlock*, Danielle Gimbal*, Elena Glass*,
Lucas Green*, Alison Holcomb*, Jamie Kingston*, Blaine Miller*, Justice
Nnanna*, Addie Ogunfowora*, Cindy Raphael*, Jefferson Reardon*, Julie
ushers
Regula*, Karla Romero*, Daniel Seth*, Dustin Smith*, Mallika Bhargava*,
Julian Cloutier*, Deena Fink*, Katie Meade*, Stephanie Polanco*
Box Office Staff Kaylee Alexander*, Jared Arcari*, Ashley Baxtrom*, Amritpal
Bharth*, Morgan Block*, Victoria DeRosa*, Alison Durkee*, Abigail Garcia*,
Sean Lee*, Jessica Miranda*, Ayden Rosenberg*, Marco Santarelli*, Amalia
Schiff*, Danielle Spangler*, Melanie Van Allen*, Felicity Wilberg*, Keanar
Yee*, Le Zhang*
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
President John Sexton
Provost David McLaughlin
Executive Vice President Michael Alfano
Senior Vice President for Operations Alison Leary
Vice President for Campus Services Robert Kivetz
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS
Hannah Klein*, Lauren Lawson*, Jamie Lutz*,
Amanda McLoughlin*, Michelle Nicotera*, Jane Whitty*
EDUCATION ASSOCIATES Chloe Rae Edmonson*, Ekene Okobi*.
MARKETING ASSISTANTS
Lisa Greenblatt*, Jeremy Keller*, Ben Miller*, Crystal
Tang*
* denotes N Y U students
AS PART OF THE SKIRBALL CENTER’S BIG RED CHAIR FAMILY SERIES, MACHOMER IS MADE POSSIBLE
IN PART WITH GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM JOAN GANZ COONEY AND L.JAY AND MARY ELLEN OLIVA
WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM CON EDISON FOR FAMILY EDUCATIONAL AND ENRICHMENT
PROGRAMMING.
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