What I Learned In Paris

Executive Director
TaRon Patton
Artistic Director
Samuel Roberson Jr.
PRESENTS
What I Learned
In Paris
By: Pearl Cleage
CHICAGO PREMIERE
Director
*Daniel Bryant
Costume Designer
Marci Rodgers
Stage Manager
*Kim Beringer
Lighting Design
Erik S. Berry
Production Manager/Video
Designer
Dre Robinson
Sound Design
Rick Sims
Scenic & Props Design
Andrei Onegin
*Actor’s Equity Association
Congo Square Ensemble Member
Congo Square Theatre Company (Administrative Offices)
4434 South Lake Park Avenue
Suite 105, Chicago, IL 60653
Office: 773 296-1108
www.congosquaretheatre.org
This 2015-16 Season is graciously sponsored in part by: Target, the Joyce Foundation, Exelon, Bloomberg
Philanthropies, the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation and The MacArthur Fund for the Arts and Culture at Richard
H. Driehaus Foundation.
All shows are held at
Athenaeum Theatre
2936 N. Southport
Chicago IL 60657
What I Learned In Paris
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S U P P O R T S TA F F
PR/Social/Marketing Consultant
Tanya Ward
Development Associate
Tom Camacho
Media Associate
Stanton Long
Education Associate
Roxanna Bevel Conner
SPECIAL THANKS
American Theatre Wing
McGhee Williams
Burrell Communications
Chicago Dramatists
Actor’s Equity Association
League of Chicago Theaters
Timeline Theatre
FRIENDS OF CONGO
Robin Beaman
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Congo Square Theatre
Vanessa Lanier
Dr. Jesse Wardlow
CAST LIST
*Shanesia Davis........................................................................................................................................... Evie
*Alexis J. Rogers.....................................................................................................................................Lena
Darren Jones................................................................................................................................ J.P. Madison
Kristin Ellis...................................................................................................................................................Anne
Ronnel Taylor..............................................................................................................................................John
*Member of Actor’s Equity Association
 Congo Square Ensemble
C O N G O S Q UA R E E N S E M B L E M E M B E R S
*Will Sims II
* Ann Joseph
*Monifa Sims
* Aaron Todd Douglas
* TaRon Patton
*Aimee K. Bryant
* Javon Johnson
Derrick Sanders
*Anthony Irons
*Bakesta King
*Daniel Bryant
*Ericka Ratcliff
*Ron Conner
*Alexis J. Rogers
*Tracey Bonner
*Allan Gilmore
*Samuel Roberson
ARTISTIC ASSOCIATES
*Velma Austin
*Chad Boseman
*Shanesia Davis
Jaret Landon
Andrei Onegin
*Kelvin Roston, Jr.
*Edgar Sanchez
*Malkia Stampley
*Member of Actor’s Equity Association
C O N G O S Q UA R E B OA R D O F D I R E C TO R S
Christopher Audain
Constance Brewer
Joe Carter
Brenda Casanave
Chanel Coney
LaRoyce Hawkins
Sarah Dickerson-Locke
Rachael Halstuk-Mangoubi
Quincy Means
Michael Pitts
Charles Smith
Kirk Townsend
Darion Wheeler
Hugh Williams
James Wooten
Congo Square Theatre Company proudly salutes our 2015-2016 members, donors
and patrons. Thank you for your donations and continued support of culturallyspecific theatre.
What I Learned In Paris
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ABOUT THE PL AYRIGHT
Pearl Cleage is an
Atlanta based writer
whose work has won
commercial acceptance
and critical praise in
several genres. An
award winning
playwright whose Flyin’
West was the most produced new play in
the country in 1994, Pearl is also a best
selling author whose first novel, What
Looks Like Crazy On An Ordinary Day, was
an Oprah Book Club pick and spent nine
weeks on the New York Times bestseller
list. Her subsequent novels have been
consistent best sellers and perennial book
club favorites. I Wish I Had A Red Dress, her
second novel, won multiple book club
awards in 2001. Some Things I Never
Thought I’d Do, was a “Good Morning
America!” book club pick in 2003, and
Babylon Sisters made the ESSENCE
Magazine best seller list in 2005. Her most
recent novel, Baby Brother’s Blues, was the
first pick of the new ESSENCE Book Club
and an NAACP Image Award winner for
fiction in 2007.
D I R E C TO R ’ S S TAT E M E N T
It was 1973, Atlanta Georgia and people
of color all over the country celebrated
the election of the first black mayor of a
major southern city. Maynard Jackson’s
election into office at that time was a huge
stride for this country, and the moment
was as auspicious as Harold Washington’s
win in a later mayoral race in Chicago. It
was as pivotal as the historic rise of Barack
Obama becoming the 44th President of
the United States. These moments couldn’t
happen without an organized movement
of people dedicating their voices and their
lives toward the cause. Over the years
we’ve heard of the many sacrifices men
like Medgar, Malcolm and Martin made
in the spirit of fighting for the civil rights
movement - so that more moments like
these could be witnessed.
But what about the sacrifices women
made? Women stood silently behind or
beside these men supporting them and
the movement by giving up their personal
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desires and dreams, to care of the family.
Many of these women gave up their need
for intimacy - a hug, a kiss or a moment
of laughter with their husbands, because
there simply was no time for that. Instead,
they loved from a distance while their
husbands fought the good fight.
As a speech writer for Maynard Jackson’s
historical 1973 Atlanta campaign,
playwright Pearl Cleage’s comedy What
I Learned In Paris takes a peek behind
the organized movement. We are made
privy to all the messiness it wreaked on
the personal lives and loves of men and,
women in particular, who were in the midst
of it all. In these moments of unbridled
hope and unlimited possibilities for the
future, the stakes were high - and so was
the drama!
This show is dedicated to my Assistant
Director, Jeniel Smith, whose spirit and
love was a movement itself. - Daniel
Bryant
D I R E C TO R
Daniel Bryant is always
grateful to be directing
at his artistic home
Congo Square Theatre
Company where he is
an ensemble member
and served as Artistic
Director for the past
three years. He last directed Congo
Square’s award-winning production of
August Wilson’s King Hedley II, which also
featured ensemble members Ronald
Connor, TaRon Patton and Anthony Irons.
He was a featured director in last year’s
HOLIDAZE @ Step Up Productions,
directing Nambi Kelly’s For My Brothers.
Prior to that, he produced the citywide
event Mosley on the Square Festival and
directed the Chicago premiere of Walter
Mosley’s The Fall of Heaven as well the
award-winning Brothers of the Dust by new
voice, Darren Canady. Other producing
credits include: The Colored Museum, The
Nativity and Congo Square’s multi-faceted
celebration of art, Festival on the Square.
Daniel also enjoys a healthy freelance
acting and voiceover career and is an
associate artist at Chicago Dramatists,
where he’s acted and directed for their
Saturday Series as well as their showcase
of new work. When he’s not acting,
directing or producing theater, Daniel is
teaching it to youth as a teaching artist.
PROFILES
SHANESIA DAVIS
(EVIE)
Shanésia (Shay) is
excited to return to
Congo Square as an
artistic associate as Evie
in What I Learned in
Paris. She was last seen as Mayetta where
she was the recipient of the Black Theatre
Alliance Award and Excellence in the Arts
Award as Best Actress in Congo Square
Theatre’s production of Brothers of the Dust.
Her most recent regional theatre includes
reviving her role as “Evy” in Immediate
Family at the Mark Taper Forum in Los
Angeles. Other theatre credits include
the groundbreaking, Jeff-nominated
production of Native Son at the Court
Theatre with the American Blues Theatre.
Regional credits include: Steppenwolf,
The Goodman, About Face, Northlight,
San Diego Rep, CenterStage Baltimore,
Kansas City Rep, Penumbra and South
Coast Rep. where she garnered an NAACP
image award nod for Intimate Apparel.
She has received several Jeff nominations
including Best Actress. Ms. Davis may be
best known for her co-starring role on the
CBS drama Early Edition as Marissa. Other
television includes Cleveland Abduction
(2015) Lifetime, and the FOX series Empire
(2015), Crisis, Chicago Fire and Detroit 187,
Chicago Hope, Missing Persons, Making a
Case for Murder: The Howard Beach Story,
among others. Some feature and indy film
credits: Consumed (2015), Damaged Goods,
The Weatherman, Uncle Nino, Chicago Cab,
and others including the Cannes Film
Festival celebrated short film, Morning
Due. Voiceover credits include: political
campaigns, Kmart, Sears, McDonalds,
All State, Charmin, Illinois Lottery, and
Pampers among others. Commercial
credits include: USPS, Kmart, Chevy,
McDonalds among others. She is writer
and producer of “WiSh I had A BOx” about
HIV in the black women community,
currently in pre-production, and owner of
Walk In Faith (WiF) floor mats. Ms. Davis
is a private acting/public speaking coach
and adjunct Faculty at School of Theatre&
Music: UIC and The Theatre School: DePaul
University. Ms. Davis will play Margaret in
Richard III with the Gift Theatre this spring.
Thanks to her family, Ms. Cleage, Mr. Bryant
and the Congo Square Theatre. Play on!
What I Learned In Paris
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PROFILES
c o n t.
ALEXIS J. ROGERS
(LENA)
Alexis J. Rogers is an
ensemble member
with Congo Square
with whom she most
recently made her
playwright/directorial debut with A Nativity
Story: More Than A Miracle. Other Chicago
credits include Crowns, Ain’t Misbehavin’
(Goodman), Porgy and Bess, Spunk, The
Piano Lesson (Court), Seussical, Dreamgirls
(Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire), Hairspray
(Drury Lane Oakbrook), Hair (Paramount),
Shrek (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Mr.
Chickee’s Funny Money, If All The World Were
Paper (Chicago Children’s Theatre), The
Colored Museum, The Nativity, Seven Guitars
(Congo Square), Godspell, The Wiz (Theatre
at the Center), Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar
and Grill (2013 Jeff Award, Black Excellence
Award and BTAA), Ragtime (Porchlight
Music Theatre), The Old Settler (Writer’s
Theatre), and Don’t Make Me Over—A
Tribute To Dionne Warwick (Black Ensemble
Theater).
DARREN JONES (J.P.
MADISON)
Darren is a Chicago
native with over two
decades in
performance, including
more than 60 stage
plays, videos, film, and commercial
projects. His recent stage credits include:
Repairing A Nation (eta Creative Arts
Foundation); Katrina: Mother-In-Law Of ‘Em
All (!nterrobang Theatre); “Fabulation, or
The Re-Education of Undine” (Pulse Theatre
Company); The Alton School Cases of 1867
(DePaul Theater School); An Issue of Blood
(Victory Gardens); FOUR (Jackalope
Theater); If Scrooge was a Brother (eta
Creative Arts); The Whaleship Essex, Mill Fire
(Shattered Globe Theater); King Hedley II;
(Congo Square Theater); “Quark,” “Warm on
the Cooling Board” (MPAACT); “Driving Miss
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Congo Square Theatre
Daisy” (pr Productions). Film/TV credits
include Chi-raq, HOOD, No Chaser, Mo’
Money and Chicago PD (NBC). He has done
commercials or web ads for Rivers Casino,
Lime-a-rita, Humana, Brookfield Zoo,
Groupon, Affinity Health(NY),
Careerbuilder and The Onion. He also
performs in industrials and training films
for clients including Northwestern
Medicine, Walgreen’s University and Sears
Auto Center. Darren is represented by Lily’s
Talent Agency, Chicago.
KRISTIN ELLIS (ANNE)
With a strong
background in Theatre,
Kristin has played roles
from Lydia Diamond
(The Inside- MPAACT
Theatre, nominated for
a Black Excellence Award for Best Theatre
Actress), Sam Shepard (Simpatico - A Red
Orchid Theatre), Christina Anderson (Black
Top Sky - Steppenwolf Garage Rep) and
now excited about the work of Pearl
Cleage. Kristin has worked with regional
award winning theatres such as
Steppenwolf Theatre and Court Theatre.
With a steady rise in independent film,
Kristin was the leading character in the
Independent feature Lost Gurl. Kristin’s
work in the short-film Road Trip premiered
at the Bronzelens Film Festival in Atlanta.
Kristin recently wrapped the anticipated
short-film Side Effects. Kristin received her
Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree in Acting
from The Theatre School. Kristin has
studied under Larry Yando in First Folio
Technique classes at Chicago Shakespeare
Theatre, and with Jimmy Carrene in an
improv workshop. With a teacher’s heart,
Kristin is a passionate teaching artist, and
an acting consultant for AMTC. Be sure to
watch for Kristin in her current running
commercial for O’Charley’s. Kristin gives
thanks to God, her family, friends and
constant supporters.
PROFILES
c o n t.
RONNEL TAYLOR
(JOHN)
Ronnel Taylor was born
on Chicago’s Southside
and is the eldest of
eleven. He attended
Columbia College for a
few years, majoring in theater, film, and
music. He has appeared in many shows in
the city and abroad, including: The Horn at
The Steppenwolf, Cut Flowers and Stage
Directions at The Chicago Theater
Company, Will You Stand Up & Coming
Home with Erasing The Distance Theater,
and most recently, Mother Road at The
Goodman. Outside of his homeland, The
Piano Lesson and Topdog/Underdog at The
Madison Repertory Theater in Madison,
Wisconsin, and I Heart Mixtapes at The
Lillian Theater in Los Angeles. He has been
in a host of commercials from McDonald’s,
to Boost Mobile, Chevorlet, and most
recently US Bank. His film credits include,
Save The Last Dance, Hardball, and
Barbershop 2. Also you can catch him in
season two of Chicago PD, episode, “Called
in Dead.”
PRODUCTION TEA M
KIM BERINGER (Stage Manager)
What I Learned In Paris is Kim’s first
production with Congo Square Theatre and
she is thrilled to be working with Daniel
and the incredible ensemble. Kim has had
the good fortune of literally working her
way around the world with tours which
include: The Magic of David Copperfield,
Tommy, Showboat, Radio City Music Hall
60th Anniversary, and STOMP. She has also
worked in many Chicago venues, which
include Drury Lane Oakbrook, as well as
the inaugural season of Drury Lane Water
Tower Place, Chicago Opera Theatre, The
Apollo Theatre, Skyline Stage (at Navy Pier),
the Oriental, and Bank of America Theatre.
Kim is a proud member of Actors’ Equity
Association.
DRE ROBINSON (Production Manager/
Video Designer)
Dre Robinson is proud to be working once
again with his Congo Square Family. A
native Chicagoan, Dre has worked with
some of the city’s top theatre companies
such as The Goodman, Black Ensemble and
Second City. He has toured all over the
world and recently produced and directed
the World Basketball Festival with Nike and
FIBA. In his spare time he is an Executive
Producer at Studio One Dance Theatre on
Chicago’s South Side.
ANDREI ONEGIN (Scenic & Props Design)
Andrei is an award winning set designer
with almost 35 years in theater, covering
more than 120 productions, and has
worked for such legendary companies as
Moscow Art Theater, Kabuki and ComédieFrançaise. He received his MFA in 1992
from The Moscow Art Theater School with
a concentration on set design, engineering
and production. Andrei has been
successfully designing and fabricating
as a general contractor, developer, scene
shop foreman and project manager in
the Chicagoland since 1998. With Congo
Square Theatre Company, where he is
resident set designer and Artistic Associate,
Andrei has created design for The Colored
Museum, The Nativity, Brothers of the
Dust, Bulrusher, The Fall of Heaven, King
Hedley II, Twisted Melodies and the current
production of What I Learned in Paris.
Andrei has been nominated and has won
multiple awards for his set design with
Congo Square, including: 2011 BTA Award
nominee for Best Set Design for Brothers
of the Dust; 2013 & 2014 Equity Wing Jeff
Award nominee for Best Midsize Set Design
What I Learned In Paris
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PRODUCTION TEA M
c o n t.
for Bulrusher and King Hedley II ; 2013 &
2014 Black Excellence Award winner for
Outstanding Technical Support (set) , 2013,
2014 and 2015 BTA Award winner for Best
Set Design; 2014 Non-Equity Wing Jeff
Award recipient for best set design.
MARCI RODGERS (Costume Design)
Marci is in her third year of studies as
a MFA Costume Design Candidate at
the University of Maryland under the
leadership of the world renowned
Professor Helen Huang. UMD credits:
Intimate Apparel, Good Kids and Wake Up!
(Second Season). Outside productions: The
Promise Land (Mosaic Theatre Company)
Black Nativity (Theatre Alliance) Fires in
the Mirror (Howard University) Rapunzel,
Rapunzel Let Down Your Locks (Camden
Rep.) assistant to costume designer:
Driving Miss Daisy (Ford’s Theatre), Marie
Antoinette (Woolly Mammoth), Two Trains
Running (Round House). Costume design
team member: Holler if Ya Hear Me ( Palace
Theatre, Broadway), Fish in the Dark (Cort
Theatre, Broadway). Marci obtained a B.B.A.
with a concentration in Marketing from
Howard University, a Corporate M.B.A.,
from Florida International University,
and a Certificate in Fashion Design and
Marketing from London Fashion College:
Central Saint Martins in London, England.
ERIK S. BARRY (Lighting Design)
Erik S Barry is delighting to be working
with such a fun group! Erik has designed
lights around Chicago for the past three
years. His designs have been seen at
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Congo Square Theatre
Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, The Harris
Theatre Porchlight Music Theatre, and The
Museum of Contemporary Art. He received
his Masters of Fine Arts degree at the
University of Wisconsin -Madison campus.
He has designed over 40 productions in his
career. Highlights include The Rocky Horror
Show with The University of Wisconsin
Madison, as well as The Fiddler on the Roof,
Chicago, and Forever Plaid with the Summer
Theatre in Meredith Village. He dedicates
this and every performance to the
memories of Mom and Dad, and reminds
Sara, Karen and Iris that he owes it all to
them. Eriksbarry.com
RICK SIMS (Sound Design) Rick has
composed and designed sound for
numerous Lookingglass productions and
many other Chicago area theatres such
as Steppenwolf, Congo Square, Writers
Theatre, Lifeline, Griffin, The House,
Court, ATC, Victory Gardens, The Raven,
Steep and About Face. Out of town
credits include Icarus at The Getty in L.A.
with Lookingglass, and Gary at Boston
Playwrights. Rick won a Jeff Award for
lyrics in Hepheastus and was nominated
for another for musical direction for The
Shaggs both at Lookingglass. Rick also has
two BTAA award nominations. Rick is an
artistic associate of Lookingglass Theatre
Company and an associate designer with
Aria Music Designs (Ray Nardelli and
Josh Horvath). Rick also wrote the book,
music and lyrics for Lookingglass’ Hillbilly
Antigone.
2 015 - 2 016 D O N O R S
The Parti
($2,500 and above)
Constance Brewer
Joseph Carter
Chanel Coney
Les Coney
Rachael Halstuk Mangoubi
The Krewe
($1,000 to $2,499)
Jeanette Adams
Barbara Bowles
Cheryl Lynn Bruce
Sylvia Ewing
Denise Gardner
Brenda Robinson
Perika Sampson
Charles Smith
Kirkland Townsend
Walter Family Foundation,
Mr. and Mrs. James
Wooten
The Partisans
(up to $999)
Jacqueline Anderson
Angela Ashley
Christopher Audain
Robert Barclay
Robin Beaman
Debbie R. Beauchamp
Kathleen Bethel
Yannick Boccovi
Kamal Bolden
Gerry Berad
Les Bond
Aimee Bryant
Gloria Clunie
Shirley Bomar-Cole
Alice Collins
Chris Conley
Ron and Roxanna Conner
Gabe and Laura Cook
Amina Dickerson
Ann and Todd Douglas
Cecil and Lana Coleman
Ghian Foreman
Brenda Fournier
Lisa Green
Gerald Gilmore
Cedric Gordon
Richard Gray
Michael Halberstam
Calvin Holmes
Lisa Haley Huff
Sarah Hoagland
Andrew and Lizzie Hendren
Ruth Johnston
John Knox
Rachel Kraft
Jaret Landon
Elaine Leavenworth
Harry Lennix
Sara Dickerson-Locke
Trudi Meltzer
Tom O’Neill
Rose Packer
Kathy Perkins
Michael Pitts
Ericka Ratcliff
Sam Roberson
DeRotha Rogers
Dr. David Satcher
Jackie Taylor
Vernell Taylor
Nancy Timmer
Demetria Thomas
Sydney Thomas
Toni Thomas
Becky Tousey
Steven Tousey
Phyllis Trammell
Shirley Coney Memoriam
James and Mary H. Bell
Patricia Cox
Linda Johnson Rice
What I Learned In Paris
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Congo Square Theatre
What I Learned In Paris
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Congo Square Theatre