wilmabill - The Wilma Theater

Transcription

2007 - 2008 Season
&
Newsletter of
The Wilma Theater
wilmatheater.org
by
Sarah Ruhl
Dear Audience Members,
In This Issue
Sponsors.......................................p.4
Production Information................p.5
Meet the Artists............................p.7
Open Stages......................centerfold
Wilma Staff .................................p.10
About the Wilma........................p.11
Supporters..................................p.12
To advertise in the Wilmabill, contact
Nora Sidoti at 215.893.9456 x102
The Wilma Theater first introduced Philadelphia audiences to Sarah Ruhl’s talent
when we produced her play, The Clean House, in the 2004/05 Season. At the time,
she was a relatively unknown playwright. In the years since, her career has
skyrocketed. The Clean House was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2005. In 2006,
Sarah was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, the prestigious “Genius Grant”.
During the past 18 months, three of her plays have received critically-praised OffBroadway productions. We’re happy now to bring Sarah back to the Wilma with
Eurydice, her retelling of the classic myth, which The New York Times has called “a
love letter to the world.”
We’re also happy to announce our 2008/09 Season. It begins with Tom Stoppard’s
latest play, Rock ’n’ Roll. With half of the play taking place in former
Czechoslovakia, Rock ’n’ Roll brings us back to one of the defining moments in our
lives when we left Czechoslovakia in 1976. It is the perfect play to open our 30th
Anniversary Season. Over the holiday season, we’ll be producing a comedy called
Schmucks by Roy Smiles, an imaginative tale of a meeting between two comic icons,
Groucho Marx and Lenny Bruce. Our third production will be the intensely
dramatic and moving play, Scorched, from the internationally acclaimed Lebaneseborn playwright Wajdi Mouawad. Portraying characters searching for humanity
while surrounded by the irrationality of war in the Middle East, this play was called
“a fiery epic of intricate layers that mixes humor, tenderness, tragedy, and social
upheaval.”(TorontoStage.com) Closing our season will be Terry Johnson’s Olivier
Award Winner for Best New Comedy, Hysteria. Based on an historical meeting
between Sigmund Freud and Salvador Dalí, this is a play we’ve been after for seven
years; we can’t wait to stage this explosive comedy!
Blanka Zizka
co-Artistic Director
Jiri Zizka
Thank you to our 2007 - 2008
Season Sponsors
Production Sponsors
Eurydice is
supported in part by
an award from the
National Endowment
for the Arts.
Eurydice was made possible in part
by a grant from the
Philadelphia Theatre Initiative
a program of the Philadelphia Center for
Arts and Heritage, funded by The Pew
Charitable Trusts and administered by The
University of the Arts
Opening Night Sponsors
Media Sponsor
For information about upcoming sponsorship opportunities, please contact Lea Montalto-Rook, Development Associate, at 215.893.9456 x 109.
under the direction of
Blanka Zizka
Artistic Director
Jiri Zizka
Artistic Director
James Haskins
Managing Director
presents
by Sarah Ruhl
featuring
(in alphabetical order)
Gene D’Alessandro, Benjamin Huber*, Merritt Janson*, Stephen Novelli*,
Erin Reilly*, Triney Sandoval*, Cathy Simpson*
Set Designer
Mimi Lien
Sound Designer
Jorge Cousineau
Dramaturg
Walter Bilderback
Costume Designer
Oana Botez-Ban
Music Composer
Toby Twining
Lighting Designer
Tyler Micoleau
New York Casting
Jerry Beaver Associates
Production Manager
Patrick Heydenburg
Philadelphia Casting
Carol Laratonda
Stage Manager
Patreshettarlini Adams*
Directed by
Blanka Zizka
The Wilma deeply appreciates the generous support of Michael J. Finney, Honorary Producer, for this pro*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage
Managers in the United States.
This Theatre operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres and
Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the
United States.
Eurydice is produced by special arrangement with Bruce Ostler, BRET ADAMS, LTD., 448 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036
This play was originally produced by Madison Repertory Theatre, Madison, Wisconsin, August 29, 2003, Richard Corley, Artistic Director, Tony Forman, Managing Director, and
subsequently produced by Berkeley Repertory Theatre in 2004, Tony Taccone, Artistic Director, Susan Medak, Managing Director and Yale Repertory Theatre in 2006, James Bundy,
Artistic Director, Victoria Nolan, Managing Director.
Produced by Second Stage Theatre, New York, NY on June 12, 2007, Carole Rothman, Artistic Director
Cast
(in order of appearance)
Eurydice..........................................................................................................................................................Merritt Janson
Orpheus.......................................................................................................................................................Benjamin Huber
Father............................................................................................................................................................Stephen Novelli
Nasty Interesting Man/Lord of the Underworld...........................................................................................Triney Sandoval
Little Stone............................................................................................................................................................Erin Reilly
Big Stone..................................................................................................................................................Gene D’Alessandro
Loud Stone.....................................................................................................................................................Cathy Simpson
Musicians
(in alphabetical order)
Tenor............................................................................................................................................................Steven Bradshaw
Soprano..............................................................................................................................................................Eric Brenner
Mezzo/Alto.....................................................................................................................................................Elizabeth Filios
Conductor/Bass................................................................................................................................................Mark Johnson
Cello...............................................................................................................................................................Floreta Shapiro
The Wilma Theater proudly participates in the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre, Philadelphia's premier professional theatre awards
program. The Wilma Theater is a member of the following organizations: League of Resident Theatres, Rittenhouse Row, Theatre Communications
Group, Inc., Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, and Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.
Children Policy
Some subject matter may be deemed objectionable for children; therefore, children under 12 will
not be permitted in the theater.
Distracting Noise
The noise of cellular phones, electronic devices and candy wrappers is distracting to both
audiences and actors. Please turn off all cellular phones and electronic devices. Also, please be
sure that your watch alarm does not sound during the performance.
Smoking, eating and drinking are prohibited inside the theater.
Please note
Photography or sound recording inside the
theater, without the written permission of
the management, is prohibited by law.
Violators may be asked to leave the theater
and may be liable for financial charges.
Meet the Artists
Sarah Ruhl
(Playwright) Plays
include The Clean House
(Pulitzer Prize Finalist,
2005; The Susan Smith
Blackburn Prize, 2004);
Passion Play, A Cycle
(The Fourth Freedom
Forum Playwriting
Award from The
Kennedy Center, a Helen Hayes Awards nomination for Best New Play); Dead Man’s Cell Phone;
Melancholy Play; Eurydice; Orlando and Late: a cowboy
song. Her plays have been produced at Lincoln
Center Theater, Goodman Theatre, Arena Stage,
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, South Coast
Rep., Yale Rep., Berkeley Rep., The Wilma Theater,
Actors Theatre of Louisville, Madison Rep. and the
Piven Theatre, among others. Her plays have also
been produced in London, Germany, Australia,
Canada, and Israel, and have been translated into
Polish, Russian, Spanish, Norwegian, Korean, and
German. Originally from Chicago, Ms. Ruhl
received her MFA. from Brown University where
she studied with Paula Vogel. In 2003, she was the
recipient of the Helen Merrill Emerging
Playwrights Award and the Whiting Writers’ Award.
She is a member of 13P and New Dramatists and
recently won the MacArthur Fellowship.
Blanka Zizka (Director, co-Artistic Director)
has been Co-Artistic
Director of The
Wilma Theater since
1981. In February
Blanka directed her
first opera Kát’a
Kabanová by Leoš
Janáček for AVA.
Recently she directed
Age of Arousal, The Life
of Galileo (5 Barrymore nominations), My Children!
My Africa!, Ariel Dorfman’s The Other Side starring
Rosemary Harris and John Cullum at Manhattan
Theatre Club, Cloud 9 by Caryl Churchill, I Am My
Own Wife by Doug Wright, the World Premiere of
Raw Boys by Dael Orlandersmith, Jesus Hopped the ‘A’
Train by Stephen Adly Guirgis (Barrymore Winner,
Best Overall Production and Best Director), the
World Premiere of Embarrassments by Laurence
Klavan and Polly Pen, and the Philadelphia
Premieres of Lillian Groag’s The Magic Fire and
Chay Yew’s Red. In 2002 she directed the World
Premiere of Dael Orlandersmith’s Yellowman at
ManhattanTheatre Club, McCarter Theatre Center,
Long Wharf Theatre, ACT in Seattle, and at The
Wilma Theater. She was awarded the first
Barrymore Award for Best Direction of a Play for
Cartwright’s Road. She directed Jiler and Leslee’s
Avenue X (Barrymore Winner, Best Overall
Production of a Musical and Best Direction of a
Musical), Wright’s Quills (Barrymore Winner, Best
Overall Production of a Play), and the East Coast
Premiere of The Invention of Love by Tom Stoppard
(Barrymore Winner, Best Overall Production of a
Play and Best Direction of a Play). Her other
favorite productions include Orwell’s Animal Farm,
O’Neill’s The Hairy Ape, Ionesco’s Macbett, Fugard’s
Statements After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act and
Playland, Dulack’s Incommunicado, Sherman’s When
She Danced, Stoppard’s Travesties, Brecht’s The
Threepenny Opera, Freed’s The Psychic Life of Savages,
Klavan and Pen’s Bed and Sofa, Sherwood’s Spin,
Thompson’s Perfect Pie, Carr’s Portia Coughlan and
Sherman’s Patience.
Gene D'Alessandro (Big Stone) was last seen in
Marsha Norman's
Getting Out for
Simpatico Theatre
Project. Recent productions include
Flashpoint Theatre
Company's The Faculty
Room, The Ritz's production of Scrooge, and
Romeo and Juliet with
Shakespeare in Clark Park. Gene has also
performed with Bristol Riverside Theatre, REV
Theatre Company, and the Pennsylvania, Texas, and
Philadelphia Shakespeare Festivals.
Benjamin Huber (Orpheus) Off-Broadway: A
Midsummer Night's
Dream (The Public
Theater/NYSF);
Yellowface u/s (The
Public Theater).
Regional: King Lear,
The Tempest (Seattle
Shakespeare
Company); Crimes of
the Heart, Macbeth
(Tacoma Actors Guild); Ring Round the Moon, Richard
II, As You Like It (American Players Theater).
Education: NYU Tisch School of the Arts
Graduate Acting Program (MFA). Ben is pleased to
be making his Wilma debut. Love to Sarah and
family.
Merritt Janson (Eurydice) Stage credits include:
Chevalier in The
Deception (La Jolla
Playhouse, Theatre de
la Jeune Lune); Junia in
Britannicus and The
Onion Cellar (American
Repertory Theatre);
Emilia Lanier in The
English Channel
(Vineyard Playhouse);
Lillian Aster in Black-Eyed Susanna (Hasty Pudding
Theatre); Tuesday (Barrymore Award for
Outstanding Ensemble, Amaryllis Theatre Co.);
Bonnie in HurlyBurly and Maggie in Drive to a
Departing Flight (Adrienne Theatre). New York credits include: Ashley in Three Years from Thirty
(Pantheon Theatre); Kate in Daddy Longlegs in the
Evening (Chashama); Cavalleria Rusticana (Opera of
the Hamptons). Film credits include: Mail Order
Wife (Best American Film - Santa Barbara
International Film Festival); Otto and Anna. Merritt
received her MFA from the A.R.T./MXAT Institute
at Harvard University.
Stephen Novelli (Father) is delighted to be making his first appearance on The Wilma Theater
stage. In addition to
being a long-time
member of the resident acting company
at The People’ s Light
& Theatre in Malvern,
Stephen also serves as
Associate Artistic
Director. He was
most recently seen at
People’s Light as the villainous John Aycliffe in
Crispin, The Cross of Lead and the tormented Father
in Six Characters in Search of an Author. Other recent
roles at PLT include Argan in The Imaginary Invalid,
George Pye in Humble Boy and the title role in The
Giver. Plays he directed at PLT include Tuesdays with
Morrie, Camping with Henry and Tom, Measure for
Measure and Glengarry Glen Ross.
Erin Reilly (Little Stone) is thrilled to be making
her Wilma debut! Credits: Mr. Bailey's Minder
(Walnut Street
Theatre); Turn of the
Screw (Cape May
Stage); Holiday Show at
the Swing Club, The
Violet Hour (Theatre
Horizon); Wizard of
Oz, A Midsummer
Night's Dream (Mum
Puppettheatre); Whores
(InterAct); A Play on Two Chairs (Inis Nua);
Valparaiso (Theatre Exile); Nocturne (Theatre
Catalyst). Upcoming: The Stephen Schwartz
musical Working in July 2008 in King of Prussia at
Theatre Horizon, where she is Artistic Director.
Thank you to Blanka and this wonderful cast! For
my young prince, Patrick.
Triney Sandoval (Nasty Interesting Man/Lord
of the Underworld) makes his Wilma debut with
Eurydice. Broadway:
Frost/Nixon. Off
Broadway: The Idiot,
Elliot, a Soldier’s Fugue,
As You Like It.
Regional: Death and
the Maiden (Baltimore
Center Stage); The
Underpants (Actors
Theatre of Louisville);
Taming of the Shrew, Ladies of the Camillias (Yale Rep);
Day of the Kings (The Alliance); Napoli Millionaria
(Milwaukee Rep); Figaro Gets a Divorce (La Jolla
Playhouse); The Tempest (Alabama Shakespeare); Art
(Virginia Stage); Much Ado About Nothing, Christmas
Carol (Great Lakes Shakespeare); Taming of the
Shrew, The Tempest, Arms and the Man (California
Shakespeare); Hamlet, Merchant of Venice, As You
Like It, and others (Old Globe); company member
for five seasons with The Oregon Shakespeare
Festival. Television: Sopranos, One Life to Live, All My
Children, recurring roles on Law & Order and Law
& Order: SVU.
7
8
Cathy Simpson
(Loud Stone) is a
company member of
The People’s Light and
Theatre as well as the
“Freedom Rising”
Company at the
National Constitution
Center, and the
American Historical
Theatre Company. Her work in local theatres
include InterAct, Philadelphia Theatre Company,
Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival, Philadelphia
Young Playwrights, Hedgerow, Theatre Catalyst and
the Arden. Regional theater credits include Arena
Stage, The Kennedy Center, the National Theatre,
Studio Theatre, Source Theatre, Woolly Mammoth,
Olney Theatre Center, St. Louis Black Rep, St.
Louis Rep., Indiana Rep., Big Arts, and Florida Rep.
Film and TV credits include the award
winning PBS Maple Ave, Outreach Film P.S. I Love
You, numerous industrials and commercials for local
Fox TV. A three time Barrymore nominee and a
winner for the Freedom Theatre’s production of
The Old Settler, she has also been nominated twice
for the Helen Hayes Awards in Washington D.C.
Cathy is continually grateful for acting jobs and
even more so for this one. Thank you Wilma
Theater!
Steven Bradshaw (Tenor), professional
tenor/countertenor, first came to Philadelphia in
2001 to study voice at The University of The Arts.
He is a core member and soloist with The Choral
Arts Society and The Philadelphia Singers, appears
regularly with The Opera Company of Philadelphia,
and is a paid section leader and soloist at St. Mark’s
Church in Center City. In addition to performing
many critically acclaimed concerts with modern
chamber ensemble "The Crossing" in both
Philadelphia and Spoleto, Italy, Steven covered the
role of Capucin in The Opera Company's 2008
production of Cyrano. Upcoming: Steven is scheduled to perform Stockhausen's groundbreaking
vocal sextet piece, "Stimmung," with composer
Toby Twining at the annual Bang on a Can
Marathon in New York City.
Eric Brenner (Soprano) was born and raised in
the wilds of Long Island where he grew up playing
violin & viola–badly. After several years in New
York City working with such groups as Early Music
New York, New York Collegium, the Saint Thomas
Choir, Amnesia Wars (theatre/improv), Consensus
(male quartet), and Toby Twining Music, Eric joined
the Grammy Award winning ensemble Chanticleer
and spent the last three years singing, recording,
and wandering the world with them. Back in New
York, now pursuing a solo career in baroque opera
and oratorio, Eric also writes fiction and is an
incorrigible Mets fan.
Elizabeth Filios (Mezzo/Alto), a graduate of the
University of Michigan, is grateful to have
performed in Italy, Japan, South Africa, India, and
Venezuela. Wilma credits include: The Life of Galileo
(Voice of opera singer); Amadeus (Diction coach);
and the staged reading of Days of Significance (Clare).
Elizabeth also taught at last summer's Camp Wilma:
Viva l'Italia. Regional Credits include: Out of the
Shadows (Joyce Soho); Grace: Kingdom (A Grateful
Company); Lend Me a Tenor (New Candlelight
Theatre); The Food Chain (23 Piece Productions); The
Fantasticks (Ann Arbor Civic); and Dances of
Pulcinella (Philadelphia Orchestra). Opera credits
include: Miranda in La Tempesta, La Donna in
Cavalleria Rusticana, and Perdita in Il Racconto
d’Inverno. Special thanks to Blanka, Toby, Mom,
Dad, and Troy.
Mark Johnson (Conductor/Bass) was a member
of Toby Twining’s first vocal ensemble, Mouth
Music, in the early 1990s. From 1998~2001 he
assisted with all aspects of performance and
recording of Chrysalid Requiem, including creating
midi sequences, preparing scores, singing, conducting,
producing, editing, and mixing. Mark has also
worked with the Western Wind Vocal Ensemble as
producer on some of their recordings and arranger
of three songs on their “My Funny Valentine” CD
(1997). In New York City, Mark sings in the
Sanctuary Choir at Marble Collegiate Church and
tunes pianos. More recently he has been working
with Roger Treece, editing and singing on a new
Bobby McFerrin choral album to be released this
year.
Floreta Shapiro (Cello) studied at the National
Conservatory in Bucharest, Romania (BA),
Southeastern Louisiana University (MM,
Performance) and West Chester University (MM,
Theory/Composition). Performance credits include:
Philadelphia Virtuosi, North Penn Symphony, Gulf
Port Symphony, and Bucharest Philharmonic as
well as performances at the Academy of Music,
Ritz-Carlton Hotel Philadelphia, and at many cultural and historical sites in Pennsylvania and
Louisiana. Floreta is a founding member of Liric
String Quartet;
advanced string quartet
studies, Brevard.
Toby Twining
(Composer) began
composing,
performing, and
recording experimental
vocal ensemble music
in the mid 1980s. His early work often
combined classical ensemble singing with world
vocal techniques and experimental sounds, such as
African yodeling, Tuvan throat singing, unconventional tremolos, and phonetics. To
perform the music he was developing, he formed
the a cappella quartet Toby Twining Music, which
released its début CD Shaman in 1994 on BMG
Classics. Around that time, Twining also became
interested in new possibilities for harmony through
just intonation and began using sequences of
extended consonant intervals to modulate
microtonally (Hotel Destiné, 1992). He put
together an expanded ensemble of twelve voices in
1999 to perform his first large work of this kind,
Chrysalid Requiem (Cantaloupe Music, 2002), at the
Festival of New Spiritual Music in Amsterdam.
Twining’s music has been recorded by avant-garde
pianist Margaret Leng Tan (The Art of the Toy Piano,
Uni/Point, 1997), pioneering cellist Matt Haimovitz
(Anthem and Please Welcome Matt Haimovitz,
Oxingale/Artemis, 2002), and has been featured in
the film The Sorceress of the New Piano, and FX’s
Nip/Tuck (episode 17, Mrs. Grubman). The
American Music Center selected his 9/11 Blues for
the Annual List of the 2006 IAMIC conference in
Sweden. Twining was a 2003 Pew Fellow. He lives
currently in Wolfeboro, NH where, in pursuit of
another goal—the development and support of
cutting edge art within progressive religious
communities—he directs music at First
Congregational Church (United Church of Christ).
Mimi Lien (Set Designer) Mimi has been designing sets for theatre, dance, opera, and film since
defecting from the field of architecture 10 years
ago. Previous Wilma productions: Outrage, Cloud
Nine, A Number, and The Life of Galileo. Recent
work includes: Carla Kihlstedt’s Necessary Monsters
(MCA Chicago), In the Red and Brown Water
(Alliance), Queens Boulevard (Signature), and The
Magnificent Cuckold (East River Commedia). Her
work has been presented at The Kitchen, The Joyce
Theater, Juilliard, Williamstown Theatre Festival,
Berkshire Theater Festival, Princeton University,
Symphony Space, and Dance Theater Workshop,
among
others. Collaborators include Eliot Feld, Tina
Landau, Charles Moulton, Matthew Neenan, Davis
McCallum, Pig Iron Theatre Co., and East River
Commedia. Her work has been recognized by a
Barrymore Award (Outrage), Barrymore nomination
(Galileo), NY Innovative Theatre Award nomination
(ERC), and she was a semifinalist in the Ring
Award competition for opera design in Graz,
Austria. Ms. Lien is a
recipient of the 20072009 NEA/TCG
Career Development
Program.
Oana Botez-Ban
(Costume
Designer), a native
of Romania, has
designed for major theater and dance companies
including The National Theater of Bucharest and
was involved in different international theater festivals such as the Quadrennial Scenography Show in
Prague. Oana is part of the first Romanian theater
design catalogue, Scenografica. Since 1999, her New
York costume collaborations in theater and dance
include Richard Foreman, Richard Schechner, Brian
Kulick, Zelda Fichlander, Karin Coonrod, Jay
Scheib, Eduardo Machado, Gus Solomon Jr. &
Paradigm, Carmen deLavallade, Adrian Giurgea,
Gisela Cardenas, Pavol Liska, Matthew Neenan &
Pennsylvania Ballet, Molissa Fenley, Veniamin
Smekhov, Zishan Ugurlu, Doris Mirescu, Erin Mee,
Alva Rogers, Saviana Stanescu, Naomi Goldberg,
Judith Ren-Lay, Michael Sexton, Pig Iron Theatre
Company, Play Company, Charles Moulton, Loy
Arcenas, Ripe Time. MFA in Design from
NYU/Tisch School of the Arts. Princess Grace
Recipient for 2007.
Tyler Micoleau
(Lighting Designer)
For the Wilma and
director Blanka Zizka:
The Life of Galileo
(Barrymore nomination). Tyler’s recent
Philadelphia area
credits include Mary’s
Wedding (Delaware
Theater Co.), Isabella (Pig Iron), A Night In The Old
Marketplace (Prince Music Theater). Recent New
York Off-Broadway credits: God’s Ear (Vineyard
Theatre), Rainbow Kiss (Play Company), Two Men
Talking (Barrow Street Theater), The Screwtape Letters
(Theater at St. Clement’s and now at the Lansburgh
Theater in Washington D.C.), Max & Ruby
(TheatreworksUSA) and 1001 (P73). Recent regional
credits at Long Wharf Theatre, Trinity Rep and The
Old Globe. Awards: Lucille Lortel, OBIE (for Tracy
Letts’ Bug), NEA/TCG Career Development
Program.
Jorge Cousineau (Sound Designer) is excited to
continue his line of work at the Wilma, where he
previously designed sound for Ying Tong, Enemies, A
Love Story and set and sound for I Am My Own Wife.
He usually can be found designing sets, video, and
sounds for many dance and theater productions in
and out of Philadelphia. Recent highlights include
Wittenberg, Assassins, and Sleeping Beauty at the Arden;
The Four Of Us and This Is The Week That Is with 1812
Productions; Batch with New Paradise Laboratories
in Louisville, and Opus in NYC.
Walter Bilderback
(Dramaturg/Literary
Manager) Now in his
fourth season at the
Wilma, Walter assists
in all aspects of season
planning. He also helps
to communicate the
Wilma’s mission
through editing and
writing for Open Stages, pre- and post-show discussions, and organizing symposia such as last season’s
acclaimed series for The Life of Galileo. Walter has
worked as a dramaturg for more than 20 years,
working at regional theaters across the country and
on Broadway. Anne Frank: Within and Without, on
which he worked with puppeteer Bobby Box at the
Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, was awarded a
UNIMA award (puppetry’s equivalent of a Pulitzer
or Tony) for excellence this year. In Philadelphia, he
has also worked with Philadelphia Young
Playwrights. Walter has contributed numerous
articles to American Theatre magazine and the newlypublished Columbia Encyclopedia of Modern Drama.
Patreshettarlini Adams (Production Stage
Manager/AEA) has been the production stage
manager at the Wilma since the theater made its
new home on the Avenue of the Arts. She is
celebrating her 12th season at the Wilma and is
very happy to be a part of the Philadelphia theater
family. Prior to coming home to Philly, “Pat” was
stage manager at the Tony Award winning
Crossroads Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ. She was
privileged to work with an awesome array of
African-American playwrights, directors, designers,
musicians, and actors. Some of her fondest
memories encompass the productions of Sheila’s
Day, Mothers, The Screened-In Porch, Betsey Brown,
Harlem Nocturne, The Love Space Demands, and Two
Hah-Hahs and a Homeboy. In past years, Pat has
worked at both the National Black Arts Festival in
Atlanta and the National Black Theatre Festival in
Winston-Salem. When not at the Wilma, she finds
herself traveling the world with critically-acclaimed
dance company Noche Flamenca! Most recently,
Pat became the proud grandmother of Isaiah
Nathaniel. God Is Good!
Patrick Heydenburg (Production Manager)
spent ten years working as a freelance production
manager or technical director with most of the
nonprofit theaters in New York City. These companies include Playwrights Horizons, Second Stage,
CSC, Vineyard, Circle Rep, WPA, New York
Theatre Workshop, and American Place Theater. In
addition, he was Production Coordinator at the
Brooklyn Academy of Music for two years and was
Venue Manager for the Dublin Theatre Festival in
1988. Patrick designed the scenery for four
productions at the Jean Cocteau Repertory. After
spending a season and half as Production Manager
at South Coast Repertory in California, he came
back to New York to supervise the renovation and
construction of Manhattan Ensemble Theater’s
new Off-Broadway facility. Patrick is a 1983 graduate of the State University of New York at
Purchase.
Jerry Beaver Associates (New York Casting)
Jerry Beaver has been casting for The Wilma
Theater for 12 years. His credits include Ying Tong A Walk with the Goons, Age of Arousal, Amadeus,
Enemies, A Love Story, The Pillowman, A Number, 9
Parts of Desire, Shakespeare in Hollywood, Raw Boys, The
Clean House, Night and Day, Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train,
Wintertime, Embarrassments, Resurrection Blues, Red, Big
Love, The Magic Fire, Every Good Boy Deserves Favor,
Dirty Blonde, Indian Ink, Yellowman, Les Liaisons
Dangereuses, Passion, Patience, Cherry Docs, Black
Comedy, Perfect Pie, Arcadia, On the Razzle, The
Invention of Love, and many others. In New York,
Jerry was the resident casting director of the
Signature Theatre Company for ten years
casting plays by Romulus Linney, Lee Blessing,
Edward Albee, Horton Foote, Adrienne Kennedy,
Sam Shepard, Arthur Miller, John Guare, Marie
Irene Fornes, and Lanford Wilson. He has worked
for Seattle Repertory Theatre, Alley Theatre,
Hartford Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, The
O’Neill Playwrights Conference, and is the
Founding President of the Black Bear Film Festival
in Milford, PA.
Jiri Zizka (coArtistic Director),
born in Prague and
educated at Charles
University, became an
Artist in Residence at
the Wilma in 1979 and
Artistic Director in
1981, where he has
directed over 60
productions. Some of the highlights included
Orwell’s Animal Farm, Camus’ The Stranger, Brecht’s
Mother Courage, Capeks’ The Insect Comedy, Weiss’
Marat/Sade, his own adaptation of Wilde’s The
Picture of Dorian Gray, Brecht/Weill’s Happy End,
Orwell’s 1984 (also the Kennedy Center and OffBroadway), Fo’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist, and
the U.S. Premiere of Havel’s Temptation (a co-production with Joseph Papp’s New York Shakespeare
Festival). Jiri has also
directed a feature film of Vaclav Havel’s Largo
Desolato, adapted by Tom Stoppard, starring F.
Murray Abraham for PBS’s Great Performances.
He wrote and directed Inquest of Love, a film
nominated for an Emmy Award. His theater credits
also include George F. Walker’s Love and Anger,
Martin McDonagh’s The Cripple of Inishmaan, David
Gow’s Cherry Docs (with David Strathairn),
Stoppard’s The Real Inspector Hound, Peter Shaffer’s
Black Comedy, Stephen Sondheim’s Passion,
Christopher Hampton’s Les Liaisons Dangereuses,
Stoppard’s Indian Ink, Arthur Miller’s Resurrection
Blues, Charles L. Mee’s Big Love and Wintertime. He
also directed a co-production between the Wilma
and The Philadelphia Orchestra of Tom Stoppard’s
and André Previn’s Every Good Boy Deserves Favor, a
play for actors and a philharmonic orchestra, at the
Kimmel Center’s Verizon Hall. Jiri directed Tom
Stoppard’s Night and Day, Itamar Moses’ Outrage,
Ken Ludwig’s Shakespeare in Hollywood, Mark
Saltzman’s The Tin Pan Alley Rag (Carbonell Award
for Best Director), Caryl Churchill’s A Number,
Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman (6 Barrymore
nominations), Sarah Schulman’s adaptation of Isaac
Bashevis Singer’s novel Enemies, A Love Story, Peter
Shaffer’s Amadeus, and most recently Roy Smiles’
Ying Tong - A Walk with the Goons.
James Haskins
(Managing
Director) joined the
staff of the Wilma in
June 2006. He began
his work in theatre
administration as Box
Office Manager of
Circle Repertory
Company and went
on to work with a number of New York theatres,
including National Shakespeare Company,
Symphony Space, Provincetown Playhouse, Actor’s
Playhouse, Triplex Performing Arts Center and
Astor Place Theatre. In Seattle, he served as
Business Manager of Seattle Group Theatre and
worked intermittently for Ticket/Ticket, Seattle’s
half-price ticket booth. In 1999, James moved to
Philadelphia and worked as Managing Director of
InterAct Theatre Company, while also serving for
three years on the Board of the Theatre Alliance of
Greater Philadelphia as Chair of the Barrymore
Awards Oversight Committee. He later moved into
the Executive Director position of the Theatre
Alliance and now serves as the Board Chair. Also
an actor and director, James holds a BA from the
College of Wooster in Ohio, and an MFA from the
University of Washington.
10
Eurydice
Production Crew
Assistant Director.............................................................................Ryder Thornton
Assistant Stage Manager............................................................................Erica Fuss
Assistant Set Designer.............................................................................Amy Rubin
Assistant Lighting Designer............................................................Anjeanette Stokes
Wig Designer..........................................................................................Jon Carter
Prop Master....................................................................................Kimitha Cashin
Choreographer (Fall)................................................................Kate Watson-Wallace
Choreographer (Jitterbug)........................................................................Bob Skiba
Light Board Programmer.......................................................................Terry Smith
Light Board Operator............................................................................John Curall
Sound Board Operator......................................................................Andrea Sotzing
Wardrobe Mistress...............................................................................Regina Rizzo
Dresser..................................................................................................Alison Levy
Running Crew.......................................................Matt Zumbo, Christine Richards
Carpenters...................................................Steve Gravelle, Jeb Kreager, Alison Levy
Christine Richards, Matt Zumbo
Electricians............................................................Andrew Cowles, Brendan Gawell
Sam Henderson, Nicole Rollo
Scenic Artist......................................................................................Rita D’Angelo
Scenery Constructed by..........................................................Proof Productions, Inc.
Costumes Constructed by......................................................................Douglas Earl
Special Thanks:
Arden Theatre Company
Philadelphia Theatre Company
Barbara Tiffany
Walnut Street Theatre
The Wilma Theater Staff
Artistic Director...................................................................................Blanka Zizka
Artistic Director.........................................................................................Jiri Zizka
Managing Director.............................................................................James Haskins
Artistic
Dramaturg/Literary Manager........................................................Walter Bilderback
Literary Programming Assistant.....................................................Richard Kotulski
Marketing
Marketing Director.......................................................................Aaron Immediato
Group Sales & Special Events Manager.............................................Julie Rossnagle
Marketing Assistant................................................................................Nora Sidoti
Marketing Interns...............................................................Lindsey Booz, Julie Toth
Development
Development Associate..............................................................Lea Montalto-Rook
Grant Writer..........................................................................................Justin Bauer
Development/Special Events Interns............Marie Gorbenko, Danielle Williamson
Education
Education Director.........................................................................Anne K. Holmes
Teaching Artists...............................Vivian Appler, Kristyn Chouiniere, Mike Dees,
Bill Felty, Carol Laratonda, Mary McCann,
Benjamin Lloyd, Kathryn Nocero,
Aaron Oster, Matt Pfeiffer, Greg Romero,
Catherine Rush, Jay Wahl, Celeste Walker
Business
General Manager............................................................................Maggie Arbogast
Production
Production Manager..................................................................Patrick Heydenburg
Technical Director.............................................................................Clayton Tejada
Production Stage Manager.....................................................Patreshettarlini Adams
Company Manager / Administrative Director.....................Maribeth Maksymowich
Facilities Manager............................................................................Kenneth Deprez
Master Electrician...................................................................................John Curall
Sound Engineer.................................................................................Andrea Sotzing
Wardrobe Supervisor............................................................................Regina Rizzo
Production Fellow...................................................................................Debby Lau
Stage Management Fellow.........................................................................Erica Fuss
Front of House
Box Office Manager.............................................................................James Specht
Assistant Box Office Manager........................................................Crystal Whybark
Box Office Staff.....................................................Joel Chartkoff, Matthew Morgan
Volunteer Coordinator................................................................Cynthia DiClaudio
House Management Staff.....................................Tim Barnes, Carmine DeCinque,
Darren Joyner, Javier Mojica
Services
Publicity.............................................Megan Wendell, Canary Promotion + Design
Graphic Designer............................................................................Caren Goldstein
Photographer..............................................Paola Nogueras, Jim Roese Photography
Printing Services......................................................Color Reflections, Media Copy,
Quaker Printing Group, Spectrum Printing
Collateral Distribution.........................................A-List Promotions, Jere Edmunds
Catering...................................Bacchus Market & Catering, J. Cabot Catering Co.
Technology Services...........................................................................Ready, Net Go
Auditors....................................................................................Horty & Horty, P.A.
Cleaning Service................................................................................1010 Cleaning
Insurance Brokers......................................Corporate Synergies, SKCG Group, Inc.
How to contact us
The Wilma Theater, 265 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Administrative: 215.893.9456
Box Office: 215.546.7824
Fax: 215.893.0895
Website: www.wilmatheater.org
M AY / J U N E 2 0 0 8
THE WILMA THEATER
Newsletter Editor
Walter Bilderback
Blanka Zizka
Newsletter Designer
Nora Sidoti
Jiri Zizka
Managing Director
James Haskins
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE WILMA THEATER
Contributing Writers
Walter Bilderback
Richard W. Kotulski
Eurydice April 30 - June 1, 2008
Eurydice, Grief, and
Memory
In the years since Sarah Ruhl’s work was last
seen on the Wilma stage, The Clean House,
Eurydice, and her most recent play, Dead
Man’s Cell Phone, have all received major
productions in New York, as well as across
the country. Passion Play: A Cycle, an
ambitious epic piece that weaves together
three historical periods and settings
(Elizabethan England, Hitler’s Germany, and
the U.S. between the late 60s and early
80s), examining the interplay between
desire, faith, and political power, has been
produced in Washington, DC and Chicago,
with a production at Yale Repertory Theatre
next season. A new play, on the history of
the vibrator, will open at Berkeley Repertory
Theater.
Sarah Ruhl’s MacArthur Fellow profile
describes her work as “fresh, compelling,
and versatile,” which verges on understatement: she quite simply writes plays that are
like no one else’s. Each play is a separate
world, with its own rules. “I feel the world is
always open to transformation,” she told us
in 2004, and this belief permeates her
writing. Sarah’s work reflects Jean Cocteau’s
concept of “poetry of the stage, rather than
poetry on the stage.” Her work is marked
by a sensitivity in the portrayal of death, loss
and mourning, which is always balanced by a
wry, offbeat, humor. “Humor is a really, sort
of, selfless thing,” she said when we
produced The Clean House. In the March 17,
2008 issue of The New Yorker, she expanded
this: “Lightness isn’t stupidity. It’s actually a
philosophical and aesthetic viewpoint, deeply
serious, and has a kind of wisdom – stepping
back to be able to laugh at horrible things
even as you’re experiencing them.” A
graduate of Brown University, her alumni
magazine christened her “the playwright
laureate of grief” in a profile last year.
In Eurydice, she draws upon
Greek myth for her inspiration. Written not long after
her father died of cancer,
the play combines elements
of the myth with recollections of her father, such as
his love of etymology. In
fact, “recollection” or
“remembering” could be
seen as an essential element
of the larger theme of grief.
For the Wilma’s production,
Blanka Zizka has drawn
upon a range of influences,
including Federico Fellini’s
film The Clowns, video artist Bill Viola, and
conceptual artist Olafur Eliasson, in the
design process. We’ve also commissioned an
original score, performed live each night,
from composer Toby Twining. The following
pages (and the Wilma’s website) will allow
you to learn more of what’s behind tonight’s
performance.
Origin and Early Incarnations of
the Orpheus Myth
In classical myth, the story of Orpheus and
Eurydice surfaced in many different forms
and with much commentary. The name
Orpheus does not occur in Homer or
Hesiod, but appears first in the poetry of
Simonides, in the Sixth Century B.C.E.
The Greek poet Ibycus says Orpheus
charmed the trees, forest beasts, and even
the stones with his sweet songs so that none
of them disobeyed him. In early accounts of
the myth the outcome is more ambiguous
than in later versions, seeming to imply that
Orpheus was successful in retrieving
Eurydice from the underworld.
The ancient Greeks seemed to consider
Orpheus a historical rather than mythical
figure. The scholar Emmet Robbins points
out that Orpheus was accorded a higher
place by the ancients than the authors of the
two greatest extant monuments of ancient
Greek literature: Homer and Hesiod.
Image Credits: Olafur Eliasson (left); Jennifer
Steinkamp (behind text).
2
The myth as it is most known today—with
great emphasis placed on the fatal glance
backward toward Eurydice and her second
death—dates from the Latin writings of Ovid
and Virgil. In his Metamorphoses, Ovid
writes:
. . . there remained but little more to
climb till they would touch earth's
surface, when in fear he might again lose
her, and anxious for another look at her,
he turned his eyes so he could gaze upon
her. Instantly she slipped away.
He stretched out to her his despairing
arms, eager to rescue her, or feel her
form, but could hold nothing save the
yielding air.
Dying the second time, she could not say
a word of censure of her husband's fault;
what had she to complain of—his great
love?
Her last word spoken was, “Farewell!”
which he could barely hear, and with no
further sound she fell from him again to
Hades.
Orpheus and Eurydice by G. Ksatrezntein-Stub
The Orpheus Myth in Music From
The Renaissance to the Present
During the European Renaissance the myth
takes on significance as an emblem of the
power of music—and musicians begin interpreting the myth with greater frequency.
The earliest extant opera, Jacopo Peri’s
Euridice, dated around 1600, is based on the
myth—as are at least 64 other operas dating
from the year 1600 to the present day.
These include, most notably: Monteverdi’s
The Legend of Orpheus, Telemann’s Orpheus,
Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, Offenbach’s
Orphée aux enfers (remembered for giving us
the “can-can”), and, most recently, Philip
Glass’ Orphée.
References to the story of Orpheus and
Eurydice have appeared in classical and popular music ranging from the works of
Stravinsky—who wrote a ballet for chamber
orchestra based on the myth—to
singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright. Rocker
Nick Cave recorded a double album in 2004
entitled Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus.
Black Orpheus, Jean Cocteau,
and Rainer Maria Rilke
Three of the most famous and influential
modern interpretations of the Orpheus myth
are Marcel Camus’ film Orfeu Negro, Jean
Cocteau’s film Orphée, and the works by
Rainer Maria Rilke on the subject: the
Sonnets To Orpheus and Orpheus, Eurydice,
Hermes.
Over the next two thousand years this part
of the myth would be retold, taking on
different meanings for different generations.
The Loss of Eurydice by Elsie Russell, Oil on linen, 1994
Set in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro
during Carnival, Camus’ film is a generally
faithful reinterpretation of the myth of
Orpheus set to a bossa nova soundtrack by
Antonio Carlos Jobim. Praised by critics
around the world, the film won the 1959
Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and
the 1960 Academy Award for Best Foreign
Language Film.
Orphée, written and directed by Jean
Cocteau, is set in contemporary Paris. In the
film, Orpheus is a poet who becomes
obsessed with Death (the Princess), while
one of Death's associates, Heurtebise, has
unrequited feelings for Eurydice. Eurydice is
killed by the Princess' henchmen and
Orpheus goes after her into the
Underworld. Although entangled, the
Princess sends Orpheus and Eurydice back
out of the Underworld. Adapted from an
earlier play by Cocteau, the film is the
second of a three-part trilogy by
Cocteau based on Orpheus’ mythical
character.
Orpheus, Eurydice, Hermes, written
nearly twenty years before the
Sonnets, delves more deeply into
the psyche of Eurydice than much of
the Orphic literature had before. In
the poem, Rilke describes Eurydice as
being filled like a fruit with sweetness and
darkness and so full of vast death that she
comprehended nothing. In Rilke’s poem it is
the messenger god Hermes who notices
Orpheus’ famous look back:
And when suddenly
the god stopped her and, with anguish in
his cry,
uttered the words: ‘He has turned
round’ –
she comprehended nothing and said
softly: ‘Who?’
Combined with the Sonnets, Rilke’s approach
to the myth, his views of death within the
works, and its emphasis on Eurydice as a
central figure, has profoundly influenced the
work of fiction authors, poets, musicians,
and theatre artists including most
prominently Mary Zimmerman and Sarah
Ruhl.
Engraving of Mercury taking
Eurydice back to Hades, 1902
3
Talking to Ghosts and Conjuring
the Invisible:
A conversation with Sarah Ruhl
about life, death, and Eurydice
Walter Bilderback: A lot has happened to
you since we did The Clean House here in
2004. Can you tell us a little about it?
How has your life as an artist changed?
Sarah Ruhl: Not much in substance. But
I did have a baby. And move to New
York. I have less time to do nothing.
Which I crave.
WB: That seems humble. You won a
MacArthur fellowship; you’ve had new
plays premiere at some of the most
prestigious theaters around the country, as
well as three critically-praised productions
Off Broadway in the past 18 months.
You've even been profiled in Smithsonian
Magazine, which usually doesn't pay much
attention to theater.
SR: Do you mean that as a question or a
comment?
WB: I was trying to make it a question,
but. . .
SR: I guess I separate how has my life
and writing changed from how has my
career changed. Basically you write what
you write, you show up at rehearsals—
in substance it's very similar, that's what I
mean. I don't mean to be disingenuous, I
take more taxis, but other than that, life
is similar.
WB: What made you interested in using
the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice as the
basis of a play? What led you to put the
emphasis on Eurydice and her father in the
underworld, rather than on Orpheus, as in
most retellings of the legend?
SR: There have been lots of re-tellings of
the Orpheus story—Cocteau, the
operas, Black Orpheus.... We know a
great deal about Orpheus’ loss. But for
some reason we never hear from
Eurydice—she’s always a cipher,
someone who dies twice. I’m interested
in her voice. I’m interested in anyone
who dies twice. In terms of the father, it
made intuitive sense to me that Eurydice
would meet some of her ancestors in
the afterlife. The triangulation between
the father and the groom is fascinating to
me—watching young women have to
choose their husband over their father—
it’s a deep, fraught exchange. In my own
life, I lost my father too young, and in
many ways I think I wrote Eurydice as a
way to have more conversations with
him.
WB: Much of the play takes place in an
underworld based in many respects on
Greek notions – especially the idea of
drinking something that makes you forget.
How did the idea of the Stones come
about?
SR: In the version of the myth I grew up
on, Orpheus' music is so sad it makes
even the stones weep. So I was
interested in the idea of repressed
emotion in the underworld... what is it
about weeping that breaks the rules of
the underworld and allows Orpheus to
enter? I also think the Stones enforce the
rules of the underworld, they are our
guides, and they make us laugh when we
want to weep. I love Greek choruses
because they mirror the experience of
the audience—they remind us that
we’re seeing a play and not a film.
WB: You’ve also presented a different
image of an afterlife in your play Dead
Man’s Cell Phone. I can’t think of another
playwright who has created two different
visions of the afterlife. What has led you
back to this theme?
SR: Maybe I’ve been around too many
death-beds for my age….but I also think
there is something about death that feels
unintegrated in the modern psyche. In a
way it feels to me like an odd casualty of
modern life, the way death has been
professionalized—other people "handle"
it for us, and we're cut off from the
whole notion of it, the whole experience
of it. It sometimes feels as though we're
no longer looking at the whole life cycle.
Death is viewed as an odd aberration
that happens to the unlucky, rather than
something we ought to set our sights on
in terms of how we live our daily lives. I
think theater is a place where we can
talk to ghosts, conjure the invisible, and
meditate on the shortness of life, even as
we try to live in it fully.
4
An Interview with
Composer Toby Twining
WB: You’ve mentioned just intonation
frequently in our conversations. Can you
explain what that is?
[Wilma Theater co-Artistic Director Blanka
Zizka asked vocal composer Toby Twining to
create an original sound score for our
production of Eurydice. He spoke with Wilma
Dramaturg Walter Bilderback about his
compositional techniques.]
TT: Put briefly, just intonation is a very old
way of tuning music by making intervals
sound their smoothest. I say “extended just
intonation,” which implies that I am
designing scales other than those that are
standard, such as the diatonic scale (white
keys on a piano) or chromatic scale (black
and white keys on a piano). Just scales divide
the octave differently than a piano.
Furthermore, scales tend to be fixed—that
is, they use a handful of pitch regions that do
not change frequency: A is always 440 Hz
(vibrations per second), E is always 660 Hz,
etc. Sometimes I do that, but other times I
maximize smoothness to make a chord, with
which the music can creep and crawl around
microtonally throughout the pitch
spectrum—A might begin as 440 Hz, but
through a series of chord progressions,
might become a little higher or lower.
Walter Bilderback: Some in our audience may
know your work, from appearances on Prairie
Home Companion, for instance, but many will
not. Could you tell us a little about your
career?
Toby Twining: For the past twenty-plus
years, I have focused my composing and
performing on primarily experimental,
unaccompanied vocal
ensemble music. I have
approached the voice as
an instrument, seeking
to use its technical agility
and many colors to
achieve a new
choral/vocal sound. Two
exemplary recordings
are Shaman (1994, BMG
Classics), music for vocal
quartet, quintet, and
eleven voices, and
Chrysalid Requiem
(Cantaloupe Music,
2003), for twelve-part
chamber choir. The
latter is also my first
large work in extended just intonation, a
tuning system, which interests me for its
innovative harmony.
Comments from Costume
Designer
Oana Botez-Ban:
I've been working
with Mimi Lien since
my 2nd year at NYU.
I love working with
Mimi. Her sense of
space is very unique:
she creates an architectural space that
surprises you in its
composition and
poetry which
compliments the
work of the other
WB: You refer to
microtones a lot.
What are they?
TT: The term
microtone needs
qualification.
According to
western music
theory, our
smallest musical
interval is the
semitone, that is,
the interval made
by two adjacent
keys on the
piano. Anything
designers. My first project with both Mimi
and Tyler
Micoleau was Pig
Iron's Love
Unpunished. I
think Tyler’s work
is breathtaking. I
am very excited
to be on the
same design team
again.
The temptation
with this text was
to try to abstract
everything.
Blanka was very
clear about the
smaller is a microtone, which westerners
have traditionally considered to be an exotic
feature of the music of other cultures (South
Indian, Indonesian, Egyptian, and many
more). However,
microtones are part of
the performance
practice of western
musicians, whose
instruments have flexible
pitch, such as the violin
and voice, in order to
stay in tune with each
other. String quartets,
Barbershop quartets,
and vocal ensembles that
specialize in Early Music
excel in this.
WB: How can we recognize these techniques
when we hear them in the play?
TT: I'm not sure I want people to recognize
it when they hear just intonation in Eurydice.
It's the musical qualities made possible by
tuning subtleties that I hope will be effective
for people, rather than knowing something is
"microtonal" or in “just intonation." On the
other hand, I feel that tuning with pure
intervals can affect the music profoundly,
such as the increased sense of serenity it
produces in Renaissance church music—
another example, like Barbershop Quartet,
that everyone hears without knowing what it
is. Generally, whenever we hear maximum
smoothness between pitches, we are hearing
a just tuning. If we are hearing unusual
intervals that sound off in some way, but
surprise us by their smoothness, we are
hearing some form of extended just
intonation.
need to not lose the human side of the story.
Worlds like Fellini's Clowns for the Stones or
Alice in Wonderland
were references
for the design.
Blanka kept
referring to the
Stones as “Clowns
of Death”...I think
that stayed with
me.
Costume sketches
by Oana Botez-Ban
About the Wilma
Beginning with their adaptation of George
Orwell’s Animal Farm in 1979 for The Wilma
Project, Blanka Zizka and Jiri Zizka have
created some of the most memorable theatrical productions in Philadelphia for more
than 28 years.
The Wilma Project, founded in 1973,
challenged Philadelphia audiences with
productions from avant-garde theater troops
such as Bread & Puppet Theatre, Mabou
Mines, Charles Ludlam’s Ridiculous
Theatrical Company, The Wooster Group,
Ping Chong & the Fiji Company, and
Spalding Gray. The Zizkas arrived in
Philadelphia from their native
Czechoslovakia in 1977, and soon after they
joined The Wilma Project as artists-in-residence.
In 1981, following the Board of Directors’
offer to assume the artistic leadership of the
project, the Zizkas converted an old
warehouse on Sansom Street into a 100-seat
space where The Wilma Theater, as it is
known today, was founded. On Sansom
Street, the Wilma mounted 16 acclaimed
seasons, operating to full capacity.
Hugh Hardy. The 300-seat theater allows for
intimacy and closeness between the audience
and the actors, while providing ample space
on stage for more spectacular productions.
Productions by the Wilma have been seen at
the International Theater Festival in the
Czech Republic; in New York at the Public
Theater and Manhattan Theatre Club; The
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in
Washington, DC; McCarter Theatre Center
in Princeton, NJ; Long Wharf Theatre in
Connecticut; and ACT Seattle. In addition to
their presentations and festivals, the Wilma
has produced over 100 productions, including 16 World Premieres, 12 US Premieres, 3
East Coast Premieres, and 63 Philadelphia
Premieres. The Wilma coproduced a feature film broadcast nationally
on Great Performances. The theater has
worked with notables such as Stephen
Sondheim, Tom Stoppard, Christopher
Hampton, Doug Wright, and Arthur Miller
as well as playwrights such as Claudia Shear,
Lillian Groag, Chay Yew, Charles L. Mee,
Jason Sherman, Dael Orlandersmith, Robert
William Sherwood, Sarah Ruhl, Polly Pen,
and Laurence Klavan.
The theater has won 39 Barrymore Awards
for Excellence in Theater, the most awards
received by any company, and has received
high critical acclaim from many publications
throughout the tri-state region and from
national publications such as: The New York
Times, The New York Post, TIME, USA Today,
The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune and
The Wall Street Journal.
Why the Name
Wilma?
In 1985, a decision was made to find a
larger space for the theater and in 1989,
a location was identified at the corner of
Broad and Spruce Streets. The Wilma
opened its new facility on Philadelphia’s
Avenue of the Arts in 1996. The first new
theater to be built in Center City since 1928
was designed by renowned theater architect
In A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Woolf
imagines Shakespeare’s sister Judith, as
brilliant as her brother but beaten into
silence—both literally and figuratively—by
the age she lives in. To explain how the lives
of two siblings could so dramatically
diverge, Woolf recalls a bishop who
explained to an inquiring parishioner that,
just as cats don’t go to heaven, so cannot
any woman possess the talent of
Shakespeare: “How much thinking those old
gentlemen used to save one! How the borders of ignorance shrank back at their
approach! Cats do not go to heaven. Women
cannot write the plays of Shakespeare.” It
was simply a given.
The Wilma Theater inherited its name from
the original Wilma Project, which began in
1973 as a feminist collective. They chose to
name their theater after an invented sister of
Shakespeare, but not after Woolf ’s Judith.
The founders created the fantastical Wilma,
a talented sister with a room of her own,
the means and freedom to express herself.
When Blanka Zizka and Jiri Zizka took over
The Wilma Project, they did not abandon its
namesake. The Zizkas’ The Wilma Theater
does not take the status quo as a given.
Instead, it constantly strives for new ways of
expression and revelation, social significance
Board of Directors
Officers
Peggy Greenawalt, Chair
John D. Rollins, Vice Chair
Albert E. “Ted” Wolf, Vice Chair
Lewis H. Johnston, Secretary
Thomas Mahoney, Treasurer
Board Members
Roger Ballou
Autumn Bayles
Arjun Bedi
Clare D’Agostino, Esq.
Mark S. Dichter, Esq.
Steve Director
Herman C. Fala, Esq.
Linda Glickstein
Sudhakar Goverdhanam
Jeff Harbison
Harvey Kimmel
Erin Kuhls
Robert E. Linck
Sissie Lipton
David E. Loder, Esq.
Marilyn Lucas
James F. McGillin
Margaret W. Meigs
Donald F. Parman
Ronald Rock
Mary Rucci
Dianne L. Semingson
Ellen B. Solms
Evelyn G. Spritz
Gillian Wakely
Andrew B. Williams
Elizabeth A. W. Williams
Jeanne P. Wrobleski, Esq.
Ex-Officio
James Haskins
Dr. R. J. Wallner
Blanka Zizka
Jiri Zizka
12
A Special Note to Our Donors
Thank you to all of our donors, including those who donate
through our Ticket Exchange Program. This list acknowledges all donors above $150 from April 15th, 2007 through
April
7th, 2008. If your name has been omitted or misprinted,
please accept our apologies.
Notify us of the change by contacting Lea Montalto-Rook,
Development Associate, at 215.893.9456 x109.
Student Sunday Evenings
This program is generously underwritten by the
Virginia and Harvey Kimmel Endowment Fund.
This program provides $10 tickets to students.
Foundation,
Corporate, and
Government
Supporters
Anonymous
Altria, Inc.
Arronson Foundation
The Barra Foundation
The Beneficia Foundation,
through Deana and David
Duncan
Berwind Corporation
The Boeing Company
Louis N. Cassett Foundation
Citizens Bank
The City of Philadelphia and
its Office of the City
Representative
Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, Department
of Community and
Economic Development
The Connelly Foundation
The Charlotte Cushman
Foundation
The Dolfinger-McMahon
Foundation
The Elsie Lee Garthwaite
Memorial Foundation
GlaxoSmithKline
The Horace W. Goldsmith
Foundation
The Hamilton Family
Foundation
Independence Blue Cross
Independence Foundation
KPMG LLP
Lincoln Financial Foundation
Maxwell Strawbridge Trust
McGillin Architecture Inc.
Merck and Co.
Walter J. Miller Trust
The National Endowment for
the Arts
Nararo Foundation
PECO, An Exelon Company
Pennsylvania Council on the
Arts
Pennsylvania Humanities
Council
The Pew Charitable Trusts
The Philadelphia Cultural
Fund
The Philadelphia Cultural
Management Initiative,
Funded by The Pew
Charitable Trusts,
Administered by The
The Philadelphia Foundation
Philadelphia Theatre Initiative,
a program of the
Philadelphia Center for Arts
and Heritage, funded by
and administered by The
PNC Bank Foundation
The Rosenlund Family
Foundation
The Caroline J. Sanders Trust
The Shubert Foundation, Inc.
Target
John Templeton Foundation
Tierney Communications
TJX Foundation
The Wachovia Foundation
The Wallace Foundation
The William Penn Foundation
Wilmington Trust of
Pennsylvania
The Zeldin Family Foundation
In-Kind Donors
Avencia Incorporated
Barefoot Wine
Blank Rome Comisky and
McCauley
Canary Promotion + Design
Communications Automation
Corporation
The DoubleTree Hotel,
Avenue of the Arts
Express Logistic, Inc.
Hatboro Beverages
Knock Restaurant
Lobro Associates
McCormick and Schmick’s
Seafood Restaurant
The Melior Group
Morgan Lewis and Bockius,
LLP
Park Hyatt at the Bellevue
Ready Net Go, Inc.
The Sporting Club at the
Bellevue, the preferred fitness center of The Wilma
Theater
Tria
The University of the Arts
Valanni Restaurant and
Lounge
The Venture Inn
Walter C. Bilderback
Proud Recipient of a 2007 Excellence Award from
This prestigious award is critical in the Wilma’s effort to broaden participation and engage our audiences by
formalizing performance-related symposia and topical discussion events and launching our
Building the Audiences of Tomorrow campaign to increase high school and college student participation.
Won’t you please join The Wallace Foundation and give the gift of theater to a student in your community?
Here are just a few examples of what your contribution can do:
• $25 subsidizes a discounted rush ticket for one student
• $50 provides the materials for student leaders who participate in our Wilma Student Advisory meetings
• $100 subsidizes a discounted season subscription to the Wilma for one student
*At the $150 level your name is listed in the Wilmabill program*
• $250 funds instruction by a Teaching Artist in our Wilmagination program.
Teaching Artists visit underserved Philadelphia public schools to bring theater to students at their own educational institutions.
• $500 covers one scholarship for a deserving student to attend Camp Wilma
• $1000 subsidizes one whole class visit to attend a Wilma Student Matinee performance
*At the $1000 level you become a Premiere Circle member with invitations to exclusive Wilma events*
• $2500 sponsors the production of a Wilma Student Matinee performance
Please demonstrate your love for The Wilma Theater and your commitment to
Building the Audiences of Tomorrow by contributing TODAY!
Contributions can be made online at www.wilmatheater.org or by calling our Development Office at 215-893-9456 x109.
A Special Thank You to all of our donors who have already joined in our campaign.
Whole Foods
Wolf, Block, Schorr and SolisCohen LLP
Opening Night
Donors
Barefoot Wine
Cabot Cheese
Di Bruno Bros.
Hatboro Beverages
XIX
Matching Gifts
ACE INA Foundation
Exxonmobil Foundation
GlaxoSmithKline Matching
Gifts Program
GMAC
IBM Matching Gifts
Johnson & Johnson Family of
Companies
Merck & Co.
Norfolk Southern Foundation
Matching Gift Program
The PNC Foundation
Prudential Foundation
Matching Gifts
Quaker Chemical Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation
Tenet Health Care Foundation
Tyco
Wellington Management
Company
The Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
INDIVIDUAL
DONOR
PROGRAMS
The Premiere Circle
The Premiere Circle is a group
of our area’s leaders who
demonstrate their love of the
performing arts through their
generosity to the Wilma with
gifts of $1,000 or over. The
benefits of the Premiere
Circle are designed to bring
members closer to the artists
whose work they make possible. For more information,
please contact James Haskins,
Managing Director, at
215.893.9456
x110. A plus sign (+) denotes
five-year consecutive donors.
Mrs. Valla Amsterdam+
Roger and Georgeann Ballou
Arjun Bedi
Peter Benoliel and Willo
Carey+
Daniel Berger+
Louis Bluver
Ms. Jacqueline Bodin
Sheldon & Jill Bonovitz
Lois and Julian Brodsky
Kathleen Chimicles
John and Priscilla Clement
Ms. Clare D’Agostino+
Mr. Joseph Dante+
Mark and Tobey Dichter+
Dr. and Mrs. Stephen W.
Director
Sheryl and Steve Durham+
Herman and Helen Fala+
Finklestein Foundation
Michael J. Finney
Matt and Marie Garfield+
Betsy Gemmill
Eduardo Glandt+
Mr. and Mrs. Bernard
Glassman
Linda and David Glickstein+
Jane and Joe Goldblum
Mr. and Mrs. Sudhakar
Goverdhanam
Rich and Peggy Greenawalt+
John C. and Chara C. Haas
Otto Haas Charitable Trust+
Otto Haas Charitable Trust
#2 recommended by
Leonard C. Haas+
To learn more
about our
education
programs
visit
wilmatheater.org
There are other ways you can make a difference!
1) You can double or triple your donation to the Wilma by
asking your workplace if they have a Matching Gifts program.
2) You can give to the Wilma through The United Way.
3) You can donate In-Kind Gifts, or Gifts of Stock, or
Real Estate.
4) You can remember the Wilma through Planned Giving.
Please contact our Development Office at 215-893-9456 x109
for more information.
Phoebe W. Haas Charitable
Trust “A” recommended by
Carole Haas Gravagno+
Valerie A. Arkoosh and Jeffrey
T. Harbison+
Alan and Nancy Hirsig+
Mr. and Mrs. Richard V.
Holmes
Mr. John Patrick Hunt+
The Haley Foundation
Lewis and Ellen Johnston
Harvey and Virginia Kimmel+
Mrs. Patricia Kind+
Ms. Josephine Klein+
Kenneth and Eve Klothen
Erin and Joseph Kuhls
Dianne Semingson and Craig
Lewis
Mr. and Mrs. Robert E.
Linck+
Sissie and Herb Lipton+
David E. Loder and Nadya
Shmavonian
Marilyn Lucas
Tom and Betsy Mahoney
James and Eleanor McGillin+
Margaret Meigs and Paul
Laskow
Gregory Montanaro
Antonio Muñiz
Russell Palmer and Stephen
Janick
Mr. and Mrs. Donald F.
Parman+
Dr. Nancy Petersmeyer
The Suzanne F. Roberts
Cultural Development
Fund+
Ronald and Janet Rock
John and Theresa Rollins+
John B. Rosenthal and Linda
Nickey
Karen Ruef+
Sam and Charles Foundation
Dr. Vincent Sanguineti and
Dr. Marion Frank+
Dr. Nathan and Dolly
Beechman Schnall+
Mari M. Shaw
Ellen and Steve Solms+
Ms. Evelyn Spritz+
Ms. Kathleen Stephenson+
Harvey B. Swedloff
Charles and Melissa Thorne+
Barbara Yaseen Tiffany Fund
of The Philadelphia
Foundation
Gillian Wakely+
Archie D. & Bertha H. Walker
Foundation
Sally Walker and Tom
Gilmore+
Dr. R. J. Wallner+
Andy and Sally Williams
A. Morris and Ruth Williams
Elizabeth A.W. Williams
Albert E. “Ted” and Stevie
Wolf+
The Bijoux Program
A plus sign (+) denotes five
year consecutive donors.
Anonymous (3)
Ms. Natalie Abbott
Phyllis and Charles Adams+
Mr. and Ms. Reid Addis+
James and Sandra Andrews+
Peter Arger
Ms. Mary Ashley
Mr. Joseph F. Baker+
Dr. Donald Bakove and
Margaret G. McLaughlin
Ms. Leah Baron
Alan Barstow and Jennifer
Clarke+
Ms. Susan Basile+
Richard and Eileen Bazelon+
Mr. Ralph Bean+
Mr. and Ms. Charles
Benshetler+
Mr. and Mrs. Frank A.
Bernard
Lo and Tom Betley+
Mr. and Ms. Barry Bevacqua+
Ann and Tom Blackburn+
Mr. Stanley Bodeen+
Libby Cone and Tom
Borawski+
Mr. and Mrs. Robert
Bornemann+
Mr. Brad Bowen and Ms.
Karen Knox+
Ms. Susan H. Bray
Joseph and Mary Lou
Breidenstine+
Mr. Norman Brumberg
Mr. and Ms. David Brownlee
Mr. James Bryson
Mr. John Burns
Barbara and Bruce Byrne+
Ms. Lee Canter
Anne and Thomas
Caramanico+
Mr. Edward Carrington
Debbie and Alan Casnoff
Mrs. Carol Caswell+
Mr. Darrell J. Cira+
Paul Coff and Susan Odessy
Mr. Robert Conner
Mr. and Ms. Robert Corlies+
Norman D. Cotterell and
Tuesday Vanstory
Tony and Harriet Crane+
Mr. Jerry Cross+
Granville Crothers
Mr. Chester T. Cyzio+
Dr. Christopher D'Amanda
Mr. David J. Dotzert
Mr. Daniel C. Drecksage and
Ms. Leslie Sudock+
Maxine Dubin
Robert DuPlessis and Rachel
Blau DuPlessis
Sheryl and Steve Durham+
John T. Durkin and Rebecca
L. Stanley+
Dr. and Ms. Joel K. Edelstein*
Ms. Susan J. Ellis+
Mr. Howard Emerson
Mr. Stephen Falchek+
Paul and Judith Farber+
Dr. Charles Farthing
Ms. Helen F. Faust+
Jill K. Fenton
Janet and Edward Fielding
Mr. and Ms. Robert J. Fleming
Ralph and Carol Flood+
Alan Folsom and Kathryn
Ruch
Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Ford+
Ms. Ashley Frazier
Robert Freeman and Beverly
Caplan-Freeman
W. Roderick & Pamela Gagne
Charles M. and Ellen
Gallagher+
Harry and Jeanne Gelman+
Ms. Deborah E. Glass
Dr. Steven and Mrs. Susan
Glauser+
Glenn Goldberg
Michele Goldfarb and Tony
Rostain
John and Elizabeth Gontarz+
Ms. Criswell Gonzalez
Drs. Mark and Vivan
Greenberg
Ms. Susan V. Greene
Michael and Anne
Greenwald+
Ms. Margaret Grip+
Ira and Jane Grushow+
Vahe Hadajian
Mr. Mark H. Haller+
Robert and Dianne Harnish+
Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Harrison+
Peter and Donna Hasselmo
Ms. Marion V. Heacock+
Ms. Patricia Henriques+
Mr. and Mrs. William
Hensinger+
Sally Steffen and Geoffrey
Herrera
Ms. Elizabeth Higginbotham
Matthew and Cindy Hirsch
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph S.
Hirshorn+
Ms. Terry Hirshorn
Mr. Thomas Holland+
Michael Hozik and Margaret
Rea+
Ms. Kathleen Hutchins
Paul H. Kahn and Janet Alden
Kahn+
Mr. Ross Kardon+
Caroline R. Kemmerer
Mr. John S. Kiley
Donald and Gay Kimelman
Mr. Robert Kirkwood+
Ms. Kaori Kitao+
Mr. and Ms. Craig Knauer
Drs. Alfred Knudson and
Anna Meadows+
Mr. Jeff Koopman
Mr. Kenneth D. Kopple+
Peg and Michael Kramer+
Mr. and Ms. Clive Landa
Charles and Lucinda
Landreth+
Nancy Lanham
Rachelle and Wayne Leese+
Mr. Eric Leichter
Chris and Becky Leise
Joe and Ginny Leonard+
Mr. David Lerman and Ms.
Shelly Wallock+
Clifford and Elizabeth
Levine+
Dr. Rafael and Nancy
Levites+
Mr. and Mrs. Howard H.
Lewis+
Joseph and Dorritt Linsk+
Mr. William A. Loeb+
Ann T. Loftus, Esquire and
Eileen Talone+
Mr. Michael Lord
Mr. Robert Macbeth
Frank and Sally Mallory
Mr. and Ms. James Marks
Gordon and Louise Marshall+
Fran Martin
Ms. Lynne Maxwell
Ms. Rachel Mazzagatti
Mr. James McCaffery+
Dot and Joe McGrew+
Mr. Donald McKay+
Laura and Marc McKenna
Mr. and Mrs. Jay K. Meadway
Lawrence Meehan and Susan
Tomita+
Mr. and Ms. David Miller+
Megan and Lou Minella+
Mr. and Mrs. David Mintzer
Fredaricka and Douglas
Moffitt+
Ms. Jonni Moore
Christiaan Morssink and
Shirika Kumanyika+
Mr. and Ms. Kenneth Mumma
Frank and Fiona Murray+
Dr. and Ms. Andrew
Newman+
Quan A. Nguyen and Jessica
Lynn Geyer+
Gene and Sally Nicholls+
Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Ockman+
Ms. Barbara Oldenhoff+
Hugh O'Neill and Fay Shah
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Orleman
Ms. Catherine Ormerod+
Mr. and Ms. Robert Panaccio
Mr. Arthur Panfile+
Milton and Ruth Parnes+
Mr. and Ms. Philip Paul+
Mr. and Ms. John Peakes
Ruth Perlmutter
Ms. Christina Peterson
Mr. and Mrs. John A. Philbrick
III+
Marcelle Pick
Elizabeth and Jerome
Pontillo+
Dr. and Mrs. Joel S. Porter+
Ms. Harriet Potashnick
Daniel Promislo
Charles and April Regan
Mr. and Mrs. Kurt W. Reiss+
Dr. Ken Richman+
Ms. Jean Ridgway
Debi Rochelle
Mr. and Mrs. Guadalupe and
Dorothy Romanko Rojo
Ms. Suzanne Rommel+
Gordon and Karen Rose+
Mr. and Ms. Michael Rosen
Barbara and Daniel
Rottenberg
Ms. Cheryl Rusten
Carol and George Sabochick+
David and Romayne Sachs+
Andrew Sacksteder and
Colleen Murphy+
Lynn and Anthony C. Salvo
Ms. Nora Salzman+
Mr. John F. Sanford+
Mr. and Ms. David Sautter+
Karen Scholnick
Mr. Gino Segre and Ms.
Bettina Hoerlin
Gerald and Linda Senker+
Ms. Christine J. Shamborsky
Sharon and Irv Shapiro+
Mr. James Sisneros
Elizabeth and Richard Soltan
Dr. Edward J. Speedling and
Jane Isaacs Lowe+
Ms. Louisa Spottswood+
Mr. Peter Stambler
Harold and Emily Starr+
Jonathan and Judith Stein
Mark Stein and Carol Baker+
Mark Steinberger and Ann
Lebowitz+
Mr. and Ms. John Stiklorius+
Mr. and Mrs. Norman
Stuessy+
Mr. Stephen A. Stumpf+
Dr. Daniel B. Szyld
Ms. Nina E. Tafel+
Bruce and Christina Tarkoff+
Louis Thompson and Sherryl
Kuhlman
Tonto II
Carol DePrisco and Walter
Uhler+
United Way of Southeastern
Pennsylvania
Philip and Betty Varner+
Daniel and Marilyn Veber+
Barbara Ventresco+
Hella and Lewis Volgenau+
Eddie Wallace
Ms. Marion M. Walter
Sallie & James Warden+
Ms. Wendy Warner
John Weidman and Ebony
Staton
Bob Weinberg and Eleanor
Wilner+
Ms. Margie Weingarten
Barbara and Peter
Westergaard+
Wendy and Miriam White+
Bob Weinberg and Eleanor
Wilner
Ms. Wendy E. Wilson+
Bernhard and Elizabeth
Witter+
Ms. Mary Ann Woodcock+
Barbara and Richard Woods+
Thomas and Jacqueline
Zemaitis
Peter Zutter and Tom
Murphy+
Partnering
Businesses
Barristers Bar and
Grille
1832 Sansom St.
215.496.0786
Bistro Romano
120 Lombard St.
215.925.8880
Cafe Spice
35 S. 2nd St.
215.627.6273
Caribou Cafe
1126 Walnut St.
215.625.9535
Cebu*
123 Chestnut St.
215.629.1100
citygrange at The
Westin Philadelphia
99 S. 17th St.
215.575.6930
Cork*
90 Haddon Ave.,
Westmont, NJ
856.833.9800
Ecco Qui*
3200 Chestnut St.
215.222.3226
Ernesto’s 1521 Cafe
1521 Spruce St.
215.546.1521
Estia Restaurant
1405 Locust St.
215.735.7700
Fork Restaurant
306 Market St.
215.625.9425
Independence Brew
Pub
1150 Filbert St.
215.922.4292
Italian Bistro of
Center City
211 S. Broad St.
215.731.0700
Locust Rendezvous
Bar & Grill
1415 Locust St.
215.985.1163
London Grill
2301 Fairmount Ave.
215.978.4545
Mantra*
122 S. 18th St.
215.988.1211
Marigold Kitchen
BYOB*
501 S. 45th St.
215.222.3699
Mercato Restaurant &
BYOB
1216 Spruce St.
215.985.2962
Meritage Restaurant
500 S. 20th St.
215.985.1922
Mission Grill*
1835 Arch St.
215.636.9550
Moriarty’s Restaurant
1116 Walnut St.
215.627.7676
Naked Chocolate Café
1317 Walnut St.
215.735.7310
Nineteen (XIX)
Park Hyatt Philadelphia
at the Bellevue (19th
Floor)
Broad and Walnut Sts.
215.790.1919
Philadelphia Fish and
Co.*
207 Chestnut St.
215.625.8605
Portofino Restaurant
1227 Walnut St.
215.923.8208
Ristorante La Buca
711 Locust St.
215.928.0556
Ruth’s Chris Steak
House
260 S. Broad St.
215.790.1515
Sotto Varalli
231 S. Broad St.
215.546.6800
The Capital Grille
1338 Chestnut St.
215.545.9588
The Melting Pot
1219 Filbert St.,
Center City
215.922.7002
8229 Germantown Ave.,
Chestnut Hill
215.242.3003
150 Allendale Rd.,
King of Prussia
610.265.7195
The Prime Rib*
1701 Locust St.
215.772.1701
Upstairs at Varalli
1345 Locust St.
215.546.4200
Valanni Restaurant &
Lounge
1229 Spruce St.
215.790.9494
Warsaw Cafe
306 S. 16th Street
215.546.0204
World Cafe Live*
3025 Walnut St.
215.222.1400
Xochitl*
408 S. 2nd St.
215.238.7280
*Client of The Restaurant
Collection:
www.therestaurantcollection.com
The Wilma Theater would like to thank the following
audience members for their participation in the
Audience Advisory Committee:
Mary Ellen Byrne, Richard Drucker, Ilene Lefko,
Karlyn Messinger, John Piston, Leslie Ryan,
Karen Scholnick, Jim Shaw, John Shirley,
Lewis Silverman, Patricia Sollimo,
Joseph Waldo, Frank Zampiello
Venture Inn
SCENE 1: Pre-Theater Dinner Specials starting at $15
SCENE 2: Eurydice @ the Wilma
SCENE 3: After-Show Nightcaps
255 S. CAMAC ST.
215.545.8731
WWW.VIPHILLY.COM
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Villanova’s M.A. program combines both scholarly and practical
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Villanova Theatre has received 50 nominations
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Tom Stoppard's Exclusive Appearance
at the Wilma
In case you missed it, the Wilma was honored to have
Tom Stoppard make a rare appearance to discuss his
latest play, Rock 'n' Roll, which will open the Wilma's
upcoming 30th Anniversary Season. Audience
members were enthralled as he discussed with
co-Artistic Director Blanka Zizka his life in former
Czechoslovakia and what inspired him in writing this
play. Look for more exciting news about the Wilma’s
production of Rock ’n’ Roll very soon!
19
Introducing Pre-Theater Dinner
Above the Avenue of the Arts
Experience the flavors of XIX
with a three course prix fixe menu
M O N D AY – T H U R S D AY
5:30-7PM
$35 PER PERSON
Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue. 19th Floor.
Broad and Walnut Streets. Philadelphia. Pennsylvania 19102
T E L E P H O N E 215.790.1919 FA C S I M I L E 215.732.8518
parkhyattphiladelphia.com
30Anniversary
th
ROCK ‘N’ ROLL
by Tom Stoppard
2008/09
directed by Blanka Zizka
September 17 – October 19, 2008
“Triumphant…Rock ‘n’ Roll is arguably Stoppard’s finest play…he is a magician, and this is a passionate,
decades-spanning tale of love, revolution, and music!” -The New York Times
This extraordinary theatrical event from Academy Award winner and four-time Tony® Award winner Tom Stoppard (The
Invention of Love) was a recent hit on Broadway following a record-breaking run in London's West End. In August 1968,
Russian tanks are rolling into Prague; Jan, the Czech student, lives for rock music; Max, the English professor, lives for
Communism; and Esme, the flower child, lives for a high. By 1990, the tanks are rolling out, the Stones are rolling in, and
idealism has hit the wall. Stoppard's sweeping and passionate play spans two countries, three generations, and 22 turbulent
years, at the end of which, love remains — and so does rock 'n' roll.
SCHMUCKS
by Roy Smiles
directed by Jiri Zizka
December 3, 2008 – January 4, 2009
“An evening of total comic virtuosity…another success for the prolific
and aptly named Roy Smiles!” -The Evening Standard
Fasten your seatbelts ‘cause all hell’s about to break loose! It’s 1965, and the great Northeast Blackout covers New York
City in a state of panic and disorder. Isolated in a small diner, a young stand-up comic with an upcoming gig on The Ed Sullivan Show encounters comic icons Groucho Marx and Lenny Bruce and implores them for comedic guidance. What results is
an exhilarating and unpredictable debate of the nature and purpose of comedy. From one of London’s funniest playwrights
comes a play that had audience members laughing out loud during a reading at the Wilma earlier this season.
by Wajdi Mouawad
SCORCHED
translated by Linda Gaboriau
February 25 – March 29, 2009
directed by Blanka Zizka
“Scorched introduces a playwright with an important voice to the English language theater!” -Variety
A tour-de-force epic mystery depicting one woman’s moral conviction to interrupt the cycle of war and revenge, Scorched is
an intensely dramatic play from an internationally acclaimed Lebanese-born playwright. After the death of their mother,
twins Janine and Simon receive a surprising request in her will to deliver letters to a father they thought was dead and a
brother they never knew existed. These tasks lead them on a journey to the heart of their mother’s war-torn Middle
Eastern homeland. In the course of their search, they learn about their mother's long-concealed history and uncover
shocking secrets about their own origins.
HYSTERIA
by Terry Johnson
directed by Jiri Zizka
May 13 – June 14, 2009
“Hysteria is an exuberant surprise…as unexpectedly resonant as a crazy sonnet!” -The New York Times
Winner of an Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, Hysteria is a madcap comedy based on an historical meeting between
two of the world’s greatest and most eccentric men – Sigmund Freud and Salvador Dalí. Set in London in 1938, this wild
comedy showcases Freud as he deals with several unexpected encounters with his physician, a persistent young woman who
delves into his past, and his biggest fan, surrealist Salvador Dalí. Soon Dalí’s surreal imagery begins to take over both Freud’s
consciousness and his study in this explosive comedy full of mix-ups, misunderstandings,
Under-35
scantily clad women, and Freudian slips.
Subscriptions as
Student
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Subscriptions as
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low as $32!
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low as $87!
Box Office: 215.546.7824
wilmatheater.org
dates closer to the start of the productions.
For more details, please call the Box Office at 215.546.7824
Call today or subscribe easily and securely online!
265 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Fax: 215.893.0895

wilmabill - The Wilma Theater

Transcription

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