mr. burns, a post-electric play illinois theatre

15 Pages·2016·0.65 MB·English

MR. BURNS, A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY
ILLINOIS THEATRE
By Anne Washburn | Lisa Gaye Dixon, director
Thursday-Saturday, October 13-15, 2016, at 7:30pm
Thursday-Saturday, October 20-22, 2016, at 7:30pm
Sunday, October 23, 2016, at 3pm
Colwell Playhouse
season. What kinds of work do our students
need to create at this point in their artistic
development? Which plays or musicals feed
that pedagogical imperative? And how do
these works allow, encourage, or (sometimes)
confound our ability to understand a bit more
about the nature of human becoming? When
we leave the theatre, do we feel more closely
bound to our neighbors? If we feel alienated
by the experience, do we understand why?
It is no accident that this note of welcome
to our current season includes a litany of
questions. Intellectual, emotional, and
spiritual query are at the core of a great
BECOMING . . . education. At Illinois Theatre, “we make
theatre makers,” but we also ask foundational
There is a saying in theatre: “Actors act. questions on our pathways to creation.
Stars do what stars do.” Implicit in this Along the way, we learn to think more
statement is the idea that “stars” are deeply, critically, and analytically.
commodities enriched for attaining a
Questions about the nature of the human
certain status and function within a rather
condition are never easy to resolve. The
narrow definition, while “actors”—and
challenging road to the answers we seek
every artist, one might argue—are
encourages public discourse to thrive and
continually in a process of becoming.
pushes our performing arts to engage in
The artistic process in theatre requires positive, healthy transformation.
a developing understanding of the
Thank you for joining us at this performance.
human body, spirit, and mind. An
We hope that you will be stimulated,
artist’s education demands consistent
provoked, and entertained by what you
development, metamorphosis, evolution.
experience here, and we hope to see you
Indeed, education at its best is a continual
again very soon.
process of becoming. At Illinois Theatre,

our artists—students, staff, and faculty—

are embarked on the exciting journey of

becoming human beings.

It is the same for us when we consider Jeffrey Eric Jenkins
which dramatic works to program in a given Head, Department of Theatre
Producer, Illinois Theatre
2 PHOTO REPRODUCED BY PERMISSION OF THE NEWS-GAZETTE, INC. PERMISSION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT.
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PROGRAM
MR. BURNS, A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY
ILLINOIS THEATRE
By Anne Washburn
Lisa Gaye Dixon, director
Thursday-Saturday, October 13-15, 2016, at 7:30pm
Thursday-Saturday, October 20-22, 2016, at 7:30pm
Sunday, October 23, 2016, at 3pm
Colwell Playhouse
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DIRECTOR’S NOTE
This is a story about the telling of stories: about Suppose, just suppose, that tonight the world
how we tell them, and why. For millennia, human ended, and that tomorrow you and I had to begin
beings have used story telling as a way to share anew?
collective societal ethics, information, and
What would be the stories we would choose to
ideals, and as a way to bring us closer together
carry over? What values? What ideals, hopes,
inside of the communities we built, or into which
dreams? What part of our current everyday
we had been born. There is the pervasive and
culture would we deem important enough to
apocryphal tale told in countless “Introduction to
survive THE APOCALYPSE? Popular culture is
Theatre” classes about early humans squatting
chock-full of possibilities, but one stands out
round a campfire sharing stories of the hunt, of
as both harbinger and case in point—a clever
encounters with other tribes, of trying to explain
little television show that has outlasted three
the existence of stars. Supposedly, as humans
presidents, numerous fashion trends, and has
became more “civilized,” our stories evolved—
embedded countless phrases and sayings into
moving from pantomimes by firelight to epic
American culture across all levels of society: The
Broadway productions with flying Spidermen
Simpsons.
climbing vertical set pieces and bright-winged
Angels soaring out over heads of audiences. Now That is what tonight’s production is about: The
(for an exorbitant price) one can experience smoke, Simpsons and the apocalypse (but not necessarily
mirrors, and all manner of technological spectacle in that order).
and sleight of hand that serve as augmentation to
or replacement for our imaginations. It is also a play about how we choose what
to keep believing in, how we discover (and
Though the size and complexity of our story rediscover) what is truly important to us, and
telling has grown, the basic root of our stories how a shared collective memory (no matter how
has not. I speak most specifically of the Western tattered, twisted, and torn) can unite our chosen
canon and its roots in Greek and Roman tribes in remembrance and celebration—how
mythology. Tales of Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, shared culture can give us purpose, and give our
Heroines, unsuspecting everyday shepherds, lives meaning even in the darkest of times.
classically beauteous young women and men—all
striving toward the western ideals of “true love,” It’s weird, no doubt about it. Those of you
“happiness,” and singular self-satisfaction— who know me know that I find that to be a
have permeated all facets of our society on all compliment. So. . . sit back, join us on tonight’s
levels, and these 6,000 year old stories are the journey to the near and far distant future, and
standards by which we still measure our twenty- ponder along with us: the nature of existence,
first century levels of fulfillment. memory, and connection. The WHY of it all.
And this, dear reader, is where tonight’s And, in the words of Homer Simpson, “I’ve seen
performance comes in. plays better than this. . . . Honest-ta-God PLAYS!”
Lisa Gaye Dixon, Director
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MR. BURNS, A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY
PLAYWRIGHT SCENIC DESIGNER
Anne Washburn Jaclyn Zimmerman
MUSIC COSTUME DESIGNER
Michael Friedman Nicole Zausmer
LYRICS LIGHTING DESIGNER
Anne Washburn Michael Shoaf
DIRECTOR SOUND DESIGNER
Lisa Gaye Dixon Tyler Stewart Knowles
MUSIC DIRECTOR STAGE MANAGER
Cara Chowning Chenglin Xin
CHOREOGRAPHER TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Aaron R. White Robert J. Jenista
FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER ACT II MUSICAL ARRANGEMENT
Zev Steinberg Jordan Coughtry
VOICE AND SPEECH COACHES
Susan Schuld
Adam Thatcher
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CAST
MATT/HOMER/SCRATCHY GIBSON/HUSBAND/SIDESHOW BOB/
Nick Lannan HOMER
Jordan Coughtry*
JENNY/MARGE/LISA
Ellen Magee QUINCY/BUSINESSWOMAN/BART
Allie Wessel
SUSANNAH/LISA/ITCHY
Elana Weiner-Kaplow EDNA KRABAPPEL
Alex Smith
SAM/BART/MR. BURNS
Chris Khoshaba SECOND FBI AGENT/MAGGIE/
ENSEMBLE
Ezzy Fishbein
COLLEEN/FIRST FBI AGENT/MARGE
Jessica Kadish
ENSEMBLE
Ethan Perry
*Appears by permission of the Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and
Stage Managers in the United States.
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SCENIC BREAKDOWN
ACT I
The near future
Somewhere in America. The woods. A fire.
ACT II
7 years later
A rehearsal space
20-minute intermission
ACT III
75 years later
The tragic tale of the Simpson family
This production includes the use of simulated gunfire, smog effects, and strobe lights.
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PROFILES
Jordan Coughtry (Gibson/ Jessica Kadish (Colleen/
Husband/Sideshow Bob/ First FBI Agent/Marge) is
Homer) is in the MFA Acting an Acting MFA student
Program at the University of from Massachusetts. She
Illinois. Credits include John last appeared at Krannert
Steinbeck's The Grapes of Center in Kingdom City
Wrath (Illinois Theatre); Very (Miriam). In Chicago, she is
Very (J, J & Z); Murder an ensemble member with
in the Cathedral (Hoi Teatro Aguijón and 2nd Story,
Polloi); Be Story Free (InVerse Theatre); Winter and has performed with Lifeline Theatre, Chicago
Journey (P.S. 122); Godspell (Olney Theatre Dramatists, 16th Street Theater, Pride Films and
Center); Twelfth Night (Westport Country Plays, Voice of the City, and Colectivo El Pozo.
Playhouse); Red (TheatreWorks); Emma (Pioneer Film/web series credits include You’re So Talented
Theatre); Candida (Two River Theatre); Failure: (OpenTV), Easy Abby (Juicy Planet), DateSMASH!
A Love Story, Macbeth, The Comedy of (XVP Comedy), Absent Father (Vanguard Cinema),
Errors (Illinois Shakespeare Festival); All’s Well that and Lady of the Dead (2by2 Films). She holds a
Ends Well (Alabama Shakespeare Festival); Love’s BA in Theater and Performance Studies from the
Labour’s Lost (The Shakespeare Theatre/ University of Chicago and has also studied at the
RSC); Amadeus, Our Town, Wittenberg, Romeo University of Buenos Aires. Jessica also works as
and Juliet (Shakespeare Theatre of a director and teaching artist in Chicago and is
NJ); Hamlet, Richard III, and composer of original represented by Gray Talent Group.
songs for The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Twelfth
Chris Khoshaba (Sam/Bart/
Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Arkansas
Mr. Burns) from Skokie, Illinois,
Shakespeare Theatre).
is a senior Acting BFA student
Ezzy Fishbein (Second FBI at the University of Illinois.
Agent/Maggie/Ensemble) is His previous credits include
from Glencoe, Illinois, and is John Steinbeck's The Grapes
currently a junior pursuing of Wrath (George Rustbucket),
a BFA in Acting. Her most Not About Nightingales
recent credit with Illinois (Schultz), and Oh What a
Theatre was the production of Lovely War (Ensemble). His Armory Free Theatre
John Steinbeck's The Grapes productions include Rockman (Rock) and The
of Wrath (Ruthie).  She has Duchess of Malfi (Ferdinand).
also performed in the Armory Free Theatre’s
productions of Call Me Woman (Deviser) and
As Wind In Dry Grass (Gabby). She participated
in the 2014 reading of Good Kids (Madison) by
Naomi Iizuka. 
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Nick Lannan (Matt/Homer/ Ethan Perry (Ensemble)
Scratchy) is returning to is originally from Detroit,
Krannert Center’s stages after Michigan. He is a sophomore
his debut in John Steinbeck's pursuing his BFA in
The Grapes of Wrath (1st Acting, and this is his first
Agricultural Officer/Deputy performance at Krannert
Sheriff). He is currently on his Center. In high school, Ethan
first semester of the Studio performed in Guys and Dolls
Program working towards his (Gambler), Barnum (Amos
BFA in Theatre Performance at the University Scudder), and The Music Man (Mayor Shinn).
of Illinois, after spending six years in the United
Alexandra Smith (Edna
States Marine Corps. He has also performed at
Krabappel) is from Plainfield,
the Armory Free Theatre and the Illini Ballroom in
Illinois, and a junior Acting
such roles as Third Sheperd in Second Sheperd’s
BFA student. This is her
Play, Priceps 3 in The Assumption of Mary,
third show at Krannert
Michael Doyle in Listen, “FAP-App” Developer
Center, where she previously
in Moonside Manners, and at Parkland’s Second
appeared in The Other
Stage Theatre as The Mute in The Fantastiks.
Shore and John Steinbeck's
Outside of stage work, Nick has a number of film
The Grapes of Wrath. Her
and commercial credits from the Champaign-
Armory Free Theatre credits include As Wind in
Urbana community.
Dry Grass, Moonside Manners, Dead Man’s Cell
Ellen Magee (Jenny/Marge/ Phone, and Call Me Woman.
Lisa) hails from Ann Arbor,
Elana Weiner-Kaplow
Michigan, and is a junior
(Susannah/Lisa/Itchy) is a junior
pursuing a BFA in Acting at
in the Acting BFA program.
the U of I. She appeared most
Her previous productions
recently in the Lyric Theatre @
at Krannert Center include
Illinois production of Kiss Me
A Dream Play (Kristin/
Kate (Gangster #2) and Illinois
Billsticker), a staged reading
Theatre’s Kingdom City (Katie).
of Middletown, and Student
Other credits include Illinois Theatre’s production
Playwrights Outreach Theatre.
of 1984 (Kid/Prole Woman), the formal reading
She has also performed in a number of Armory Free
of Good Kids (Skylar), and the Celebration
Theatre productions including Ludus de Antichristo
Company at the Station Theatre’s production
(Synagoga), Adaptations at the Armory, The Wild
of Appropriate (Cassidy).
Party (Ensemble), Assassins (Emma Goldman), and
Impulse 24/7. In addition to her work at the U of I,
she worked in Tel Aviv for a year as the projections
operator at the Na Laga’at Theatre for the Deaf and
Blind. She recently returned from four months of
backpacking in Nepal and India where she worked
with the NGO Nyayik Snasar to provide leadership
training for Nepali youth.
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