AdventureStage-TheGiver

1Adventure Stage Chicago

Presents

The GiverAdapted by Eric Coble

Based on the book by Lois LowryDirected by Brian Bell*

March 24 – April 26, 2012

Taylor Bibat ......................................................................................Puppet DesignDani Bryant* ........................................................................................... Dramaturg Amy C. Gilman .....................................................................................Prop DesignMichael Huey ................................... Sound Design & Original CompositionLaura Kollar* ................................................................................ Costume DesignBrandon Wardell* ....................................................................... Lighting DesignJessica Kuehnau Wardell* ............................................................ Scenic DesignAndrew Wheatley ........................... Sound Design & Original Composition

Jessie Mutz .................................................................................Assistant DirectorClare Roche .....................................................................................Stage ManagerMorgan Gire ................................................................Assistant Stage Manager

* denotes ASC Ensemble Member

The play is presented without an intermission.

Produced by special arrangement with DRAMATIC PUBLISHING, Woodstock, Illinois

Adventure Stage Chicago is a member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre.

Adventure Stage Chicago is also a proud member of the League of Chicago Theatres, TYA/USA, American Alliance for Theatre and Education

and Arts Alliance Illinois.

2 Adventure Stage Chicago

THE CAST

Lily ...................................................................................................................................Sindy Castro Father ............................................................................................................... Carlos Regelio Diaz Fiona/Rosemary ................................................................................................Landree FlemingAsher/Announcer ............................................................................................... Kroydell GalimaThe Giver...................................................................................................................... John RuhaakMother/Chief Elder .....................................................................................Sarah Rose Graber* Jonas .......................................................................................................................... Aaron Lawson

*denotes Adventure Stage Chicago Ensemble member

ADDITIONAL PRODUCTION STAFF

Elijah King..........................................................................................................................CarpenterChristine Marcantonio .................................................................................Costume AssistantDanny Osburn ................................................................................................................Electrician

ADVENTURE STAGE CHICAGO STAFF

ARTISTIC ENSEMBLE

Brian BellDani Bryant

Sarah Rose GraberLaura Kollar

Allison Latta LashfordBrandon Wardell

Jessica Kuehnau Wardell

Producing Artistic DirectorTom Arvetis

Managing DirectorScott Letscher

ArtisticAssociate Artistic Director ....................................................................Allison Latta LashfordLiterary Manager .............................................................................................................Brian Bell

EducationDirector of Education ........................................................................................Merissa StewartTeaching Artists................................................Brian Bell, Dani Bryant, Brandon Campbell,

Amanda Dimond, Sarah Rose GraberEducation Interns ................................................................... Nef Figueroa, Amanda Pintore,

Catherine Stegemann, Bria Sutherland

Marketing & Audience ServicesDirector of Communications ...................................................................... Jennifer MathewsMarketing & Sales Associate ................................................................................... Dani BryantAdministrative Intern/Box Office ....................................................................Laura Przybysz

ProductionProduction Manager ................................................................................... Brandon CampbellTechnical Director ........................................................................................Matthew BuettnerProduction Intern .....................................................................................................Anna Morrell


FROM THE PRES IDENT

Dear Theater-goer,

Welcome to the Northwestern University Settlement House and to our award-winning performing arts program, Adventure Stage Chicago.

Experiencing live performance is an essential aspect of a healthy and vital community. When we opened the theater

in 1998, we envisioned a place where our community could gather to celebrate its diversity and challenge its perception of itself and what it is capable of accomplishing. By focusing on young people and the adults in their lives, Adventure Stage Chicago is providing an empowering experience that, we hope, is immediately relevant to your lives. I hope that you are entertained, but more than that I hope you are inspired to think and talk about what it means to build a better community together.

Adventure Stage Chicago is not a theater company in residence. Rather, it is one critical piece of a dynamic, multifaceted social service organization that has been serving Chicagoans for the last 120 years with programs like AmeriCorps, Emergency Services, Head Start, House in the Woods Camp, and the newly opened Rowe Elementary School. By opening doorways to opportunity, the Settlement is dedicated to helping our neighbors overcome the obstacles that keep them from living a self-sufficient lifestyle.

I hope that you leave here invigorated and inspired to dialogue amongst your family members about your experience. And I encourage you to let us know what you think so we can continue to make a difference.

Sincerely,Ron Manderschied


FROM THE D IRECTOR - BR IAN BELL

If you discovered that everything about your life was a lie, what would you do?

For most of us this situation is unthinkable, but this is exactly where the character Jonas finds himself by the end of Lois Lowry’s story, The Giver. He is forced to make a choice between remaining with his family, friends and community, or rejecting them and striking off on a path into the unknown.

Few of us know what it would be like to make such a choice. Upon thinking about this story I was struck by the overwhelming resistance which Jonas faces both leading up to his decision and on his subsequent journey away from home. It seems like the closer he gets to resolving to leave, the harder it becomes. And once he’s made the choice, the road does not get any easier. In fact deciding to change is only the beginning of his incredible journey.

In order to bring this story to the stage, there are a lot of big decisions to be made: how to create the world of The Community on stage; how to represent the lack of color and Jonas’ new ability to perceive it; how to make the transfer of memories an exciting and theatrical stage moment. Working with our talented design team, we have come up with creative answers to some of these challenges, and generated many more questions to be answered. One of the most thrilling parts of creating a theatre piece is the discoveries we make about the story along the way. The ideas we begin with have inevitably changed or been reshaped many times before the play is shared with an audience. Just like Jonas, we often do not have the answers to the questions when we start our journey; rather we discover them along the way.

The Giver is a play about emotions–their value, power, and weight. Even more, it is a play about the role those emotions (both good and bad) play in our lives, and how the memory of past emotional experiences gives richness and meaning to our lives. As we see in the play, without those positive and negative emotions, we cannot attain wisdom, and that is the point where our lives fall out of balance.

With a new-found awareness of his emotions, the wisdom of previous generations, and courage drawn from an inner reserve he was unaware of, Jonas crosses a threshold leaving behind everything he has known. What does it take to leave your old life behind? How do you start such a journey? Will there be an Elsewhere to receive you? Most importantly: what happens when we leave certainty behind and begin to lead with our intuition alone?

In service to these questions, and in search of new ones, we have crafted our own version of this incredible story. It is my pleasure to share it with you and to invite you to explore these questions with us.

THE CR ITIC ’ S CORNER

Now that you have experienced The Giver, we want to hear from you. One of our guiding principles here at Adventure Stage is that theater inspires dialogue. You may have had the chance to participate in one of our Curtain Conversations with the cast. You can continue the conversation on our website (www.adventurestage.org) through our blog, The Adventure Page. The blog includes The Critic’s Corner where you can tell us what you thought about the show and continue probing the questions posed during our Curtain Conversation. We’re waiting to hear from you!


PERFOR MER B IOS

Sindy Castro (Lily) is very excited to be a part of The Giver. She graduated from Florida State University with her B.A. in Theatre in 2010 and moved up

to Chicago soon after to follow her dreams. She was previously seen in ASC’s own Neighborhood Perspectives in September and is currently working in Educational Outreach at American Theater Company. She would like to thank her mom, dad, sister, and friends for their support! And would like to give a shout out to the rest of the cast and crew! It’s been a pleasure!

Carlos Regelio Diaz (Father) is SUPER happy to be in this show and working with Adventure Stage (officially) for the first time... The world of The Giver is quite

creepy, but really fun to bring to life! As a native Chicagoan, he is a UIC graduate and has worked in commercials and various plays around town, most recently in At Ease with The Fine Print Theater. Previous collaborators have included Cock & Bull Theater, Aguijon Theater of Chicago, Halcyon, Imagination Theater and Greatworks Theater among others. Carlos is represented by Paonessa Talent Agency. Many thanks to Brian, ASC (for being so welcoming) and the awesome cast and crew of this show.

Landree Fleming (Fiona/Rosemary) is thrilled to perform with ASC for the first time. She graduated from Messiah College and has studied locally at iO Chicago

and Acting Studio Chicago. Favorite Chicago credits include every single show ever with her sketch comedy group the Broadz, Pills (Sally) with Black Ship Theatre Company, Never Have I Ever: The Musical at the de Maat

Theatre, and Dumb Angel with The Ruckus. She’s actively involved in Chicago Sketchfest and for its very first year, Chicago Women’s Funny Festival! Thank you oh so much to ASC, Brian, and the cast and crew!

Kroydell Galima (Asher/Announcer) is excited to be returning to Adventure Stage Chicago and could not be happier working with this

amazing cast and crew. He was last seen here as Jim Hawkins in Ghosts of Treasure Island. He was born in the Philippines and raised right here in Chicago, where he also attended The Theatre School at DePaul University and holds a B.F.A in Acting. Credits there include Alice in Wonderland, Richard III, Conduct of Life, Ile, and The Distance From Here. Professional credits include Bastards of Young Short Play Festival (Tympanic Theatre Company), Edith Can Shoot Things And Hit Them (Victory Gardens Ignition Festival), Mike Teavee in Charlie & The Chocolate Factory (Emerald City), and The Chicago Landmark Project (Theatre Seven). Finally, to my family, friends and everyone at Gray Talent Group, a BIG thank you for your continued love, support, and generosity.

John Ruhaak (The Giver) Last year John appeared as the father in The Peoples Four Seasons at Quest Theater and will be seen this summer as the Judge in Inherit

The Wind at the Oak Park Festival .Other recent Chicago credits include: The Seafarer (Steppenwolf Theater), The Trip To Bountiful (Goodman Theater), A Memory of Two Mondays, The Rimers of Eldritch, Spinning Into Butter (Eclipse Theater) and The Crucible (Infamous Commonwealth Theater). He has also worked at Victory Gardens, Drury Lane Water Tower, Apple Tree Children’s Theater and Chicago Street Theater.


PERFOR MER B IOS (c o n t.)

Sarah Rose Graber (Mother/Chief Elder) is an Artistic Ensemble Member with ASC. She graduated from Northwestern University’s Theatre Program and

received her acting certificate from The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Past Adventure Stage projects include: Ash Girl, The Blue House, and Neighborhood Perspectives. Recent credits include Barefoot in the Park (Corie Bratter) and The Book of Liz (Liz) at CIC, MilkMilkLemonade (Lady in a Leotard) with Pavement Group, New Adventures of Popeye (Olive Oyl) at The Factory Theater, and The Miser (u/s Elise/Mariane) at Northlight. Big thanks to the ASC team, Brian, cast and crew, and Michael!

Aaron Lawson (Jonas) is honored to be making his Adventure Stage debut in The Giver. Aaron was last seen in Junie B. Jones at Emerald City Theatre.

His Chicago credits include productions with City Lit, Quest, and Hell in a Handbag. Aaron is originally from St. Louis where his performance in the American regional premiere of High Fidelity at New Line Theatre earned him a Kevin Kline Award nomination. He would like to thank the amazing cast and crew, Brian Bell, everyone at Adventure Stage and Lois Lowry for making The Giver one of the most rewarding experiences of his life.

PRODUCTION B IO’S

Eric Coble (Playwright) has written many scripts for adults, including Bright Ideas, The Dead Guy, Natural Selection, For Better and Southern Rapture, which have been produced Off-Broadway, throughout the U.S., and on several continents. Other plays for young audiences include Huck Finn, Nightfall with Edgar Allen Poe and Sacagawea. Awards include the National Theatre Conference Playwriting Award and an NEA Playwright in Residence grant. Mr. Coble’s The Giver premiered at Oregon Children’s Theatre in 2006. It recently received the 2011 Distinguished Play Award for Adaptation from Existing Children’s Literature by the American Alliance for Theatre and Education.

Brian Bell (Director) This is Brian’s fourth show with Adventure Stage where he is a member of the artistic ensemble. Brian is the artistic director of Cabaret Vagabond and has directed around Chicago for Collaboraction, Caffeine Theatre, Lincoln Square Theater, and Dominican University. He has toured nationally with the Chamber Theatre of Boston as well as acting and directing for the last two summers

at the Theatre at Monmouth - The Shakespeare Theatre of Maine. Brian is a CAAP grant recipient and a directing fellow of the Goethe Institute’s Young Theatre Artists in Germany program, where he assisted on a production of Danton’s Death (dir: Nuran David Callis) at the Staatstheater Stuttgart last winter. He was also in Berlin last May for the national festival as a fellow of the International Forum of the Berliner Festspiele. Brian is delighted to be working on The Giver, and sends thanks to this tremendous cast and as always to Mom & The Dadster. Hoppla, wir leben! www.brianbell.org

Taylor Bibat (Puppet Design) The Giver is Taylor’s inaugural voyage with Adventure Stage. She is very pleased to help bring Gabriel to life.

Dani Bryant (Dramaturg) is an actor, playwright, and teaching artist. Dani hails from Tennessee, but has called Chicago home for almost five years. Dani studied acting at North Carolina School of the Arts and received her BFA from The Hartt School of Theatre. As a playwright she’s performed her


PRODUCTION B IO’S (c o n t.)

solo show, Binge, at the UofC Summer INC program, Around the Coyote, ChiFringeBinge, and StudioBE. Dani’s other foodie plays include Kitchen for Walkabout Theater and Molé for Adventure Stage Chicago. Dani’s next play The Last Meal Man can be seen this summer during Collaboraction’s Sketchbook 12. Dani is a founding member of Cabaret Vagabond and a proud ensemble member of Adventure Stage Chicago and Walkabout Theater.

Amy C. Gilman (Prop Design) This is Amy’s first time working with Adventure Stage. She currently is the Props Artisan at the Goodman Theatre. She has her BFA in Scenic Design from DePaul University and has studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Previous props designs include: Comfort Station Plays (Open Source Theatre), Enemy of the People (Stage Left), The New Adventures of Popeye the Sailor Man (Factory Theatre), Choose Thine Own Adventure (Filament), Lies and Liars, and The Sand Castle (Theatre Seven). She has also done props work for Remy Bumppo and Steppenwolf.

Morgan Gire (Assistant Stage Manager) is thrilled to be returning to Adventure Stage Chicago. Morgan is a freelance stage manager in Chicago and has had the wonderful fortune of working with such companies as Halcyon Theatre, Actor’s Training Center and The Chicago Sketch Fest. Her most recent work has been with the Iowa Summer Repertory Theatre in Iowa City.

Michael Huey (Sound Design & Original Composition) Selected designs include: The Spirit Play and The Three Faces of Dr. Crippen (both Strange Tree Group), Tragedy (Red Tape Theatre), Five Flights (Immediate Theatre). Assistant Design: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), The Hot L Baltimore (Steppenwolf ), Samuel J & K (Steppenwolf ). Music and more can be found at www.officialmichaelhuey.com.

Laura Kollar (Costume Design) hails from Atlanta, GA, but she has been living and working in the Chicago area since 2000. Laura is a proud Ensemble Member with Adventure Stage Chicago. She has designed many past productions; most recently Walk Two Moons. Laura has also designed shows with Live Wire, Theater Wit, BackStage Theatre Co., National Pastime, Theatre Mir, Collaboraction, Serendipity Theatre, North Park University, Northeastern Illinois University, Actors Theatre Co. and Pegasus Players, among others. Thanks to Tom and the Ensemble for all their tremendous help, to Matt for being her favorite, and to Darlene for letting Mama get back to work. Come visit us at Matty K’s Hardware in Lincoln Square!

Jessie Mutz (Assistant Director) is delighted to be working with Adventure Stage for the first time! Recent directing credits include Something I Choose (20% Theatre Snapshots Festival) and Cold Cold Feet (Assistant Director, Diamante Productions). Jessie has performed with groups such as Brain Surgeon Theater, Poetry Magazine, The Unrehearsed Shakespeare Company, and Story Lab Chicago. She is the Outreach Manager for Tall Ship Windy on Navy Pier, where she also performs regularly as a storyteller. Many thanks to Brian for including her on this project.

Clare Roche (Stage Manager) happily returns to Adventure Stage where she recently managed Sinbad: The Untold Tale and 500 Clown Trapped. Clare’s recent stage management credits include: 13 Clocks (Lifeline), The Better Half (Lucky Plush Dance Company), Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lakeside Shakespeare), Red Noses (Strawdog) and Cabaret (Hypocrites). Clare also manages for 500 Clown. Aside from stage management Clare works as Master Electrician at Loyola University and Lifeline, Technical Director at Sacred Heart Academy and assistant lighting


PRODUCTION B IO’S (c o n t.)

designer around town, most recently for Death and Harry Houdini (House). Clare will next be acting as master electrician with StarKid.

Brandon Wardell (Lighting Design) is a freelance Lighting and Scenic Designer and is a member of the ASC Artistic Ensemble. He is also a Company Member with Backstage Theatre Co. and an Artistic Associate with Steep Theatre. He recently designed the lights for Sinbad, And A Child Shall Lead, Ghosts of Treasure Island and The Blue House (ASC), Love And Money and Harper Regan (Steep), The Count of Monte Cristo (Lifeline), and Three Days of Rain (Backstage). Scenic Designs include Baal and The Fulton Street Sessions (TUTA), Holes (ASC), Orange Flower Water and Three Days of Rain (Backstage), In Arabia We’d All Be Kings (Steep), and Dracula (Building Stage). Brandon holds an MFA from Northwestern University and teaches Lighting Design at Northern Illinois University. www.brandonwardelldesign.com

Jessica Kuehnau Wardell (Scenic Design) is pleased to be designing a sixth season with ASC and is a proud ensemble member since 2009. Her previous designs for ASC have included sets for Eye of the Storm, Shakespeare Stealer, The Blue House and And A Child Shall Lead and costumes for Still Life with Iris, Search for Odysseus and Katrina. A graduate of Northwestern

University, Jessica received her MFA in both set and costume design. Her Chicago credits include Rivendell Theatre (Jeff recommended These Shining Lives), Steep Theatre, Lifeline Theatre, Griffin Theatre, Building Stage, Pegasus Players, MPAACT, Circle Theatre and Metropolis Performing Arts Center. She is currently the resident set designer and design professor at North Park University and full time teaching faculty at Northeastern Illinois University. jesskdesign.com

Andrew Wheatley (Sound Design & Original Composition) Originally hailing from the beautiful state of Montana, Andrew Wheatley is a sound designer, composer, and teaching artist. His recent Chicago theatre credits include: sound design for Walk Two Moons (ASC), Freedom, NY (Teatro Vista), State of the Union (Strawdog Theatre Company), Alien Queen (Scooty and Jojo Show), and Lullaby (Teatro Luna); sound design and composition for Speed the Plow/Oleanna (American Theatre Company; w/ Kevin O’Donnell), Sonnets for an Old Century (Urban Theatre Company at the Steppenwolf Garage; w/ Miles Polaski), Ruby Wilder (Not Waiting Productions), and Orlando (Northwestern University). Additionally, Andrew develops and teaches courses in digital media arts with Chicago’s Digital Youth Network.


PUTTING THE PLAY INTO CONTEXT - UTOPIA AND DYSTOPIA

“Out of generous dreams come beneficial realities. Utopia is the principle of all progress, and the essay into a better future.” ~ Anatole France

“A map of the world that does not include Utopia is not worth even glancing at, for it leaves out the one country at which Humanity is always landing. And when Humanity lands there, it looks out, and seeing a better country, sets sail. Progress is the realization of Utopias.” ~Oscar Wilde

A Utopia is a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt to create an ideal society as well as fictional societies.

The word was first used in 1515 by Sir Thomas Moore as the title of his book describing an imaginary island that he considered the perfect community. The word Utopia is derived from two Greek words: Eutopia (meaning ‘good place’) and Outopia (meaning ‘no place’).

A Dystopia is a place where the conditions and quality of life are unpleasant due to deprivation, oppression, or terror. They are often imaginary places where the Utopic dream has gone awry.

A Commune is a small, often rural community whose members share common interests, work, and income and often own property collectively. Shangri-La is a famous, fictional utopia from the novel Lost Horizon by James Hilton. It is a utopia in the Himalayan Mountains; a permanently happy place that is completely isolated from the outside world. The people who live there have an extremely long life span and age very slowly, making them almost immortal.

Buckminster Fuller: an early environmental activist who was profoundly aware of the limited resources on Earth and believed that the human race needs to do more with less. This philosophy guided his work in science as he strived to make it easier for people to do more with less. His greatest achievement in this was the Geodesic Dome. Fuller hoped the Geodesic Dome would be the future structure for housing, since the dome is lightweight, stable and economical. The shape is often referred to as a BuckyBall in his honor.

Throughout American history many groups, from the Oneida Community to the Shakers and the Harmonists have attempted to create utopian communities. They have excluded themselves from normal society and attempted to create a controlled environment. There are still communities striving to create utopias today. Some groups have created communes, living together in controlled environments, all of which are primarily self sustaining and pacifist – such as the Farm in Tennessee, Twin Oaks and the Acorn Community. Other groups are still in the planning stages, such as the Victory City, Utopian States and the Principality of New Utopia. It is also interesting to think about regimented life today such as the Chicago Burnham plan, religion, school or Ashrams.


EXPLORE MORE

Fiction:

Great books about Dystopias:

Gathering Blue and Messenger by Lois Lowry- further explores the world of The Giver

Uglies/Pretties/Specials/Extras- Series by Scott Westerfeld

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

The Hunger Games/Catching Fire/Mockingjay- Series by Suzanne Collins

Websites:loislowry.typepad.com/lowry_updates/- Here you can learn more about the author from her blog.

randomhouse.com/teachers/guides/give.html- A guide for teaching the novel, including an interview with the author, discussion topics, thematic connections and activities. This site provokes thought and discussion about the meaning of the end of the story. tallmania.com/Giver.html- This site guides the reader through many web resources for The Giver, including links for teachers, author information, summaries and vocabulary.

Movies: Wall-E (2008) rated G

In a futuristic world, Wall-E is the only remaining robot left behind to clean up after humans have destroyed and abandoned Earth for a new spaceship bound society.

The Truman Show (1998) rated PG

When Truman Burbank discovers that his entire life has been constructed and filmed as a television show he makes a desperate plan to escape his false world.

The Stepford Wives (2004) rated PG-13

A couple moves to the suburbs only to discover that something is terribly wrong with all the “perfect” wives in their neighborhood.

SPEC IAL THANKS

Jose Alatorre, The ASC Ensemble, The Chicago Board, Ray Crosland, Tony Feliciano and the NUSH staff, Kyle Gibson, Mary Frueh Lardie-Sulzer Regional Library, Ron Manderscheid, Erin Miller, Noble Street College Prep School Tech Club, Caleb Nolan-West Town Library, The NUSH Board of Directors, Mike Przygoda, Maria Digna Reyes, The Saints, Suzy Takacs-The Book Cellar, Katie Taylor, The Winnetka Board

SUPPORTING ASC

Adventure Stage Chicago deeply appreciates the support of The Chicago Community Trust, City Arts Program 1 grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Grover Hermann Foundation, Illinois Arts Council, Kinder Morgan Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, RBC Foundation-USA, Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust and the contributions of the following individuals: Val Angasan, Theoni Arvanitis, Adam Bute, Baize Buzan, Sandy Elias, Tiffany Lange, Joslen Letscher, Stuart Strong and Louise Zarrow

AdventureStage-TheGiver

Documents

Transcript of AdventureStage-TheGiver