guards at the taj program

AUDREY SKIRBALL KENIS THEATER AT THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE

I HAVE BEEN A FAN OF RAJIV JOSEPH’S PLAYS FOR

some time. A prolific and poetic writer, Rajiv has brought us plays that

shed light on dark subjects and make us laugh at the follies of being

human. Set in Agra, India in 1648 and employing anachronistic language,

Guards at the Taj tells a story both contemporary and timeless. Combining

the formal with the familiar and the regal with reality, the play shows us

a full, rich picture of the lives of two young men finding their way in a

complicated world of rules.

We welcome director Giovanna Sardelli who, as a long-time collaborator

of Rajiv’s, has directed this piece with the elegance and beauty the play

requires. Guards at the Taj is, among other things, a play that questions

the fragility of beauty while juxtaposing it against terrible pain and

violence. Rajiv’s assertion seems to be that in order to see what is right

in the world, we must also recognize what is terribly wrong, and that our

moral imperative is to protect beauty at any cost.

This beauty and violence at the center of Rajiv’s play had to be deftly

navigated by a team of brilliant designers who have created both the

splendor and degradation that live side by side in so many stories. With

an amazing cast of two, Guards at the Taj has proven to be a profound

journey for all who have had the pleasure of working on it.

I am thrilled to welcome you back to the Geffen and to launch our 20th

anniversary season with this exciting new play in the Audrey Skirball

Kenis Theater.

Enjoy the show!

Randall Arney ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P1

Ph

oto

by J

eff

Lo

rch

Ph

oto

gra

ph

yG

UA

RD

S A

T T

HE

TA

J

WELCOME TO THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE

FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

LETTER FROM THE CO-CHAIRS BOARD OF DIRECTORSMARTHA HENDERSONCO-CHAIR

PAMELA ROBINSON HOLLANDERCO-CHAIR

PATRICIA KIERNAN APPLEGATERANDALL ARNEYARTISTIC DIRECTOR

BETH BEHRSDR. GENE D. BLOCKHAROLD A. BROWNGIL CATES, JR.EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

MICHAEL CENTENOMARY ANN CLOYDDR. BRAD EDGERTONMARK FLEISCHERHERBERT M. GELFANDCHAIRMAN EMERITUS

PATRICIA L. GLASERSAM GORESADI GREENBERGARTHUR GREENBERGJOAN KALOUSTIANGLORYA KAUFMANLORETTA EVERETT KAUFMANDR. GERALD S. LEVEYCARLA MALDENSUSAN MALLORYGINNY MANCINIBARRY MEYERSCOTT MINERDSTEVEN A. OLSENHOLLY RICELOREN ROTHSCHILDLINDA BERNSTEIN RUBINTERI SCHWARTZRICHARD SHERMANFRED SPECKTORLORRAINE SPURGECYNTHIA P. STAFFORDHOWARD TENENBAUMVICE CHAIRMAN

FOUNDING TRUSTEESKIRSTEN COMBS ROBERT A. DALYDAVID GEFFENQUINCY JONESJEFFREY KATZENBERGFRANK G. MANCUSOCHAIRMAN EMERITUS

RON MEYERLESLIE MOONVESJERRY MOSSJERRY PERENCHIOBRUCE M. RAMERFOUNDING CHAIRMAN

VICTORIA MANN SIMMSANDY SPAHNSTEVEN SPIELBERGSTEVE TISCHDR. CHARLES E. YOUNGCHAIRMAN EMERITUS

IN MEMORIAMGILBERT CATESFOUNDER

MARCIA ISRAEL-CURLEYAUDREY SKIRBALL KENISCHARLES KENISKARL MALDEN EDIE WASSERMAN LEW WASSERMAN

PETER ROSENLEGAL COUNSEL, LATHAM & WATKINS LLP

P2 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

MARTHA HENDERSON

PAMELA ROBINSON HOLLANDER

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THE FIRST AUDREY Skirball Kenis Theater show in the Geffen Playhouse’s 20th anniversary

season. We are delighted to welcome you to the West Coast premiere of

Guards at the Taj, written by the provocative Rajiv Joseph and directed

by the talented Giovanna Sardelli. We hope this philosophical new work

will inspire conversation among audience members long after the actors

take their final bows and the applause ends.

We are also proud to announce that long-time Board member Howard

Tenenbaum has been named Vice Chairman of the Board. Since joining

the Board of Directors in 2009, Howard has been a passionate supporter

and advocate of our Education and Community Engagement programs,

in addition to going above and beyond for the art on stage. Join us as

we welcome Howard into his new leadership role as Vice Chairman.

We look forward to celebrating our 20th anniversary with each and every

one of you. To kick off this celebratory year, we would love nothing more

than to hear your story of how you fell in love with our theaters and what

your dreams are for this place that has become the artistic home for so

many artists, donors, subscribers and patrons over the past 20 years.

Please send your favorite Geffen Playhouse story, photo or memory to

[email protected].

Our sincere thanks to all of you for joining us for today’s performance and

for being part of our Geffen Playhouse family. Here’s to the next 20 years!

Enjoy the show!

Martha Henderson Pamela Robinson Hollander CO-CHAIR, GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE CO-CHAIR, GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE

Ph

oto

by B

ob

by Q

uilla

rd

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT DECEMBER 30 – JANUARY 17 GIL CATES THEATER AT THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE

Written byVANESSA CLAIRE STEWART

TAYLOR HACKFORD & JAKE BRODER

Directed byTAYLOR HACKFORD

Features Tony Award Winner ANTHONY CRIVELLO

as Louis Prima & VANESSA CLAIRE STEWART

as Keely Smith

“A CLASSY NEW SHOW!” — Chicago Tribune

GEFFENPLAYHOUSE.COM | 310.208.5454

#LOUISANDKEELY


DURING ONE OF DIRECTOR GIOVANNA SARDELLI’S

conversations with playwright Rajiv Joseph about

Guards at the Taj, which is set in 1600s India, he

proposed an unorthodox suggestion.

“’There’s a version of this play that can so be done

with the two characters dressed as Laurel and Hardy,’”

Sardelli remembers, laughing. “He quickly followed

that up with, ‘Not this one! But it could be done.’”

That Sardelli chuckled instead of freaking out is a

testament to the level of trust the two have established

over their frequent collaborations. She directed Joseph’s

first professional production, Huck & Holden, as well as

the world premieres of several of his other plays.

“Rajiv has one of the most fertile imaginations. He

can take you to places you just didn’t think possible,”

she says. Here, we discuss their collaborative process,

the inequality women face in theater and why Guards

at the Taj is such an important play for right now.

What drew you to this play in particular?

For the longest time, I just knew Rajiv was working

on the play and was passionate about it. I didn’t know

much about it, but his passion for this play and the

development he did with the two guys from New York,

really started intriguing me. I think the writing is so

fine — it’s a different style of writing than anything

I’ve encountered of his. What’s he’s exploring and the

possibilities of these two characters and the story

intrigue me.

What were the conversations you and Rajiv had

around the play and its direction?

[Laughs] I’m laughing because very little, in some

regard! It’s tricky — I don’t want to give away too much!

What we talked about in the direction was curiosity,

stretching the truth, what’s possible in this world. Could

it do this other thing? So really the conversation was

just questions about: “I’m curious if the play I wrote can

do ___.” I’m sorry to be so vague!

That’s true with any play with a shocking development,

or reveal — how do you talk about it without talking

about it?

Right — what if we decide the play can’t be funny and

change it two previews in? Then it’s a weird program

note.

I think that speaks to something interesting

theatergoers don’t always know — how much does

the script change throughout the rehearsal process? Ph

oto

by A

ma

nd

a E

mb

ry

“THE WORLD OF THIS PLAY KEEPS CRACKING OPEN” INSIDE THE VIOLENTLY BEAUTIFUL, VIOLENTLY FUNNY WORLD OF GUARDS AT THE TAJ

BY REBECCA HAITHCOAT


Typically, it would change a lot. But this one is in such

good shape. He had so much development before it

went in production and it changed throughout that

rehearsal. But it’s already been published, so there have

been no changes in these rehearsals at the Geffen. And

I’ve never done a Rajiv Joseph play where that’s the

case. So this is a first!

Speaking of that, you two have worked together on

so many projects. In what ways has this collaboration

been different?

It’s a little different because he was here in the beginning

and we talked about things he wanted to explore,

questions he had — and then he left. The next time he’ll

see it is with an audience. And that comes from our

years of working together. I know his taste. He knows

that what he sees will be within his world. That’s from

years and years of my finding out what he likes and

doesn’t like and what he believes is possible in theater.

Besides the “reveal” we were just talking about, what

are some of the special challenges you’ve encountered

with this play?

The deceptive size of it. There’s a cast of two and at its

core, it’s about something “simple.” But then the world

of this play keeps cracking open and asking more and

more of every single person involved in the telling of the

story as well as the audience. This play asks everybody

to go on the journey.

How does your personal process work?

I very much sign on to the story. I feel like I have a sense

of the dynamic of the story. And then, because my

training is as an actor, I trust actors so much. I love to

watch them play. Part of the process is unleashing their

curiosity and keeping everyone in the room invested in

creating options for storytelling, for relationships. My

preference is hopefully to invite everyone to imagine

and play and keep taking the best ideas in the room,

wherever they come from.

What’s it been like in the room with Ramiz and Raffi?

I’ve never seen actors pick up signals as fast as these

two do. One says something, the other says yes and

they run with it. We’re so lucky. The actors in New York

were so great and that tradition will continue here in

L.A. — and that excites Rajiv, to know it won’t be the

same as it was in New York, but it will be just as good.

A play’s success is so contingent on who you invite

to tell the story. Casting is always so important, but

especially in a two hander — their dynamic is your

story. Ramiz is an actor Rajiv and I worked with early

in our careers, in The Leopard and the Fox, and he was

stunning. He’s a goofball, a big kid. We always marveled

how he would come to rehearsal in these big baggy

pants and then become believable as Prime Minister

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan. So when it came time

to cast this, we said, “Oh yeah, we want him.” Then

we asked him who he liked to play with. He gave us

some names, and Raffi was one of those. Raffi had to

audition by tape, and I have never cast someone solely

off tape. But you can see even from the tape that he’s

cut from the same cloth as Ramiz. Very playful, yet still

able to go where he needs to go.

There’s a huge uproar right now in L.A. about the

inequality women face in Hollywood. Do you see that

in theater?

Oh, yeah. Of course. It’s why they started The Kilroys

List for women writers, a list of female playwrights

whose work is ready to be produced. Women have to

work harder to move ahead, harder to keep their careers

moving. I think I’ve been really lucky that one of my

collaborative partners is Rajiv.

Do you think being a woman is helpful in telling this

particular play?

You know, I feel like human beings can direct stories

about human beings. I don’t think gender has anything

to do with how well you can tell a story. There are

people who would’ve said, “Oh, a man has to direct

The Hurt Locker.” This is a play where somebody could

believe a man should direct it — but nobody can ever

say that because so far, it’s been Amy [Morton, director

of the New York production] and me.

The precedent has been set! Finally, why is Guards at

the Taj an important play right now?

I think this play is so important because there are

these timeless questions of what is beauty, what do

we preserve, what do we sacrifice in the pursuit of

whatever we believe is more important? And often,

those sacrifices are human. I think this play really

explores what’s lost in the choices we can make.

INTERVIEW WITH THE DIRECTOR

FOR FEATURES, INTERVIEWS AND OTHER STORIES ON GUARDS AT THE TAJ AND THE GEFFEN’S SEASON PRODUCTIONS, PLEASE VISIT GEFFENPLAYHOUSEBLOG.COM


OPENING N IGHT SPONSORS

Opening Night: Wednesday, October 14, 2015

THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE PRODUCTION OF

Directed by Giovanna Sardelli

Scenic Designer Tom Buderwitz

Costume Designer Denitsa Bliznakova

Sound Designer & Original Music by Vincent Olivieri

Lighting Designer Lap Chi Chu

Written by Rajiv Joseph

Dramaturg Amy Levinson

Production Stage Manager Maggie Swing

Casting Director Phyllis Schuringa, CSA

Violence Designer Ned Mochel

Developed at the Lark Play Development Center, New York City.

World premiere presented by Atlantic Theater Company, New York City, 2015.


CAST OF CHARACTERS(In alphabetical order)

Humayun ................................................................................................................................... Raffi Barsoumian

Babur .................................................................................................................................................. Ramiz Monsef

UNDERSTUDIES(In alphabetical order)

Babur .................................................................................................................................................... Danvir Singh

Humayun ............................................................................................................................................. Naren Weiss

TIME 1648

SETTING Agra, India

RUNNING TIME Approximately 90 minutes

There will be no intermission.

GU

AR

DS

.AT

.TH

E.T

AJ


PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES

RAFFI BARSOUMIAN

(Humayun)

New York: Pericles (The Public Theater); King Lear, Arok of Java (Exit, Pursued By a Bear). Regional: The Count of Monte Cristo, Antony and Cleopatra, King Lear, Cymbeline, Troilus and Cressida, Henry V (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); Red Noses (The Actor’s Gang); Sedimenti (Compagnie Du Faubourg); Zoo Story, Counting the Ways (Luna Playhouse); The Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice (American Shakespeare Center); As You Like It, King John (Actor’s Shakespeare Company); Restoration Comedy, Don Juan (Stanford Theater). Television: The Vampire Diaries, NCIS. Training: École Jacques Lecoq, Carnegie Mellon University.

RAMIZ MONSEF

(Babur)

Ramiz is honored to be making his Geffen Playhouse debut. New York credits include: Second Stage, New York Theatre Workshop, Culture Project and more. Regionally, Ramiz has worked with Oregon Shakespeare Festival (The Unfortunates,

Measure for Measure and many others), ACT (The Time of Your Life), Berkeley Rep (Eurydice), Actors Theatre of Louisville (Glory of the World, Chad Deity), Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Yale Repertory Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre (Mary Zimmerman’s Arabian Nights) and The Studio Theatre (Guantanamo). Ramiz has appeared on Law and Order and The Watchlist on Comedy Central as well as various College Humor videos. He is a co-creator of the hit musical The Unfortunates which will run at ACT this spring.

RAJIV JOSEPH

(Playwright) Rajiv Joseph's Broadway play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo was a 2010 Pulitzer Prize finalist for drama, and also awarded a grant for Outstanding New American Play by the National Endowment for the Arts. Joseph's New York productions include Guards at the Taj (Atlantic Theater Company, 2015), The North Pool (Vineyard Theater, 2013), Gruesome Playground Injuries (Second Stage Theatre, 2011), Animals Out of Paper (Second Stage Theatre, 2008), The Leopard and the Fox (Alter Ego, 2007), Huck & Holden (Cherry Lane Theatre, 2006) and All This Intimacy (Second Stage Theatre, 2006). Other recent plays include Mr. Wolf (South Coast Repertory, 2015), The Lake Effect (Crossroads Theatre in New Jersey, 2013) and Monster at the Door (Alley Theatre in Houston, 2011). He received his BA in Creative Writing from Miami University and his MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. He served

for three years in the Peace Corps in Senegal and now lives in Brooklyn.

GIOVANNA SARDELLI

(Director)

Giovanna Sardelli is an award-winning director who has worked on world premieres of plays by Rajiv Joseph, Matthew Lopez, Theresa Rebeck, Lynn Rosen, Joe Gilford, Jeff Augustine, Lauren Yee and Zoe Kazan among others. She has worked Off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre, Second Stage, Vineyard Theatre, Playwrights Realm, The Women’s Project, Ensemble Studio Theatre and Roundabout Theatre Company. She has directed numerous productions for Dorset Theatre Festival, where she is the Resident Director, Barrington Stage Company, Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, The Old Globe, Hartford Stage Company, Cleveland Play House, Cincinnati Playhouse, CTG, Hudson Stage Company, San Francisco Playhouse and TheatreWorks Silicon Valley among others. She received her MFA in acting from NYU and is also a graduate of their Director’s Lab. Though based in NYC, she is the Director of New Works for TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. Upcoming: Mr. Wolf by Rajiv Joseph (Cleveland Play House) and Velocity of Autumn by Eric Coble (TheatreWorks SV).

TOM BUDERWITZ

(Scenic Designer) Tom previously designed Play Dead, Joan Rivers: A Work in Progress and Under the Blue Sky for Geffen Playhouse. Tom has designed for South Coast Repertory, Center

Theatre Group, Pasadena Playhouse, Goodman Theatre, Berkeley Repertory, The Shakespeare Theatre, Intiman Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Denver Center Theatre Company, Indiana Repertory Theater, Laguna Playhouse, Chautauqua Theater Company, Arizona Theatre Company, San Diego Repertory, Artist Repertory Theatre, The Antaeus Company, Reprise Theatre Company, The Theatre @ Boston Court, P.C.P.A. Theaterfest, Riverside Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre, Rubicon Theatre Company, Rogue Machine, Deaf West Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre LA and A Noise Within, among many others. Tom has been honored with four L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation Awards (26 nominations) and three L.A. Drama Critics Circle Awards. For Television, Tom has designed specials and series for every major broadcast and cable network and has three Emmy Award nominations and an Art Director’s Guild Award nomination. tombuderwitz.com

DENITSA BLIZNAKOVA

(Costume Designer)

Denitsa is happy to make her debut at the Geffen Playhouse. Her work has been seen at venues such as Denver Center for the Performing Arts, San Diego Opera, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Cleveland Play House, Old Globe Theatre, A Noise Within, The Falcon Theatre, New Repertory Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival and others. Costume design and stylist credits for other media include music videos for various artists and films. Denitsa is a Professor in the School of Theatre, TV


and Film at San Diego State University and is also the Head of the graduate Design and Technology program there. Her work may be viewed at www.Denitsa.com.

LAP CHI CHU

(Lighting Designer)

Regional designs include Mark Taper Forum, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, The Goodman Theater, The Shakespeare Theater, Arena Stage, Hartford Stage, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Dallas Theater Center, and Portland Center Stage. New York design credits include The Public Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, Signature Theater, Second Stage Theatre, Performance Space 122 and Kitchen Theatre Company. He is the lighting/video designer for ChameckiLerner Dance Company (Costumes by God, Visible Content, Hidden Forms, I Mutantes Seras, Por Favor and Não Me Deixe), which has performed in the United States and Brazil. Awards have included the LA Drama Critic’s Circle Angstrom Award for Career Achievement in Lighting Design, multiple Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Awards, a “Drammy” for best lighting, as well as a Lucille Lortel nomination for The Good Negro at The Public Theater. Mr. Chu is on the lighting design faculty at California Institute of the Arts.

VINCENT OLIVIERI

(Sound Designer /

Original Music)

Broadway: High. Off-Broadway: The Water’s Edge, Omnium Gatherum and Fatal

Attraction: A Greek Tragedy. Geffen Playhouse: Miss Julie, Build, Extraordinary Chambers. Southern California: Five-Mile Lake, In a Garden, Emilie, Noises Off, The Heiress and A Feminine Ending at South Coast Repertory; Jitney at Pasadena Playhouse; Clownzilla: A Holiday Extravaganza at Rude Guerrilla. New York and regional: Barrington Stage Company, Center Stage (Baltimore), Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, The Juilliard School, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Portland Center Stage, The Public (New York), Syracuse Stage, Theatre Novi Most (Minneapolis), Woolly Mammoth, Virginia Stage Company and Yale Repertory Theatre. World premieres: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Rachel Bonds, Michael Golamco, Kirsten Greenidge, Lauren Gunderson, Howard Korder, Neil LaBute, Matthew Lombardo, Charles L. Mee, Kira Oblensky, Tira Palmquiest, Adam Rapp, Theresa Rebeck, Sarah Treem and August Wilson. For three seasons, he was the Resident Sound Designer at Actors Theatre of Louisville. International work: Romania, Italy, China, South Korea, and the Czech Republic. Mr. Olivieri is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama and serves on the faculty at University of California-Irvine.

NED MOCHEL

(Violence Designer)

At Geffen Playhouse Ned created fight/violence design for Bad Jews, The Gift, The Jacksonian (both in LA and Off-Broadway), The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Superior Donuts, Next Fall, Ruined, Fat Pig, American

Buffalo, Miss Julie, Wait Until Dark, The Country House and Reasons to Be Pretty. Additional fight choreographer credits include The Song of Jacob Zulu for Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Chicago and Broadway), and The Lyric Opera’s production of McTeague, directed by Robert Altman. Ned was stunt coordinator/fight choreographer on numerous feature films including A Marine Story from Final Battlefield productions, Jack Slash from Chicago Action Theatre and Hit Parade from Man of Action Studios. In 2009 and 2014 Ned was awarded LA Drama Theatre Critics’ awards for fight choreography for the VS. Theatre productions of On An Average Day and Cops and Friends of Cops. Ned is certified by the Society of American Fight Directors.

AMY LEVINSON

(Dramaturg)

Amy is the Artistic Associate and Literary Director at the Geffen Playhouse. Dramaturgy credits include the commissions and world premieres of Donald Margulies’ Time Stands Still and Coney Island Christmas, Jane Anderson’s The Quality of Life and The Escort and Jeffrey Hatcher’s new adaptation of Wait Until Dark. Other credits include The Weir, Extraordinary Chambers, Build, Equivocation and Joan Rivers: A Work in Progress. At the Geffen she has helped to build programs for the purpose of fostering new work including the commissioning and development of plays. Also a translator of Yiddish drama, she holds an MFA in Dramaturgy from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

MAGGIE SWING

(Production Stage Manager)

Geffen Playhouse: Discord, The Country House, The Judy Show, American Buffalo. European Tour of The Apple Family Plays. Off-Broadway: Regular Singing, Sorry, Love’s Labors Lost, Sweet and Sad, Knickerbocker, Compulsion, That Hopey Changey Thing (The Public Theater), Slowgirl (Lincoln Center), Blood Knot, The Orphans’ Home Cycle (Signature Theatre Company). Regional: Bell, Book and Candle (co-production with Long Wharf), The Orphans’ Home Cycle, Dividing the Estate, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Christmas Carol, A Midsummer Nights Dream, The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore, The Bluest Eye, Our Town (Hartford Stage Company).

PHYLLIS SCHURINGA, CSA

(Casting) Phyllis has been the casting director at Geffen Playhouse for 12 years and now is also the Artistic Associate. Recent plays at the Geffen include Bad Jews; The Night Alive; Switzerland; The Country House; Wait Until Dark and American Buffalo. Before joining the team at the Geffen, she was the casting director for Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago where her favorites include Frank Galati’s adaptation of The Grapes of Wrath (also La Jolla Playhouse, National Theatre in London, and Broadway, where it received the Tony Award for Best Play), the original production of Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile (and subsequent productions including Westwood Playhouse and Briar Street Theater in Chicago), Austin Pendleton’s

PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIESG

UA

RD

S A

T T

HE

TA

J


Orson’s Shadow and Charles L. Mee’s Time to Burn. Broadway transfers include One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Tony Award for Best Revival) and The Song of Jacob Zulu. She teaches auditioning at Steppenwolf West and is a member of the Casting Society of America.

RANDALL ARNEY

(Artistic Director)

Randall Arney has been a theater professional for over 30 years and has served as Artistic Director of the Geffen Playhouse since 1999. In addition to his artistic programming and oversight at the Geffen, Arney has helmed more than 10 productions for the theater, most recently The Night Alive, Reasons to Be Pretty, Slowgirl, American Buffalo, Superior Donuts, The Female of the Species, The Seafarer, Speed-the-Plow and All My Sons. Arney is an ensemble member and former Artistic Director of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre where his directing credits include: Slowgirl, The Seafarer, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Death and the Maiden, Curse of the Starving Class, Killers and The Geography of Luck, among others. Arney also directed Steppenwolf’s world premiere of Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile, as well as the subsequent national and international acclaimed productions. Mr.

Arney’s acting credits with Steppenwolf include Born Yesterday, Ghost in the Machine, The Homecoming, Frank’s Wild Years, You Can’t Take it with You, Fool for Love, True West, Balm in Gilead and Coyote Ugly. As the Artistic Director for Steppenwolf from 1987 to 1995, he oversaw the creation of a new state-of-the-art theater which is Steppenwolf’s current home. Broadway transfers under his leadership include The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, The Song of Jacob Zulu (six Tony Award nominations) and The Grapes of Wrath (1990 Tony Award, Best Play). Mr. Arney has an MFA degree in Acting from Illinois State University and has taught master classes and workshops at UCLA, Steppenwolf, around the U.S. and in Tokyo.

GIL CATES, JR.

(Executive Director)

Gil Cates, Jr. has proudly served on the Geffen Playhouse Board since 2012 and has years of producing and directing experience in theater, film, and television. Gil’s theater credits include the award winning Names (Matrix Theatre) starring Dixie Carter and Greg Mullavey, The Night I Knocked Out Joe Frazer and Lost 90 Pounds (Gardner Stage Theater), as well as Three Sisters and David Mamet’s A Life in the Theatre (both at Syracuse Stage). Gil’s film credits

include The Surface (starring Sean Astin and Geffen Playhouse alumnus Chris Mulkey), Jobs (starring Ashton Kutcher, Josh Gad, Dermot Mulroney, as well as Geffen Playhouse alumni Matthew Modine and Ron Eldard) and the 2011 feature film Lucky (starring Colin Hanks, Ari Graynor, Ann-Margret and recent Golden Globe winner Jeffrey Tambor). In addition, Gil produced and directed the critically acclaimed Life After Tomorrow, featuring Sarah Jessica Parker, which won best documentary at the Phoenix Film Festival and later had its premiere Christmas Eve on Showtime. His other films include Deal (starring Burt Reynolds, Bret Harrison and Charles Durning), The Mesmerist (starring Geffen Playhouse alumnus Neil Patrick Harris), and the critically acclaimed independent film Order of Chaos. Gil also made his TV directorial debut with an episode of the NBC comedy, Joey, starring Emmy winner Matt LeBlanc. He studied at the National Theatre Institute in Waterford, Connecticut, and holds a BFA in Drama from Syracuse University in 1991.

REGINA MILLER

(Chief Development Officer)

Regina has been a development professional for over 18 years, working with non-profit institutions, foundations and corporations

on strategy, analysis and fundraising. She has worked for Simon Wiesenthal Center, The Clinton Foundation, Ben Affleck’s Eastern Congo Initiative, Hank Azaria’s Determined to Succeed, Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, Water.org, Codenow.org among others. Prior to the Geffen, Regina served as the Director of Partnerships for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire where she led strategic planning and development while executing policies that advanced the organization’s visibility and growth. Regina also has a strong passion for teaching. After graduating from University of North Carolina School of the Arts, she taught in preschools and kindergartens in New York. From the age of 13, Regina worked as a professional dancer on Broadway as well as with a number of prominent modern dance ensembles. Fusing two of her interests, she created a highly successful program which incorporated dance therapy and creative movement into an early childhood curriculum as well as wrote and produced a television show based on this concept. In addition to being a published author and photographer with Tallfellow Press and Prometheus Books, Regina has taught and lectured at numerous schools in New York, Los Angeles and abroad.

PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES

PRODUCTION STAFF FOR GUARDS AT THE TAJ

Assistant Scenic Designer Dreem Qin

Assistant Costume Designer Valerie Henderson

Assistant Lighting Designer Meghan Hong

Assistant Sound Designer Ben Scheff

Illusion Creator Dominik Krzanowki

Wardrobe Supervisor Jenny Foldenauer

Light Board Operator Austin Burkett

Sound Board Operator Mitchell Hampton

Production Assistant Kristen Osborn

Automation Operator/Stage Crew Joel Fullerton

Stage Crew Bret Weinberger

Properties Artisan Cami Viand

Properties Artisan Lillian Bartenstein

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Set provided by Scenic Highlights

Lighting Equipment provided by Entertainment Lighting Services

Sound Equipment provided by Jon Sound Inc.

Production Photographer Michael Lamont

Media Filming Four Leaf Media

SPECIAL THANKS

UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Scene, Prop, Sound and Costume Shops; London Cleaners

UCLA SCHOOL OF THEATER, FILM AND TELEVISION

Geffen Playhouse is affiliated with the University of California at Los Angeles,

specifically the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Geffen Playhouse

values its role as an important educational resource by providing students

with master classes, workshops and internships. Students are also able to work

and learn from distinguished visiting Geffen artists such as Alan Ayckbourn,

Jon Robin Baitz, Annette Bening, Ed Harris, David Ives, Neil LaBute, David

Mamet, Donald Margulies, Terrence McNally, John Rando and Kathleen Turner

in areas of directing, playwriting, acting, design, dramaturgy, management and

production. Geffen Playhouse also draws upon the distinguished experts in the

university to enhance the theater’s programs and research.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS GEFFEN AT A GLANCE

ADDRESS

Geffen Playhouse10886 Le Conte Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90024

Administrative Offices ... 310.208.6500

Mon – Fri ................. 10:00 am — 6:00 pm

Box Office Phone Line ... 310.208.5454

Daily ........................... 7:00 am —6:00 pm

Subscriber Hotline .......... 310.208.2028

Mon – Fri ................. 10:00 am — 6:00 pm

Sat & Sun ................ 12:00 pm — 6:00 pm

Please visit geffenplayhouse.com for

hours, parking and more information

TICKET SERVICES

BOX OFFICE WINDOWWhen shows are not in performance,

the box office window is open:

Mon – Fri ................. 10:00 am — 6:00 pm

Sat & Sun ................ 12:00 pm — 6:00 pm

During the run of a show, the window

will be open until curtain. Please

note: the box office is unable to

process exchanges and future sales

one hour prior to curtain time on any

performance day.

ACCESS

ACCESSIBLEACCOMMODATIONGeffen Playhouse is fully

committed to ensuring a

satisfying theater experience

for our patrons with special

needs or disabilities. Please

contact the box office or an

usher to discuss your needs.

AT THE THEATER

LATE SEATINGShould you arrive late to the theater

or vacate your seat during the

performance, please expect to be held

in the lobby until an appropriate pause

in the action on-stage. To minimize

disturbance to other patrons, you may

be sat into the first available location

by the house staff even if different from

your assigned seat. Be advised that

some productions or circumstances may

not allow for late or return seating.

ASL

This theater operates under agreement between the League of Resident Theaters and Actors Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers

in the United States.

This theater operates under agreement between the League of Resident Theaters and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, an independent national labor union.

The scenic, costume, lighting and sound designers in LORT theaters are represented by United Scenic Artists Local USA-829, IATSE.



ANNUAL DONORS

Geffen Playhouse recognizes the following individuals and organizations for their generous support of our Annual Fund and

Backstage at the Geffen. Donors are listed at the Associate level and higher for gifts made between July 20, 2014 and September 20, 2015.

In appreciation, donors enjoy a host of special benefits including house seats, complimentary drinks, receptions and much more.

For more information, please call Jamie Mikelich at 310.208.6500 ext. 128.

CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE$50,000+

AnonymousAudi of America, IncBen/Joyce Eisenberg FoundationMrs. Carol K. Block & Chancellor Gene D. BlockClaudia & Kevin BrightCity National BankElizabeth Lacey & Gilbert Cates, Jr.Mary Ann CloydDavid Geffen FoundationEdgerton FoundationJoyce Eisenberg-Keefer & Melvin KeeferHerbert M. & Beverly J. GelfandIn Memory of Alice Ghostley & Felice OrlandiSam GoresThe Adi & Jerry Greenberg FoundationGuggenheim Partners Investment

Management Holdings, LLCCarole & Bill HaberHarold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable TrustMartha HendersonRabbi Uri D. Herscher & Dr. Myrna HerscherCindy & Alan HornHSBC Private Bank USAMarilyn & Jeffrey KatzenbergGlorya KaufmanLoretta Everett Kaufman & Victor KaufmanKenneth T. & Eileen L. Norris FoundationKeyes Automotive GroupRobert K. KraftSandra Krause & William FitzgeraldL&N Andreas FoundationLatham & Watkins LLPThe Lauder FoundationMr. and Mrs. Jason & Yvonne LeeSusan & David LevetonGeorge Lucas Family FoundationGinny ManciniFay & Frank MancusoMarilyn & Jeffrey Katzenberg Fund for Arts

Education at the Geffen PlayhouseJohn McCrite & Juan LopezDonna McKenna & Flynn ChernosKelly & Ron MeyerScott MinerdAnn & Jerry MossMoss FoundationParadigm Talent AgencyRalph M. Parsons FoundationPricewaterhouseCoopersMadeline & Bruce Ramer

Pamela Robinson Hollander & Robert HollanderLinda Bernstein Rubin & Tony RubinRichard & Barbara ShermanShubert FoundationSkirball FoundationKaren & Vic SmithCynthia P. StaffordJodi & Howard TenenbaumUCLAThe Walt Disney CompanyKen Willner & Jim StineElaine Wynn Family FoundationJudy & Chancellor Charles E. YoungDirk & Natasha Ziff

ARTISTIC CIRCLE $25,000 - $49,999

AnonymousKatie McGrath & J.J. AbramsAegon Transamerica FoundationPatricia Kiernan ApplegateAria Resort & SpaAriel InvestmentsRobert C. BaralValarie De La Garza & Michael CentenoCenterStagingKathy & Mitch ClarkClassic Party RentalsClay Lacy AviationDreamWorks AnimationDwight Stuart Youth FundThe Edward A. & Ai O. Shay

Family FoundationFox Entertainment GroupCarol & Paul FrimmerJim & Ann GianopulosGoldman SachsAndy & Carlo Brandon-GordonGreater Los Angeles New Car

Dealers AssociationMellody HobsonThe Lear Family FoundationLos Angeles County Arts CommissionLos Angeles magazineMarcia Israel Foundation, Inc.Napa Valley GrilleJudith & Bruce SternShel & Cynthia StoneWarner Bros. EntertainmentSamantha & John WilliamsAnthony P. Zinge

PRODUCER $10,000 - $24,999

AnonymousBeth BehrsLaurie & Bill BenensonCharles A. Black, Jr.Board of Supervisors County of Los AngelesHeather Thomas & Skip BrittenhamBrotman Foundation of CaliforniaAmanda Brown & Justin ChangEileen & Harold BrownBulgari Corporation of AmericaRoma Downey & Mark BurnettThe Capital Group Companies Charitable

FoundationStephanie & Jonathan CarsonThe ChatwalCity of Los Angeles Department of

Cultural AffairsCarole Bayer Sager & Robert A. DalyEdward AvedisDr. & Mrs. Paul EisenbergSusan & Mark FleischerThe Friedman GroupSarinda & Gian FulgoniGagosian Gallery, IncGang, Tyre, Ramer & Brown, Inc.Dr. Hilary GarlandGhurkaThe Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert FoundationPatty Glaser & Sam MudieManuela & James GorenArthur GreenbergC. Curtis GrishamIn Memory of Morris A. HazanHBOSamantha & Eric HeerHilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & SpaStanley Iezman & Nancy StarkVicki Iovine & David CoiroJoseph Drown FoundationJoan KaloustianFred LatskoJanine & Peter LowyCarla MaldenMona MaldenMalibu Family WinesSusan & Peter MalloryNancy & Michael McClellandWendy & Barry MeyerSandra E. MilkenMOCA FoundationMarcia & Brett MolotskyLeslie Moonves & Julie ChenJames L. Nederlander

& Margo MacNabb NederlanderNorthern Trust, NALaurie MacDonald & Walter ParkesPopland Studios

ANNUAL DONORS

Rollin Ransom & Chris LacroixJudith Reichman, MDHolly RiceGail & Andrew RothRichard Ruskell PastriesThe Richenthal FoundationRonen Levy EventsLoren Rothschild & Hon. Frances RothschildThe Simms/Mann Family FoundationFred Specktor & Nancy HellerSugarfishSteve TischMiranda & Brett TollmanU.S. BankUnion BankWell Done CateringWestfield GroupWilliam Morris Endeavor EntertainmentLinda YellinRuth ZieglerRichard & Mae Ziman

DIRECTOR $5,000 - $9,999

AnonymousJehan F. Agrama & Dwora FriedAMCAmgen FoundationHilary & Jack Angelo The Alec Baldwin FoundationAVIDThe Baxter International FoundationRuth & Jake BloomAnnette BlumMara & Jonathan BlumThe Eli & Edythe L. Broad FoundationGlenn & Lynn CardosoMarcy CarseyComcast | NBC UniversalDebra DavisDream Warrior GroupFielding Edlow & Larry ClarkeJo & Larry FeldmanLawrence N. FieldEric Flamholtz & Yvonne RandleFour Seasons Resort Maui at WaileaKiki & David GindlerPriscila GiraldoGloria & Peter GoldGrand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria ResortBucky Hazan, Teles PropertiesGail & Stanley HollanderBernice & Wendell JeffreyYvonne & Damien JordanMarvin Jubas & Janet WaldMannon KaplanSally & Dr. Manny J. KarbelnigJulie & David KavnerKissick Family FoundationWendy KurtzmanLa ValenciaAlan & Cindra LaddEileen & Kase LawalDrs. Gerald & Barbara LeveyPadma & Rao Makineni

Merle & Jerry MeaserJudy Zaban Miller & Lester MillerKate Moran & Mikki RosenbergLiza & Conan O’BrienChristine Marie OfieshMo OstinPure CheesecakesKay & Bob RehmeGary Reisman | LEAP Media InvestmentsJoyce ReyJane Rissman & Richard SondheimerHoward RoseRikki RosenThomas L. SafranSheri SalataHon. Nicole A. Avant & Ted SarandosJudi & Bruce SchindlerJody & Arthur SchmidKen & Carol Schultz FoundationSteve & Paula Mae SchwartzHelen & Martin ScorseseSidley Austin LLPThe Simon-Strauss FoundationSinger Family FoundationSondheimer FoundationLorraine Spurge & Patrick MitchellSusan & Don StarrArnold StiefelEric StonestreetTanino RistoranteTanzy RestaurantBarbara & Larry TenanLynda ThomasThomas Safran & AssociatesJanet & Michael SchwartzKaren Zoller, MD & David Tillman, MDThe Travel CorporationAlice & Norman TulchinJennifer von SchneidauDeborah & Michael E. WalshWest LA PokerRita Wilson & Tom HanksKaren & Rick WolfenPaula Wolff, Ph.D. & Wayne W. WhalenJennifer Young & Katrina NasonGail ZappaLeslie & Robert ZemeckisRuth & Stan ZicklinIn Loving Memory of Herman ZieglerEllen & Ken ZiffrenZiffren Brittenham LLP

SPONSOR$3,000 – $4,999

Janis Adams & John LyonsPat & Sandy AdamsShelly & Libby BergenSusan Booth & Christopher WaddenRobert Brook & Jacqueline KosecoffDr. Fanya Carter, PhDScott, Susan & Joshua CorwinMica ErtegunSusan & Eric FleishmanPerry GoldbergDora & Neil Kadisha

Barbara & Ronnie KahnThea & Neal KossRenee & Meyer LuskinSherry MartinRio & Frank MorseBenedicta & Geoffry OblathJudi & Tim RitchieSue RosenwasserLori & David RoussoJudy & Mike SapirLeigh SilvertonAllen Blue & Kira SnyderKaren & William TimberlakeVernon, Barry & Dale Tyerman

In Honor of Ruth Tyerman LentzUniworld River Cruises IncThe Waterman Family FoundationLeslie White & Al LimonLynn & Mark WilliamsPatricia Youngman

PARTNER$1,500 - $2,999

Anonymous (3)Miriam AguiarOlga S. AldersonMargaret & Howard ArveyAversano Family TrustRobert E. & Maria H. BarronRichard Bautzer & David McDowellLaurel & Aaron ClarkLinda & John ColemanDavid Conney, M.D.Shelley Wike CranleyPhil DavisSusan & Jonathan DolgenVictoria DummerKitzia & Richard GoodmanThe Guerin FoundationMichael Parks & Judith HaywardAlan & Michelle HeilpernMel & Faith HenkinRoger & Linda HowardCarrie JohnsonJanis B. McEldowneyRichard MillingLisa PierozziHerbert & Marilyn PikenJoseph & Cynthia RodriguezDominique SheltonDoris & Michael ShermanRita & Jose SigalSnyder Family FoundationBruce & Patti SpringsteenMitch & Sherry SteinPaul & Margaret SteinAudri & Stan TendlerPaul TetreaultDaniel TongbaiSusan & Peter Van HaftenRoberta WeintraubGelena & Seth WeissmanBarbara & Stanley ZaxMarcie & Howard ZelikowEllen & Arnold ZetcherDavid Zuckerman

& Ellie Kanner-Zuckerman


GU

AR

DS

AT

TH

E T

AJ


ANNUAL DONORS

EDUCATION ADVOCATE $1,000 - $1,499

Anonymous (3)Harry & Gay Abrams/Abrams

Artists AgencyDr. Richard Ackerman & Miriam ShakterLaura & Harvey Alpert Charitable

FoundationMerryl & David A. AlpertBonnie & Bill ApfelbaumAudioQuestCarol Ann & D.C. BakemanRichard & Shelley BayerJerry BeckmanPeter & Barbara BenedekPatricia & Mark BenjaminPaula & Bruce BennettWendy & John BergquistJohn Bjorge & Mary McKelveyJoe Blackstone & Jamie MohnThe Bordy & Leibovic FamiliesBrenda & Alan BorsteinDr. Wallace P. BrithineeWendy & David BrotmanThe Busch-Schifino FamilyChancellor Albert Carnesale

& Mrs. Robin CarnesaleScott CarterDavid Cates & Christine VavakJane CatesJonathan & Elena CatesMelissa Cates & Roger ClamanSteven Cerasale & Mary Katherine CocharoMartha ChaseSachiko T. Cochran MD & Joseph T. ArakiJanine CristianoRuth DaughertyDeluscious CookiesCarolyn Dirks/Brett DoughertyDennis & Jeralyn DotyJan & Thea DrayerGerald & Sally DucotWilliam DuncanMarilyn P. DunnDr. & Mrs. William M DuxlerColleen M. EllisTerri & David ElstonThe English Language CenterCarl & Courtenay EnrightCarol & J.B. EsterkinMichael & Lynne FeldmanDonnovan FieldBarbara FodorJoan & Charles FoxSteve FreedmanBen & Susan FriedmanG2 Graphic Service, Inc.Pat & Sandy GageKathleen GarfieldJeanne & Arnold GeffnerMr. & Mrs. Arthur GeoffrionDiane & Bruce GewertzCharlotte GoldDr. Irene GoldenbergMarion GoldenfeldHelene GordonAdrienne Grant & Paul Jennings

Jack Grossbart & Marc SchwartzSunny & Alvin GrossblattMichael GrunwaldMonty & Marilyn HallSalli HarrisMurray & Gail HeltzerLynda Klein & Neal HershJean Himmelstein & David ColemanDr. John D. Hofbauer & Dr. Laura E. FoxIn Honor of DevelopmentTamara Horwich & Gerry LipshutzToni HoytLynn Hunt & Margaret JacobNancy & Len JacobyLinda JangerJoseph B. Gould FoundationLinda & David KagelJoyce & Don KaisermanMarcy Kaplan & Eric GoldKarney Guren Family FoundationSabrina Kay Charitable FoundationLenny & David KeltonBarbara & Stuart KlabinKent Klavens & Judy VourlasLeslie & Norman KoplofCarol KrauseDeborah Lacusta & Daniel CastellanetaBethany Joy LenzLydia & Chuck LevyJohn LiebesSteven & Nancy LippmanJudith Locke & Dennis MassieKaren & Frederick LorigThe Jennifer and Greg Malins FoundationEric G.C. MarkMarlene Matlow & FamilySue McHugh & Herb SeeseThe Miles FamilyCraig & Catherine MillerAndrew & Laura MintzerJoanne & Joel MogyLon Morse & Toni Hollander MorseAlbert & Barbara NicholsJohn NickollDeborah & Stacey OlliffMichael R. OppenheimOrnest Family FoundationAnne OsbergGia Paladino & Michael WiseCarol Parry & John FoxPhilip & Leslie PatonAmanda Crick & Glenn PfefferCraig PiligianIn Memory of Michael PillerBerta & Lou PittRuth PopkinRichard Rasiej & Joan HermanHarvey & Joyce ReichardRabbi Steven & Didi Carr ReubenDonald B. & Susan F. RiceIn Memory of Frances RichmanEsther & Howard RichmondBeth Roberts & Warren SmithRichard RobertsCraig E. RogersBrad & Nancy RosenbergDavid A. & Karen Richards SachsMark San FilippoNancy & Ted Sanborn

Savitsky Satin & BaconDawn & Joel SchererLizbeth SchiffToni & John SchulmanJoanna & Jonathan SchwartzSusan Schwarz BertonIn Memory of Diane Barnett-ShapiroJohn & Lori ShawMichael & Glenda ShawPhyllis & Martin ShephardHolly & Larry ShulmanSteven Siegel & Lily CareyRon Silverman & Soraya RossJoan & Jerry SnyderDrs. Matthew & Marion SolomonThe Somaini FamilyMarcella, Joy & Grant StanleySusan StockelJordan Strauss PhotographyDavid & Katherine StritzingerEric Strom & Eileen GoodisKaty SweetThe Tatasciore FamilyJohn Teeples & Nicolas Martinez, Jr.Joyce & Josh TrabulusCatherine UngerDaniel & Shauna ValenzuelaAlan Van VlietPeter & Denise WalshJulie & Peter WeilDoris WeinbergJoanne & Ken WeinmanAlison Whalen & Steven MarenbergMarcia Williams & Gene LuceroCherie WrigleyAnna & Stephen Yallourakis

ARTISTIC ADVOCATE $500 - $999

Anonymous (3)Laurence & Ilene AbramsonSylvia AlmstadtPatti & Harlan AmstutzAres Management LLCJanet & Irwin BarnetAlan BelinkoffJoanne & Miles BenickesJim & Diane BerlinerBlack Market GelatoJanet & Mark BrownLee & Shelby ChadenWilliam & Patricia ChinElsbeth Collins & James GreeneTed CordesDonald & Zoe CosgroveMorgan DameronGeraldine DarrowDiana Davidow & Deborah ConstanceDaniel & Gayle DevinThe Milton L. & Betty J. Dranow

Family FoundationRoni & Ethan EllerDavid & Joyce EvansMarjorie & Arthur FineSydney M. Finegold, M.D.The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable FundMichael & Lynne FlynnMyrna Forest

Burt & Nanette ForesterLois & Gerald GallopSharlene & Sol GalperRussell GerstenThe Gewecke FamilyBenita & Bert GinsbergDr. Diane & Michael GlazerAnnie & Tom GoepelLouis & Linda GoldsmanAbner & Roz GoldstineLori & Robert GoodmanRoger GordonMarcy & Edgar GrossMadeline GussmanCarolyn & Bernie HamiltonKay HarringtonRichard HartSteven HochstadtMrs. Dorothy HoffmanRand Hoffman & Charlotte RobinsonKelley M. HoganGerald IsenbergTerry & Marc J. JacobyRobert JonesDrs. Elaine & Jeff KamilMr. & Mrs. Bernard KaminePatricia KeatingDonald KottlerJeffrey KramerTam & David LachoffEleanor & Mark LainerJoan & Christopher LarkinJeanne & Christopher LavagninoSandi LawlessJoyce LedererBrenda & Warren LincolnWendy LindleyNeil L. & Ora D. MacfarlaneGeorge ManetElizabeth MarcellinoJoel MendelsohnAllan M. Mohrman Jr.Paula Moseley, EdDSandra MossErika & James MuhlfeldSherri & Arnold NelsonChris & Richard NewmanShelby NotkinDonna & Paul PekarAmy RichardsLinda & Manny RiderDolores RogersRonda & Fred RoseBlanche & Bruce Joel RubinNancy & Steven SchneiderDavid & Margaret SchwankeDr. Daniel SchwartzTraci SheltonRobin & Robert SillsMartin & Leah SklarSold Out CrowdDr. Jerry E. Spicer & W. Todd StevensAlec SulkinMr. & Mrs. David TannNancy ThomasMarcia & Dr. Charles WassermanConnie & John WestonGeoffrey & Susan WhartonPhilip & Judith WinikJay Weinstein & Lori WoldarDebra Zavala

ASSOCIATE $250 - $499

Anonymous (6)Norman & Toshka AbramsTerry & Richard AbramsAnne Adair & Steve GanzbergBarbara AdamsElaine & Michael AgranAKWCharles & Annick AllenPaul AlterRobert C. AndersonPhilip Angerhofer

& Stephen A. JonesEloise & Mark AppelMark ArcherSteven D. AriasBonnie ArnoldBarbara & Ethan AronoffBert & Ruth AronsMarc & Elizabeth AxelrodLynne & Lee BabbittDeborah BaineAimee BakhshandehpourLinda BarnettIrene BaronRandy BayardDawn & Marshall BeinMarshall BellJoel BergerYvette BergeronKaren Berko-GibsonBarbara BerkowitzMarsha C. BerkowitzEllen BienenfeldBeverly BiererWilliam Bigelow & Bridget KarlinClaudia & Ronald BitzerMarjorie BlattPamela & Bill BohnertMichael J. BordyToby BornsteinJudge & Mrs. Anthony BorwickDeanne BosnakBurt BoyarCarol J. BradshawPaula BrandJohn & Debbie BrinckoLeah Lynn BroidyMitchell BrownDavid & Kathy BurkeColin CampbellLaura D. CampbellMarlene & David CapellAndrew CarlbergPhil CarlinTia CarrereMiss Irene CastaldoBarry CharlesDiane ChernanskyNancy ClarkKen CoelhoDonell CohenGinger ConradIvan ContrerasGail CottinghamNorman & Nancy CravensValerie & Donald Cravitz

Ingrid Curtiss, MDAmes CushingIn Loving Memory of Ed CypertMuriel Dance & Alvin MartinBeverly D’AngeloCol. Tony, Donna & Taylor DaniellHedva & Dr. Dudley DanoffBonnie & Brian DavidoffJeffrey S. DavidsonRuth B. Davis & Pearl SchultzSuzanne & Bruce DoddsCarol Jean DoehringPenelope DonnellyFred & Marilyn DorerSandy DorfmanDaryl & Paul F. DoucettePaul DowlingHelina DreicerJacki & Murray DrechslerLarry & Elke EreshefskyEllen FarwellJanet FattalAleyne Larner FawcettMimi Alpert FeldmanJudy & Jerry FelsenthalAbby & Malcolm FieldDonna FinleyWilliam & Elisabeth FleischmanEdward FloresRosella ForteSandy & Mitch FrancisDolores FrancoGilbert & Marilyn FrankDonald & Sandy FrenchKenneth J. Friedma

& Marilynn J. Friedman Family Foundation

Laurelle FromeGina FurthLori GalinLee GardenswartzLarry & Judith GarshofskyLinda M GibbsAndrew Glassman

& Pilar Frausto-GlassmanRichard & Lori GlucksmanHannah GodwinMark & Molly GoldbergMarshall & Patti Goldberg

and FamilyFrancine Golden

& Marvin SchlossmanDenise GoldfarbDr. Peter GoldmanJulie Clayton GoldsmithDina GoldsteinMae GoodsonJo-Ann GordonDavid GorenLiz Gottainer & David SadkinJoan GreenRandi & Jerome GreenbergEve Haberfield

& David N. JohnsonRoberta L. HaftKambiz HakimMary & Alan HalkettJane HallSusan HallmanKatherine Hardie

Tess HarperEugene HarrisSheila & Chester HasdayDr. & Mrs. Samuel HavesonAllan HeinbergCarla & Alan A. HerdMatthew HerrmannCina HodgesMr. & Mrs. Rob HollmanDale & John HopmansLynn & David HorowitzJonathan HowardMr. & Mrs. John HuberBrian Irving & Dayna CusslerJackie & Warren JacksonFrederic A. & Nancy JacobusBarbara & Buford JamesMartha Jones & Paul ZerellaCarolyn & Dan JordanJerry JosephTrudy & Albert KallisPat & Stan KandelJean KaplanJo Ann & Charles KaplanOwen KatoBeverlee Bickmore & James KellyWilliam & Renee KendallIrwin KishnerAnnette & Charles KleemanDonna & Jeffrey KleinDr. Phyllis KleinLaurie & Milton KlormanCorie & Michael KossJohn & Kimberly KruseDoctors Mark & Lena LaboweLynne LainerCarol D. LandeElizabeth LandeJill & Michael LaskyHelene & Arthur LaubGinger LeibovitzAnn LelandCharles LetzgusSteve & Valerie LevRon & Marcia LevensonDonna LeviMarla E. LevineSuzann LevineBeth Levy & Lloyd BookmanRick & Vivian LevyLawrin & Linda LewinLee & Therese LindenVictor & Madeline LindenheimLeslie & Adam LobelMireya LundMarilyn LunebergAnne L. LynchDr. Linda MaederCarol & Doug MancinoMr. & Mrs. Phillips H. MarshallStewart MayedaTracy & Noah MazeDavid Israeli & Dr. Marie MazzoneDouglas Mcavoy, Jr.

Jim & Kathryn McCafferyCheryl McCormickPatrick W. McDivittMaria McDowellMarlene McRae & Terry WinterIn Memory of Gil CatesReed & Linda MetzgerNorma & Larry MeyersPhilip & Joan MillerTeddie J. MilnerPeter Minarik & Sharon VeraFarbod MirfakhraiMatlin & Robert MirmanCarol & Jerry MuchinBill MullinsAlex Levine & Catherine NamethMurray & Lenore NeidorfMark & Diane NeubauerTom NevermannJoan & Fred NicholasRobert & Anita NittaRoberta NovickAdrienne & Arthur OmanskyDr. Ronald & Iris OnkinMr. & Mrs. Irving OstrowCynthia & Todd PalmEdward ParkerJoanne PattenKathy & Jeff PerkinsRebecca PerlowNaidu & Jane PermaulZazi PopeMichael & Rose PorterfieldDiane & Michael PoryesSarah & Christopher PriorePhilip PritchettNeil & Lisa Greer QuatemanJoyce S. RichJames RichardsCarlene RingerLindy RobbinsCharles RobertsonMaria Rodriguez

& Victoria BullockJanis & Avi RojanyRobert RosaniaBarry Rosen & Neil BokalAdrienne RosenthalBeverly & Melvin RosenthalJoyce & Deane RossLawrence Ross

& Linda NussbaumGeorgina & Alan RothenbergBert RoyalTyler RubinPenny Grosz Salomon & Eugene

KorneyTawny & Gerry SandersSusan & Kenneth SarnoMaxine SavitzClifford SchafferLaurie SchechterJoel & Sonia SchneiderGary & Karen Schneider

Elaine Carey & Vincent J. Schodolski

Jane & Bill Schopf

Susan & Peter Schwab

John H. Scott

Michele & Peter Serchuk

Andrea Sexton

Bob & Sue Shadur

Scott Shagrin

Annette & Leonard Shapiro

Steven & Annabelle Shulman

Melinda & Yossi Sidikaro

Seymour & Dorothy Siegel

Nancy & Bruce Silverman

Adam Singer

Evelyne & Joel Smason

Diane Good & Frank Smith

Barbara Meissner & Hal Smith

James Smith & Loreen Ayer

Dr. Jerry & Marci Smith

Jimmie Smith & Tommy Garceau

Marcia L. & Mark J. Smith

Jean Smith-Moore

Karen Smits

Debra Spector

Lynette Sperber

Roger K. Stewart

William Stringer

Kathryn & Mark Sullivan

Mr. Kayser Sume & Dr. Renee Sabshin

Ann Sunderland

Keith & Judy Swayne

Lance & Maureen Tan

Phyllis & Franklin Tell

Robyn Tenenbaum

Troy Thompson

Jay & Courtney Tobin

Brigitta Troy

Beryl Turner

Leon & Stephanie Vahn

Anthony Vasek

Bobette Vikan

Arnold & Carol Vinstein

Carole Wagner-Vallianos & Peter Vallianos

Dr. & Mrs. William Walsh

Seth Freeman & Julie Waxman

Ben & Rose Weinstein

Terri Weiss

Pat West

Haskell & Rita Wexler

Rae Jeane Williams

Patrick Wilson

Bruce & Marci Wiseman

Marc Wishingrad

Jess Womack

Diana Lynn Woods

Karen & Frank Wurtzel

The Yarkins

Gerald Yoshitomi

Harriet Zaretsky

Sandy Zwirn

HAVE WE MADE AN ERROR?To report a misspelling or omission in these listings, please contact

the Development Department at 310.208.6500 ext. 128


GU

AR

DS

AT

TH

E T

AJ

ANNUAL DONORS

Randall Arney Artistic Director

Gil Cates, Jr. Executive Director

ARTISTIC

Amy Levinson Artistic Associate / Literary Director

Phyllis Schuringa Artistic Associate / Casting Director

Young Ji Artistic Coordinator / Company Manager

Rachel Wiegardt-Egel Literary Associate

DEVELOPMENT

Regina Miller Chief Development Officer

Ellen Catania Director of Major Gifts & Corporate/Foundation Partnerships

Jessica Brusilow Rollins Director of Education Partnerships & Donor Relations

Jamie Mikelich Associate Director of Individual Giving & Spotlight Manager

Kristen Smith Eshaya Development & Education Programs Coordinator

Scott Kriloff Development Associate & Donor Database Administrator

Clay Dzygun Development Associate

Ava Bogle Development Assistant

Taylor Dearden Development Assistant

EDUCATION

Jennifer Zakkai Director of Education & Community Engagement

Carolyn Marie Wright Manager of Education & Community Engagement

ADMINISTRATION

Behnaz Ataee Chief Financial Officer

Frankie Ocasio Executive Assistant

Peter Banachowski Accounting and Payroll Manager

Diana Chang Accounts Payable

Marguerite Harris Receptionist

PRODUCTION

Daniel Ionazzi Production Manager

Jill Barnes Associate Production Manager / Company Manager

Evan Friedman Technical Director

Rich Gilles Properties Master

James Grabowski Sound Master

Darren Rezowalli Master Electrician

MARKETING & SALES

Joseph Yoshitomi Director of Marketing & Communications

Karen Gutierrez Director of Advertising & Sponsorships

Brian Dunning Graphic Design Manager

Kevin O’Brien Marketing & Graphics Coordinator

Mark San Filippo Ticket Services Director & Database Administrator

Stephanie Strand Audience Services Manager

Janice Bernal Box Office Manager

Bryan Martin Box Office Manager

Zack Hamra Box Office Assistant Manager

Korie Benavidez, Kaitlin Huwe, Richard Martinez, Cameron Reck, Celia Rivera, Christine Rivera, Celeste Russi, Alyssa Tyson Box Office Staff

COMMUNICATIONS

Katy Sweet, Pam Giangregorio, Carly Yates Katy Sweet & Associates Public Relations

Rebecca Haithcoat Communications Editor

FRONT OF HOUSE

Jeni Pearsons Director of Special Events

David Gerhardt Supervising House Manager

Jane Phillips Harper Deputy Supervising House Manager

Michelle Cantrell, Josiah Davis, Amy Farkas, Roxana Meyers House Managers

Ally Aberrotman, Rebecca Birstock, Kailey Bray, Christopher Caron, Taylor Cerny, Vianney Cossyleon, Taylor Dearden, Brett Donaldson, Megan Fitzgerald, Chelsea Fryer, Netta Lee Joseph, Erica Keller, Caroline Harrison Kohler, Nathaniel Meek, Keith Mitchell, JoJo Nwoko, Luis Ruiz, Jonathan Schwartz, Oliver Vaughn, Dennis Woullard Ushers

Rob Mersola Bar Manager

Manuel Mayorga Weekend Bar Manager

Adam Carr, Brenda Davidson, Mariel Higuera, Lyndsi LaRose, Kimberly Legg Bartenders

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

Miguel del Castillo Facility Manager

Mario Santillan-Perez Custodial

Juan Carlos Umaña Cleaning Custodial


Geffen Playhouse is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

This project was also funded in part by the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles.

Geffen Playhouse, a nont-for-profit theater company, is proudly affiliated with the University of California at Los Angeles.

GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE STAFF

guards at the taj program

Documents