About Actors Refuge Repertory Theatre (ARRT): Formed in September, 2006 by a group of 8 actors, with diverse backgrounds, who enjoyed one another's company in the summer production so much that we decided to meet regularly. Through "Acting!" they studied scenes and monologues togeth-er, and a year later, they had their first public performance at a library space, which was the beginning of ARRT's unique and community-oriented productions. ARRT is a community organization before it is a theatre company, and ARRTers, as we call ourselves, are dedicated to promoting diversity and community devel-opment through performing arts. For more information and updates, please LIKE us on- Facebook.com/ActorsRefugeRepertoryTheatre! About "VAGINA MONOLOGUES 2015 ~ Out of A Cocoon": In this "Vagina Monologues" production, we are focusing on "women and children in shelter (cocoon)” and building a strong as well as supportive community to help them regain their diminished confidence and rebuild their lives when they come out of their “cocoon.” Our beneficiary, Asian Task Force Against Domestic Vio-lence (ATASK), is actively involved in this production to educate us and answer any questions we may have. Immediately following the play, there will be a special Q&A session with ATASK, in which you have an opportunity to get to know who they are, what they do and how they can help. We hope that the discussion will not just end here. We hope that something amazing will come out of this effort! It is also an opportunity to be part of a global movement called "One Billion Ris-ing” - Dance to End Violence. Please Join Us!

Directors Christina Chan, Irfan Malik

Producer Movement Director Mariko Kanto Pam Newton

Production Assistants Mtise Mwanza, Sy Lee

Composer/Sound Lighting Eri Saito Sy Lee

Author Eve Ensler

Photographer Calligraphy Artist Eric Hovermale Syoka-Kana

Q & A Moderator Mtise Mwanza

Performances

Introduction …….………………………………………………… Liana Hair …………………………………………………………… Kimberly The Wear and Say Lists ……………... Roxanne, Trysha, and Genevieve The Flood ……………………………………………………….. Debbie The Vagina Workshop ………………………..………………… Elainy Vagina Happy Fact ……………………………...………………. Elainy They Beat the Girl Out of my Boy - Or So They Tried ……………….. …………...................................Roxanne, Lucy, Tricia, Neha, and Sonya Because He Liked to Look at it ……………………………….. Roxanne Not so happy fact ………………………………………………… Tricia My Angry Vagina …………………...…………………………… Sonya My Vagina was my Village ..........………………………………… Neha My short skirt ………………………...……………………… Genevieve The little Cookie …………………………………………………. Sonya Reclaiming cunt ………………………………………………….. Salma A six-year-old girl was asked ……………………………………. Tricia The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy …………….... Salma I was there in the room ……………………………………….. Kimberly My Revolution Begins in the Body …………….. Neha- with Entire Cast

Q & A Session

ATASK Education Director …............................................... Jennifer Ho TASK Youth Director …................................................................. Tricia Community Partner …........................................................... Kyanna Her

Creative Team (in alphabetical order)

CHRISTINA R. CHAN (Director) is a voice over actor, playwright and director. She is a member of SAG and is Actors' Equity Eligible. Christina is thrilled to be directing her second "Vagina Monologues". She loves plays that give voice to woman's issues. Currently, she is writing a play about Tiger moms and gambling addiction in the Asian community. Christina would like to thank Mariko Kanto for all her hard work

producing “The Vagina Monologues 2015 ~ Out of a Cocoon,” and to all the actors, crew, a fellow director and composer for their gifts of talent and commitment.

ERI SAITO (Composer) is a solo pianist and a composer. Originally from Osaka, Japan, she now resides near Boston, Massachusetts. Eri came to United States to attend Berklee College of Music to improve her musical skills. She now mostly composes and plays New Age Music, hoping it will inspire others. On April 2015, she published her first album, Dear My Life, which contains 8 solo

piano tracks that she composed. www.erisaitomusic.com

IRFAN MALIK (Director) is artistic director of SAATh--South Asian American Theater. His directing credits in-clude Bapsi Sidhwa’s “An American Brat,” Patrick Gabridge’s “Lies Lies Lies,” Carl William’s “Table for Three,” and Lorca’s “Blood Wedding.” He last appeared as an actor in Tom Stoppard’s “Indian Ink.”

MARIKO KANTO (Producer) has been active in organizing fundraising events and producing shows. She is currently serving as a producing-artistic director of Actors Refuge Repertory Theatre (ARRT) with a mission to promote diversity and community development through performing arts. ARRT is a community

organization sponsored by Kanto Foundation, 501(c)(3). Facebook.com/ActorsRefugeRepertoryTheatre

MTISE MWANZA (Production Assistant) is a health and scientific researcher. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College with a biochemistry degree, she has conducted studies on intimate partner violence and presented on it. Her interest in women’s health issues and desire to make a positive impact is what saw her participating in this

production under Actors Refuge Repertory Theatre.

PAM NEWTON (Movement Director) is a choreographer and theatre professional. She is the artistic director of The Dreamscape Project Group that was formed for the purpose of creating and supporting multi-ethnic performance pieces. Pam has also written and choreographed “Songs From

the Moon”; the show which recently opened at Boston College in the Fall of 2014. She is working with Elizabeth Addison on “This Is Treatment” and Mariko Kanto on “The Vagina Monologues 2015 ~ Out of a Cocoon.” The Dreamscape Dance Training series is currently being held at the Dance Complex in Cambridge, MA.

Who’s Who in the Cast

(in alphabetical order) DEBBIE FRIEDLANDER (Actress) is delighted to be performing with Actors Refuge Repertory Theater (ARRT) for such a worthy cause. She has performed at The Actors Studio and Primary Stages in New York. It was her distinct pleasure to originate the role of Liz Hastings, in Peggy Baseman’s “One in Eight.” She feels lucky to have worked with a myriad of other talented playwrights bringing their characters to life,

including numerous staged readings of new plays such as “Moonlighting,”“Duck Season,”“Last Things First”and “One Hot Kitchen.” She’s also acted in numerous independent films. She is a graduate of The Michael Howard Studios Professional Conservatory Program in New York, NY and is a long time student of the famed Larry Moss.

ELAINY LIMA (Actress) has been in several shows with ARRT, including the last production of the “Vagina Monologues.” She has also been involved with ARRT as a writer in her work “IT,” which the company produced in 2010. Elainy is very excited about being part of this new project. She has a M.A. in Theatre Education from Emerson College.

GENEVIEVE CHASON (Actress) also known as Evie, started acting in theater at the age of 7. She studied acting at Michael Chekhov Actors Studio Boston, and studied comedy/improv at Improv Boston. She is part of an acting troupe called "The Improbable

Players,” and have been cast in 15 independent films, 3 commericals, and 2 local TV shows.

KIMBERLY HOLLIDAY (Actress) is a North Shore based actor/playwright/director. She has studied acting at Mount Holyoke College, with Marc Clopton (TASN), Patricia Riggin (Meisner), and at Company One. She performs regularly on the North Shore and was last seen here in Boston as part of the XX PlayLab reading of "Shelter". She is grateful to Actors Refuge Repertory Theatre for this opportunity and to her friends and family

for their support. She dreams of a day when all people are safe and respected.

LUCY YE (Actress) is an actress, singer and dancer, whose passion also extends into photography and painting. At 13-years-old, she began her acting career at The Citi Performing Arts Center, formerly known as The Wang Theatre, and has been acting ever since.

Overtime, she has worked to gain both theatrical and film credits. She is versatile, as her work has been displayed in projects such as the Mass Mutual Love is a Gift commercial, Toyota television commercial and Smithsonian Museum entrance video. She resides in Boston but travels regularly for film work.

LIANA VAN DE WATER (Actress) has worked on the production side of theatre for many years, but painful shyness has always kept her off the stage. In the years following college, she realized she owed it to herself to nurture her theatrical spirit. She began taking acting classes and participating in various performance endeavors, including the community musical “She Loves Me, Denver Women's Chorus,” the all-female a'cappella

group The Decebelles (an 80's/classic rock cover band), and other musical showcases. As an artist, she is excited to learn and grow from such a fun and invigorating project such as the “The Vagina Monologues 2015 ~ Out of a Cocoon.” As a feminist, she is honored to be part of a show that breaks down external expectations of women, and inspires personal empowerment.

NEHA SHARMA (Actress) Neha's previous theatre work includes playing the lead roles in the staged radio show of “The Maltese Falcon, Seal Tides” - an educational murder mystery, and the reading of “The Annulment.” She has also played the protagonist in a futuristic short student film “Paradisio,” based on The Ascendants series. Neha has worked behind-the-scenes

as an Assistant Director and Stage Manager for the production of “Speed-The-Plow” at Theatre One. Neha is very excited to be a part of the global phenomenon that is “Vagina Monologues.” It has been a fun whirlwind experience working with all the wonderful people associated with this production and for such a great cause. She would also like to thank you, the audience, for your support.

ROXANNE MORSE (Actress) is thrilled to perform in her first “Vagina Monologues” production in collaboration with Christina Chan and Mariko Kanto! Roxanne has been performing since she was a child, in films like “Confronting Closet Creatures,” “The Happy Widowers,” and “Ghosts of Girlfriends

Past.” On stage she has been involved with “Wild Swans”and “Dreyfus and The Secret Garden.” She has trained with Sarah French, Vivian Gladwell, and Jock MacDonald of Straeon Studios for Acting.

SALMA AYYASH (Actress) is a Palestinian American film and stage actress. Born in Jordan, she came to the United States for academic endeavors, eventually making a new home for herself in Cambridge MA. An engineer by training, and a long-time human rights activist, Salma is also a co-founder and was a curator of the Boston Palestine Film Festival. She teaches Math and Engineering at Roxbury Community College. Her most recent performance was in Company One’s, “Bengal Tiger at

the Baghdad Zoo.”

SONYA JOYNER (Actress) is PURPLE with excitement to work with Actors Refuge Repertory Theatre (ARRT) again! She embarked on her acting career in 2003 and is still going strong! Her recent theatre credits include “Seussical the Musical (General Genghis Khan Schmitz),”“Henry IV, Part I (Lady Worcester),”“Twelve Angry Jurors (Juror

8),” “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Gloria)” and numerous “Vagina Monologues” productions. Sonya has also worked in independent films and television such as “Brotherhood” and “Unhitched.” When not acting, Sonya teaches and performs R & B/Soul Line Dancing.

TRISHA CHANG (Actress) is a newcomer to the acting world. Tricia Chang is a product manager by day and an avid foodie/bookworm by night. She chose to audition for the “Vagina Monologues” as a way to both break out of her shell, and to explore characters in a way she never did before. After experimenting w/acting in college, then taking a few years off in between, Tricia is once again excited to explore this newfound creative freedom on stage.

Featured Artists ERIC HOVERMALE (Featured Photographer; post card image) lives and works in Newport, RI. Although he studied to be a painter, he has concentrated on photography for the past fifteen years. The subject matter for his photography centers principally on the figure and on the portrait. His figure studies are primarily explorations of movement, form, and light. Both his figure studies and his portraits attempt to express the human spirit, as well as the external form of his subjects. www.erichovermale.com SYOKA-KANA (Featured Calligraphy Artist; back cover photo) is a Japanese calligraphy artist who is widely known for her live performance of calligraphy art*. Having studied at Tokyo Polytechnic University (Graphic Design degree) and having worked as a graphic designer, she is now devoting her time in calligraphy art" which is a new form of art with a fusion of calligraphy and painting. *Calligraphy Art - Originated by Syoka-Kana. Kana combined calligraphy and art and turned traditional Japanese art form into a breathtaking performing art. Kana currently resides in Boston. This "Butterfly Dream ~ Out of a Cocoon" piece is specially being created for this production. http://syoka-kana.jp

Special Thanks

(in alphabetical order)

All the volunteers (Aya Minami, Koari Imamura, Michelle Merry, Mtise

Mwanza, Toshi Nakamura), "Be My Valentine" Networking for Charity

event donors and attendees (32auction.com/bemyvalentinedateauction),

Hung Goon (CCBA), Jennifer Ho (ATASK), Kyanna Her, Michael Tow

(ACDC/ATASK/Company One), Production assistants (Mtise Mwanza

and Sy Lee), Tony Yee (Chinatown Mainstreet), Trisha Mah (ATASK)

and Victoria Yue (BCNC).

Coming Up Next for ARRT....

Acting for Self-Confidence

Visit our Facebook Page for updates! Facebook.com/ActorsRefugeRepertoryTheatre

Coming UP Next for ATASK...

Denim Day, April 29, 2015 (Youth Empowerment Project)

Visit ATASK’s Event Page for details!

https://www.atask.org/site/denim-day-boston-2015

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