Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's 2020 Summer Season

56 TH SUMMER SEASON

eugene o’neill theater center
board of trustees
Tom Viertel, Chairman
Ruth Hendel, Vice Chair
Robyn Wolman, Secretary
Stephen Hendel, Treasurer
Jeff Aiosa
Jim Calhoun
Pat Calhoun
Roger S. Christiansen
Ron Cowen
Jason Crosby
Steve Daren
Michael Douglas
Lily Fan
Lynn R. Fusco
Alva Greenberg
George C. White, Founder
Preston Whiteway, CEO / Producer
* Honorary Trustee
Carolyn Greenspan
Heather Henson
David Jaffe
Tom Kitt
Rita Pietropinto-Kitt
Peggy Koenig
Herb Kohler, Jr.
Dorita Lieberman*
Daniel Lipman
Linda Mariani
David Preka
305 Great Neck Road • Waterford, CT 06385
(860) 443-5378 • www.theoneill.org
Ellen Quinn
Michael Rauh
Scott Richards
Bernie Schilberg
Beth Schilberg
Sally Speer
Betsy White
George C. White
Amanda Kay Ritchie, Editor
Kelsey Houlihan, Art Director
Isaak Berliner, Photographer
Lexy Leuszler & Amanda Kay Ritchie, Copy Editors
Cover Art by Kelsey Houlihan, Photo by Isaak Berliner; Additional photos by Isaak Berliner, Richard Termine, A. Vincent
Scarano, John Russo, Amy Lane Photography, Pete Souza/The White House, US Embassy Moscow.
eugene o’neill theater center
staff
Preston Whiteway, CEO / Producer
Rachel Jett, Artistic Director, National Theater Institute
Pam Arciero, Artistic Director, National Puppetry Conference
Alexander Gemignani, Artistic Director, National Music Theater Conference
Wendy C. Goldberg, Artistic Director, National Playwrights Conference
Chris Jones, Director, National Critics Institute
John McDaniel, Artistic Director, Cabaret & Performance Conference
Aanika Allen, Associate Director of NTI
Shaun Anderson, IT Coordinator
Eric Bemont, Director of Operations
Isaak Berliner, Media Associate
Clara Blickenstaff, Business Manager
Janyce Caraballo, NTI Program Representative & Teaching Artist
Natalie Canfield, Housekeeper
Sophia Chapadjiev, Director of Education & Young Playwrights Festival
Zachary Cooper, Technical Director
Jenna Doherty, NTI Program Coordinator
Jacob Farber, Business Management Associate
Rory Haff, Assistant Chef
Kelsey Houlihan, Marketing Associate
William Hurst, Facilities Assistant
Corey Jones, Security Guard
Harvey Lee Jones, Head Chef
Lexy Leuszler, Literary Manager & Dramaturg
Wayne Lipphardt, Facilities & Grounds Assistant
Jake Miller, Facilities Supervisor & Pub Manager
Rob Mooney, Director of Development
Sarah Salinger-Mullen, Business Management Apprentice
Scott Murphy, NMTI Artistic Associate
Charlotte Newman, NTI Program Representative & Admissions Coordinator
Carrigan O’Brian, NTI Lead Program Representative & Teaching Artist
John Reinschmidt, Executive Assistant & Special Events Coordinator
Amanda Kay Ritchie, Director of Marketing & College Relations
Mack Ryan, Security Guard
Janae Santiago, Kitchen Assistant
Chandler Smith, Associate Producer
Stephanie Sutera, Head of Housekeeping
Darcy Van Ness, Institutional Giving Associate
Gabe Walker, Producing Apprentice
2 3

welcome from the board chairman
tom viertel
In years past, I’ve been excited to tell you about the
many-faceted mission of the O’Neill - the ways we
support new work and new voices through our six
core programs and the many additional projects we
are home to throughout the year. This summer, with
our campus closed to visitors and all of our activities
online, I write to praise our remarkable staff who are
making our summer as productive and our artists
and students as fully supported as circumstances
allow.
I’m especially moved to talk about them because Preston Whiteway, our
outstanding leader, is moving on at the end of the summer after having done so
much to strengthen the O’Neill in his 16 years with us. We are on sound financial
footing with a fantastic staff. We’re firmly planted at the center of American
theatrical creativity while also being a leading voice in our beautiful community,
the town of Waterford. The Launchpad of American Theater, indeed. I wish him
greatness in his new endeavors, confident that he’ll be a success throughout his
career.
The talent, intelligence, and diligence of the staff of the O’Neill is the reason why
we’ve been so effective in serving our mission and each of them is a star. Our six
artistic directors, Rachel Jett, Wendy C. Goldberg, Alexander Gemignani, Pam
Arciero, Chris Jones, and John McDaniel were all distinguished in their fields
when they joined the O’Neill and during their time here they have nurtured an
amazing array of artists from teenagers to those at the heights of their careers.
The work of these artistic directors has vastly enriched every aspect of American
theater and their loyalty to the O’Neill has allowed us to “Risk. Fail. Risk Again.”
over and over.
Our year-round staff are the unsung heroes of the O’Neill. Aanika Allen, Eric
Bemont, Clara Blickenstaff, Chef Harvey Jones, Lexy Leuszler, Rob Mooney,
Amanda Kay Ritchie, Chandler Smith, and their equally-dedicated staffs have
given us year-round stability and imaginative problem-solving capability second
to none.
welcome from the ceo/producer
preston whiteway
None of us envisioned this new reality and our 56th
Season unfolding entirely online. Though for the
safety of our staff, artists, students, and audiences,
we know that this is the best course of action.
We will miss the 380 artists, 75 staff, 38 interns, 26
students, and hundreds of audience members who
planned to spend their summer with us laughing at
shadow puppets in the Dina, celebrating the birth of
a new musical in the Barn, feeling the electricity of a new play come to life under
the stars, serenaded at a cabaret table, or raising a glass with friends on Blue
Gene’s Pub Patio. We grieve for moments of connection and community that
will be lost by not being together this summer but are inspired by the innovation
taking place within our institution as we move online together. The mission and
values of the O’Neill — as the Launchpad of American Theater — remain
vibrant and vital. As you can see, each of our core programs - puppetry,
musicals, plays, criticism, cabaret, and the National Theater Institute - continue
this summer supporting exciting new artists, voices, and work.
Even so, this remains a very challenging time for the O’Neill and the world.
We are certainly not immune to the choppy financial waters our nation and the
arts are experiencing. However, I am confident in our staff, trustees, and our
incredible members and supporters - we are the luckiest theater in the world to
have this community. Thank you for staying with us, lending your friendship and
support, and I know we will once again gather together under the tree and in our
Barn to discover new work.
This summer also marks my final one leading this special institution. It has been
the privilege of a lifetime to be part of the story here. The O’Neill’s future is
bright.
Will we miss our beautiful campus this summer? You bet! But the O’Neill, like all
theater, is foremost about people and I am especially grateful to this team who
devote themselves to making the O’Neill the astonishing place it is.
4 5

Preston Whiteway was appointed CEO/Producer in December 2019, after
serving with the same duties as Executive Director since 2007. He first joined the
O'Neill as General Manager in 2004. Under his leadership, the Eugene O’Neill
Theater Center was awarded both the National Medal of Arts by President
Obama in 2016 and the 2010 Regional Theatre Tony Award. Since 2005,
the O’Neill’s budget has nearly tripled, with especially strong earned revenue
growth in his time. Significant projects developed at the O’Neill during his tenure
include: In The Heights (2005), [title of show] (2005), Tales of the City (2009),
The Nether (2013), Superhero (2017), Slave Play (2018), and others.
As CEO/Producer, Preston oversees the entirety of the O’Neill’s artistic
programming and overall operations. New projects undertaken under his
leadership include the expansion of NTI and the launch of the National Directors
Fellowship, as well as strengthening the O’Neill’s core new work programming.
Preston also secured a new 60-year lease of the grounds, gained significant
facility investments and repairs to every building, and completed the largest
expansion in the organization’s history, with nine new buildings and major new
programming launched as part of an $8 million capital campaign.
In spring 2017, Preston produced a Broadway concert of Tales of the City at
the Music Box Theatre, benefiting the O’Neill and The Trevor Project. For the
organization’s 50th anniversary in 2014, he negotiated a major book release
from Yale University Press, resulting in The O’Neill: The Transformation of Modern
American Theater by Jeffrey Sweet, and also acted as photography editor. The
book charts the enormous role the O’Neill has played in shaping the American
theater landscape — its artists, canon of work, and innovation of new forms.
Preston joined the O’Neill upon graduating from Duke University, and has been
profiled by The New York Times, Hartford Courant, and CBS Sunday Morning;
and serves as a Trustee of the Southeastern Connecticut Cultural Coalition and
of the Eastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce. In 2014, he was named to
a three-year term to the nominating committee of the Tony Awards. A native of
Virginia, Preston lives in New London, Connecticut, and New York City.
Lifesaving
attention
can’t wait.
Their care must go on.
Accepting gifts of cash, shares of stock
& from donor-advised funds
Waterford Newington Westport Fox Memorial Clinic
CThumane.org 1-800-452-0114
6 7

eugene o'neill theater center
​our values
DISCOVERY: We commit to the discovery of new and daring voices,
vital to the future of American theater, through rigorous and direct
outreach in our open submission process, and the curation of our
artistic programs.
DIVERSITY: Our community strives to honor the experiences, abilities,
heritage, and expression of all artists, faculty, students, and staff. Within
our artistry and administration, we pledge to empower a full range of
individual identities.
COLLABORATION: We endeavor to provide time and space for
artistic collisions, bold risk-taking, and deep reflection by all of our
artists.
RISK. FAIL. RISK AGAIN: These words ring out from every rehearsal
room, performance space, classroom, office, and individual on the
O’Neill’s campus. We encourage artistic impulse and exploration of
the exchange between art and audience.
EDUCATION: To be in the theater is to be a student for life. Whether
one comes to the O’Neill early or the midst of their career, we work
to offer a radically accepting space of mentorship, collaboration, and
camaraderie.
COMMUNITY: The O’Neill’s legacy and artistry relies upon its
engagement with the robust and vibrant local audiences. We create
spaces and programming in support of one another, the Waterford
community, and the American theater.
our mission
In the pioneering spirit of its namesake, the Eugene O’Neill Theater
Center discovers, develops, and empowers new work, new voices,
and creative risk-taking. By introducing innovative artists, essential
to broadening the national cultural landscape, the O’Neill serves as
the Launchpad of the American Theater.
​
HATE HAS NO BUSINESS HERE.
We stand with BLACK LIVES MATTER.
We respect WOMEN.
We stand with our LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
We stand with IMMIGRANTS and REFUGEES.
We stand with INDIGENOUS communities.
We celebrate PEOPLE OF ALL FAITHS.
We stand with OUR COMMUNITY.
ALL ARE WELCOME​
8 9

this year at the o'neill
miranda
family fund
The Miranda Family Fund made a $1
million dollar, 10-year commitment to
provide scholarships for students of color
to attend the National Theater Institute.
npc reunion,
the lloyd richards
years
Artists supported by the National Playwrights
Conference during Lloyd Richard's tenure
('69-'99) gathered at the new Blue Gene's
Pub in July.
national directors
fellowship ‘19
The O'Neill started off 2020 with our National
Directors Fellowship cohort back on campus for
their Winter Symposium! Get to know these 5
emerging stage directors at theoneill.org/ndf
nti fall ‘19
In the fall semester, we welcomed 60
students studying with the National Theater
Institute. Highlights include working with
composers Michael John LaChiusa,
Imani Uzuri, Michael Starobin, and Polly
Pen, directors Melia Bensussen and Reg
Douglas, and writers Nandita Dinesh and
Ren Santiago.
moscow
art theatre
semester ‘19
Last fall, 24 NTI students traveled
to Moscow. Students studied with
some of Moscow's best teachers
and were able to be immersed in
the theatrical culture and
community throughout the city.
nti spring ‘20
This past spring semester, we welcomed 34
students on campus. Highlights included
working with lighting designer Aja M.
Jackson, Executive Director of the Yale
Indigenous Performing Arts Program,
Madeline Sayet, dramaturg Jo Holcomb,
and playwright Sarah Einspanier. In mid-
March, the ensemble transitioned into an
online curriculum.
blue gene's
pub pop ups
john gore gives
$600,000 gift
Blue Gene's Pub Pop-Ups, hosted once a
We are excited to announce a $600,000
month, became a great way to bring the
gift from John Gore to the National Theater
community together with live music, games
Institute scholarship endowment. The John
for everyone, and great beverages.
Gore Scholarship will support students from
underrepresented backgrounds and ensure
that NTI can advance access, opportunity,
10 and representation in American culture.
11

thank you to our members
Ever since the first group of playwrights arrived by bus from New York City to
Waterford, CT in 1964, the O’Neill has relied on the passion, commitment,
and generosity of its members to play a key role in the development of the
work that is created here.
Selling
O’NEILL MERCHANDISE • COFFEE & CONCESSIONS • SOUVENIRS
Now, thanks to their encouragement, the O’Neill is home to multiple worldrenowned
conferences, professional development initiatives, and theatrical
education programs for people of all ages. For their support, we are
pleased to provide our members with a host of opportunities to get up close
and personal with the artists whose work they are making possible.
To all of our members, past and present, we say thank you - we could not
be here without you.
Interested in learning more about how you can support new work and new
artists? Visit www.theoneill.org/membership today.
CHECK OUT OUR MERCH AT OUR ONLINE STORE!
www.genesgeneralstore.org
SHOP OUR SUMMER SALE
Use Code: Summer10
to receive 10% selected items!
Members always receive 20% off all items!
*Sale ends August 8, 2020
12 13

thank you
preston whiteway
The impact that Preston has had on the O'Neill over the last 16 years is
immeasurable. He leaves behind a strong organization both artistically and
financially. The American theater is stronger as a result of his dedication, creativity,
and fortitude. We are proud to have launched his career and it is with sincere
admiration for his many achievements that we celebrate him this season.
14 Photo Credits: Isaak Berliner, A. Vincent Scarano, T. Charles Erickson, Pete Souza/The White House, US 15

Most recently, they wrote the book for Betty Blue Eyes, which was
produced in London’s West End by Sir Cameron Mackintosh and
was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Musical.
oundation Interviews
"Being at the O'Neill's National Playwrights Conference
was a transformative experience for us, as it is for
everyone who has ever attended one of their programs. It was
where we began a professional and personal relationship that
has lasted a lifetime. To say that the O’Neill is significantly
responsible for one’s life may sound overly “dramatic” -- but in
our case, it's true. So it seems fitting to want to give back.
To say thank you. And to encourage others whose lives have
been touched by the O’Neill to do the same. We would like our
legacy not just to be our work, but also to ensure that the
O'Neill will continue to provide the opportunities and
experience for new artists for a long time to come.”
Photo Credit: John Russo
The O’Neill is pleased to share that the 1964 Society has been
renamed for two longtime members of the O’Neill family, writers
and trustees Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, in recognition of their
recent commitment with a significant bequest.
Ron (NPC '67 - '69, '72) and Dan (NPC '72) first came to the O’Neill
as playwrights during the formative years of the National Playwrights
Conference. Cowen’s first play, Summertree, premiered at the
O’Neill in 1967 and was produced the following year at Lincoln
Center where it won the Drama Desk Award. After meeting at the
O'Neill in 1972 they began a lifelong personal and professional
relationship that would result in the creation of numerous plays, the
groundbreaking TV series Queer as Folk (U.S.) and Sisters, and their
most important work: An Early Frost, which aired on NBC in 1985. It
was the first major film to ever address the AIDS epidemic, and won
for them the Emmy Award for their teleplay and the Peabody Award.
The Cowen & Lipman Society recognizes those individuals who
have included a bequest or other type of planned gift for the
O’Neill in their estate plans; members are acknowledged in donor
listings and invited to an annual event at the O'Neill. If you have
already named the O'Neill in your estate plans, we hope you will
let us know by contacting Rob Mooney, Director of Development,
at 860.443.5378 x 212 or via email at rmooney@theoneill.org.
We would be honored to have you join Ron, Dan, and the following
individuals in the Cowen & Lipman Society, and to thank you for
the future gift that will ensure the endurance of a world-renowned
haven for new work and new artists for decades to come.
JOHN RUSSO
Anne Calanquin
Susan Kelly
Lee & David Snyderman
George & Betsy White
16 17

30
CELEBRATING
YEARS OF PUPPETRY
Now in its 30th season, the National Puppetry Conference provides a crucial meeting and
creating ground for master artisans to pass their craft and ingenuity to new artists in the
field of puppetry. Each June, participants gather from across the globe to create works that
defy the bounds of contemporary theater and the imagination.
The Conference has always thrived with a rigorous and varied schedule, which is emulated
in the reimagined week of online programming June 8-12, 2020. In the spirit of founding
members Jane Henson; George Latshaw; Richard Termine; Bobbi Nidzgorski; Bart P.
Roccoberton, Jr.; and Jim and Margo Rose, the Conference remains dedicated to creating
a nurturing and supportive environment for artists to explore performance styles, develop
new works of puppetry, and discover innovative techniques and projects that expand the
boundaries of puppetry in performance.
Past participants have gone on to work in puppetry performance venues including HERE
Arts Center (NYC), The Puppet Showplace (Massachusetts), St. Ann’s Warehouse (NYC), The
Sandglass Theatre (Vermont), Dixon Place (NYC), The Center for Puppetry Arts (Atlanta),
Zeum (San Francisco), and the El Capitan (Los Angeles). Broadway shows featuring alumni
include The Addams Family, Rite of Spring, Big Fish, Little Shop of Horrors, and Beauty and
the Beast, to name a few. Television programs and films include Sesame Street, The Muppet
Show, The Muppet movies, Between the Lions, Blue’s Clues, Bear in the Big Blue House, and
many more. Internationally, our artists have appeared in The Castiliers Festival in Montreal,
Canada; The Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland; The Festival du Mondial des Theatre du
Marionettes in Charleville-Méizièrs, France; and multiple festivals in China
and Eastern Asia.
Outreach has also been a part of the Conference’s success, with a video on Land Mine
Awareness in Afghanistan, and international shows on varied topics including women’s
issues, health and sanitation, disaster preparedness, and economic practices in India,
Uganda, Iran, and more.
pam arciero
artistic director • national puppetry conference
Pam is a principal puppeteer with Sesame Street performing
numerous characters, most notably Grundgetta Grouch,
Oscar’s girlfriend. She has worked on many adult and children’s
programs including Between the Lions, Lomax: The Hound of
Music, Blue’s Clues: Blue’s Room, Chappelle’s Show, Allegra’s
Window, The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, TV Funhouse, Oobi, Eureeka’s Castle, and
The Great Space Coaster. She has performed in many commercials and films, including
commercials for Zappos, Fuze, and Angel Soft, and the films Sundance Myths, Sundance
Film Festival: Extreme Measures, Little Monsters, and Follow That Bird. As a stage director,
she directed Iftah Ya Simsim for Sesame Street Saudi Arabia, Elmo’s World Live, Oscar’s Big
Game Show, Gotta Dance, Bird’s Beach Party for Sesame Place, Play with Me Sesame Live,
and Disney’s Wahoo Wagon at the El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles. Pam directed the film
Whiskey Neat, and she has also directed Between the Lions and Oobi for television. Pam
has taught for Takalani Sesame; South Africa, Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, the
University of Hawaii, Sesame Street International, the University of Connecticut, the National
Theater Institute, and California State University, Fresno. She holds an undergraduate
degree in Drama from the University of Hawaii and a master’s degree in Puppetry from the
University of Connecticut.
18 19

PUPPETRY MASTER
CLASSES
In celebration of the 30th Conference, we are thrilled to offer the
public a chance to take part in our five-part master class series
featuring world-renowned puppetry artists. Single tickets ($40) and
5-Class Passes ($125) are now on-sale. Each conversation will take
place on Zoom from 2:00 - 3:00pm EST.
When to use them. How to build them. And Jim’s
approach to figuring them out! ​This conversation
will examine Jim’s approach to mechanical
heaven! ​Featuring special puppet guests from ​
The Howdy Do Show, Part Duh!
A master class/coffeeklatch/kiki with Ronnie to
discuss and dissect the mysteries and marvels
of design for the puppet theatre, which is truly
the most wonderful, but oft neglected, design
playground in all the arts.
The ABC’s for the Successful Puppeteer​is a crash
course in cultivating a strong foundation for a
challenging but fulfilling life as a puppeteer.
Bernd will review his track record of about 8,000
life performances, and his puppet/mask creations
that have been featured on stages, television, film
and in museums around the world. Join him for
an hour of intensive and intimate sharing of his
personal philosophy in becoming the best you
can be.
In an open conversation, Yael will offer a glimpse
into a new creation in her performance trilogy
that speaks out on violence against women
and children. An ongoing journey that began
15 years ago, walking the tightrope between
the personal and political, fear and conviction,
and why the medium of puppetry/object/visual
theater/... is the answer. And of course, how we
can support ourselves best and with utmost compassion in these times.
Fabrizio Montecchi of the Teatro Gioco Vita,
tells us about his personal journey in search of
the profound meaning of his shadow theatre, a
journey that leads him to discover the link between
his idea of contemporary shadow theatre and the
great traditions of the past.
20 21

conference strands
Cyber Shadow Puppets with Jim “Nappy” Napolitano
Participants will create a professional-grade table top shadow puppet screen
and one or more vignettes to perform on said screen. As well as the knowledge
and understanding of the materials, tools, and techniques that will allow them
to continue a journey and exploration of shadow theater and its performance.
Shadow puppetry is the most economical (in terms of space, time and cost), most
cinematic and the most culturally pervasive form of the puppet arts. It is as simple
as you can let it be and as challenging as you would like it to be.
Making Political Puppet Art “From Isolation to the World:
We are not alone or are we?” with Edwin Salas
This workshop explores the use of direct manipulation puppets through political
art. Participants will be able to explore the mechanics of puppet movement, as
well as the relationship between its manipulator and the puppet — which allows
them to better understand the relationship between the performer and the object.
By the end of the week, participants will devise their own segments of theater
or dance that will be scored with movement. Participants will receive a building
tutorial, personal mentorship, and create a video of their performance to share.
The Language of Material and Objects: Movement and
Experimental Puppetry with Alice Gottschalk
Participants will have the possibility to discover the movement and stories of
different materials and objects. Participants will gain tools to animate persuasively
in both direct and indirect ways, serving as a basis for all kinds of puppet animation,
manipulation and storytelling. The workshop will include movement description
videos, live chats and times to work independently on tasks and then share the
results via video. Participants will be asked to bring curiosity, joy of movement,
different materials, objects, and the possibility to record their discoveries and
share them with others.
Participant Projects: The Solo Show Challenge
A new strand that builds upon the beloved Participant Project process, ​The Solo
Show Challenge​has been created to support artists as they devise original
puppet works. With the support of experienced mentors, participants will work
on the development and performance of a pre-existing or brand-new piece of
puppet theatre. Projects developed through this intensive process have gone
on to become nationally recognized full-length shows, cabaret acts, pitches for
television, classroom performances, and everything in-between. Participants are
encouraged to Risk. Fail. Risk Again. in this supportive environment.
Marionette Construction with Jim Rose & Kurt Hunter
The workshop offers a thorough examination of marionette design, layout, and
construction methods for the creation of a new marionette. Participants will have
the opportunity to build a complete marionette from a precut kit created by Jim
Rose. Live online demonstrations, guidance and responses to individual questions
will be handled by Kurt Hunter.
Writing for Puppets and People with Tim McKeon
This workshop will focus on writing group scenes featuring puppets or a mix of
puppets and human performers. Participants will be given writing prompts that
they will then develop into an original short play. At the end of the workshop,
professional actors will join the class via video conference so writers can see their
work “on its feet.” Throughout the workshop, we will examine select short plays
and clips from puppet shows and discuss what makes a scene successful (or not).
Tim will also discuss writing and producing for television, including basics like
character, dialogue and story structure, plus how to survive and thrive in a writers’
room. Finally, participants will have the opportunity for one-on-one feedback on
a project they’re developing outside of class.
all-conference events
Movement Warm-Ups with Alice Gottschalk
Join Alice each morning as she leads you through exercises designed to
awaken and prepare your body and mind for an active day of art making.
Tea Time Conversation with Jim & Judy Rose
A popular daily conference event goes digital! Your optional opportunity to
take a break, enjoy a cup of tea and share conversations about anything
and everything.
22 23

national puppetry conference participants
Maite Agopian
Felice Amato
Robert Amico
Katayoun Amir-Aslani
Jeremiah Bartram
Caitlin Brzezinski
Tom Burch
Rachel Burson
Andrew Cano
John Cody
Spencer Cohen
Felicia Cooper
Austin Costello
Greg Cote
Ashley Crockett
Dustin Curtis
Christine Dempsey
Risa Dye
Marte Ekhougen
Michelle Finston
Margaret Flanagan
Carlyn Flint
Angie Foster
Sarah Fox
Amanda Friou
Charlotte Lily Gaspard
Leila Ghaznavi
Rachel Gibas
Ayelet Golan
Yelitza González
Alex Griffin
Iain Gunn
Kevin Hale
Cindy Hartigan
Jerrell L. Henderson
Larry Lee Hensel
Sarah Beth Hester
Geoffrey Jones
Dina Kaplan
Aaron Lathrop
Phoenix Leigh
Monica Lerch
T.Anthony Marotta
Grayson Morris
Liam Mulshine
Jessica Nebeker
Sarah Nolen
Owen O'Leary
Amy Oestreicher
Ben Page
Paulette Richards
Mark Royston
Clelia Scala
Libby Schap
Jaerin Son
Ian Sweetman
Panacea Theriac
Channing Tucker
Stacey Weingarten
Jennifer Wilcox
Noel Williams
David Woodin
scholarship support
Our deepest gratitude to those who have supported our puppetry scholarships:
Allelu Kurten Generous Spirit Scholarship
Anonymous Scholarship
Connecticut Guild of Puppetry Scholarship in honor of Margo Rose
Eugene O’Neill Theater Center Scholarship
Henson Scholarship
Jerry Nelson Scholarship
Lisa Simon Scholarship
National Puppetry Conference Alumni Scholarship
Ralph E. Cheese Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship
special thanks
Heather Henson for her many years of generous and constant support.
Cheryl Henson for her support of the Puppetry Conference and the O'Neill.
The Jim Henson Foundation for their support of the Henson Residency at the O'Neill.
Dorita & Ted Lieberman for their continued support.
Chandler Smith, Amanda Ritchie, and Lexy Leuszler for service above and beyond
the call of duty.
Preston Whiteway for his fearless leadership during these incredible times, and his
unshakable guidance, support and friendship for the last 16 years. We will miss you.
JOIN US!
Puppets in the Pub p​resented by Blue Gene’s
Pub and hosted by Tyler Bunch and Jonathan
Little. Experience a virtual take on the beloved
Puppetry Open Mics. ​
FREE and open to the public, ​RSVP required​
Tuesday, June 9​, held online 9-10pm
Thursday, June 11​, held online 9-10pm
RSVP NOW
24 25

national puppetry conference staff
Pam Arciero, Artistic Director
Jean Marie Keevins, Associate Artistic Director (Director of Participant Projects)
Lexy Leuszler, Resident Dramaturg
Amanda Baschnagel, Conference Coordinator
Ronnie Burkett, Master Puppetry Artist
Yael Rasooly, Master Puppetry Artist
Jim Kroupa, Master Puppetry Artist & Master Class Lecturer
Bernd Ogrodnik, Master Puppetry Artist
Fabrizio Montecchi, Master Puppetry Artist
Bart Roccoberton, Co-Founder & Participant Project Mentor
Richard Termine, Co-Founder & Participant Project Mentor
Bobbi Nidzgorski, Co-Founder & Participant Project Mentor
Derron Wood, Participant Project Mentor
James Godwin, Participant Project Mentor
Jane Martineau, Participant Project Mentor
Tyler Bunch, Participant Project Mentor & Co-Pub Master
Jonathan Little, Co-Pub Master
Claude Lapointe, Creativity Consultant & Neuro-linguistic Programming Coach
Alice Gottschalk, Guest Artists & Movement Director
Kurt Hunter, Guest Artist Marionette Construction
David Reagan, Technical Director
Calvin Tamura, Artistic Associate
Tom Cariello, Artistic Associate
Sharon Challenger, Artistic Associate
Fred Thompson, Artistic Associate
Rachel Roccoberton, Production Assistant
Seth Koproski, Production Assistant
Tracy Becker, Production Assistant
Ulysses Jones, Marionette Master, Construction
Dr. Melissa Dunphy, Musical Composition
Matt Dunphy, Musical Assistant
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atlanticbb.com • atlanticbb.com/business
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support for the 2020 national puppetry
conference is provided in part by:
The Jane Henson Foundation • The Jim Henson Foundation •
Joseph C. & Esther Foster Foundation • Connecticut Guild of Puppetry
Atlantic Broadband is the premier sponsor of the
2020 Cabaret & Performance Conference.
26 27

CELEBRATING
30
YEARS OF PUPPETRY
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the National Puppetry Conference.
Conference Photographer Richard Termine (Artistic Director '92-'02)
shares his photos of some of the most memorable highlights.
Off Balance, a conference artist piece by Ariel Goldberger performed (left to
right) by Colette Searls, Jean Marie Keevins, Mary Brehmer and Susan Simpson,
2001
The Wild Party, Larry Reed, Guest Artist, 1995
Puppet Artists of the First National Puppetry Conference, 1991
Crave, Ronnie Burkett, Guest Artist with Leila Ghaznavi, puppeteer, 2018
28 29

Hallows Eve, Martin P.
Robinson, Guest Artist
with Alisa Hunnicutt and
Derron Wood, performers,
2013
No Country For Old Men, Eric Bass, Guest Artist, 1996
The Dramatic Body, a conference
artist piece by (left to right)
Broderick Jones and Michelle
Finston created while working with
Hugo and Ines, Guest Artists, 2015
Wonder Of Water, Sandy Spieler, Guest Artist, 2013
30 31

32 33

From the O’Neill’s flagship educational program the National Theater Institute, the
Theatermakers Summer Intensive trains students in a credit-earning curriculum of acting,
directing, and playwriting. A modified four-week Theatermakers program will utilize NTI’s
unique distance-learning approach, with the core mission remaining the same: constant
practice, essential training, mentorship, and collaborative opportunities that yield original
work. Transitioning online allows for classes to support work in a variety of mediums, providing
additional skills and professional development tuned to virtual theater making, filmmaking,
podcasts, and devising.
rachel jett
artistic director • national theater institute
Rachel​has been a faculty member of the National Theater
Institute since 1998. She is an alumna of NTI, MATS, and the
NTI-Advanced Directing semester. She was a Baryshnikov
Fellow in 2006 and was named "One of 50 to Watch" by
Dramatist Magazine. She is a former company member of the
Helen Hayes award-winning Stanislavsky Theater Studio and the SYNETIC Theater in
Washington, D.C. and was the first American aspirant to the great Russian movement
coach and teacher Andrei Droznin. She teaches workshops at various universities and
colleges including Connecticut College, UCONN, Juilliard, Wheaton, Wellesley, Smith,
and New York State Summer School of the Arts. She was honored at the Connecticut
Women’s Hall of Fame in 2018 for her service as an educator. She holds an MFA from
TISCH in Music Theater Writing. She most recently performed in The Body Artist by Don
Delillo directed and adapted by Jody McAuliffe at the Abrons Arts Center in NYC and the
Reynolds Theater at Duke University. Her most recent collaboration with Jody McAuliffe
is NOT ONE DAY by Anne Garrete. She is also the proud mama of Jett and Phoenix.
2020 theatermakers ensemble
THEATERMAKERS
Grace Adams Ward
Leiana Bertrand, California State
University Fullerton
Cassidy Brown, Coastal Carolina University
Ciara Brown, Post-Grad
Jamal Colvin, Post-Grad
Kevin Connaughton, University of
South Carolina
Vanessa Copeland, Yale University
Brooke Cox, Willamette University
Gracie Fisher, Mount Holyoke College
Grace Goodyear, Willamette University
Brooke Hall, University of Miami
Arlyss Hays, University of California,
Berkeley
Kota Horiuchi, Davidson College
Ajara Jagne, Bard College at Simon's Rock
Kenjiro Lee, Post-Grad
Gretta Marston-Lari, Macalester University
John Mateyko
Matthew Meehan, Post-Grad
Ellie Melick, Kenyon College
John Murphy, Williams College
Zoe Nadig, Smith College
Gabriella O'Fallon, Case Western
Reserve University
Maddie Prentice, Post-Grad
Saffron Quinn, Sarah Lawrence College
Sophie Sam, Northern Michigan University
James Sena
Rose Siegel, NYU/TISCH
Adam Venrick, Denison University
Abby Wilson, St. Olaf College
34 35

national theater institute
Imagine an entire semester devoted to studying theater. Only theater. Every person there is
utterly devoted to the same thing. A community of practitioners all working towards the same
goals. That is the National Theater Institute. Founded in 1970, a “semester-away” at NTI
is a crucible unlike any other credit-earning undergraduate training program in the nation.
Offered in the spring and the fall, NTI is for driven young artists eager to learn from master
teachers ten hours a day, seven days a week training in acting, directing, playwriting, design,
voice, and movement. Additionally, two weeks each semester are spent studying in London.
NTI also offers semesters in Advanced Directing and Advanced Playwriting.
national music theater institute
Called the place for those “who will be writing, designing, staging, and performing the
Broadway musicals of the 2020s and beyond” by Playbill, NMTI is offered every fall for
students seeking a launchpad into the music theater profession through ensemble training
in all aspects of music theater. Led by ​Artistic Associate Scott Murphy (Richard Rodgers
Award and Jonathan Larson Grant recipient), the program offers a conservatory-like
training regimen with a faculty of professional artists and a two-week residency in New
York City. NMTI is an ideal springboard for those pursuing a career in music theater to
hone their craft, find their voice, and meet with like-minded collaborators.
Semester-long credit-earning theater training at the
Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, recipient of
two Tony Awards and the National Medal of Arts
moscow art theatre semester
NTI’s Moscow Art Theatre Semester is a prestigious, credit-earning 13-week study abroad
program offered every fall at the Moscow Art Theatre, the birthplace of modern theater
and contemporary actor training. Conservatory rigor meets cultural immersion with classes
in acting, movement, voice, Russian theater history, design, and language at the famed
school. In 2016, the program celebrated 25 years of its historic partnership.
RISK. FAIL. RISK AGAIN.
With a singular schedule and an unmatched breadth of training, NTI’s six semester-long
programs offer students a springboard to the professional world at the Eugene O’Neill
Theater Center and Moscow Art Theatre School. Founded in 1970, NTI’s credit-earning
theater intensives, taught by industry professionals and master teachers, train actors,
singers, directors, dancers, designers, playwrights, and composers.
National Theater Institute • National Music Theater Institute
Moscow Art Theatre Semester • Advanced Playwrights
Advanced Directors • Theatermakers Summer Intensive
@NTIRiskFailRisk
www.NationalTheaterInstitute.org
36 37

The National Music Theater Conference is the nation’s premier program developing
and launching new musicals by emerging and established artists. Selected from 360
submissions, these two new musicals will receive direct monetary and developmental
support, mentorship, and - along with four additional writing teams also in the 2020
finalist round - maintain finalist eligibility to be considered for further development in the
2021 season.
The Conference supports the development of all styles and genres of music theater,
including operas and hybrid works. Since 1978, NMTC has provided a supportive
and challenging environment for the development of new theater and its creators. This
intensive environment encourages creative artists to take risks in order to refine and
illuminate their work’s vision during its formative stages.
This year’s two musicals, drawn from a pool of 360 applicants, are among 154 developed
with the O’Neill including Avenue Q, In the Heights, Violet, Nine, and In Transit.
alexander gemignani
artistic director • national music theater conference
Alexander Gemignani is an actor, music director, orchestrator,
conductor, composer/lyricist, educator and Artistic Director. As
an actor on Broadway: My Fair Lady (Doolittle), Rogers and
Hammerstein’s Carousel (Enoch Snow - Tony, Drama Desk,
Outer Critics Circle and Grammy Nominations), Violet (Father),
Chicago (Billy), Les Misérables (Valjean - Drama League
nomination), Sweeney Todd (Beadle - Drama Desk nomination), Assassins (Hinckley -
Theatre World Award), The People In The Picture (Moishe), Sunday in the Park With George
(Boatman/Dennis). Off-Broadway: Road Show at the Public (Addison Mizner - Drama
League nomination), Headstrong at EST (Nick) and Avenue Q at the Vineyard Theatre
(Brian). Favorite Regional: Hamilton in Chicago (King George III, original cast), The
Three Sisters (Andrei) at Cincinnati Playhouse, The Boys From Syracuse (Sergeant) at The
Shakespeare Theatre of D.C. and the title character in the world premiere musical Saint-Ex
at The Weston Playhouse. Concerts: The N.Y. Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall, The N.Y.
Pops at Carnegie Hall, The L.A. Philharmonic at The Hollywood Bowl and the American
Songbook Series at Lincoln Center. His solo show, All At Once, premiered at the Kennedy
Center as a part of Barbara Cook’s Spotlight Series. As a music director, he was recently
represented Off-Broadway with Fiasco Theatre’s production of Merrily We Roll Along at
the Roundabout (also penned new orchestrations) and is currently making his Broadway
conducting debut as Music Supervisor for the Ivo van Hove helmed revival of West Side
Story. Additionally, he made his conducting debut with the New York Philharmonic this
past New Year’s Eve with the concert, Celebrating Sondheim, featuring symphonic suites
and guest soloist, Katrina Lenk which aired on Live From Lincoln Center. As a composer/
lyricist, he is currently developing four new musicals and has composed the incidental
music for several plays. As an educator, he serves on the faculty of the National Theatre
Institute at The O’Neill and NYU Steinhardt. He has also served as guest faculty or guest
artist for the University Of Michigan, Texas State University and NYU Tisch School Of The
Arts. He is a member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Writing Workshop and a
proud graduate of The University of Michigan. 2018 marked the beginning of his tenure
serving as Artistic Director for the National Music Theater Conference at The Eugene
O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. His greatest joys are his beautiful daughter and
his incredible wife, Erin Ortman.
38 39

In an epic world of magical realism, Bluebird, a hungry and idealist poet, seeks
a better life in a new land. In a mundane post 9/11 and present-day Jackson
Heights, Rita, a composer, struggles to forgive her father, understand her roots,
and reconnect to a land she has never known.
Azul Otra Vez [Blue, Revisited] is a bilingual musical that weaves together these
distinct realms to question the place of art in a capitalist society and explore how
memory and imagination reshape immigrant identity. The score is a constellation
of songs rooted in Latin American folkloric traditions, along with jazz and chamber
music. Inspired by Rubén Darío's poetry and short stories, Azul Otra Vez [Blue,
Revisited] is a spectacle in the legacy of the American book musical, as well as a
psychological deep-dive into the immigrant father-daughter relationship
En un mundo épico de realismo mágico El Pájaro Azul, un poeta ambicioso e
idealista, sale en busca de una vida mejor en una tierra desconocida. En un
mundo realista y llevando una vida mundana en Jackson Heights luego del 9/11
y en el presente, una compositora, Rita, intenta perdonar a su padre, comprender
sus raíces, y reconectar con una tierra a la que nunca perteneció.
Azul Otra Vez [Blue, Revisited] es un musical bilingüe que entrelaza estos
universos paralelos, cuestionando el lugar del arte en una sociedad capitalista,
y explorando cómo la memoria y la imaginación transforman la identidad
inmigrante. La música es una constelación de canciones arraigadas en tradiciones
folclóricas Latinoamericanas, fusionadas con jazz y música de cámara. Inspirado
en la poesía y cuentos cortos de Rubén Darío, Azul Otra Vez [Blue, Revisited] es
un espectáculo dentro del linaje del teatro musical americano, y a la vez, una
profunda examinación de la relación padre-hija inmigrante.
Melis Aker (Co-Book Writer) is a bilingual
writer, actor, and musician from Turkey.
Her plays have been commissioned by and
developed at Atlantic Theatre, Ars Nova
(Play Group member), NYTW (2050 fellow),
New Group, Dramatists Guild (DGF fellow),
Roundabout Space Jam, LaMaMa, The Lark,
The Flea, Noor, Golden Thread Productions,
Corkscrew Festival and BRIC in the U.S., as
well as the Finborough and Park theatres in
London.
Melis’ plays include: Field, Awakening (2019 Kilroy’s List, Columbia@
Roundabout finalist, Sundance final-round, Berkeley Rep Ground Floor
final-round, Playwrights Realm finalist); Dragonflies (2019 Sundance finalround);
When My Mama was a Hittite (Columbia@Roundabout finalist),
Azul Otra Vez [Blue, Revisited]; Manar (Columbia@Roundabout finalist,
Theatre503 Playwriting Award semifinalist); 330 Pegasus: A Love Letter
(Jerome NY Fellowship final-round), Scraps and Things (Playing on Air,
starring Carol Kane), and Gilded Isle. Her screenplay "ARI" (“Bee”) was
at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival as part of Maison des Scenaristes, and
her pilot of "MANAR” was accepted to Orchard Project’s Episodic Lab,
Trans Atlantic Partners, and IFP week. Selected acting credits include: The
Blacklist: Redemption (NBC), Seneca (HBO’s NYLFF), Love in Afghanistan
(Arena Stage & Roundabout), We Live in Cairo (NAMT, New World
Stages), Proof (Edinburgh Fringe). Her song “The Unknowing” made it
to the final reel of the 2017 NPR Tiny Desk contest. Melis has worked as
Ayad Akhtar’s assistant, and given a StoryCorps and TEDx talk. She is a
proud member of The Lark’s Middle East America writers room.
Upcoming: Melis is developing a screenplay with Revelations Entertainment
headed by Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary, and her play Field,
Awakening will receive its world premiere at the Finborough Theatre
directed by Rory McGregor. Training: Columbia (MFA), Tufts (BA), RADA
(Acting). Representation: CAA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners. www.
melisaker.com
40 41

Tatiana Pandiani (Director-Choreographer
/ Co-Book Writer) is a NYC based directorchoreographer
and writer who works in
English and Spanish. Her work combines live
performance, dance, and music to challenge
and entertain; it is inspired by the legacy of
Fornes, Kahlo, Bausch, Fosse, and Brecht.
She serves as the Associate Director for the
First National Broadway tour of What the
Constitution Means to Me by Heidi Schreck.
Recent: When My Mama was a Hittite by Melis Aker (Park Theatre, London),
Christina by Alexis Sheer (Cleveland Playhouse, workshop), Dike by
Hannah Benitez (Urbanite), Friends with Guns by Stephanie Alison Walker
(NYTW, workshop), Nanas by Leonardo Gonzales (IATI, La Micro). Tatiana
directed the international tour of La Negrophilie by Zakiya Markland
(Frank Collymore Hall, Bridgetown, Barbados; Ubumuntu Festival, Kigali,
Rwanda; Kampala International Festival, Kampala, Uganda).
As a choreographer, Tatiana works on concerts & music videos with Latin
Indie music artists. She has developed Azul, Otra Vez [Blue, Revisited] at
Musical Theater Factory, Tofte Lake, NYTW, BRIC, The Drama League.
She is also developing new plays with exceptional writers such as Alexis
Scheer, Melis Aker, Monet Hurst-Mendoza, Hannah Benitez, Daria Mikeyo
Marinelli, and Whitney White with the support of institutions such as Long
Wharf Theater, Cleveland Playhouse, Urbanite Theater, NYTW, Miami
New Drama, The Park Theater (UK). These collaborations are her favorite
part of the work.
Upcoming: Torera by Monet-Hurst Mendoza (Long Wharf Theater),
LEMPICKA (Associate Director to Rachel Chavkin, La Jolla Playhouse),
Whitewashed by Hannah Benitez (Island City Stage) and many stops of
the Constitution tour. Tatiana is an adjunct professor at Hofstra University,
a Teaching Artist at the Atlantic Theater Company, and an Associate Artist
at Miami New Drama. NYTW 2050 Fellowship Alumna, and recipient
of the National Directors Fellowship. MFA: Columbia. Member of SDC.
Representation: Paradigm. www.tatianapandiani.com
Jacinta Clusellas (Composer / Lyricist) is
a composer, singer-songwriter and guitarist
based in New York City. Originally from
Buenos Aires, Argentina, Jacinta brings
together South American folklore, jazz and
chamber music, in the context of songs
influenced by poems, literature and nature
from South America. In New York City, Jacinta
has performed at the David Rubenstein
Atrium at Lincoln Center, Joe’s Pub, The
Great Hall at Cooper Union, Americas Society/Council of the Americas,
La MaMa Theatre, Le Poisson Rouge, Rockwood Music Hall, Musical
Theatre Factory, and Women of Color on Broadway. She has served as
music director-composer-arranger for the ongoing development of the
bilingual musical Azul, Otra Vez [Blue, Revisited] at New York Theatre
Workshop, BRIC, The Drama League, Tofte Lake Center, and the Prelude
Festival.
Jacinta’s debut album El Pájaro Azul was released in NYC, and published
in Japan under the record label Inpartmaint Inc. Her second album A
Dónde Llega el Silencio is being produced by West One Music (London,
UK) and will be recorded in NYC in the fall of 2020. Jacinta has toured
the US as a composer, songwriter, and performer. Selected: South by
Southwest [SXSW] (Austin, TX), Lanesboro Arts (Jerome Foundation,
MN), Audacious Raw Theatre (MN), Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts
(WY). Internationally, she has toured her music throughout Argentina,
Chile, Ecuador, Canada, Greece and Italy. Jacinta has also worked as
an arranger for Grammy award-winning artists Alejandro Sanz (Berklee
Performance Center) and A.R. Rahman (Boston Symphony Hall).
Jacinta is a Teaching Artist at the New York Philharmonic, where she
develops programs and teaches for the Very Young Composers Program,
and has served as a mentor at Lincoln Center’s Music Across Borders
program. She is a proud member of the Carnegie Hall Music Educators
Workshop. Jacinta holds a B.A. in Contemporary Writing and Production
from Berklee College of Music. www.jacintaclusellasmusic.com
42 43

Two Nights and Three Days is a musical comedy set in the South
Korean military. It tells the story of Jowon, a young, female officer
who believes that her dreams of becoming a four-star general are
dashed when she is placed in command of the “fire battalion,” a
group of the laziest, most ragtag soldiers at camp. When the camp
announces its first-ever talent show, Jowon and her soldiers finally
unite in an effort to win the contest…by writing a musical. However,
as they confront a growing conflict with North Korea that threatens
their safety as well as the existence of the talent show, Jowon and
her soldiers must fight not only to protect their country, but to find
joy in the most dire of circumstances.
Kim Jinhyoung is a storyteller who has
co-written book, music, and lyrics for Two
Nights and Three Days, Refresh (Without
Walls Festival, 2019), which was produced
as part of Hall Pass by Blindspot Collective
in collaboration with La Jolla Playhouse, and
The Egyptian Baboon (NYU Developmental
Reading, 2018); written music for the musicals
Where Is Jesus’ Dick? (Seoul Foundation for
Arts and Culture residency) and Sheman
(Seoul Youth Art Institute residency), each of which premiered in Seoul,
South Korea in 2017; and written music for the play Wonderhuman, which
also premiered in Seoul in 2017. Kim is also currently writing music and
lyrics for a song cycle entitled Wait…Ing. Kim’s work has been performed
in such venues as Feinstein’s/54 Below, Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater,
Two River Theater, and Lincoln Center, among others. Kim is a graduate
of the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU’s Tisch School
of the Arts.
Marcus Perkins is a storyteller who has
co-written book, music, and lyrics for
Two Nights And Three Days and Refresh
(Without Walls Festival, 2019), which
was produced as part of Hall Pass by
Blindspot Collective in collaboration with
La Jolla Playhouse; co-written book and
written lyrics for Coming Home (NYU
Developmental Reading, 2018); and
contributed lyrics to the annual Stanford
Law School Musical in both 2011 and 2012, which was produced in
Stanford, California. Marcus’s work has been performed in such venues
as Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater, Two River Theater, and Lincoln Center,
among others. A graduate of the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing
Program at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, he also has degrees from
Princeton University and Stanford Law School.
44 45

2020 nmtc finalists
These finalists will remain in consideration for NMTC 2021.
Devotion
Book, Music, & Lyrics by Mark Sonnenblick
TL;DR: Thelma Louise;Dyke Remix
Book by EllaRose Chary
Music by Brandon James Gwinn
Lyrics by EllaRose Chary & Brandon James Gwinn
He Sang, She Sang
Book by Kellen Blair & Joe Kinosian
Music by Joe Kinosian
Lyrics by Kellen Blair
MAYA
Book by Cheeyang Ng & Eric Sorrels
Music by Cheeyang Ng
Lyrics by Eric Sorrels
JOIN US!
NMTC HAPPY HOUR
Alexander Gemignani hosts an
opportunity to reconnect with NMTC
writing teams past and present.
FREE and open to the public, RSVP required
NMTC 2018 Reunion
Thursday, June 18 at 6pm
Anna K. Jacobs & Michael R. Jackson (Teeth)
Kate Kilbane & Dan Moses (Eddie the Marvelous,
Who Will Save the World)
*Additional artists to be announced
NMTC 2019 Reunion
Thursday, June 25 at 6pm
Benjamin Velez & Aryanna Garber (Borderline)
Ari Afsar & Lauren Gunderson (Jeannette)
Hansol Jung & Brian Quijada (Undesirables)
support for the 2020 national music theater conference
is provided in part by:
The National Endowment for the Arts • The Jerome Robbins Foundation •
Geraldine Stutz Trust • John Logan • Marty & Perry Granoff
RSVP NOW
46 47

2020 nmtc readers
Ming Aldrich-Gan
Derin Altay Gemignani
Masi Asare
Stanley Bahorek
Amanda Baschnagel
Brittany Bradford
Giselle Byrd
Carrie Chapter
Bridin Clements
Mia Crivello
Carmel Dean
Patricia Delgado
Layan Elwazani
Christie Evangelisto
David Gardos
Marya Grandy
Martine Kei Green-Rogers
Jin Ha
Claire Hirschi
Allison Horsley
Arielle Jacobs
Nehal Joshi
Jocelyn Kirkland
Jonathan Kirkland
Lexy Leuszler
Lindsay Levine
Molly Marinik
Megan McGinnis
Lindsay Mendez
Scott Murphy
Manu Narayan
Kent Nicholson
Rodrigo Nogueria
Helena Pennington
Pearl Sun
Caridad Svich
Storm Thomas
Awoye Timpo
Nicole Tingir
Tatiana Wechsler
Charity Wicks
Emily Whitaker
Over the course of six Sundays, join each of our
Artistic Directors for in-depth conversations and Q&A’s.
Learn about all things puppetry, musicals, plays, cabaret,
arts journalism, education, and more!
FREE and open to the public, RSVP required
June 7 at 7pm - Pam Arciero
National Puppetry Conference
June 14 at 7pm - Wendy C. Goldberg
National Playwrights Conference
Thank you
Eugene O’Neill
Theater Center
for your ongoing
support of the
American Stage.
June 21 at 7pm - Rachel Jett
National Theater Institute
June 28 at 7pm - Alexander Gemignani
National Music Theater Conference
July 5 at 7pm - Chris Jones
National Critics Institute
August 2 at 7pm - John McDaniel
Cabaret & Performance Conference
860-448-4200
chelseagroton.com
RSVP NOW
48 49

50 51

The National Playwrights Conference — the O’Neill’s founding program — is a national
laboratory offering resources vital to creative risk-taking. Prior to the O’Neill, unheralded
and undiscovered writers lacked the time, space, and support necessary to develop new
work for the American stage. To meet this need, founder George C. White created the
National Playwrights Conference in 1964, giving writers a safe haven to experiment
during a crucial stage in a play’s evolution.
This year’s four plays, selected from 1,546 submissions are among nearly 700 to be
discovered and developed at the O’Neill — including some of the most significant
works in American theater. Plays such as John Guare’s House of Blue Leaves; Wendy
Wasserstein’s Uncommon Women and Others; and August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black
Bottom, Fences, and The Piano Lesson all began their lives at the O'Neill.
wendy c. goldberg
artistic director • national playwrights conference
Wendy is celebrating her 16th season as NPC Artistic Director
and also leads the O’Neill’s National Directors Fellowship,
now in its sixth year. Under her tenure, the O’Neill was awarded
the 2010 Regional Tony Award. She is the first woman to lead
the Conference in its 56-year history. She has overseen the development
of more than 100 stage projects, many of which have gone on to great acclaim.
Among them are the Susan Smith Blackburn Award-winning plays (Julia Cho’s The
Language Archive & Jennifer Haley’s The Nether), American Theatre Critics Association
Citation Award-winning plays (Lee Blessing’s Great Falls & Deb Zoe Laufer’s End Days),
and a Pulitzer Prize Winner for Drama, written in part as a NPC Writer-in-Residence (Lynn
Nottage’s Ruined). In 2005, she included playwright Samuel D. Hunter, now an Obie
and MacArthur Award-winning playwright, in her first season as Artistic Director when he
was still a playwriting student. Other critically acclaimed work developed at the O’Neill
during her tenure includes: Jeremy O. Harris’s Slave Play, Lindsey Ferrentino’s Ugly Lies
The Bone, Mike Lew’s Tiger Style!, Deborah Zoe Laufer’s Leveling Up, Adam Bock’s The
Receptionist, Rebecca Gilman’s The Crowd You’re in With, Jason Grote’s 1001, and Julia
Cho’s Durango. She is an award-winning director whose credits include world premieres,
revivals, classics, and musicals as well as cross over work in video games and television.
Credits include: Arena Stage (where she served as Artistic Associate for five seasons), the
Guthrie, the Goodman, Denver Center, the Alliance, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park
(where she currently serves as an Associate Artist), Center Stage, Actors Theater of Louisville,
Signature Theater, Paper Mill Playhouse, Philadelphia Theater Company and off-
Broadway at Ars Nova, The Daryl Roth 2, and McGinn-Cazale. Wendy owns and operates
a development company TheFrontOffice in NYC (thefrontoffice@icloud.com) and has
cross over projects in development from theater to digital media. She was a performance
director for Rockstar Games in New York on the worldwide sensation Red Dead Redemption
2 and was represented on Broadway as Creative Advisor to the long running Rock of
Ages. She has directed work in every major play developmental program in the country.
As Artistic Associate at Arena Stage for five seasons, she helped to create the theater’s
new play initiatives and led them from their inception through 2005. American Theatre
Magazine has described her as “one of the most promising theater artists working today.”
Wendy served as the Jury Chair of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and served on the
jury for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. She is a Master Lecturer at in Boston University's
MFA Directing Program, teaches frequently at the Yale School of Drama and served for 14
years on the Executive Board of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society for 14
years. She is an honors graduate of the University of Michigan (BA) and holds a MFA in
Directing from UCLA where she received the Distinguished Alumna Award in 2014.
52 53

national playwrights conference staff
Wendy C. Goldberg, Artistic Director
Will Detlefsen & Addie Gorlin, Assistant to the Artistic Director
Reza Behjat, Lighting Designer
Raquel Davis, Lighting Designer
Josh Epstein, Lighting Designer
Brian J. Lilienthal, Lighting Designer
Emily Auciello, Sound Designer
Matt Hubbs, Sound Designer
M. Florian Staab, Sound Designer
Lawrence E. Moten III, Scenic Designer
Anne Kennedy, Costume Designer
KIRSTEN GREENIDGE
Beacon
ABOUT THE PLAY
All should be going swimmingly for restauranteur Virginia Halloway: three eateries
and a new house in the country to show for it should be the answer to all her
dreams. But Virginia’s past, and her neighbors' demands in her present threaten
to tear all that she’s worked for apart.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Dramaturg: Kristin Leahey
2020 npc artistic council
Suzanne Agins
Nissy Aya
Nan Barnett
Melia Bensussen
Jed Bernstein
Eddie Boroevich
Carrie Chapter
Inda Craig-Galván
Raquel Davis
Josh Epstein
Georgina Escobar
Aislinn Frantz
Isaac Gomez
Amy Handelsman
Heather Helinsky
Jo Holcomb
Morgan Holmes
Hansol Jung
Mia Katigbak
Kristin Leahey
Lexy Leuszler
Linda Lombardi
Larissa Lury
Patrese McClain
Anne Morgan
Ramona Rose King
Helena Pennington
Madeline Sayet
Greg Shephard
Chandler Smith
Janine Sobeck Knighton
Preston Whiteway
Gregg Wiggans
The 2020 National Playwrights Conference is underwritten
by Michelle and Tom Marra
support for the 2020 national playwrights conference
is provided in part by:
The Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust • The National Endowment for the Arts •
Burry Fredrik Foundation • The Shubert Foundation • The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation •
Geraldine Stutz Trust • Dramatists Play Service • John Logan • Actors’ Equity Foundation
Kirsten Greenidge is an Obie Award-winning
and Lucille Lortel-nominated playwright whose
plays place hyper realism on stage as they
examine the nexus of race, class, gender, and
the black experience. Recently recognized as
playwright laureate of Boston she is the author
of Our Daughters, Like Pillars, Little Row Boat;
Or, Conjecture, Feeding Beatrice, The Greater
Good, Baltimore, Bud, Not Buddy (an adaptation
of the children’s book by Christopher Paul Curtis),
The Luck of the Irish, and Milk Like Sugar. Her
plays have been produced at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, New Repertory
Theatre, The Huntington Theatre Company, Playwright’s Horizons, La Jolla
Playhouse, and Company One Theatre. This summer will mark Kirsten’s third
season developing work at the O’Neill. Since that first summer, she has enjoyed
development experiences at the Family Residency at the Space at Ryder Farm,
the Huntington’s Summer Play Festival, Cleveland Playhouse as the 2016 Roe
Green New Play Award recipient, The Goodman, Denver Center, Sundance, Bay
Area Playwright’s Festival, Sundance at Ucross, the Pacific Playwright’s Festival
among others. Kirsten is currently working on commissions from the Huntington
(Common Ground with Melia Bensussen), La Jolla Playhouse (To The Quick), and
Oregon Shakespeare American Revolutions Project (Roll, Belinda, Roll). A recent
PEN/Laura Pels Playwrighting Award recipient and current Andrew W. Mellon/
Howlround Fellow, she is an alum of New Dramatists, and has proudly graced
the Kilroys list of New Plays by women and women-identified playwrights several
years running. She attended the Playwright’s Workshop at the University of Iowa
and Wesleyan University and oversees the BFA playwrighting track at Boston
University’s School of Theatre. kirstengreenidgeplaywright.com
54 55

JUCOBY JOHNSON
...but you could’ve held my hand
Director: Lileana Blain-Cruz
ARIKA LARSON
visting hours
Director: Robert O'Hara
ABOUT THE PLAY
Four ten-year-olds meet at a wedding. Little do they know, they will become
the center of each other's lives for decades to come. Jumping through
time, the play uses dance, music, and poetry to explore sexuality, gender,
race, and love. You know, the big stuff. Life stuff.
ABOUT THE WRITER
JuCoby Johnson grew up in Jacksonville,
FL, moved to the Twin Cities in 2011, and
has been creating there ever since. He has
been seen onstage at The Guthrie Theater,
Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, The Jungle
Theater, Theater Latté Da, Theater Mu, Ten
Thousand Things Theatre Company and
many more. His debut play, How It's Gon
Be, had its world premiere in May 2019
with the Underdog Theater. He is a 2020-
2021 Many Voices Mentee at the Playwright's Center in Minneapolis.
jucobyjohnson.com
ABOUT THE PLAY
two families--one black and one white-- each travel to visit a loved one in
a medium security prison in rural Kansas. second in a cycle of three plays,
visiting hours focuses on what it's like to love someone who is incarcerated.
families are separated, messy relationships become messier, and it's all
packed into weekend hours between 10am and 3pm.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Arika Larson is a Brooklyn-based
playwright from Kansas. Her plays include
the shes (Weasel Festival, Public Theater),
within tolerance (developed by HMBG
playwright retreat, Brooklyn College, The
Tank), and birthday boy (Great Plains
Theatre Conference, semifinalist NPC).
She regularly works with AMiOS Theatre,
Reign or Shine Productions, and her longstanding
writer’s group: Pooddha. Her work
has also been presented or developed by Barrington Collective, Clutch
Productions, Colt Coeur, The Davenport Theatre, and Three Act Theatre.
She was a finalist for the 2020 SPACE on Ryder Farm’s Working Farm.
She studied playwriting at Brooklyn College with Mac Wellman & Erin
Courtney where she won the Rona Jaffe, Creative Writing, and Himan
Brown awards.
56 57

DAVID ZHENG
Kidnapping Jane Doe
ABOUT THE PLAY
Two friends from The Bronx kidnap their congresswoman and show her
the best time of her life.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Director: Raelle Myrick Hodges
David Zheng is a first-generation Chinese
American playwright and visual artist from the
Bronx. He is the recipient of The Lark’s 2018
Van Lier New Voices Playwriting Fellowship,
the 2017 Playwriting Observer Fellowship
at Labyrinth Theater Company, and the
2017 inaugural Greenhouse Residency
at SPACE on Ryder Farm. Plays include
Ching Chong Maka Hiya, Kidnapping Jane
Doe, KINGSBRIDGE (O'Neill Semifinalist),
Boogie Down Bastards, Ghetto Baptism, and What's In The Tent? (O'Neill
Semifinalist). His work has been developed at The Public Theater, MCC
Theater, The Labyrinth Theater Company, Cherry Lane Theater Company,
The Lark, and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. He is a member of the 2018-
2019 Public Theater Emerging Writers Group, Ma-Yi Writers Lab and the
Gingold Theatrical Group’s Speakers’ Corner. Zheng is also a founding
member of the Middle Voice at Rattlestick.
JOIN US!
NPC HAPPY HOUR
Wendy C. Goldberg hosts an
opportunity to reconnect with prominent
O’Neill writers and designers.
FREE and open to the public, RSVP required
Pulitzer Prize-Winners
Tuesday, July 7 at 6pm
Quiara Alegría Hudes, David Henry
Hwang, & Michael R. Jackson
Design Studio
Tuesday, July 14 at 6pm
Rachel Hauck, Arnulfo Maldonado, &
Lawrence E. Moten III
RSVP NOW
58 59

2020 npc finalists
2020 npc preliminary readers
These finalists will remain in consideration for NPC 2021.
Bill Barclay, The Chevalier
Aleta Barthell, WINDOW OF SHAME
Jane Bernhard, Unit 13
Dan Caffrey, The Amphibians
Matthew Capodicasa, Next/Life
Ed Cardona Jr., Lychee Martini
John J. Caswell Jr., Wet Brain
Vichet Chum, Go
Mia Chung, THIS EXQUISITE CORPSE
Clarence Coo, Chapters of a
Floating Life
Meredith Cope-Levy, The Hills
J. Joseph Cox, The Nothing That
Is Something
Kristoffer Diaz, Football Football
Football Football (Or I Love Lave Dash)
Mathilde Dratwa, A Play about David
Mamet Writing a Play about Harvey Weinstein
Jessica Fechtor, BOOK OF HOURS
Morgan Gould, Jennifer Who Is Leaving
Enid Graham, Pathological Venus
Jason Grote, Desire Path
Dave Harris, WATCH ME
David Hilder, Those Days Are Over
Beth Hyland, Killed a Man (Joking)
Exal Iraheta, They Could Give No Name
Daniel Isaac, FULLERTON
Julia Izumi, (An Audio Guide for)
Unsung Snails and Heroes
MJ Kaufman, we know who we are
by our fireside dances
Claire Kiechel, SOPHIA
Hanna Kime, The Targeted
John King, 7 MINUTES
Zoe Lasden-Lyman, Bunyip
John Lavelle, Inhalation
Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, Cannabis Passover
Donja Love, The Trade
Nikhil Mahapatra, American Hunger
Hannah Manikowski, The Sunrise
from the Moon
Shannon McInally, 36 Juniper
Tegan McLeod, Lover Think Lover
Jessika McQueen, 36 Juniper
Tara Moses, Quantum
Jessica Moss, Funnie: The Most Lamen
table Comedie of Jane the Foole
Steve Moulds, Sergio's Museum
Tom Nieboer, Minnesota
NSangou Njikam, When We Left pt. 1
Ryan Oliveira, Take Care
Susan Pak, Miguk Saram
Ayvaunn Penn, For Bo
Eliana Pipes, Cowboy and the Moon
Larry Powell, THE GAZE (NO HOMO:
PART ONE)
Shanti Reinhardt, Kill 'Em With Aloha; Or,
Da Big Mouth Pidgin English Play
Kira Rockwell, Oh, to Be Pure Again
Jan Rosenberg, GUSHER!
Andrew Rosendorf, One-Shot
Jaymes Sanchez, The Cucuy Will
Find You
Eric Schmiedl, My Hemisphere
Cary Simowitz, All The Oxytocin in
Your Fingertips
Vera Starbard, Native Pride
(and Prejudice)
Andrea Stolowitz, Recent Unsettling
Events
Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel,
Flying Bird's Diary
Patrick Vermillion, The Good Boy Game
Eljonn Wardally, Black Americanah
for Sale
Pravin Wilkins, Moreno
Rebecca Adelsheim
Shanna Allison
Natalie Ault
Amanda Baschnagel
Isaak Berliner
Clara Blickenstaff
Amara Brady
Sasha Bratt
Rebecca Brill Weitz
Micaela Brinsley
Torrence Browne
Ryan Bruce
Codey Butler
Stacey Cain
Janyce Caraballo
Ludmila Cardoso
de Brito
Serena Cates
Carrie Chapter
Kitty Chen
Katie Ciszek
Sarah Clack
Miranda Coble
Esther Cohen
Madison Colquette
Amanda Connors
Allison Considine
Alana Conti
Inda Craig-Galván
Kate Cuellar
Jessica Daly
Matt DaSilva
Raquel Davis
Christian DeAngelis
Maddie Dennis-Yates
Will Detlefsen
Christopher Diercksen
Nikki DiLoreto
Jenna Doherty
Jennifer Dorn
Laurie Dowling
Ryan Duncan-Ayala
Alison Durkee
Lena Eaton
Noah Ezell
Lydia Faith
Annie Fang
Michael Fell
Haley Fluke
Grace Frahm
Aislinn Frantz
Jeri Frederickson
Robert Frost
Jessica Gardner
Nicole Gehring
Hannah Gellman
Jenn Goddu
Henry Godinez
Helene Goldfarb
Kimberly Golding
Shayla Gordon
Addie Gorlin
Mattie Hawkinson
Catherine Healey
Jessi Hill
Allison Horsley
Kelsey Houlihan
Bryan Howard
Matt Hubbs
Betsy Huggins
Sarah Hughes
Morgan Hunter
Christina Hurtado-
Pierson
Julia Hutton
Daniel Jakes
Rachel Jett
Maia Johngren
Abraham Johnson
Natalie Kane
Alex Keegan
Emma Kimball
Dariya Kimmes
Danielle King
Kalina Ko
Daniel Krane
Laura Kressly
Portia Krieger
Samantha Lancaster
Christopher Larkin
Lizzy Lee
Amelia Lembeck
Sam Lilja
Laley Lippard
Linda Lombardi
Leah Lowe
Kira Mason
Maggie McGrann
Aileen McGroddy
Jessie Mhire
Liza Miller
Jessie Mills
Jasen Miyamoto
Jacob Montgomery
Rob Mooney
Cortland Nesley
Charlotte Newman
Claudia Nolan
Nick O'Leary
Gail Obenreder
D Ohlandt
Isabel Olson
Kara Ontiveros
Eric Ort
Ben Otten
Susanne Parker
Jane Peña
Helena Pennington
Elyssa Perez
Annika Perez Krikorian
Daniel Perks
Gabrielle Piazza
Andy Pierce
Dara Pohl Feldman
Emma Prange
Jessica Pressman
Ellen Quinn
Erin Reifler
John Reinschmidt
Anders Rhodin
Amanda Ritchie
Nick Roesler
Courtney Roque
Zoe Rosenfeld
Alix Rosenfeld
Ryan Rosenheim
Bradley Rothbart
Susan Russell
J. Isabel Salazar
Hallie Samuels
Max Sarkowsky
Violet Saylor
Danielle Schlenker
Lila Schmitz
Sarah Jane Schostack
Keri Schultz Kent
Noam Shapiro
Bryan Sng
Sabrina Sonner
Kaitlyn Souter
Veronica Sprague
Florian Staab
Steven Strauss
Libby Tofig
Sara Turner
Caroline Uy
Leya Van Doren
Darcy Van Ness
Jennifer Vanasco
Nikki Veit
Elliot Vitaz
Gabe Walker
Nicole Watson
Rebecca Wear
Bryn Weiler
Emma Weisberg
Calan Welder
Lauren Emily Whalen
Tré Wheeler
Preston Whiteway
Eliza Wilkins
Gemma Wilson
Virginia Wing
Harley Winzenried
Hannah Wolf
Jenna Worsham
Wenxuan Xue
Amy Young
Remy Zaken
Shara Ashley Zeiger
Meredith Zotkiewicz
60 61

alumni award winners & nominees Outstanding New Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
PULITZER PRIZE
Criticism
Soraya Nadia McDonald (NCI '18), Finalist
Drama
Jeanine Tesori (NMTC '94) & David Henry Hwang (NPC '79), Finalists
Michael R. Jackson (NMTC '18), Winner
Music
Richard Wesley (NPC '73, '74, '78, '79, '81, '82, '85), Winner
LUCILLE LORTEL AWARDS
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Francis Jue (NPC '14), Winner
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play
Kara Young (NPC '19), Nominee
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play
April Matthis (NPC '16, '17), Nominee
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical
Eisa Davis (NPC '99, '13, '14), Nominee
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Alex Gibson (NMTC '15), Nominee
Outstanding Revival
Fires in the Mirror by Anna Deavere Smith (NPC '80), Nominee
Duncan Sheik (NMTC '03)
Michael R. Jackson (NMTC '18)
David Henry Hwang (NPC '79) & Jeanine Tesori (NMTC '94)
Outstanding Orchestrations
Tom Kitt (Trustee, CAB '08, NMTC '04, '08, '17)
Alex Lacamoire (NMTC '05)
Duncan Sheik (NMTC '03)
DRAMA LEAGUE AWARDS NOMINEES
Outstanding Production of a Play
Slave Play by Jeremy O. Harris (NPC '18), Nominee
Distinguished Performance Award
Halley Feiffer (NPC '14), Nominee
Annie Golden (NMTC '18), Nominee
April Matthis (NPC '16, '17), Nominee
Kate Mulgrew (NPC '77), Nominee
Deidre O'Connell (NPC '02), Nominee
GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS
Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture for TV
Jared Harris (NTI Spring ‘85), Nominee
BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM AND TELEVISION ARTS
Leading Actor, Series, Chernobyl
Jared Harris (NTI Spring ‘85), Nominee
OUTER CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD
Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical
Darling Grenadine (NMTC '16)
Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Elizabeth Stanley (NMTC '07)
Outstanding Actress in a Play
April Matthis (NPC '16, '17)
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Eisa Davis (NPC '99, '13, '14)
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Francis Jue (NPC '14)
Daniel J. Watts (CAB '19)
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Lois Smith (NPC '68, '78, '79)
Marsha Mason (NPC '70, '71)
Outstanding Solo Performance
David Cale (NPC '01)
Deidre O'Connell (NPC '02)
Outstanding Book of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
David Henry Hwang (NPC '79)
Michael R. Jackson (NMTC '18)
Lynn Nottage (NPC '06)
FRED EBB AWARD
Benjamin Velez (NMTC ‘19)
JONATHAN LARSON GRANT
Anna K. Jacobs (NMTC '18)
Benjamin Velez (NMTC '19)
BRUNTWOOD PRIZE
Kimber Lee (NPC ‘19)
KLEBAN PRIZE
Mike Lew (NPC ‘14, ‘16), Most Promising Musical Theatre Librettist
SUSAN SMITH BLACKBURN PRIZE
Dominique Morriseau (NPC '10), Finalist
Anne Washburn (NPC '10), Finalist
Celine Song (NPC '18), Finalist
Kimber Lee (NPC '19), Finalist
WINDHAM CAMPBELL PRIZE
Julia Cho (NPC '05, '09), Drama
DAYTIME EMMY AWARDS
Outstanding Special Effects Costume, Makeup, and Hairstyling
Jean Marie Keevins (PUP Faculty), Nominee
62 63

America's only boot camp for arts writers, NCI 2020 offers a 5-day online intensive
July 6-10 designed for writers and critics looking to strengthen their skills in an
increasingly competitive and fast-paced industry. Including seminars, technique classes,
masterclasses, writing workshops, covering the fields of theater, film, television, food,
dining, and music. Helmed by Chris Jones, critic and columnist at the Chicago Tribune,
NCI includes writing workshops in the crafts of reviewing theater, film, performance,
and food; workshops in storytelling and analysis; insights into the critical process with
a faculty composed of America’s leading arts critics; explorations of the relationship
between critics and social media; and studies of best practices in blogging and other
Chris is the chief theater critic and a Sunday cultural
columnist of the Chicago Tribune and the chief theater
critic for the New York Daily News. He has reviewed
and commented on culture, the arts, politics, and
entertainment for some 20 years. He also appears weekly on CBS-2 news in
Chicago, and on the Tribune’s WGN Radio. Before joining the staff of the Tribune
in 2002, Dr. Jones wrote for many years for Variety and Daily Variety, publishing
several hundred reviews and commentaries, especially of pre-Broadway tryouts.
He also spent a short time as Variety’s Broadway critic. He has twice served on
the drama committee of the Pulitzer Prizes. His arts criticism also has appeared
in the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, the Washington Post, American
Theatre magazine, and many other newspapers and magazines. He has taught
criticism, arts writing, and cultural reporting in several universities. He’s the
author of a history of theater criticism in Chicago, Bigger, Brighter, Louder. In
2015, he was awarded the George G. Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism.
And last fall, Bloomsbury published his latest book: Rise Up! Broadway and
American Society from ‘Angels in America’ to ‘Hamilton.’
naveen kumar
chris jones
director • national critics institute
associate director • national critics institute
Naveen is a freelance culture writer and editor whose
recent work appears on them.us, Vox, InStyle, and The
Hollywood Reporter. He serves as theatre critic for the
queer news site Towleroad and contributes reviews to
Time Out New York. His theatre features have appeared
in the New York Times, L.A. Times, The Daily Beast, Teen
Vogue, American Theatre, and more. Prior to journalism
he worked on the agency side of the entertainment
business, including in the theatrical literary department at CAA. He earned his
B.A. from Vassar College and an M.A. in English and Comparative Literature
from Columbia University.
64 65

2020 nci fellows
David John Chávez
Bedatri Choudhury
Emily Christensen
Tim Diovanni
Marina Fang
Henry Giardina
Trey Gutierrez
Joseph Hernandez
Mercedes Hesselroth
Adlan Jackson
Beandrea July
Emily McClanathan
Maya Phillips
Juan Michael Porter II
Sarah Rebell
Joey Sims
Martin Tsai
Lena Wilson
Lead Funding for the National Critics Institute is provided by the
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
scholarships provided by:
The O’Neill is all about taking risks, innovating new forms, and supporting new artists.
To that end, we’ve partnered with Mystic Aquarium and their beloved California sea lions
on a new show, SEA LION TV, created and directed by NTI faculty member Lee Overtree.
Shows daily at the Mystic Aquarium!
Clara Hieronymus of The Nashville Tennessean was that city’s leading theater and arts critic for almost
fifty years. The Clara Hieronymus Scholarship — one full NCI scholarship — was established
on Clara’s retirement in 1990 by the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.
Founded at the 1974 NCI, the American Theatre Critics Association is the only national association
of professional theater critics. Members work for newspapers, magazines, radio, television,
and online services across the United States. ATCA provides one full NCI scholarship.
The Theatre Communications Group’s Rising Leaders of Color addresses the lack of
diversity in the critical talent pool and creates new opportunities to nurture arts journalists to reflect
the increasingly diverse work on US stages. TCG provides one full NCI scholarship.
For 50 years, the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival has served as a
catalyst in improving the quality of college theater in the United States. The national theater program
engages 20,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide. KCACTF provides one full NCI
scholarship.
additional support for the 2020 national
critics institute is provided by:
The Shubert Foundation • Critical Minded, an initiative to invest in cultural critics of color cofounded by
The Nathan Cummings Foundation and the Ford Foundation • The New York Times
66 67

68 69

The Cabaret & Performance Conference provides a dynamic opportunity for performers to
work on new performances and projects, mentored by professional directors, music directors,
and guest artists while reexamining, redefining, and revitalizing the cabaret art form for the
21st century. The Conference has presented more than 100 performances in past 10 years,
including Broadway and cabaret favorites Betty Buckley, Academy Award-winner Shirley
Jones, 10-time Tony Award-winner Tommy Tune, Judy Kuhn, Donna McKechnie, Leslie
Uggams, Barb Jungr, Wesla Whitfield, Mike Greensill, Penny Fuller, Rita Gardner, André De
Shields, Norm Lewis, Melissa Manchester, and many more.
john mcdaniel
artistic director • cabaret & performance conference
John is thrilled to be back for his eighth season as Artistic
Director of the Cabaret & Performance Conference. He
is a Grammy and Emmy Award-winning Music Director,
Composer, Director, Arranger, Orchestrator, and Producer,
and is the new Director of Kristin Chenoweth’s Broadway Boot Camp in OK. Recently
he directed Into The Woods & Hair in Concert at the historic Patchogue Theater,
Sondheim Originals at 54 Below, Piano Men at Birdland. His newest show, Lights
Out: Nat King Cole, broke every box office record at the Geffen Playhouse in LA and
was extended twice. On Broadway: Bonnie and Clyde (Drama Desk Nomination,
Best Orchestrations), Catch Me If You Can, Brooklyn (Producer and Orchestrator),
Annie Get Your Gun (Grammy Award as producer of the cast recording), Taboo,
Chicago, Grease, Patti LuPone on Broadway and Company – the Original Cast in
Concert at Lincoln Center. On television: The Rosie O’Donnell Show (two Emmy
Awards & eight nominations). John has collaborated with Cab Calloway, Shirley
MacLaine, George Burns, Joel Grey, Carol Burnett, Betty Buckley, Bette Midler and
has guest-conducted at 15 Symphony Orchestras across America, including five
concerts with his hometown St. Louis Symphony. John received a BFA in Drama from
Carnegie Mellon University.
cabaret & performance conference staff
John McDaniel, Artistic Director
Brad Simmons, Artistic Associate/Junior Fellows Program Director
Michael Holland, Music Director & Arrangements
Barb Jungr & Natalie Douglas, Master Artists, Fellows Program
Lennie Watts & Betty Buckley, Guest Artists
Tracy Stark, Mark Hartman & Brian Nash, Music Directors
support for the 2020 cabaret & performance
conference is provided in part by:
Atlantic Broadband is the premier sponsor of the 2020 Cabaret & Performance Conference.
Additional funding in part by The Kitchings Family Foundation • New London Education Foundation/
Karl Kelly Fund • Lawrence & Memorial Hospital
70 71

CABARET FELLOWS
The Conference continues to provide valuable development and
performance training for select Cabaret Fellows (up-and-coming
performers on the cabaret scene). The reimagined course of study for
our Cabaret Fellows program still includes top professionals from around
the globe led by Grammy & Emmy Award-winning artistic director John
McDaniel. Master teachers include international singing star Barb
Jungr, multi-award winning performer Natalie Douglas, featuring
master classes by Tony Award-winner Betty Buckley and MAC president
Lennie Watts. Returning music directors include award-winners Tracy
Stark, Mark Hartman, and Brian Nash. The 5-day program, held
online August 3-7, includes daily classes exploring every aspect of
performance: song selection, preparation, one on one work with music
directors, individual coachings, class presentation, show development,
venue selection, marketing, and more. Alumni of the program have gone
on to perform at major venues from coast to coast, utilizing the lasting
relationships cultivated at the O’Neill.
JUNIOR FELLOWS
The 2020 Junior Fellows program, for middle and high school
students, takes on the music of Kenny Loggins through the medium
of music videos, under the mentorship of Brad Simmons and
Michael Holland. O'Neill Members receive exclusive access to
the 2020 Cabaret Junior Fellows virtual performance.
2020 JUNIOR CABARET FELLOWS:
Chris Caraballo
Chloe Kolbenheyer
Makayla O'Connor
Nina Pezzello
Erich Phelps
Annie Rossi
Rosie Rossi
Spencer Sanley
Arielle Sussman
Maggie Welch
2020 CABARET FELLOWS:
Nellie Beavers
Elizabeth Blodgett
Liz Gurland
Jason Hersom
Tyler Houchins
Madisyn Mugavero
Karen Tiber Leland
Grace Ward
Max Wojtanowicz
72 73

JOIN US!
AN EVENING WITH
JOHN MCDANIEL & BRAD SIMMONS
Monday, August 3 at 8pm
O'Neill favorites John & Brad team up for a unique
Cabaret event which includes some new songs as
well as some best-loved tunes. Join us online for the
fun which will include a special mystery guest!
FREE and open to the public, RSVP required
RSVP NOW
Cabaret Happy Hours
presented by Blue Gene’s Pub
Join your favorite music directors for
some songs, stories, and special guests!
FREE and open to the public,
RSVP required
Tuesday, August 4 at 6pm
with music director Mark Hartman
Wednesday, August 5 at 6pm
with music director Tracy Stark
Thursday, August 6 at 6pm
with music director Brian Nash
Atlantic Broadband is the premier sponsor of the
2020 Cabaret & Performance Conference.
RSVP NOW
74 75

WEDDINGS
AT THE EUGENE O'NEILL THEATER CENTER
Love takes center stage
In its sixth year, the O’Neill, along with the Kennedy Center, National New Play Network (NNPN), and
Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF), has chosen four fellows for the National
Directors Fellowship (NDF) — joint initiative that will accelerate the professional experience of 25
directors and propel the advancement of new plays.
Led by director Wendy C. Goldberg, the program offers wide-ranging professional development
opportunities and unmatched practical experience. It connects early career directors to a vast network
of writers, expands access to professional support services, and provides environments for observation
and experimentation.
The 15-month training cycle involves hundreds of theater professionals, including nationally recognized
guest mentors and faculty. Fellows attend and participate in the O’Neill’s National Playwrights
Conference, the Kennedy Center’s NNPN MFA Playwrights Workshop, and NNPN’s National Showcase
of New Plays. After nearly a year of workshops and professional development symposiums, training, and
observation, Fellows embark on an NNPN Directing Residency. This offers an unmatched opportunity
to lead and fortify the advancement of NDF fellows and new play production around the country.
2020 ndf fellows
Fall in love with the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. Situated on
11-acres, 19 th -century mansions, cottages, and barns dot the historic
property which opens up to a rolling lawn with panoramic views of
the Long Island Sound. Massive Copper Beech trees, a lighthouseinspired
cottage, and a white gazebo add to the New England charm,
making it the perfect venue to host your wedding.
For more information, visit www.theoneill.org/rentals
Adam M. Kassim
Kholoud Sawaf
Blayze Teicher
Sharifa Yasmin
support for the national directors fellowship
is provided in part by:
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation • Thomas Kail • Barnet Kellman & Nancy Mette • Doug Hughes
Jerome & Roslyn Meyer • Wayne Zink
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2020 young playwrights
Negative Space by Julia Browning, Norwich Free Academy, CT
The Speech by Isabel Comas-Soares, Robert E. Fitch High School, CT
Sneakers by Anya Jiménez, Professional Performing Arts School, NY
The Stories of Myth by Marlie Kass, Brimmer & May School, MA
Mrs. Witherbee and the Super Moles by Stefan Kuhn,
Clark Lane Middle School, CT
In light of the Young Playwrights Festival shifting online, we’ve sought new ways to
support our fifteen young playwrights and their work in a digital manner so that the
show goes on…line. We extended the calendar for our festival, which took place
April 20-May 8, rather than over a single weekend which featured five plays selected
from 118 nationwide entries. This model allows for us to spend more time with our
playwrights and for our writers to have greater opportunity for gestation, reflection,
and development.
2020 YPF Featured
Playwrights
The Young Playwrights Festival provides professional-level support to develop original
one-act plays written by middle and high school students. Our five Featured Playwrights
each have a dedicated Mentor who will be meeting virtually with their playwright
at least three times to offer developmental support, advice, and encouragement.
Featured Playwrights will also receive individualized design consultations from YPF’s
resident Dream Designer, Dahlia Al-Habieli. By the end of the Festival, each young
playwright will have completed a rendering for their plays. These five playwrights will
also get to hear their work come to life in their own Zoom reading performed by a
team of actors (all who trained at the National Theater Institute).
The 10 honorable mention Guest Playwrights will receive one-on-one mentoring
meetings, group playwriting workshops, and dedicated design sessions.
While this year’s YPF has taken on a new form, I am grateful for the technology that
allows all of us to participate from the safety of our homes – team members are joining
us from Pennsylvania; New York; Maine; Virginia; North Carolina; Washington, DC;
Mississippi; New Mexico; and Connecticut – while meeting across time zones to
support these burgeoning young playwrights and their fresh new works.
Thank you,
Sophia Chapadjiev
YPF Director
2020 guest playwrights
A Different Type of Thanksgiving by Caroline Ancona, Old Saybrook MS, CT
Betwixt by Huda Ayaz, The Wheatley School, NY
Loss/Lost by Maleigh Crespo, Mississippi School of the Arts, MS
Under the Stars by Madelyn Gorra, Clark Lane MS, CT
Annette by Harmony Lepikko, Robert E. Fitch HS, CT
Government Files by Michelle Liu, Clark Lane MS, CT
Big by Maggie Munday Odom, The Grove School, CT
Remedy at the Jordan by Aiden Rodgers, East Lyme HS, CT
Princess Rule by Addyson Rogers, Cutler Magnet MS, CT
Break My Bones by Tess Rowan, Langley HS, VA
support for the 2020 young playwrights
festival is provided in part by:
Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut • CT Automotive Retailers Association’s GHADA
Foundation • Waterford Education Foundation
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administrative & technical observerships
New for the 2020 Summer Season, 16 emerging artists, technicians, and
administrators, from across the country will have the opportunity to learn
about professional theater and new work development through a robust
observership program in collaboration with the O’Neill’s professional
programs.
2020 observers
Joshua Bennett
Tyler Crow
Shelby Fairchild
Jess Gardner
Jessie Hamilton
Simone Heade
Akari Izumi
Jenny Kim
observership mentors
Rebecca Brill Weitz
Jeff Sherwood
Jacob Montgomery
support for the 2020 observers
is provided in part by:
University of Michigan • University of Exexter
Evan Marks
Amara McNeil
Alex Shelbourne
Allison Spann
Meghan Stanley
Samantha Tiller
Rebecca Warner
Andrew Yoder
supporters, donors, & members
The following list includes contributions above $50 made between June 1, 2019 - May 31, 2020.
Thank you to the many donors who suported the O’Neill with a gift of $50 or below.
Please let us know of any errors so we may correct our records by emailing development@theoneill.org.
foundations,
corporations,
institutions &
governments
ANGELS
Community Foundation of
Eastern CT - ForGood Fund
John Gore Organization
John S. and James L. Knight
Foundation
Production Resources Group
(PRG)
The Shubert Foundation
CHAMPIONS
Atlantic Broadband
Burry Fredrik Foundation
Connecticut DECD Office of
the Arts
Dominion Energy Charitable
Foundation
The Frank Loomis Palmer Fund
Harold & Mimi Steinberg
Charitable Trust
The Jane Henson Foundation
Middlesex Hospital
National Endowment for
the Arts
BENEFACTORS
Cecelia Joyce & Seward
Johnson Foundation
Critical Minded--a joint
initiative of the Nathan
Cummings Foundation &
Ford Foundation
Geraldine Stutz Trust
The Horace W. Goldsmith
Foundation
Nan H. Altmayer Charitable
Trust
The Nederlander
Organization
Silver Mountain Foundation
for the Arts
Town of Waterford
SPONSORS
Cohn Reznick, LLP
Frederic R. Coudert
Foundation
The Frederick Loewe
Foundation
Gottfried & Somberg Wealth
Management, LLC.
The Hispanic Federation
The Jim Henson Foundation
The Kitchings Family
Foundation
Maximilian E. & Marion O.
Hoffman Foundation
PATRONS
Actors' Equity Foundation
Bodenwein Public Benevolent
Foundation
Broadway GPS
Connecticut Humanities
CT Automotive Retailers
Association's GHADA
Foundation
The Edward & Mary Lord
Foundation
Foundation of the American
Theatre Critics Association
Lone Pine Capital, LLC
Polk Bros. Foundation
The Rodgers & Hammerstein
Foundation
Stonington Country Club
Waterford Education
Foundation
FRIENDS
Fusco Management
Company, LLC
Price Financial Group, LLC
CONTRIBUTORS
Amazon.com, Inc.
Bob Valenti Automall
Community Foundation of
Eastern CT - Elsie Childs Fund
Seacoast Orthopedic & Sports
Medicine LLC
United Technology Corporation
individual
donors
ANGELS
Anonymous
Ron Cowen & Dan Lipman
Jason Crosby
David Frederick & Sophia Lynn
Alva Greenberg
Carolyn Greenspan &
Marshall Ruben
Stephen & Ruth Hendel
Peggy Koenig
John Logan
The Miranda Family
Sally Speer
BENEFACTORS
Pat Daily & Tom Viertel
Steve & Debra Daren
Lynn Fusco
Martha Goode
Cheryl Henson & Ed Finn
Thomas Kail
Kristen Anderson-Lopez &
Robert Lopez
Linda Mariani & David Neusner
Ellen Quinn &
Robert Rohrbaugh
Bernie & Beth Schilberg
Thomas Schumacher
Norby Williamson
Len & Robyn Wolman
SPONSORS
Chris Aroh
Darren Bagert
Barry Barksdale
Natalie Black & Herb Kohler
William Bishop
Ian Calderon
Michael Douglas &
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Myrna & Stephen Greenberg
Matthew Guanci
Brian Hoesterey
Barb Keller
Tom & Michelle Marra
Kevin McCollum
Jerome & Rosylyn Meyer
Ian Richman
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supporters, donors, & members
supporters, donors, & members
Megan Savage
John & Katy Shaw
Peter & Anne Thomas
Luke & Caitlin Walsh
Caleb White
George & Betsy White
PATRONS
Bradley & Bonnie Baran
Odin Biron
James & Patricia Calhoun
Cate Caplin
Roger Christiansen
Kim Curtin
Houstoun Demere
Kathryn Dupree &
Joseph Marafito
William & Lizzie Gahagan
Andrea Glimcher
Ken & Rande Greiner
Rita Hendel
Sam & Alissa Hendel
Jeffrey & Nancy Hoffman
Doug Hughes
Andrew Jones
Jeff Kazin & Chris Pennington
Barnet Kellman & Nancy Mette
Nancy Jean Krant &
John Oliva
Gina Leonetti
David Lewis & Frank Ribas
Dorita & Ted Lieberman
Judith Light
Wendy MacDonald
Joe & Rebecca Newman
Amy Newton
David Preka
James & Sally Ritchie
Nathan Schilberg
Kathleen Stauffer
Dan Stone
David & Pamela Thompson
Elise Thoron
Wayne Zink
SUPPORTERS
Debby Beal
Greg & Melinda Castanza
John Coffin IV
Ed Comber &
Timothy Warmath
Will Dunne
Anthony & Elizabeth Enders
Jack & Gail Feinberg
Stanley & Gay Gaines
Tina & Kevin Garrity
Andy & Nancy Grant
Herbert & Rosemary Grove
Peter Hagan
David Hergan
Monica Schulze Hodges
Sharon Karmazin
Sol & Trudie Klioze
Richard Lury
Linda & Reid MacCluggage
Donald Madura &
Peg Snow-Madura
Thomas & Jane Matyas
Jeff Mazzella
Douglas & Sara Mercer
Brooke & Bryan Murphy
Liz Norris
Carolann Page
John Reinschmidt
Stuart & Ellen Roth
Richard & Toni Sonet
Dan & Cindy Terry
Edward Thomas
Betty Ventry
Grace White
Anna Whiteway
Roger & Barbara Whiteway
Mark Wolman
FRIENDS
Randy Adams
Pam Arciero & Steve Lanza
David Auburn
Laurie Bernhard
Marc Bruni
Alma Cuervo
Garfield W. Danenhower
Peter Dixon
Allan Dodds Frank &
Lilian King
Greg Foy
Frank & Cynthia Goldberg
Willy Holtzman
Susan Kelly
Elliot & Hinda Kimmel
Paul & Nel Lazour
Robert & Stacey Lewis
Peter & Anne McAndrew
Amy Aquino & Drew McCoy
Catherine Marich
George & Carol Milne
Jeanne Muller-Johngren
Donna Nadler
Francis Pavetti
Marilyn Percy
Tom Shelto
Richard Sigal
Chris & Kathy Sinnett
James Torrence
CONTRIBUTORS
Anonymous
Bruce Abraham
Nina Adams &
Moreson H Kaplan
Janet Adeletti
Ann & Sultan Ahamed
Chris Ajemian & Sara Juli
Eva Aldrich
Mary Elizabeth Attebery
Grant Baciocco
Caleb Bailey
Kathy Baker & Steven Robman
Michael Barker
Clay H. Barr
Lisa Beers
Neal & Jane Lassen Bobruff
Jo Bonney
Rob & Patricia J. Brewer
Carol & Alexander Brietzke
Jacqueline Brogan
Maren Brown &
Patricia Morrison
James Bundy &
Anne Tofflemire
Wayne Burdick
Susan Burghes
Michael Burke & Lynn Kennedy
Beth & Garon Camassar
Carl Capotorto
Tina Charney &
William Partlan
Adele Chatfield-Taylor &
John Guare
Rachel Chavkin
Carla Ching
Kathleen Clark &
Richard Frankel
Ellen Clas
Kevin Confoy & Jodi Wright
Linda & Robert Congdon
Tandy Cronyn
Kevin Crosby
John & Sue Ellen Curtiss
Audrey Daigneault
Gillian Darlow & Chris Jones
Cheryl Delehanty
Brandon Dixon
Donna Dooley &
David Rezendes
Linda Doran &
Diane Goldsmith
Michael Dunn
Lissa Van Dyke
Kristen Earls & John Miscione
Christy & John Ehlers
Jacqueline Newman Eshet
Brian & Kimberly Estep
Daniel Evans
David Evans
Mark Feldman & Rhonda Pohl
Jerome & Christine Fischer
Athena Fitzpatrick
Chad & Brenda Floyd
Thomas Fogarty
Paul Formica
Nancy Foy
Franklin & Joanne Friedman
Margaret Fulton
Paul Gabbard
Jim Geoghan
Leila Ghaznavi
Nancy Gibbs
Marc & Barbara Ginsberg
Michael Gennaro & Donna Lee
James Godwin
A.E.O. Goldman
Joshua Goodman
Tara Grabel
Jessie Hamilton
Richard Hammer &
Arlene Nadel Hammer
Amy Handelsman
Jeffrey Hatcher
Richard & Amanda Heller
Seymour & Patricia Hendel
Katherine & Peter Hering
Ernie Herrman
John & Angela Hess
G. Michael & Linda Hewitt
Muriel Hinkle
Michael & Becky Hoag
Robert Holof
Constance Howard
Owen & Nancy Hughes
Elizabeth Helen Hyland
Lynne & Donald Jennings
Darin Johnson & Greg Keffer
Pamela Jordan
James & Carol Kadamus
Danielle King
Dennis & Alice Krieger
Jim Kroupa
Deborah Zoe Laufer
Nathaniel & Marilynn Levine
Staci Levine
Mara Lieberman
Judith Lohman & David Reik
David Luce
Larissa Lury
John Lyon
Gaetana Manuele
Mel & Angela Marvin
Phyllis Mazik
Lois McDonald
John & Marcia McGowan
Monika McLennan
Owen Meadows
Craig & Carol Melin
Biddle & Jo Ann Morris
Wendy Morton
Leah & John Van Ness
Gail Obenreder O'Donnell
Marianne & Tony O'Malley
Dianne Parker
Bonnie & Gary Patterson
John Peyton
Arthur Poore
Matthew Rauch
William Rauch
Deborah & John Reid
Charles Rhyee
Amanda Kay Ritchie
Grant & Betsy Ritter
Sandra Ritz
Donald & Penny Roberts
Christian & Maureen Robertson
Blake Robison
Katrina Roeckelein
Sarah Ryan
Judy & David Salm
Cathy Sarkowsky
Cheryl & Robert Schaller
Amy Schancupp &
Steven Storozum
Robert & Myrna Schwartz
Steve Scott
Gregory & Camille Servodidio
John Patrick Shanley
Catherine Shraga
Mary Silva
Beverly Sims
Joanne Slotnik & Stephen Trimble
Saul & Esther Spigel
Aurin Squire
Sherburne Stidfole
Paul Thureen
Heather Toyen
Raymond & Lynda Trebisacci
Robert & Jean Tuneski
Sherry Turner
John & Gelene Urban
Joy Viertel
Joseph & Cindy Walsh
Lee & Judy Wasserman
Zebediah West
William & Marilyn White
Preston Whiteway
Charles Wright
Lauren Yarger
Holly Zaitchik
GIFTS MADE IN
HONOR OF:
Dr. Joseph J. Castanza
Steve Daren
Joel Davis
Honey Goodenough
Alva Greenberg
Jane Henson
Caz Liske
Halyn Victoria Murtha
Norman Nadel
Stephen Henry Pianka
J. Ranelli
Jim Stidfole
Preston Whiteway
Robyn Wolman
Chase Woolner
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supporters, donors, & members
corporate
members
PLATINUM
Chelsea Groton Bank
Production Resource Group
(PRG)
GOLD
Connecticut Distributors, Inc.
Ivy's Simply Homemade
Whaling City Ford
SILVER
Montville Florist
Williams Oil - The Heat People
individual
members
STAR
Barb Keller
PRODUCER
Anne Calanquin
David Lewis & Frank Ribas
Liz Norris
David & Pamela Thompson
Betty Ventry
WRITER
Laurie Bernhard
Lori & Mitchel Corah
Patrick & Lauren Doherty
Andy & Nancy Grant
Arlene & Adelbert Hallisey
Rita Hendel
Jeffrey & Nancy Hoffman
Nancy Jean Krant &
John Oliva
John & Lee Pritchard
Dan & Cindy Terry
DIRECTOR
Emmet & Peggie Cosgrove
Allan Dodds Frank &
Lilian King
Glenn Jacobs
Tom & Michelle Marra
Craig & Carol Melin
Robert & Jean Tuneski
DESIGNER
Debby Beal
Rob & Patricia J. Brewer
Ronald & Jean Giannamore
Elise & Michael Joyce
Wendy Kwalwasser
Donna Leake
Thomas & Pamela Moriarty
Richard Powers
Max Sarkowsky
Carin Savel
John & Frances Steffian
Dan & Kathy Steward
Heather Toyen
Janilyn Taylor
Krystin & Mark Uguccioni
CAST
Ed & Sue Aberbach
Joyce Armstrong
Richard Baez & Cindy Seiwert
Gail Barley & Stephen Wood
Natalie & Bill Billing
Joan & Lyle Brundage
Eric Butler
Beth & Garon Camassar
Christopher Cardoni &
Amy Hannum
Jo Ann Church &
Jeanne Milstein
Audrey Daigneault
John & Laurie Deredita
Peter Dixon
Linda Doran &
Diane Goldsmith
Juanita & Richard Durham
Christy & John Ehlers
Cathy & Jim Elliott
Ira & Andrea Feinberg
Jerome & Christine Fischer
Sharon & Allan Goldfarb
Katherine & Peter Hering
Susan C Hellen
Carl & Susan Hinebaugh
Darin Johnson & Greg Keffer
Syma Ebbin & Michael Kane
Barnet Kellman & Nancy Mette
Dana & Martin Kline
John & Marcia McGowan
Alan Mayer &
Gail Schwenker Mayer
Biddly & Jo Ann Morris
Barbara Nawrocki
William O'Donnell
Lana & Demetrios Orphanides
Roger Orshal
Ruth Parylak
Robert & Jill Patten
Francis Pavetti
Edward Perry
April Posson
Phil Roberts
Robert Rodner
Nina & Edward Rossomando
Susan Riley
George Rubino
Tony & Margaret Sheridan
Beverly Sims
Chris & Kathy Sinnett
Richard & Libby Smith
Martha Steketee
Gail Toivonen
Leah & John Van Ness
Candace Way
Kimberly Welch
Stephen White
William & Sheila Widnall
Mike Wilson
John & Pandora Wohler
hospitality partner
production partner
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monte cristo cottage
MAKE YOUR MARK
Buy a brick and join Blue Gene’s Pub
patio and walkway!
Support of this project is an investment
in the O’Neill’s historic campus.
1 BRICK
$200 or $20/month for 1 year
3 BRICKS
$500 or $45/month for 1 year
The O’Neill owns and operates the Monte Cristo Cottage, boyhood summer home of
Eugene O’Neill and setting for his plays Ah, Wilderness! and Long Day’s Journey Into
Night. The museum is a registered National Historic Landmark and is often open to the
public during the summer season.
6 BRICKS
$1,000 or $90/month for 1 year
support for the monte cristo
cottage is provided in part by:
The Frank Loomis Palmer Fund • CT Humanities • Francis Pavetti
ORDER YOUR BRICK
Pick up an order form in Blue Gene’s Pub, buy online, or
contact our Development Office at (860) 443-5378 ext. 255
or development@theoneill.org.
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#ONeillSummer