mxtw 2015 program digital final

MANHATTAN EXPERIMENTALTHEATER WORK SHOP 2 01 5 DIRECTOR PRODUCERGwethalyn Williams Jim Hamilton

THE PIECESONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-SIX PEOPLE AND YOU!written and performed by the whole companyunder the influence of The Open Theaterdirected by the directing teamSUBSTITUTIONARY ATONEMENTwritten by Dakota, Danny, Emma B., Evan, Isabelle, Trevorperformed by Dakota, Danny, Emma B., Evan, and Isabelleunder the influence of Adrienne Kennedydirected by Flinn & ShayAND IT GETS WORSE. . .written and performed by Alice, Lakin, Nicolle, Noah, and Shaneunder the influence of Richard Foremandirected by Cara & Hunter1600 AMPHITHEATRE PKWYwritten by Alysha, Bailey, Flora, Haley, and Katrinaperformed by Bailey, Flora, Haley, and Katrinaunder the influence of Mac Wellmandirected by Mercedes & ShayINTERMISSIONORGANIC BIOLOGIQUE #94011written and performed by Issac, Jacob, Savannah, and Synneunder the influence of Dadadirected by Cara & GwethalynTENDER LIGHTNINGwritten and performed by Audrey, Chloe, Emma G., Lauren, and Madelineunder the influence of Goat Islanddirected by Gwethalyn & MercedesOZMACHINEwritten and performed by the whole companyunder the influence of Heiner Müllerdirected by the directing team

MXTW STAFF THE COMPANYdirector Danny Aramouni Trevor Bashaw Gwethalyn Williams Emma Brase Alysha Campbellproducer Shane Chuwonganant Alice Davidson Jim Hamilton Isabelle Diller Jacob Disbergerassistant directors Chloe Dorst Lakin Ekwall Shay Burmeister Lauren Fischer Ashley Flinn Emma Galitzer Cara Hillstock Haley Heaton Hunter Rose Evan Heger Mercedes Santiago Bailey London Audrey Reevertechnical director Flora Riley Dakota Santiago Seth Galitzer Noah Shirk Nicolle Smithassistant tech Savannah Smith Synne Sørgjerd Alex Brase Isaac Sorrel Mary Matthews Madeline Wilson Annie Spence Katrina Yaugraphic design Ashley Flinnphotography Ashley FlinnSPECIAL THANKSChristina Borhani Brandon SargentSteve and Molly Galitzer Jenell and Maia Williams

OUR STORYThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz begins with Dorothy (an orphan) living in grayKansas with her Aunt and Uncle. A tornado comes, and Dorothy rushes to saveher dog Toto, missing her chance to enter the storm cellar. The tornado picksup the whole house and Dorothy and Toto are transported to the Land of Oz.The house lands on the Wicked Witch of the East, killing her and freeing theMunchkins who were enslaved by her. The Good Witch of the North givesDorothy the dead witch’s silver shoes, and tells Dorothy to follow the YellowBrick Road to the City of Emeralds, where she can ask the Wizard of Oz for away back to Kansas. The Good Witch also gives Dorothy a mark of protection,a kiss, so nothing evil may harm her. The citizens of Oz think Dorothy is asorceress because she wears white and killed a powerful witch.On her way to the City of Emeralds, Dorothy meets a Scarecrow. He tells herthe story of his creation by two farmers. He desires to leave his lonely fieldwhere he is taunted by crows and to have brains instead of straw. Dorothyinvites the Scarecrow to join her in her quest.Dorothy and the Scarecrow come upon a Tin Woodsman who tells them hisstory: he was in love with a munchkin girl who was a servant to a lazy oldwoman. The old woman didn’t want to lose the girl in marriage, so she trickedthe woodsman into building a house before he could marry her servant. Shethen asked the asked the Wicked Witch of the East to curse the woodsman’saxe, and make it cut off his limbs one at a time. Luckily, each time, a tinsmithhappened by and replaced the woodsman’s limbs. Finally the cursed axe cuthis torso in two and when the tinsmith replaced it, he forgot to make a heart.This made the woodman incapable of loving the munchkin girl. Now the TinWoodsman continues his woodchopping, oiling his joints lest he rust. He joinsthe travelers, in hopes the Wizard will give him a heart.The three travellers meet a cowardly Lion who joins them to ask the Wizard forsome courage. They escape a field of poison poppies with the help of the Queenof the Field Mice, who is in debt to the Lion for saving her from a wildcat.At the gates of the City of Emeralds, they are met by a gatekeeper who locks apair of green goggles on each of their heads. The Wizard tells them they mustkill the Wicked Witch of the West before their wishes are granted.The group heads to the land of the Witch of the West who has enslaved thewenkies. The Wicked Witch sends 40 wolves, 40 crows, and a swarm ofbees, to attack them in the night. The Woodsman and Scarecrow kill all theattackers, leaving piles of corpses surrounding their sleeping friends. Enragedher minions have failed, the witch uses her Golden Cap, which commandsthe flying monkeys, to seek out and attack Dorothy and her companions. Themonkeys drag the Scarecrow through a ditch, drop the Tin Woodsman ontoboulders (badly mangling his body), and take the others to the Witch.

The Wicked Witch of the West can’t harm Dorothy, because of her mark ofprotection, so she makes Dorothy her slave. She covets Dorothy’s silver shoes,and one day she attempts to trip Dorothy to make them fall off. In anger,Dorothy throws water on the Wicked Witch, who melts to a mound of dirt thatDorothy washes away with another bucket of water. Dorothy then receivesthe Wicked Witch’s Golden Cap. Dorothy and the Wenkies find and repairthe Scarecrow and Woodsman. Then Dorothy orders the monkeys to fly themback to the City of Emeralds.Dorothy and her friends discover that the the Wizard of Oz is just a con manfrom Omaha. He grants the Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman, and Lion’s wishes bygiving each of them something symbolic of their desired traits, and tells Dorothyhe can take her back to Kansas if they make a hot air balloon. On the day they’reto leave, Toto jumps out of the basket and the balloon takes off without Dorothy.She decides to seek out the Good Witch of the South, Glinda, for help.After facing Hammerheads (men with no arms and heads on long snaky necksthat attack like hammers), a city whose denizens are made of china, and a giantmulti-headed spider-like creature that the Lion kills, the group arrive safely in theland of the Quadlings of the South. The Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman, and Lionbecome Kings of different parts of Oz. Glinda tells Dorothy the silver shoes havethe power to take her home if she clicks her heels three times, says where shewants to go, and takes three steps. Dorothy performs the spell and asks to “Gohome to Aunt Em.” Dorothy is reunited with her family and glad to be home.OUR INFLUENCESThe Open Theater: American, 1963-1973Open Theater aimed to create a communal and ritual experience betweenthe audience and the performers. It used collaborative and physically basedmethods to explore a theme from many perspectives through a “collage” ofscenes. In this piece the participants have gathered their thoughts on storms,journeys, identifying things as good or evil, and the concept of home.Adrienne Kennedy: American, 1931-presentA traumatic event and its implications are explored through a dreamlike styleof fragmented images and dialogue tackling issues of pain, guilt, memory,and otherness; usually placing the main character in the fray of her/hisinternal landscape. Allusions to Western culture and religion are woven intothe nightmare as an inescapable and usually oppressive presence in thesubconscious. Kennedy freely mixed elements of symbolism, absurdism,expressionism, and surrealism to present the tumult created by havingidentities with irreconcilable aspects.

Richard Foreman: American, 1937-presentForeman’s theater focuses on the creative process itself. “Characters” arecreated through stream of consciousness writing (often writing about eitherart or the nature of thought) that is divided among the performers. This styleemphasizes the theatricality of the performance, is comic, and makes use ofrepetition, non sequitur, absurd props, and direct address to the audience.Mac Wellman: American, 1945-presentWellman believes it is not interesting at this point in human time to portraythe real world as it seems to be in its own terms; but it is interesting to unfold,in human terms, the logic of its illogic. An anticonventionalist who despisesnaturalist theater, Wellman uses language and dance to present the humansituation in response to the space provided, searching for a counterpointbetween the verbal and gestural. Wellman avoids such conventions as plotand static characters, believing that explaining everything away has ledestablishment theater to become “a minor province of journalism.”Dada: “European”, early 20th century & beyondIn the wake of WWI the Dadaists felt all logic had left the world and theold artistic institutions which had betrayed them by allowing such violencewere ripe for being torn down. They rejected logic and rationality, embracingdisorder as the nature of the world. They aimed to demystify the role ofthe artist by suggesting that anyone can create art and anything can be art.Performances purposely don’t include a clear meaning or message and areoften created using chance practices.Goat Island: American, 1987-2009Goat Island created their performances by responding to directives, andresponding to and combining responses to make and connect moments ofperformance, a ”harmonizing of actions and reactions.” Makes extremelyheavy use of movement, and visual moments, sometimes without anydialogue at all. Reappropriated ideas (such as choreography), and snippetsfrom other cultural sources that they feel connect with the material they arecreating. Meaning is found as or even after performance is created.Heiner Müller: German, 1929-1995Müller excavated and exposed the violence of history and cultural myths,letting the dead tell their truths. He created descriptions of physicallandscapes, or emotional landscapes of characters. He used harsh fragmentarylanguage to embody Injuries and pain on stage. References to popular,especially consumer, culture are common in his plays. The timeline is usuallycollapsed, many things happening at once, or in an unnatural order. In thispiece we see the ravaged landscape of OZ and the group of travellers on theYellow Brick Road as they survive the attack of wolves, crows, and bees sentby the Wicked Witch of the West to kill them.

SPONSORSIn memory of Charlotte EdelmanBriggs Auto GroupSandy ChastanJessica Falcone & George MatthewsSteve & Jan GalitzerAnonymousIn recognition of the Bill & Heather Lansdowne FamilyPower Prep, Inc.The Simmons CompanyPATRONSMary Elizabeth & Tom Atwood David Margolies &Gary & Sandra Brase Sheila HochhauserThe Cash Family Bill & Faye KennedyLew & Enid Cocke The Trust CompanyOlivia Collins Bob & Jan KruhJerry Dees & Deborah Murray Jon & Lila LevinMichael L. Donnelly & Debbie Nuss & Brad FenwickJackie Macdonald Mike & Karen RogersJanice & Fred Gibbs Edith Stunkel FoundationJane Gibson Gabrielle Thompson &Jim & Connie Hamilton Larry WeaverRichard & Linda HoagDawn & Phil Anderson FANSEnell FoersterMelissa & Seth Galitzer Stormy & George KennedySteven & Cheri Graham Gene & Sue KlinglerDon & Artie Hedrick Sharon & Charles Reagan Martha & Dick Seaton Linda & John Uthoff

THE WONDERFUL STAFF OF THE MANHATTAN ARTS CENTERexecutive director: Penny Senftendevelopment director: Chelsey Eimereducation + marketing director: Kim Belangerartistic director: Penny Cullersoffice manager: Sandy MeadSKYPARADE: THE SHOW MUST GO ONJune 28, 2015 at 4pmTickets: Adult $12 / Military or Student $10 / Child $6Featuring: Korso the Curious, Dot the Mime and Martika.Magic, miming, and danger come together in a wonderful way in this storyabout three performers who confront wacky problems on their way to a show.4TH ANNUAL ONE ACT PLAY FESTIVALJuly 10 & 11 at 7:30pm (Not recommended for children)Tickets: Adult $12; Military/Student $6Festival Director: Brent SigmanJacob’s Ladder, by Deanna Tressin, directed by Cody LaCroneThe Hotsy-Totsy Boys, by Sheldon Edelman, directed by Kim RileyDMV Tyrant, by Christopher Durang, directed by Marci MaullarSuperhero Support Group, by D.M. Larson, directed by Jason RobertsJe M’Appelle Cockette, by MXTW 2003 Students, directed by Jim HamiltonRENTAuditions: June 22 & 23, 7-9pmPerformance: August 7-9 and 13-16 (Thurs-Sat: 7:30pm, Sun: 2pm)Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson / Directed by Penny CullersThis performance contains STRONG LANGUAGE and ADULT SITUATIONS.Tickets: Adult $17; Military/Student $11 Smoke Free Wheelchair Accessible The Manhattan Arts Center is funded in part by the City of Manhattan and Friends of MAC.