AUDREY SKIRBALL KENIS THEATER AT THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE

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THE POWER OF LANGUAGE IS RARELY AS COMPELLING

as when spoken by one of Will Eno’s characters. A writer whom we

welcome to the Geffen for the first time, Will is known for his mastery

of language that is beautifully interwoven with what remains unsaid. His

plays balance the cerebral and the emotional on the head of a pin and

the effect is often breathtaking.

So our pleasure is to welcome Will and two incredible collaborators,

Rainn Wilson and director Oliver Butler, who together have taken on

the herculean task of creating the production of Thom Pain (based on

nothing) and the character of the same name. Pain is a complex anti-hero,

who, in the playwright’s own words, “is just like you — except worse.”

Longtime friends, Will and Rainn were determined to hold off on a Los

Angeles production of this play until Rainn was available and, thankfully,

this season the proverbial stars aligned with the Geffen eagerly adding

this show. This riveting and reflective piece perfectly encapsulates the

insecurities, the fears, the loves and the universality of the human journey

— a complicated, sometimes broken, sometimes brilliant experience.

A one-person show such as this requires a powerhouse performer. Rainn

so embodies Thom Pain one would think the role had been written for him.

He has embraced the humor, the emotional intricacies, the discomfort

and the scope of this piece with what appears to be effortless grace.

But don’t be fooled; the work he has done to perfect this performance,

shaped by director Oliver Butler with nuanced design from Dan Ionazzi

and Candice Cain, is an exercise in technical and emotional precision.

As we begin 2016, we are thrilled to bring to you the long overdue Los

Angeles premiere of Thom Pain (based on nothing).

Enjoy the show!

Randall Arney ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

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WELCOME TO THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE

FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

P2 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

Directed by Oliver Butler

Scenic & Lighting Designer Daniel Ionazzi

Costume Designer Candice Cain

Written byWill Eno

Production Stage Manager Elizabeth A. Brohm

CASTThom Pain ........................................................................................................ Rainn Wilson

THOM PAIN (based on nothing) Produced by Soho Theatre Company in association with Chantal Arts + Theatre and Naked Angels (NYC)

at the Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh in August 2004

Originally produced by Soho Theater Company, London in September 2004

Original Production at DR2 Theatre, New York, Produced by Daryl Roth and Bob Boyett in February 2005

A Geffen Playhouse Spotlight Entertainment Series Event

THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE PRODUCTION OF

Opening Night: Wednesday, January 13, 2016

OPENING N IGHT SPONSOR

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P3

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PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES

RAINN WILSON(Thom Pain)

Emmy-nominated and SAG Award-winning actor Rainn Wilson has found himself in a variety of comedic and theatrical roles throughout his career. Following a host of guest appearances on television including Law & Order, CSI and Entourage, his breakthrough came when he played assistant mortician, Arthur Martin, in HBO’s hit series Six Feet Under winning him and the cast a Screen Actors Guild Award for “Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.” Wilson was then cast in his memorable role as the quirky Dwight Schrute in The Office on NBC, netting him three SAG Awards for “Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series” and three Emmy nominations for “Best Supporting Actor” during its nine-year, two hundred episode run. On stage, he has appeared on and off Broadway and in a host of roles at some of the country’s most celebrated regional theaters such as the Guthrie and the Arena Stage. In addition to big screen roles in Almost Famous, Galaxy Quest, Sahara, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Juno, The Rocker, Monsters vs. Aliens and Super, Wilson recently starred in the horror-comedy Cooties as well as in The Boy which premiered at the 2015 SXSW Film Festival. Next up, starring roles in the feature film thriller Shimmer Lake and Army of One (with Nicholas Cage) as well as voicing the character of Gargamel in the animated feature Get Smurfy. He is the founder of the mission-driven

media company SoulPancake which currently has almost two million YouTube followers and over 200 million video views. On November 10th, Wilson’s critically acclaimed memoir titled The Bassoon King: My Life in Art, Faith, and Idiocy was published by Dutton. In 2013, he co-founded a non-profit in Haiti with his wife, author Holiday Reinhorn, called “The Lidè Foundation” that provides arts and literacy education for at-risk adolescent girls. He is a graduate of the NYU Graduate Acting Program and an alumnus of The Acting Company.

WILL ENO(Playwright)

Will Eno is a Residency Five Fellow at Signature Theatre Company in New York, which presented Title and Deed in 2012, and The Open House, in 2014. Following an acclaimed run at Yale Repertory Theatre, his play The Realistic Joneses was on Broadway in 2014, directed by Sam Gold and staring Toni Collette, Michael C. Hall, Tracy Letts and Marisa Tomei. The Realistic Joneses won a Drama Desk Award, was named USA Today’s “Best Play on Broadway,” topped the The Guardian’s 2014 list of American plays, and was included in The New York Times’ “Best Theatre of 2014.” The Open House won the 2014 Obie Award, the Lortel Award for Outstanding Play, and a Drama Desk Award, and was included in both the Time Out New York and Time Magazine Top 10 Plays of the Year. Title and Deed was on The New York Times and The New Yorker magazine’s Top Ten Plays of 2012. His play Gnit, a loving but aggressive adaptation of Peer Gynt, premiered at the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville in 2013. Middletown, winner of the Horton Foote Award, premiered at the Vineyard Theatre and subsequently at Steppenwolf Theater and many other American theaters and universities. He was recently

awarded the PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation Award. Thom Pain was a finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize in Drama and has been produced around the country and the world. His plays are published by Samuel French, TCG, Dramatists Play Service and Playscripts in the U.S. and Oberon Books in London.

OLIVER BUTLER(Director)

Oliver Butler directed the premiere of Will Eno’s The Open House at the Signature Theatre Company which captured an Obie Award for Direction, the 2014 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play and the Drama Desk Ensemble Award. Among his additional directorial credits, the premiere of An Opening in Time by Christopher Shinn at Hartford Stage, Legacy by Daniel Goldfarb at Williamstown Theatre Festival and Timeshare by Lally Katz at The Malthouse in Melbourne, Australia as well as City Center Encores! Off-Center production of Jonathan Larson’s Tick, Tick, Boom! In New York, his credits include the premieres of Goodbye New York Goodbye Heart by Lally Katz (The Australian-American Production Company) and Hostage Song, a musical by Kyle Jarrow and Clay McLeod Chapman (Horse Trade Theater Group). As co-Founder and co-Artistic Director of The Debate Society (TDS), a Brooklyn-based theater company, Butler has co-created and directed eight full-length plays since 2004 including sold-out runs of Jacuzzi at Ars Nova in New York City and TDS’ production of Blood Play at The Bushwick Starr, The Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival and Williamstown Theatre Festival. He is a Sundance Institute Fellow and a Bill Foeller Fellow (Williamstown) and was an Ars Nova Artist in Residence. The Debate Society is currently working on a commission for Playwrights Horizons.

DANIEL IONAZZI (Scenic & Lighting Designer)

Recent designs for the Geffen Playhouse include Outside Mullingar, The Night Alive, Reasons to Be Pretty; Ruth Draper’s Monologues; Slowgirl; Build; Yes, Prime Minister; American Buffalo; The Jacksonian; Radiance; Red Hot Patriot; and Superior Donuts. His work has also been seen at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Berkeley Rep, Arena Stage, South Coast Repertory, and Denver Center Theatre Company. His design for the New York production of The Jacksonian garnered a Lucille Lortel nomination. He designed the lighting installation for Teatro alla Moda for the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and Trajectoire and Catapult for the dance company Diavolo. His design work can also be seen in the 4-D cinematic experience, Beyond all Boundaries, at the National World War II Museum. Daniel is Production Manager for the Geffen Playhouse, a member of the faculty of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and Director of Production for the Department of Theater. He is the author of The Stage Management Handbook and The Stagecraft Handbook.

CANDICE CAIN (Costume Designer)

Geffen: Shipwrecked! As Costume Director at Center Theatre Group for over two decades, she has designed at the Mark Taper Forum and Kirk Douglas Theatre including different words for the same thing, Nightingale with Lynn Redgrave, Stuff Happens, Living Out, Stones In His Pockets, The Body of Bourne, Blade to the Heat, Mules, Neat, Dealer’s Choice, Tongue of a Bird (including the Intiman and New York Public Theatres), Enigma Variations with Donald Sutherland (including Toronto and London) and The Affliction

P4 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES

of Glory, a co-production with the J. Paul Getty Museum. Other theaters include: South Coast Repertory Theatre: The Injured Party, Shipwrecked!, A Feminine Ending, The Violet Hour, Everett Beekin, Dinner with Friends, Three Days of Rain (and Manhattan Theatre Club), Collected Stories; Berkeley Repertory Theatre; seven productions at Oregon Shakespeare Festival and over 50 productions as Resident Designer at Virginia Stage Company. Other L.A. theaters: Evidence Room, Sierra Madre Playhouse, Greenaway Court (Orphans with Al Pacino and Jesse Eisenberg).

ELIZABETH A. BROHM(Production Stage Manager)

Geffen Playhouse: Bad Jews; The Night Alive; Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin; Ruth Draper’s Monologues; Yes, Prime Minister; By the Waters of Babylon; Shipwrecked!; Joan Rivers: A Work in Progress; Boy Gets Girl; The Unexpected Man; Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks; Looking for Normal; The Weir; Dinner with Friends; Defiled; Wit; It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues. National Tour/Kennedy Center: Wit. Other: Production Coordinator, Geffen Playhouse 2001-2007; Cup Coordinator, X-Prize Foundation; Adjunct Professor in Stage Management, UCLA since 2005. MFA in Stage Management from UCSD. Love to Gino & Mack

RANDALL ARNEY (Artistic Director)

Randall Arney has been a theater professional for over 30 years and has served as Artistic Director of the

Geffen Playhouse since 1999. In addition to his artistic programming and oversight at the Geffen, Arney has helmed more than 10 productions for the theater, most recently Outside Mullingar, The Night Alive, Reasons to Be Pretty, Slowgirl, American Buffalo, Superior Donuts, The Female of the Species, The Seafarer, Speed-the-Plow and All My Sons. Arney is an ensemble member and former Artistic Director of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre where his directing credits include: Slowgirl, The Seafarer, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Death and the Maiden, Curse of the Starving Class, Killers and The Geography of Luck, among others. Arney also directed Steppenwolf’s world premiere of Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile, as well as the subsequent national and international acclaimed productions. Mr. Arney’s acting credits with Steppenwolf include Born Yesterday, Ghost in the Machine, The Homecoming, Frank’s Wild Years, You Can’t Take it with You, Fool for Love, True West, Balm in Gilead and Coyote Ugly. As the Artistic Director for Steppenwolf from 1987 to 1995, he oversaw the creation of a new state-of-the-art theater which is Steppenwolf’s current home. Broadway transfers under his leadership include The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, The Song of Jacob Zulu (six Tony Award nominations) and The Grapes of Wrath (1990 Tony Award, Best Play). Mr. Arney has an MFA degree in Acting from Illinois State University and has taught master classes and workshops at UCLA, Steppenwolf, around the U.S. and in Tokyo.

GIL CATES, JR. (Executive Director)

Gil Cates, Jr. has proudly served on the Geffen Playhouse Board since 2012 and has years of producing and directing experience in theater, film, and television. Gil’s theater credits include the award winning Names (Matrix Theatre) starring Dixie Carter and Greg Mullavey, The Night I Knocked Out Joe Frazer and Lost 90 Pounds (Gardner Stage Theater), as well as Three Sisters and David Mamet’s A Life in the Theatre (both at Syracuse Stage). Gil’s film credits include The Surface (starring Sean Astin and Geffen Playhouse alumnus Chris Mulkey), Jobs (starring Ashton Kutcher, Josh Gad, Dermot Mulroney, as well as Geffen Playhouse alumni Matthew Modine and Ron Eldard) and the 2011 feature film Lucky (starring Colin Hanks, Ari Graynor, Ann-Margret and recent Golden Globe winner Jeffrey Tambor). In addition, Gil produced and directed the critically acclaimed Life After Tomorrow, featuring Sarah Jessica Parker, which won best documentary at the Phoenix Film Festival and later had its premiere Christmas Eve on Showtime. His other films include Deal (starring Burt Reynolds, Bret Harrison and Charles Durning), The Mesmerist (starring Geffen Playhouse alumnus Neil Patrick Harris), and the critically acclaimed independent film Order of Chaos. Gil also made his TV directorial debut with an episode of the NBC comedy, Joey, starring Emmy winner Matt LeBlanc. He studied at the National Theatre Institute in Waterford, Connecticut, and holds a BFA in Drama from Syracuse University in 1991.

REGINA MILLER (Chief Development Officer)

Regina has been a development professional for over 18 years, working with non-profit institutions, foundations and corporations on strategy, analysis and fundraising. She has worked for Simon Wiesenthal Center, The Clinton Foundation, Ben Affleck’s Eastern Congo Initiative, Hank Azaria’s Determined to Succeed, Charlize Theron's Africa Outreach Project, Water.org, Codenow.org among others. Prior to the Geffen, Regina served as the Director of Partnerships for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire where she led strategic planning and development while executing policies that advanced the organization’s visibility and growth. Regina also has a strong passion for teaching. After graduating from University of North Carolina School of the Arts, she taught in preschools and kindergartens in New York. From the age of 13, Regina worked as a professional dancer on Broadway as well as with a number of prominent modern dance ensembles. Fusing two of her interests, she created a highly successful program which incorporated dance therapy and creative movement into an early childhood curriculum as well as wrote and produced a television show based on this concept. In addition to being a published author and photographer with Tallfellow Press and Prometheus Books, Regina has taught and lectured at numerous schools in New York, Los Angeles and abroad.

PRODUCTION STAFF FOR THOM PAIN (BASED ON NOTHING)

Light Board Operator Dan Tuttle

Production Assistant Josiah Davis

Costume Assistant and Tailor Ashley Rigg

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Lighting Equipment provided by Entertainment Lighting Services

Sound Equipment provided by Jon Sound Inc.

SPECIAL THANKS

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

UCLA SCHOOL OF THEATER, FILM AND TELEVISION

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

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

values its role as an important educational resource by providing students

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

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

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

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

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

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

university to enhance the theater’s programs and research.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS GEFFEN AT A GLANCE

ADDRESS

Geffen Playhouse10886 Le Conte Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90024

Administrative Offices ... 310.208.6500

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

Box Office Phone Line ... 310.208.5454

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

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

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

Please visit geffenplayhouse.com for

hours, parking and more information

TICKET SERVICES

BOX OFFICE WINDOWWhen shows are not in performance,

the box office window is open:

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

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

During the run of a show, the window

will be open until curtain. Please

note: the box office is unable to

process exchanges and future sales

one hour prior to curtain time on any

performance day.

ACCESS

ACCESSIBLEACCOMMODATIONGeffen Playhouse is fully

committed to ensuring a

satisfying theater experience

for our patrons with special

needs or disabilities. Please

contact the box office or an

usher to discuss your needs.

AT THE THEATER

LATE SEATINGShould you arrive late to the theater

or vacate your seat during the

performance, please expect to be held

in the lobby until an appropriate pause

in the action on-stage. To minimize

disturbance to other patrons, you may

be seated in the first available location

by the house staff even if different from

your assigned seat. Be advised that

some productions or circumstances may

not allow for late or return seating.

ASL

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

in the United States.

The Actors and Stage Managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States

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

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

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P5

WEST COAST PREMIERE BEGINS FEBRUARY 2 GIL CATES THEATER AT THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE

“How do we distinguish between ‘difference’ and ‘danger?’”

— Playwright Bess Wohl

GEFFENPLAYHOUSE.COM | 310.208.5454

#BARCELONA

Written by BESS WOHL Directed by TRIP CULLMAN

After midnight in Gaudi’s magic city, a drunk American woman plunges recklessly into a one-night stand with a dashing Spaniard. But during the course of that single,

shocking night — by turns funny and dangerous — her romantic fantasy morphs into a complicated game of cat and mouse. As bodies and cultures collide, two strangers veer

between mutual destruction and awkward, unexpected moments of salvation.

NEW COMEDY ON STAGE MARCH 1 – APRIL 10AUDREY SKIRBALL KENIS THEATER AT THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE

“A compelling, comic drama. An incisive look at the double edged quest for artistic

validation in the digital era.”— Newsweek

GEFFENPLAYHOUSE.COM | 310.208.5454

#SEXWITHSTRANGERS

Written by LAURA EASON Directed by KIMBERLY SENIOR

When frustrated novelist Olivia meets fast-talking blogger Ethan — known more for his sexual prowess than his prose — she worries she will become just another chapter in his little black book. Their funny and flirty union blurs the lines between rewrites,

romance and royalties — proving you can’t judge a book by its author.

Randall Arney Artistic Director

Gil Cates, Jr. Executive Director

ARTISTIC

Amy Levinson Artistic Associate / Literary Director

Phyllis Schuringa Artistic Associate / Casting Director

Young Ji Artistic Coordinator / Company Manager

Rachel Wiegardt-Egel Literary Associate

Rebecca Birstock Artistic Intern

DEVELOPMENT

Regina Miller Chief Development Officer

Ellen Catania Senior Vice President, Development

Jessica Brusilow Rollins Director of Education Partnerships & Donor Relations

Jamie Mikelich Associate Director of Individual Giving & Spotlight Manager

Kristen Smith Eshaya Development & Education Programs Coordinator

Scott Kriloff Development Associate & Donor Database Administrator

Clay Dzygun Development Associate

Taylor Dearden Development Assistant

Justin Baer Development Intern

EDUCATION

Jennifer Zakkai Director of Education & Community Engagement

Carolyn Marie Wright Manager of Education & Community Engagement

Corky Dominguez, David Guerra, Mariel Higuera, Kristina Leach, Juan Rivera, Connor White Teaching Artists

ADMINISTRATION

Behnaz Ataee Chief Financial Officer

Frankie Ocasio Executive Assistant

Peter Banachowski Accounting and Payroll Manager

Charity Felton Staff Accountant

Marguerite Harris Receptionist

PRODUCTION

Daniel Ionazzi Production Manager

Jill Barnes Associate Production Manager / Company Manager

Sam Craven-Griffiths Technical Director

Evan Friedman Assistant Technical Director

Rich Gilles Properties Master

James Grabowski House Sound Supervisor

Darren Rezowalli Lighting & Video Supervisor

Ramine Ameli Production Electrician

Joel Fullerton Stage Supervisor

MARKETING & SALES

Joseph Yoshitomi Director of Marketing & Communications

Karen Gutierrez Director of Advertising & Sponsorships

Brian Dunning Graphic Design Manager

Kevin O’Brien Marketing & Graphics Coordinator

Mark San Filippo Ticket Services Director & Database Administrator

Stephanie Strand Audience Services Manager

Janice Bernal Box Office Manager

Bryan Martin Box Office Manager

Zack Hamra Box Office Assistant Manager

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

COMMUNICATIONS

Katy Sweet, Pam Giangregorio Katy Sweet & Associates Public Relations

Sue Fleishman Consultant, September Media

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Karim Bouzzit System Administrator

FRONT OF HOUSE

Jeni Pearsons Director of Special Events

David Gerhardt Supervising House Manager

Jane Phillips Harper Deputy Supervising House Manager

Josiah Davis, Amy Farkas, Caroline Harrison Kohler Roxana Meyers House Managers

Ally Aberrotman, Rebecca Birstock, Kailey Bray, Christopher Caron, Taylor Cerny, Vianney Cossyleon, Taylor Dearden, Brett Donaldson, Ida Herndon, Mariel Higuera, Netta Lee Joseph, Brigid Leahy, Nathaniel Meek, Keith Mitchell, Aaron Newman, JoJo Nwoko, Shannon O’Hara, James Porter, Juan Rivera, Luis Ruiz, Jonathan Schwartz, Oliver Vaughn, Dennis Woullard Ushers

Rob Mersola Bar Manager and Mixologist

Manuel Mayorga Weekend Bar Manager

Adam Carr, Brenda Davidson, David Gregory, Mariel Higuera, Lyndsi LaRose, Kimberly Legg, Ryan Turner Bartenders

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

Miguel del Castillo Facility Manager

Mario Santillan-Perez Custodial

Juan Carlos Umaña Cleaning Custodial

P8 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

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

through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

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

Geffen Playhouse, a not-for-profit theater company, is proudly affiliated with the University of California at Los Angeles.

GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE STAFF