presents

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United StatesThe Lighting Designer is a member of United Scenic Artists Union

Center REP is a member of Theatre Bay Area and Theatre Communications Group (TCG), The National Organization for the American Theatre

CENTER REPERTORY COMPANY OF WALNUT CREEKMichael Butler, Artistic Director Scott Denison, Managing Director

Directed and Choreographed by Robert Barry FlemingMusical Direction by Brandon Adams

Scenic DesignerKelly Tighe

Sound DesignerLew Mead

Assoc. Sound DesignerLyle Barrere

CastTielle Baker

Evan BoomerLynda DiVito

Taylor JonesMarcus KlingerDani Marcus*Keith Pinto*

Season Partner Season Media Sponsor Foundation SponsorSeason Sponsor

Lighting DesignerKurt Landisman

Prop MasterMegan Lush Dialect Coach

Cynthia Bassham

Benjamin Pither*Joel Roster

Colin Thomson*

LUCKY STIFFis presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.421 West 54th Street, New Yrok, NY 10019Phone: 212-541-4684 Fax: 212-397-4684

www.MTIShows.com

Costume DesignerChristine Crook Stage ManagerWesley Apfel*

Book and Lyrics by Lynn AhrensMusic by Stephen Flaherty

Based on “The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo”By Michael Butterworth

First Produced by Playwrights Horizons, Inc.Off-Broadway in 1988

Margaret Lesher TheatreAugust 31 - October 7, 2012

Lesher Center for the Arts

and Becoming Britney (K-Fed/Justin Timberlake) at the International Fringe Festival in NYC, Center REP and The Retro Dome. Pinto is co-founder of the SF based hip hop crew Felonious which creates original music and theater. With Felonious Pinto choreographed and appeared in Stateless: A Hip Hop Vaudeville (The Pinto) at Jewish Theater SF, Angry Black White Boy (Guy) at Intersection for the Arts SF and Beatbox: A Raparetta (Zack) at the NYC Hip Hop Theater Festival. Felonious has recorded numerous albums and performed shows with Black Eyed Peas, De La Soul, LL Cool J, The Roots, and Erykah Badu. www.feloniouslive.com

Benjamin Pither* (Vincent Di Ruzzio) returns to Center REP, having appeared in All Shook Up (Dennis) for which he received Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle and Shellie Award nominations. He most recently performed at Berkeley Playhouse in both Lucky Duck (Drake) and Seussical (Horton) for which he also received a BATCC nomination. Other recent credits include Rags (Saul) at Willows and Strike Up the Band (McNally) at 42nd Street Moon. Favorite theatrical roles include Bobby Strong in Urinetown (Altarena Playhouse), Ethan in Based on a Totally True Story (New Conservatory Theatre Center), Gordon in A New Brain(Custom Made Theatre Company), Larry in Mr. Marmalade (Custom Made), and Aguecheeck in Twelfth Night at California Shakespeare Theatre (understudy, performed). Numerous film/web-spot/commercial credits and proud recipient of Theatre Bay Area’s TITAN Award. Benjamin earned his BA in Theatre Arts from Brandeis University with Highest Honors.

Joel Roster (The Dead Body of Anthony Hendon) is deeply honored to take part in this, his first musical with Center REP. Over the last eight years, REP audiences have seen him as several characters in A Christmas Carol, as well as A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Snug), and he’ll be appearing in Center REP’s next show--Status Update. A recipient of two Shellie Awards (Best Supporting Actor In A Musical, South Pacific, CCMT; Best Actor in a Play, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, DAE) and several more nominations, Mr. Roster has appeared with Ray of Light Theatre, Town Hall Theatre, Diablo Actors Ensemble, SHN, and many others over his last twelve years as an actor and director in the Bay Area. He currently serves as the Director of Education for Town Hall Theatre in Lafayette, where he will be directing the Bay Area premiere of Aaron Sorkin’s The Farnsworth Invention, opening in February 2013. He resides in Lafayette with his fiance Virginia, and wishes to dedicate this show to his grandmother, who would’ve loved it.

Colin Thomson* (Luigi Gaudi) was last seen at Center Rep in the Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award and Shellie Award winning production of All Shook Up. Previous local performances include All in the Timing and The Voice of the Prairie with Center Rep, as well as Noises Off and Mountain Days with Willows Theatre Company. He most recently made his Symmetry Theatre debut in Emilie: La Marquise du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight. He may be best known for his appearance on NBC’s Trauma. Colin has performed with American Conservatory Theater, TheatreWorks, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, San Jose Repertory Theatre, San Jose Stage Company, AMT of San Jose, Symphony Silicon Valley, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Idaho Shakespeare Festvial and others. Career favorites include Dirty Blonde with Portland Center Stage and Company with Marin Theatre Company. He has been a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association for over 15 years. More at colinthomson.com.

Lyle Barrere (Associate Sound Designer) is thrilled to be returning to Center REP! Beginning his theatre career in the 5th grade, Lyle has worked almost 200 shows for many professional companies in the Bay Area and Los Angeles as a producer, director, sound or lighting designer, and stage manager. His sound design for South Pacific (2003, Willows Theatre Company) was nominated for a Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award and his design of The Solid Gold Cadillac (2004, Willows Theatre Company) was nominated for a Shellie Award. A graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, with a degree in Physics, he enjoys hiking and scuba diving when not in the theatre. He was awarded the Eagle Scout Award from BSA Troop 204. Lyle is the Founding Artistic Director of the HOOLIGAN Theatre Company, which provides theatre experiences to college students of all majors. www.LyleBarrere.com

Wesley Apfel* (Stage Manager) returns to Center REP after working on Xanadu earlier this year. Recently: Night Over Erzinga (Golden Thread), A Christmas Carol (STC), Once in a Million Moons (42nd Street Moon). Other favorite credits include: The Boys From Syracuse, The Graduate, Festen (Broadway); Mother Courage and Her Children (with Meryl Streep); On the Town, 1776, Kiss Me Kate (Paper Mill Playhouse); Art, See Rock City and Other Destinations (Barrington Stage); Carousel (Carnegie Hall); the original NY productions of Gutenberg the Musical!, Bat Boy, The Musical of Musicals, Little Fish, Cycling Past the Matterhorn, and The Thing About Men. Production Supervisor and five years as Stage Manager for the SPF Summer Play Festival.

Megan Lush (Prop Master) “All the world’s a stage, and I am here to make it look good.” Megan Lush works as a production artist all over the Bay Area. She has been involved in the fabulous world of theatre for over 10 years and film for 3. She is in LOVE with art in every form, and it is her mission to learn how to do it all. Her recent projects include doing props for Annie and Willy Wonka at the Berkeley Playhouse, True West and Little Shop of Horrors at the Boxcar Theatre. She makes it her business to bring visions to life. “There are no small parts, only small dreams, and the world of theatre is no place for small dreams!”

Cynthia Bassham (Dialect Coach) is pleased to be returning to Center REP where she previously coached How the Other Half Loves and Noises Off. Other productions and theatres include Pride and Prejudice and Well (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Ridiculous Fraud, Hamlet and The Real Thing (South Coast Repertory), Blue Shade (Transversal Theatre Company), Stones in His Pockets (Sixth Street Playhouse), Escape from Happiness, The Bacchae, West Side Story, Measure for Measure, Uncle Vanya, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Anything Goes, Urinetown, Fetes de la Nuit, Sunday in the Park with George, Music Man, Under Milk Wood, Our Town, Kiss Me Kate, and many other productions (University of California, Irvine). Cynthia teaches at UC Irvine as well as a variety of institutions in the Bay Area. She received her MFA from American Conservatory Theater and is a proud member of VASTA (Voice and Speech Trainers Association).

Joe Coe (Assistant Stage Manager) This is Joe’s fifth season with Center REP and he couldn’t be happier to be a part of such an amazing team of professionals and friends! Joe has had the pleasure of working with such companies as Berkeley Repertory Theatre, American Conservatory Theatre, Summer Repertory Theatre, Suicide Kings touring production of In Spite of Everything, Boston Conservatory, SpeakEasy Stage Company, and Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre. Joe would like to thank all of his colleagues here at the LCA for a great season and for making it such a joy to work here!

Alex Logemann (Deck Manager) is celebrating his 34th show backstage with Center REP. Alex has been backstage for ten seasons and is beyond pleased to be involved with such an amazing group. Alex has also crewed shows for Contra Costa Musical Theatre and with Diablo Theatre Company. Alex is a proud member of the Fantasy Forum Actors Ensemble. He is very thankful for our community and the fun it provides. “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishment toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” Andrew Carnegie

CREATIVE TEAM

Lynn Ahrens (Book and Lyrics) is a lyricist, librettist and author. She is the recipient of the Tony Award, the Emmy, London’s Olivier Award, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle Award and a Gold Record. She has been nominated for two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes, three Grammys and four Emmys. For Broadway, she wrote lyrics for Ragtime, My Favorite Year, Chita Rivera:The Dancer’s Life, and both book and lyrics for Once On This Island, Seussical and A Christmas Carol (Madison Square Garden). Off-Broadway: Lyrics for A Man of Importance and book and lyrics for Dessa Rose and The Glorious One (all produced by Lincoln Center Theater), and Lucky Stiff (Playwrights Horizons). Feature film: Lyrics for Anastasia (Twentieth Century Fox), Camp, After the Storm and others. Television: Mainstay songwriter and singer for the renowned animated series, Schoolhouse Rock; musical teleplay, A Christmas Carol (Hallmark Entertainment/NBC); she has created, written and produced many network shows for young audiences. Publishing: Her short stories and essays have appeared nationally and have been nominated for Best American Essays and the Pushcart Anthology. She serves on the Dramatists Guild Council of America and co-chairs the Dramatists Guild Fellows Program for emerging writers. 2008 marked her twenty-fifth year of collaboration with composer Stephen Flaherty.

Stephen Flaherty (Music) writes music for theater, film, recordings and the concert stage. He is perhaps best known as the composer of the Broadway musicals Ragtime (Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle Awards, two Grammy nominations), Seussical (Grammy and Drama Desk nominations), Once on This Island (Tony nomination, Olivier Award for London’s Best Musical) and also contributed music to Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life (original songs) and Neil Simon’s Proposals (incidental music). He has also written four musicals which have been produced at Lincoln Center Theatre: The Glorious Ones (Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk nominations), Dessa Rose (Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk nominations), A Man of No Importance (Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, Drama Desk nomination) and My Favorite Year. Other theater scores include Lucky Stiff and Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein (Chicago’s Jefferson Award for Best New Musical). Film credits include Anastasia (Academy Award nominations for Best Score and Best Song, two Golden Globe nominations and a gold record for its soundtrack), Bartok the Magnificent (original score and songs) and the documentary After The Storm. Concert work includes commissions from the Boston Pops, Carnegie Hall and the Guggenheim Museum. “The Ahrens and Flaherty Songbook,” a print anthology, is available through Alfred Music. His songs have been recorded by Aaliyah, Johnny Mathis, Richard Marx and Donna Lewis, Renee Fleming and Bryn Terfel, Donny Osmond, Thalia and Deana Carter, among others. Mr. Flaherty serves on the Dramatists Guild Council, where he co-chairs the Dramatists Guild Fellows Program for emerging writers with Lynn Ahrens, his longtime writing partner.

Robert Barry Fleming (Director/Choreographer) Center REP directing and choreographic credits include Ain’t Misbehavin’ (2010 Shellie Award for Best Direction of a Musical), All Shook Up (2010 San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award for Best Direction of a Musical), She Loves Me (2011 San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award and 2011 Shellie Award for Best Direction of a Musical), Blues in the Night, and Smokey Joe’s Café. Other directing/choreography credits Lydia Diamond’s Stick Fly (Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company), The Little Dog Laughed (The Diversionary Theatre), Erik Ehn’s The Saint Plays (including the world premiere of Assent/Irish Love Ray) at The University of San Diego’s Theatre Arts and Performance Studies Department where Robert was Chair and a tenured Associate Professor. Robert recently was the Assistant Director for The Music Man at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. as the recipient of the Society of Directors and Choreographers Foundation’s Charles Abbott Fellowship.

CAST

Woman #1 .................................................... Tielle BakerMan #2 ........................................................Evan BoomerRita La Porta ..............................................Lynda DiVitoWoman #2 ...................................................Taylor JonesMan #1 .................................................... Marcus KlingerAnnabel Glick .......................................... Dani Marcus*Harry Witherspoon ................................... Keith Pinto*Vincent Di Ruzzio ............................ Benjamin Pither*The Dead Body of Anthony Hendon ... Joel RosterLuigi Gaudi .......................................... Colin Thomson*

TIME and PLACE

Time: PresentPlace: East Grinstead and various locations in

England, New Jersey, and Monte Carlo.

THE SONGS

Act I

Something Funny’s Going On ...................CompanyMr. Witherspoon’s Friday Night ....................... Harry, ........................................................... Landlady, BoardersRita’s Confession .........................................Rita, VinnieGood to Be Alive ........................................Harry, Luigi, .......................................Women, Waiter, Man on TrainLucky .......................................................................... HarryDogs Versus You .................................. Annabel, HarryThe Phone Call .......................................................VinnieMonte Carlo ...........................................................EmceeSpeaking French .............Dominque, Harry, ChorusTimes Like This .................................................. AnnabelMonte Carlo (Reprise) ........................................EmceeFancy Meeting You Here .........................................RitaGood to Be Alive ................Harry, Luigi, Two Ladies,.............................................................Gambler, Croupier

Act II

Something Funny’s Going On (Reprise) ...........CompanyHim, Them, It, Her? ........................................CompanyNice .......................................................... Annabel, HarryHarry’s Nightmare .........................................CompanyA Woman in My Bathroom ................................. HarryNice (Reprise) ..............................................................RitaConfession #2.................. Tony, Rita, Harry, AnnabelGood to Be Alive ............................................Company

CAST BIOGRAPHIES

Tielle Baker (Woman #1) has been singing and dancing on stage for the past 24 years. Tielle has hit high notes in The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and in International Music Festivals in Italy and Germany. She graduated from the University of the Pacific with a Bachelor in Music. Her favorite roles include Hope Cladwell (San Jose Stage), Rapunzel (TheatreWorks) and Grace Farrell (Diablo Theatre Co). When not on stage she works with young performers as a Vocal Instructor, Music Director, and Dance Teacher with Music Box Theatre Co. She finds teaching rewarding and enjoys helping others find their own voice. www.tiellebaker.com

Evan Boomer (Man #2) is thrilled to be back with Center REP for this production of Lucky Stiff! Recent credits with Center REP include: Terpiscore- Xanadu, Hanschen - Spring Awakening (Off Center), Young Scrooge- A Christmas Carol, The Waiter - She Loves Me. Other recent credits include: Peter Pinkerton - Pinkalicious, the Musical (Bay Area Children’s Theater), The Customer - Little Shop of Horrors and Al DeLuca - A Chorus Line (Contra Costa Musical Theatre). He

holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from California State Unviersity, East Bay, and is a proud member of Fantasy Forum Actors Ensemble. He hopes you enjoy drop dead hilarity of Lucky Stiff!

Lynda DiVito (Rita La Porta) is thrilled to return to Center REP this season in Lucky Stiff. Other Center REP credits include; Claire in Rumors, Bertha in Boeing Boeing, She Loves Me and Mayor Mathilda in All Shook Up. Other Bay Area credits include; Paulette in Legally Blonde at DTC, Velma in Hairspray at CCMT The Full Monty at AMTSJ, In this House at Playhouse West. NYC Off Bway/ International/ regional credits include; Cats/Jellylorum. Off Broadway Sheba/Leah. Oliver at Papermill Playhouse. Fiddler on the Roof at Riverside Theatre. Lynda toured throughout in Europe in various different shows and was the lead singer for JamSquare, one of Holland’s premiere dance bands. Lynda is a recipient of the BATCC award and Shellie Award. For L&H&N.

Taylor Jones (Woman #2) is so grateful to be a part of such a wonderful cast! She has been acting in the Walnut Creek area for the past two years and loving every second of it! She has appeared in CCMT’s RENT (Mimi), Little Shop of Horrors (Crystal), Center REP’s Smokey Joe’s Café (Brenda), DTCs Legally Blonde (Pilar). Most recently she was seen as Wendla in Off Center’s production of Spring Awakening. She would like to send lots of love to her family and friends and thank them for all their support.

Marcus Klinger (Man #1) is humbled and grateful to be making his Center REP debut, and couldn’t wish for a better cast or creative team. Although he performed locally as a child, his true journey began the day he became a proud member of Fantasy Forum Actor’s Ensemble, where 7 seasons of magic spells, pirate ships, and lost princesses taught him how to find his heart on-stage. He holds a Shellie Award for his performance as Max Bialystock in The Producers (DTC), and most recently, a BATTC Award for the portrayal of Edna Turnblad in Hairspray, directed by Scott Denison (CCMT). He is finishing his first play, “Tonight. Johnny’s Guest, Ethel Merman” and wishes to thank Kerri, Joe, and especially his wife Katie for making this life possible.

Dani Marcus* (Annabel Glick) is so pleased to be returning to the Center REP stage where she was last seen as June/Juney-Fay/Junita/Juny in The Musical of Musicals the Musical! She created the role of Harriet Smith in Jane Austen’s Emma at TheatreWorks, and has continued on with the show to several regional theatres including the 2011 award-winning production at The Old Globe. Other regional credits include: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with San Jose Rep; Beggar’s Holiday with Marin Theatre Company (Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award); and San Francisco’s long running Beach Blanket Babylon. Dani’s New York credits include: Drama Desk nominated The Pirates of Penzance with The National Yiddish Theatre; River’s End in the New York Musical Theatre Festival; and Civil War Voices in the 2010 Midtown International Theatre Festival. She would like to express her love and gratitude to her mom, Tijuana Sprecher and her mentor, Jon Call.

Keith Pinto* (Harry Witherspoon) graduated from the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts. He toured Europe and North America with Fame the Musical. He appeared in the world premier of Fly By Night (Joey Storms) at Theatreworks as well as Scapin (Gendarme) at A.C.T. God’s Ear (G.I.Joe/Flight Attendant) at Shotgun Players

Brandon Adams (Musical Director) is thrilled to be working on this production of Lucky Stiff. He has MD’ed three Bay Area premiers: Jason Robert Brown’s Last Five Years at Playhouse West, David Henry Hwang’s revised version of Flower Drum Song at Woodminster Summer Musicals, and Musical of Musicals, the Musical! (BATTC award) at Center REP. Favorite credits include: Funny Girl, Girl Crazy, Me and My Girl, Too Many Girls, and Something for the Boys. Recently, he has worked on Xanadu at Center REP and Oh, Kay! at 42nd Street Moon.

Kelly Tighe (Scenic Designer) Off Broadway: The Fantasticks, Almost Heaven, HEAT WAVE: the Jack Cole Project (world premiere, Dir Chet Walker), Blanche Survives Katrina In A Fema Trailer Named Desire, The Time of Mendel’s Trouble. Vegas: Triumph at the Las Vegas Hilton. National tours: Cats, Movin’ Out, Shear Madness, Almost Heaven, Mooseltoe. Regional: Dreamgirls, My Way, Aida, The Full Monty, Jesus Christ Superstar (Gateway Playhouse); Beauty/Beast, Grease, Titanic, The Who’s Tommy, (Contra Costa Musical Theatre); Annie, Kiss Me Kate, Joseph/ Dreamcoat (Ohio’s Carousel Dinner Theater); West Side Story, The Scarlet Pimpernel (Diablo Light Opera Co.); Around the World In 80 Days, The Pavilion, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, A Christmas Carol (Center Repertory Co.). Mr. Tighe served as resident Scenic designer for Michigan’s Cherry County Playhouse, and Center REP in the San Francisco Bay Area. Television: Sunday Night Woah! (starring Mo Rocca) for Animal Planet, several spots for Verizon, Kit Kat, Disney, and the Oxygen network. Awards and recognitions: Northern California’s “Shellie”, Drama-Logue, and the S.F. Bay Area’s Critic’s Circle.

Christine Crook (Costume Designer) has designed costumes for theatre, dance, and opera in the Bay Area with companies like the Aurora Theatre, Shotgun Players, Marin Theatre Company, Ensemble Parallèle, Magic Theatre, Boxcar Theatre, San Francisco Playhouse, UC Berkeley, and Just Theater. She has an MFA in costume design from the University of California, San Diego and is the recipient of a 2011 SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award.

Kurt Landisman (Lighting Designer) Local audiences will be familiar with his work through past productions designed for Center REP including Xanadu, Arms and the Man, Blues in the Night, Dracula, She Loves Me, Noises Off, All Shook Up, Cabaret, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Musical of Musicals (The Musical!), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Mousetrap, How the Other Half Loves, Around the World in 80 Days, and Fugitive Kind. His designs have been seen throughout the Bay Area at many theaters including San Francisco Opera, ACT, Berkeley Rep, San Jose Rep, Theatreworks, California Shakespeare Festival, The Magic Theatre, and Marin Theatre Company. Locally his work has garnered 16 Bay Area Critics Circle Awards, 5 LA Dramalogue Awards and 4 Shellie Awards. Nationally, his work has been seen at many regional opera & ballet companies, including the Los Angeles Opera, Minnesota Opera, Virginia Opera, Tulsa Opera, and Ballet Arizona. His designs have also been presented off-Broadway, represented at Circle Rep, and the Douglas Fairbanks Theatres. Other designs internationally include world premieres of plays by Sam Shepard in Japan, and Singapore, as well as the San Francisco Opera in Shanghai, China, and the Moscow Circus in Tokyo, Japan.

Lew Mead (Sound Designer) Broadway Credits include: Tom Sawyer, The King and I, Urinetown and Wonderful Town. Touring credits include A Chorus Line, Dreamgirls and recently Julie Andrew’s new musical The Gift of Music. Founder and owner of Autograph A2D a distribution company located in New York with offices in London. Autograph A2D distributes Digico Theater products and Ljudesign Scandinavia Loud Speakers.

OUR SPONSORS

Chevron (Season Sponsor) has been the leading corporate sponsor of Center REP and the Lesher Center for the Arts for the past nine years. In fact, Chevron has been a partner of the LCA since the beginning, providing funding for capital improvements, event sponsorships and more. Chevron generously supports every Center REP show throughout the season, and is the primary sponsor for events including the Chevron Family Theatre Festival in July. Chevron has proven itself not just as a generous supporter, but also a valued friend of the arts.

Diablo Regional Arts Association (DRAA) (Season Partner) is both the primary fundraising organization of the Lesher Center for the Arts (LCA) and the City of Walnut Creek’s appointed curator for the LCA’s audience outreach. DRAA’s role in the community is all about building partnerships with the focused goal of enhancing artistic quality at the LCA and providing opportunities for everyone to enjoy the arts. Through partnerships with the LCA and its producers, individual donors, corporate and foundation sponsors and the City of Walnut Creek, DRAA plays a vital role in advancing the arts for the betterment of the community. Please visit us online at www.draa.org.

Contra Costa Times (Season Media Sponsor) In the East Bay, the largest newspaper of the Bay Area News Group is the Contra Costa Times and its sister editions, the West County Times, Valley Times, San Ramon Valley Times and East County Times. The Times, was judged the best newspaper in its circulation category in the state five times in a six-year period by the California Newspaper Publishers Association. In 2005, it won the prestigious national Freedom of Information Award from Associated Press Managing Editors. And, in 2007, it was honored by the California Newspaper Publishers Association for its leadership on public records.

Lesher Foundation (Foundation Sponsor) Since 1994, the Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation has awarded grants totaling more than $40 million and reaching citizens in all parts of Contra Costa County. True to the original wishes of Dean and Margaret Lesher, the Foundation continues to build on the strengths of the community by supporting organizations and programs that provide help and support to people in need; enhance and enrich the lives of all citizens; and promote a healthy and exciting future for the community. Established in 1989, the Foundation received its principal assets from Dean Lesher’s estate in 1993 and 1995. In 1997, an additional endowment from Dean Lesher’s estate followed the death of Margaret Lesher. A significant and final bequest from Mr. Lesher’s estate was received in 2003. As a family foundation, support for the Contra Costa community will be carried on by the next generation of family members. Grant-making decisions are based on the vision of Dean and Margaret Lesher who felt quality education, diverse art programs, and healthy children and families are the building blocks of a strong and vibrant community. The Leshers defined the “spirit of giving” as “investing in the community and its people.” By providing financial support and direction in these critical areas, the Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation is investing every day, every week and every year in the health and well-being of this county that Dean and Margaret so loved.

ABOUT CENTER REPERTORY COMPANY

Center REP is the resident, professional theatre company of the Lesher Center for the Arts. Our season consists of eight productions a year – a variety of musicals, dramas and comedies, both classic and contemporary, that continually strive to reach new levels of artistic excellence and professional standards.

Our mission is to celebrate the power of the human imagination by producing emotionally engaging, intellectually involving, and visually astonishing live theatre, and through Outreach and Education programs, to enrich and advance the cultural life of the communities we serve.

What does it mean to be a producing theatre? We hire the finest professional directors, actors and designers to create our productions at Center REP. These are not touring productions – they’re conceived and developed here, the sets and costumes are built in our shops, and the actors rehearse in our rehearsal hall. Whether the production is a Bay Area premiere or a Shakespearean classic, each is devised to be a one of a kind, artistic creation that will be a unique theatre experience for our audience.

What does it mean to be a professional theatre? It means that all our artists and artisans are career theatre-practitioners. Many of the actors in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association; many of our directors and designers are members of professional unions. All do theatre because it is their profession and their passion.

We are very proud to have the opportunity to produce professional theatre for our community in the beautiful theatres here at the Lesher Center for the Arts. Thank you for your support!

Scott Denison (Managing Director) has been a leader in the Arts for 37 years for Walnut Creek and the surrounding communities. Under Denison’s guidance for the last 21 years as General Manager for the Lesher Center for the Arts, he oversees over 850 public events each year. He coordinates performing arts activities with over 85 producers and producing organizations. He is also the Managing Director of the Center REPertory Company producing 8 professional productions each season; and is the director and co-founder of Fantasy Forum Actors Ensemble, an adult family performing arts company which presents programs for the young and Young at Heart. Scott directed CCMT’s hits Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Hairspray, and for the past 13 seasons Center REP’s A Christmas Carol. Denison has directed over 150 productions including most recently REP’s The Lady with all the Answers starring Kerri Shawn. In 1979 he created the Shellie Awards, which annually honors outstanding performing arts achievement in Contra Costa County. In 2007 he created the Chevron Family Theatre Festival bringing adult nationally acclaimed performances together for one day performing to over 7,000 guests of all ages.

Michael Butler (Artistic Director) This is Michael’s seventh season as Artistic Director of Center REP, where his directing credits include A Number, Dracula, Boeing-Boeing and To Kill a Mockingbird, as well as the Shellie and BATCC Award-winning productions of Around the World in 80 Days, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, The Marriage of Figaro, How the Other Half Loves, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Enchanted April, and Witness For The Prosecution. His directing work has also been seen at San Jose Rep, Cleveland Playhouse, Seattle Rep, Laguna Playhouse, ACT in Seattle, Marin Theatre Company, Aurora Theatre Company, San Jose Stage, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, and The Juilliard School, of which he is a graduate. As an actor, Michael has worked on Broadway and off, in regional theatres, film and television, as well as REP’s productions of The Mousetrap, Noises Off and Rumors. He is a published songwriter and the co-writer and composer of numerous music-theatre pieces, which he has directed and performed in NY, LA, and at festivals in India and Morocco. In his career as a performer he has also danced with the Erick Hawkins Dance Company, portrayed the villainous Pierre LeChance on The Guiding Light, and played guitar and harmonica in many rock, blues, and country western bands at all the notable dives in NYC.

Production ServicesProduction Svcs

CoordinatorToni KilcoyneTechnical Staff

Steve Pino John Earls

Michael ArlenDevon Ausman

Chris CurrieMitch Kell

Garrick SchusterStephen Spleiss

Josh Stouffer Audience Services

Audience Svcs Coordinator

Courtney EggTicket Office Staff

Jeremiah Vierling Caitlin Downing Hillary PearsallKiersten Jones

Karla KopfhammerBritt Lauer

Sadé RobinsonAndrea Toney

Usher CoordinatorJason Pedroza

Costumes Costume ManagerMichael A. Berg

Assistant CostumersMax Hilsabeck

Matthew O’Connor

Managing Director - Scott DenisonArtistic Director - Michael Butler

MarketingMarketing Director

Gabe MarinMarketing Assistant

Ariel FordEducation

Education DirectorsJeff Draper

Kerri ShawnCasting DirectorJennifer Perry

ProductionProduction Manager

Jeff CollisterTechnical

Technical DirectorJoshua Lipps

Master ElectricianRay Oppenheimer

CarpentersDaniel CasiniJordan Scott

Cameron SwartzellChris Swartzell

Assistant Stage Manager

Joe Coe Deck Manager

Alex Logemann Administration

Asst. to Managing Director

Gail PfeiferProgram

Linda Nomura

Center REPertory Company

CITY COUNCILBob Simmons, Mayor

Kristina LawsonKish RajanCindy SilvaGary Skrel

ARTS COMMISSIONCarol Fowler, Chair

Joe Bologna, Vice ChairPolly Bradbury

Glynnis CowderyJane Emanuel

CITY MANAGERKen Nordhoff

DIRECTOR Arts, Recreation and Community Services

Barry Gordon

ADDITIONAL THANKS TO:Massimo’s Ristorante

Walnut Creek Baking CompanyWaters Moving and Storage

Associated Services-Alta WaterShannon and Mike DemersHyatt Summerfield Suites

Contra Costa Musical Theatre

THANK YOU TO OUR OPENING NIGHT DINNER SPONSORS:

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine BarOi-C Bowl

Scott’s Seafood Grill and Restaurant

THE BAND

Woodwinds ....Tim Devine or Steven LogotetaTrombone ..........................................Chris VincentiBass ............................ Danny Min or Aaron ShaulKeyboard .......................................Brandon AdamsPercussion ......................................... Erika Johnson

THE CREWDeck Crew

Breanna MackRosalind Neisinger

Judson RogersGrant Strain

DressersClaire McMahon

Sarah MendezFollow Spot Operators

John ValentineDane Young

Dance CaptainKeith Pinto