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2015/16 Season at Artists Rep

Mon, 06 Jul 2015 13:39:53 +0100

ARTISTS REPERTORY THEATRE’S 2015/16 SEASON

The Understudy
by Theresa Rebeck
Sept 8 – Oct 4
Alder Stage
An understudy rehearsal for a fictional Kafka play on Broadway teeters on the edge of reality when Harry – the understudy for Jake, who is the understudy for Bruce, a Hollywood action star about to land a multimillion-dollar part – must work with the ill-fated production’s exasperated stage manager whose life he ruined long ago. The Understudy is a raucously funny existential exposé on human motivation that examines the underbelly of the theatre business and the personal drama behind the curtain.
• Off-Broadway and regional theatre hit comedy from the writer of TV’s Smash
• Portland Premiere

Cuba Libre
Book & additional lyrics by Carlos Lacámara
Music by Tiempo Libre
Directed by Dámaso Rodriguez
Music Direction by Jorge Gómez
Choreography by Maija Garcia

October 3 – Nov 8
Winningstad Theatre
The irresistible rhythms of Cuban music drive this riveting, universal story of a man caught between countries, losses and loves, and his search for freedom. Set in America and Cuba, this timely tale reverberates across politics, ambition and romance with quick-witted dialogue, joy-filled dance and Latin-fusion beats. This Broadway-scale, contemporary musical features the internationally acclaimed, three-time Grammy nominated band Tiempo Libre with a company of 21 actors, dancers and musicians in a not-to-be-missed theatrical event.
• Portland’s Broadway-scale World Premiere
Sponsored by The Standard

Check out the two-part feature on the making of Cuba Libre done by Oregon Public Broadcasting!
Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here. And there will be more to come!

Broomstick
by John Biguenet
Oct 27 – Nov 22
Morrison Stage
A fairytale-twisted yarn of delightful humor and spine-tingling suspense conjures a spooky seasonal experience unlike any other. With Vana O’Brien in a tour-de-force solo performance, an Appalachian witch tells a heartfelt and poetic tale of her long life from first love, to heartache, to the hair-raising vengeance she wreaks upon those who’ve crossed her.
• Critically acclaimed spellbinding sensation
• NW Premiere

The Miracle Worker
by William Gibson
Dec 8 – Jan 3
Alder Stage
One of the most triumphant stories of the human spirit ever told, the soul-stirring The Miracle Worker evokes hope and inspiration for the entire family. With dignity, perseverance and respect in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges, a child, a teacher and a family learn to communicate. A play based on the lives of Helen Keller, who became Deaf-Blind as an infant, and her teacher, Anne Sullivan, who enabled her to become one of the most influential women of the 20^th Century.
• 1960 Tony Winner for Best Play
• 1962 Academy Award-winning classic film
• Uplifting Family Classic

Mothers & Sons
by Terrence McNally
Feb 9 – Mar 6
Alder Stage
In this sensitive and wryly humorous 2014 Tony Award-nominated play, a mother, after a 20-year silence, pays a surprise visit to her deceased son’s former lover seeking a connection she can’t fathom. At his Central Park apartment, with his husband and young son by his side, he shows her that healing and hope are possible, even after devastating loss. In this play, vastly different worlds collide, yet truth and compassion rise to reveal that all dreams begin with the common ground of forgiveness.
• 4-time Tony Award-winning playwright
• NW Premiere

We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as South West Africa, From the German Sudwestafrika, Between the Years 1884-1915
by Jackie Sibblies Drury
Mar 8 – Apr 3
Morrison Stage
A multiracial cast of six idealistic actors sets out to improvise a story about the first colonial genocide of the 20th Century in Africa, but get lost in the reality of their undertaking. The unusual presentation, humor and inevitable discomfort of this provocative new play gripped theatre hubs like New York, Chicago, London, Washington D.C. and Seattle with its unique theatrical investigation of prejudice, power and perspective. “90 minutes of original, enlightening, pulse-pounding theater… It’s absolutely thrilling … it is visceral, fiercely intelligent and entertaining.“ – Backstage
• Off-Broadway and regional theatre hit
• Portland Premiere

Grand Concourse
by Heidi Schreck
May 3 – 29
Morrison Stage
In an industrial soup kitchen in the Bronx, Shelley is a nun struggling to pray and questioning her life’s work. Her world in service to the needy, alongside a Dominican immigrant security guard and joke-writing “regular,” is rocked when a rainbow-haired college drop-out comes to volunteer. The girl’s enthusiasm and erratic behavior will change the course of their lives. With touching humor this motley group unravels the intricacies of need, the vagaries of compassion and limits of forgiveness.
• Recently seen Off-Broadway comedic drama
• Susan Smith Blackburn Prize 2014/15 Finalist
• West Coast Premiere

The Skin of Our Teeth
by Thornton Wilder
May 17 – Jun 12
Alder Stage
This comedic masterpiece spans the entirety of history, with one ordinary American family who lives through it all. Dad’s just invented the wheel, Cain is throwing rocks at the neighbor kid, mammoths and dinosaurs lounge in the family room and mom frets about how to get all those animals on the boat two by two. Through Ice Ages, biblical floods and political conventions, the Antrobus family of Excelsior, New Jersey perseveres. With an immense cast and time-set across the ages, this theatrical allegory captures the human spirit – of brilliance, idiocy and ultimately sweet survival.
• Rare and epic revival of the 1943 Pulitzer Prize winner

Artists Rep's 2015/16 Season

Mon, 06 Jul 2015 13:38:33 +0100

ARTISTS REPERTORY THEATRE’S 2015/16 SEASON

Cuba Libre
Book & additional lyrics by Carlos Lacámara
Music by Tiempo Libre
Directed by Dámaso Rodriguez
Music Direction by Jorge Gómez
Choreography by Maija Garcia

Check out the two-part feature on the making of Cuba Libre done by Oregon Public Broadcasting!
Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here. And there will be more to come!

2014/15 at Artists Rep

Sat, 01 Mar 2014 17:38:55 +0100

As my last two posts prove, I have been neglecting updating my website. I'm happy to announce my second season--the 2014/15 season--at Artists Rep. 2015/16 planning begins!

ARTISTS REPERTORY THEATRE’S 2014/15 SEASON

Intimate Apparel
by Lynn Nottage
Guest Director TBA
Sept 9 – Oct 5
Portland Premiere
A riveting, romantic tale by this Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright about the empowerment of Esther, an African American seamstress in 1905 NYC, who creates exquisite lingerie for both Fifth Avenue boudoirs and tenderloin bordellos.
Alder Stage

Exiles
by Carlos Lacamara
Directed by Dámaso Rodriguez
Sept 30 – Oct 26
NW Premiere
When a storm leaves their tiny vessel helplessly adrift at sea, tension escalates as six Cuban refugees find themselves in a desperate battle against the elements, each other and their past.
Morrison Stage

Blithe Spirit
by Noël Coward
Guest Director TBA
Nov 25 – Dec 21
Otherworldly Classic
This comedic masterpiece will haunt our holiday season. Vana O’Brien in a role she was born to play as the eccentric clairvoyant who inadvertently summons spirits from the beyond.
Alder Stage

Tribes
by Nina Raine
Directed by Dámaso Rodriguez
Feb 3 – Mar 1
Portland Premiere A scintillating drama about Billy, the only deaf member of his family, as his search for belonging sparks fierce and often funny tensions at home. 2012 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play.
Alder Stage

The Invisible Hand
by Ayad Akhtar
Directed by Allen Nause
Mar 10 – Apr 5
NW Premiere co-produced with Seattle’s ACT Theatre
The 2013 Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright’s tense plot involves a kidnapped American “futures” trader in Pakistan playing the market for his life.
Morrison Stage

The Price
by Arthur Miller
Guest Director TBA
Mar 31 – Apr 26
Rare Revival
In this seldom-seen masterpiece, two estranged brothers must sift through a lifetime of their deceased father’s possessions as they negotiate with a mysterious buyer.
Alder Stage

4000 Miles
by Amy Herzog
Guest Director TBA
Apr 28 – May 24
NW Premiere
A cross-country bike trip from the Pacific NW brings 21-year old Leo, unannounced, to his 91-year old grandmother’s West Village apartment. These unlikely roommates infuriate, bewilder and ultimately reach each other. 2013 Pulitzer Finalist.
Morrison Stage

The Liar
by David Ives, adapted from the comedy by Pierre Corneille
Guest Director TBA
May 26 – June 21
Northwest Premiere
From the brilliant comedic mind of David Ives (All in the Timing, Venus in Fur) comes a hilarious“transla-daptation” of the 17th Century French romp, replete with mistaken identities and tangled truths.

My first season at Artists Rep - Here's 13/14

Sat, 29 Jun 2013 19:38:22 +0100

I meant to post this 3 months ago! 8 shows in our two spaces. Here they are:

http://www.artistsrep.org/learn-about-us/our-201314-season.aspx

ARTISTS REPERTORY THEATRE’S 2013/14 SEASON

The Big Meal
Sep 3 - Oct 6
Written by Dan LeFranc
Directed by Dámaso Rodriguez
West Coast Premiere
Set in a quintessential American restaurant, entire lives whiz by for a modern family whose stage and age are short-order fare. From birth to that inevitable last course – and every corndog, calamari and Cadillac margarita in-between – a multi-generational potluck of characters live life’s major and minor moments around the dinner table. Expect humor and heartache as eight actors portraying 26 characters and five generations serve up a veritable theatrical feast. • Off-Broadway Hit • New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award Winner
Alder Stage

Mistakes Were Made
Sep 17 - Oct 20
Written by Craig Wright
Directed by Michael Mendelson
Northwest Premiere
Felix is a NYC theatre producer about to blow a gasket. Jabbing at the hold button as he negotiates with a playwright, a movie star, a deep-pockets funder and an agent, all while mediating a Middle East crisis (involving sheep and militant rebels), this non-stop, fast-talking chameleon is bound for no good. With his overweight pet fish, Denise, as his only confidant and the weight of the world on his shoulders, the stage is set for a high-speed comedic train wreck of a tale. Todd Van Voris will star in this tour-de-force role. • Off-Broadway Hit • Multiple Award-winning playwright & TV screenwriter
Morrison Stage

Foxfinder
Oct 29 - Dec 1
Written by Dawn King
Directed by Dámaso Rodriguez
U.S. Premiere
At the heart of this gripping, futuristic parable beats an incendiary plot that pulses with menace and suspicion. In rural England, a blight of bad luck has befallen the countryside and a fox infestation may be to blame. The totalitarian government sends an agent, a “Foxfinder,” into the home of Judith and Samuel Covey and the invasive inspection whirls simple lives into a frenzy of finger-pointing and distrust. As the bizarre scrutiny intensifies, guilt, fear and distorted realities fuel a feverish hunt to explain the unknown. • Susan Smith Blackburn Prize 2012/13 Finalist • Critically acclaimed London hit
Alder Stage

XMAS UNPLUGGED
Double-bill: 2 comedies • 1 show
Nov 26 - Dec 29
PLAY 1: The Reason for the Season
Written by Matt Pelfrey
World Premiere
PLAY 2: The Night Before Christmas Written by Anthony Neilson
Northwest Premiere
Spend an outrageous Christmas Eve with a churlish Santa, a kidnapped elf and a handful of hapless souls in need of some holiday spirit. Amid the shrapnel of yuletide yearning, broken dreams and poignant revelations, can the magic of the season spark hope in their hearts? With these two riotous, irreverent short plays that even Ebenezer Scrooge could appreciate, be prepared for a pair of good old-fashioned, foul-mouthed, feel-good holiday anti-classics … and just a wee dusting of that cherished Christmas feeling. • Two award-winning playwrights • A holiday debauchery double-bill for mature audiences
Morrison Stage

The Monster-Builder
Jan 28 - Mar 2
Written by Amy Freed
Directed by Art Manke
World Premiere
A maniacal scheme of fantastical proportions lurks deep inside world-renowned mega-architect Gregor Zubrowski’s post-modern steel and glass structures. His commanding presence and curious creative process both titillate and manipulate design professionals and patrons alike into submission. After he casually steals a career-making project, two fledgling architects dare to challenge this monster-builder at his own game. Expect the unexpected from this absurdly funny, wickedly smart new comedy.
• Pulitzer Finalist nationally renowned playwright • A hit at the Pacific Playwrights Festival
Alder Stage

The Motherf**ker With the Hat
Feb25 - Mar 30
Written by Stephen Adly Guirgis
Directed by Kevin Jones
Northwest Premiere
Recovering addict Jackie, fresh out of jail, is determined to get straight and settle down in NYC with the support of his girl Veronica, his AA sponsor Ralph D, and his loyal cousin Julio until … he finds a hat that isn’t his own left conspicuously behind in his bedroom. His quest to track down the motherf**ker with the hat threatens to put him right back where he started. Take a breakneck ride with this poetically profane, kick in the karmic cojones that becomes a raw, touching and thoroughly hilarious dive into the quest for transformation. • Tony-nominated Broadway and regional theatre sensation
Morrison Stage

The Invisible Hand
Apr 8 - May 11
Written by Ayad Akhtar
West Coast Premiere
This riveting, shockingly relevant, modern-day play proposes that the ability to anonymously manipulate market outcomes for money, ideology and power could be the ultimate mechanism for total control. When an American futures trader is kidnapped in Karachi, his desire for self-preservation is tapped by his bright Pakistani guard who demands he be tutored in market trading skills. Tense scenarios unfold as the trader works to earn his release while potentially handing the tools for financial chaos and political vindication to his captor. • Special guest actors from Pakistan.
Alder Stage

The Playboy of the Western World
May 20 - June 22
Written by J.M. Synge
Directed by Dámaso Rodriguez
Rare Revival
Truth, fiction or wishful thinkin’… you decide. On the run and reinventing himself along the way, a young stranger arrives in a remote Irish village with a dark secret begging to be told. Gossip and outrageous speculation stir up passions when this fine teller of tall tales turns winner of women and sport, and bumbles his way into romance and celebrity. In a rare revival of the explosively funny Irish classic that caused riots after its 1907 Dublin debut, this farcical, lilting masterpiece takes the stage by storm and unleashes a peculiar poetic justice. • “One of the most significant plays of the 20th Century.” - National Theater Platform
Morrison Stage

And in belated news...

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:02:00 +0100

To kick off the new year, I had the pleasure of spending three days in rehearsal with playwright Ellen Simon and an extraordinary cast led by Marsha Mason and Mary Steenburgen for the Pasadena Playhouse Hothouse reading of "Aunt Stossie's Coming for Five Days.

http://pasadenaplayhouse.org/blog/2013/01/05/marsha-mason-and-more-to-star-in-pasadena-playhouses-aunt-stossies-coming-for-five-days-18-9-broadwayworld-com/

Friday, January 4, 2013; 09:01 PM – by BWW News Desk

The Pasadena Playhouse has announced the cast for the second presentation of its 2012 – 2013 HOTHOUSE at The Playhouse series, Aunt Stossie’s Coming for Five Days. Written by Ellen Simon and directed by Dámaso Rodriguez (former Associate Artistic Director of The Pasadena Playhouse, Co-Founder of the Furious Theatre and incoming Artistic Director for the Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland), the staged reading will star Marsha Mason (The Goodbye Girl, “The Middle”) in the title role, Mary Steenburgen (“30 Rock,” “Bored to Death,” The Proposal) and Kirsten Vangsness (“Criminal Minds”) and will perform January 8 and 9, 2013, in the Carrie Hamilton Theatre at The Pasadena Playhouse.

“I love Ellen’s heartfelt, refreshingly honest, and very funny new play, said director Dámaso Rodriguez. “I’m particularly happy to be returning to The Playhouse‘s HOTHOUSE development process, which I consider to be one of the best ways to nurture a new work for the theatre.”

“I’m thrilled for this opportunity to be returning to HOTHOUSE, particularly with this exquisite cast and director,” stated playwright Ellen Simon. “My previous experience at HOTHOUSE with my play, ASS, generated much enthusiasm and helped me deepen and refocus the script. Counting the days now until our presentation of Aunt Stossie’s Coming for Five Days.”

Aunt Stossie’s Coming for Five Days is a comedic drama about what happens when the uninvited enters your life. Set in a Central California beach town, three generations of women and two surfer boys navigate the entanglements of sex, health and family after a tsunami warning sign goes up in their neighborhood.

The cast for Aunt Stossie’s Coming for Five Days features:

• Marsha Mason as “Aunt Stossie”
• Mary Steenburgen as “Aunt Mead”
• Kirsten Vangsness as “Kelly”
• Liza de Weerd as “Jill”
• Beth Triffon as “Alice”
• Kim Dalton as “Bryanna”
• Grant Jordan as “Ryan”
• Lucas Durham as “Sean”
• Taylor Emerson (stage directions)

Los Angeles Times Announcement

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 22:25:39 +0100

Damaso Rodriguez to head Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland

Dámaso Rodriguez has been named the new artistic director of the Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland, Ore. (Shawn Lee)

By David Ng

December 6, 2012, 2:23 p.m.

Dámaso Rodriguez -- a familiar presence in the Southern California theater scene for his work at the Pasadena Playhouse and the Furious Theatre Company -- has been named the new artistic director of the Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland, Ore. His appointment begins in January, the company said.

Rodriguez, 38, will step down from his current position as co-artistic director of the Furious and will move to the hipster capital for the new job.

Rodriguez called the job "a good fit for me" because Artists Repertory does the kind of adventurous new work he put on at the Furious.

Earlier this year, Rodriguez directed a revival of "The Heiress" at the Pasadena Playhouse. He previously worked as the company's associate artistic director from 2007 to 2010, when the playhouse temporarily shut down due to financial difficulties.

He said the time he spent as associate artistic director at the playhouse "opened my mind to the direction of possibly running a regional theater someday."

He co-founded the Furious in 2001. The company was in residence at Pasadena Playhouse until last year.

Rodriguez has directed productions at theaters around L.A., including a recent production of George Bernard Shaw's "The Doctor's Dilemma" at A Noise Within. At Artists Rep, he will direct "Ten Chimneys" by Jeffrey Hatcher as his company directorial debut in April.

Artists Rep has been headed for the last 25 years by artistic director Allen Nause, who is retiring, according to the company. The company produces a mix of new plays and musicals, as well as revivals of classics. In 2010, it hosted the Sydney Theatre Co.'s production of "Long Day's Journey Into Night," starring William Hurt and directed by Andrew Upton.

Zelda Fichandler Award

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 18:09:58 +0100

I am honored to be a finalist in the company of such great directors...

Bill Rauch Wins Zelda Fichandler Award

Bill Rauch, artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, is the 2012 Zelda Fichandler Award winner.

The Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation awarded Bill Rauch, artistic of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the 2012 Zelda Fichandler Award. The Zelda Fichandler Award recognizes a director or choreographer “who is transforming the regional arts landscape through imaginative, brave work in theatre.” It comes with a $5000 cash prize. Loretta Greco at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco, Jane Jones of Book-It Repertory Theatre in Seattle, and Dámaso Rodriguez of Furious Theatre were specially named as finalists for the award.

STAGE DIRECTORS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS FOUNDATION AWARDS THE ZELDA FICHANDLER AWARD TO BILL RAUCH OF OREGON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL IN ASHLAND, OREGON
COMMITTEE NAMES LORETTA GRECO, JANE JONES, AND DÁMASO RODRIGUEZ FINALISTS

Bill Rauch, Artistic Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is the 2012 recipient of The Zelda Fichandler Award recognizing an outstanding director or choreographer who is transforming the regional arts landscape through imaginative, brave work in theatre. The $5000 award, given by Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation, heralds both accomplishment to date and promise for the future, and commends deep commitment to a community.

Bill Rauch is Artistic Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Prior to his appointment in 2006, Mr. Rauch completed a 20-year journey as co-founder and artistic director of Cornerstone Theater Company, where he directed over 40 productions, most of them in collaboration with diverse communities across the nation. Mr. Rauch has also directed at Lincoln Center, the Mark Taper Forum, the Guthrie, Arena Stage, Seattle Rep, Pasadena Playhouse, Long Wharf, Portland Center Stage, Great Lakes Theater Festival, and he is an Associate Artist of South Coast Rep and Yale Rep.

A peer review committee selected Mr. Rauch from twenty-six nominees from the Western region of the United States. “As someone who has had a dynamic effect on the west coast region, both as an artistic director and a first class artist, this choice is entirely apt and completely fulfills the goals of this prestigious honor. Bill represents the very best of our union and our craft on so many different levels. It is a pleasure to know and to work with him, and to recognize his many achievements in this much deserved way,” notes Selection Committee Chair Sheldon Epps. The committee noted Rauch’s extraordinary transformation of the arts landscape in Los Angeles through his establishment and leadership of Cornerstone Theater Company and his great success in creating community and expanding diversity, both dramaturgically and among the company of artists, at OSF, one of the nation’s most visible theatres and, seemingly, the polar opposite of the smaller, nimble Cornerstone.

Upon hearing of his receiving this award, Mr. Rauch states, “Zelda Fichandler has been a role model throughout my career, as she is one of the great pioneers and most inspiring leaders in our field. Since moving to the vibrantly diverse Los Angeles with Cornerstone Theater Company over 20 years ago and now contributing to the kaleidoscopic work of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, as well as having collaborated with many of the West Coast’s most vital companies, I am especially proud to represent the Western region of our country with this award. I have tried to build and strengthen community wherever my work takes me; for this reason, my nomination and selection by my peers, my fellow union members, is all the more meaningful.”

The Committee chose to honor three finalists in addition to Mr. Rauch. The 2012 finalists are Loretta Greco for her ongoing work at Magic Theatre in San Francisco, Jane Jones of Book-It Repertory Theatre in Seattle, and Dámaso Rodriguez of Furious Theatre for his work in and around Los Angeles.

The award will be presented on Monday, November 12 at a private presentation in Los Angeles.

In establishing this award, named after Zelda Fichandler, a founder of the American regional theatre movement, SDCF recognizes the profound impact of the founders of regional theatre and honors their legacy. This award is given annually within rotating regions of the U.S. The Fichandler Award serves as a complement to the “Mr. Abbott” Award, which will next be presented to Jerry Mitchell in spring 2013 in recognition of lifetime achievement in theatre, and the Joe A. Callaway Award for excellence in direction and choreography, to be presented in New York on November 5. The three awards are the only awards given to theatre directors and choreographers by their peers. This year’s Selection Committee was comprised of professional directors and choreographers throughout the region: Sheldon Epps, Michael John Garces, David Ira Goldstein, Rick Lombardo, Lisa Peterson, Robin Lynn Smith, and Jane Unger.

Bill Rauch was named Artistic Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2007. Prior to his appointment, Bill completed a 20-year journey as co-founder and artistic director of the Cornerstone Theater Company, where he directed over 40 of the company's productions, many of them collaborations with diverse communities across the nation. While guiding Cornerstone in Los Angeles, Rauch also built a career in regional theatre, directing at the Lincoln Center Theater, the Guthrie Theater, Mark Taper Forum, Pasadena Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and many others. He is an Associate Artist at Yale Repertory Theatre and South Coast Repertory, and was a Claire Trevor Professor of Drama at University of California, Irvine during the 2006-7 academic year. Bill first came to OSF as a director in 2002, staging Robert Schenkkan’s Handler. In subsequent seasons, he directed the world premiere Bill Cain’s Equivocation, Measure for Measure, The Pirates of Penzance, Hamlet, The Merchant of Venice, The Music Man, The Clay Cart, Romeo and Juliet, Hedda Gabler, The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler, The Comedy of Errors, By the Waters of Babylon and The Two Gentlemen of Verona. In 2012, his productions include Medea/Macbeth/Cinderella (with co-adaptor Tracy Young) and the world premiere of Robert Schenkkan’s All the Way. In the past five years, he has directed world premieres by nationally-celebrated writers including Lisa Loomer, Sarah Ruhl, Robert Schenkkan, and Jeff Whitty. In October of 2008 he was named a United States Artists Prudential Fellow, and is the recipient of the 2009 Margo Jones Medal. In 2010 he was a Panelist for the Fund for National Projects, Doris Duke Foundation. A sampling of his many other awards for direction include DramaLogue, Garland, Connecticut Critics’ Circle, Helen Hayes and Ovation Awards, and he is the only artist to have won the inaugural "Leadership for a Changing World" award. Bill lives in Ashland with his husband Christopher and their two sons Liam and Xavier.

Zelda Fichandler dedicated her early career to the establishment of America’s regional theatre movement. In 1950 she founded Washington D.C.’s Arena Stage and in 1968 she produced The Great White Hope, which became the first production to transfer from a regional theatre to Broadway, winning the Tony and the Pulitzer Prize, and launching the careers of James Earl Jones and Jane Alexander. Her production of Inherit the Wind toured Soviet St. Petersburg and Moscow and Arena Stage was the first American theatre company sponsored by the State Department to do so. Like many other regional theatres afterward, Arena Stage cultivated an evolving but resident company over the decades that included some of America’s best actors: Robert Prosky, Frances Sternhagen, George Grizzard, Philip Bosco, Ned Beatty, Roy Scheider, Robert Foxworth, Jane Alexander, James Earl Jones, Melinda Dillon, Dianne Wiest, Max Wright, Marilyn Caskey, Harriet Harris, and Tom Hewitt. In 1975 it was the first regional theatre to be recognized by the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League with the Regional Theatre Tony Award for outstanding achievement. When Ms. Fichandler retired as producing artistic director of Arena Stage in 1990, she had achieved the longest tenure of any non-commercial producer in the annals of the American theater. Ms. Fichandler is Chair Emeritus of New York University’s acclaimed graduate acting program where she personally taught, guided, and inspired more than 500 acting students, including Marcia Gay Harden, Rainn Wilson, Billy Crudup, Debra Messing, Peter Krause, and Michael C. Hall. She has received the George Abbott Award, The Acting Company's John Houseman Award, the Margo Jones Award, and the National Medal of Arts, and in 1999 she became the first artistic leader outside of New York to be inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame.

Founded in 1965, Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation exists to foster, promote and develop the craft and creativity of stage directors and choreographers. SDCF’s goals are to provide opportunities to practice the crafts of directing and choreography; to gather and disseminate craft and career information; to promote the profession to emerging talent; to provide opportunities for exchange of knowledge among directors and choreographers; and to increase the awareness of the value of directors’ and choreographers’ work.

Stage Directors and Choreographers Society is a national theatrical labor union whose mission is to foster a national community of professional stage Directors and Choreographers by protecting the rights, health and livelihoods of all of its members; to facilitate the exchange of ideas, information and opportunities, while educating the current and future generations about the role of Directors and Choreographers and providing effective administration, negotiations and contractual support.

http://www.stage-directions.com/theatre-buzz/4664-bill-rauch-wins-zelda-fichandler-award.html

Pasadena Star News Interview

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 22:24:38 +0100

`The Doctor's Dilemma' at A Noise Within in Pasadena explores timeless issues

By Michelle J. Mills,SGVN
twitter.com/mickieszoo

Posted: 10/20/2012 01:57:31 PM PDT

Updated: 10/20/2012 02:01:43 PM PDT

Geoff Elliott and Jules Wilcox star in "The Doctor's Dilemma" at A Noise Within in Pasadena Oct. 21-Nov. 25. (Photo by Craig Schwartz)

A Noise Within in Pasadena is noted for producing classic plays that focus on issues that are still relevant in our modern age and "The Doctor's Dilemma" by George Bernard Shaw, opening Oct. 21, is no exception.

The work explores ethics in the healthcare industry through the story of a doctor in 1906, who has discovered a cure for tuberculosis. He can only treat 10 people and his beds are full when two more needy cases appear - one is a kind colleague who serves the poor and the other is a talented young artist. But there's a deeper twist.

At the same time the artist's wife is pleading for her husband's life, his unscrupulous character is being revealed to the doctor. Adding to the weighty decision, the physician finds himself pulled emotionally, as he falls in love with the beautiful wife.

"The truth is there's a question of the difference between acting in your own self-interests or acting in the interests of others, so the real doctor's dilemma is what he'd really like to do is let this guy die and marry his wife someday, but ethics and morality tell us that's not what he should do," director Damaso Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez has worked with A Noise Within previously, as well as with the Pasadena Playhouse and is one of the founding artistic directors of the Furious Theatre Company. Rodriguez said the other big question addressed by the play is, should a person's character be considered in the cases at all, adding that today, doctors are morally obligated to help someone no matter their background. "The thing for people to chew on is what is our responsibility to others versus our responsibility to ourselves. The play becomes extremely relevant when you look at the healthcare debate," Rodriguez said.

The production has presented a few challenges for Rodriguez. Shaw's works tend to run long, so it was necessary to adapt and streamline "The Doctor's Dilemma" to make it more accessible to audiences. It also needs accomplished actors who can handle the complicated roles - fortunately A Noise Within has an able cadre of veteran performers.

"Shaw's writing is extremely dense and complex, multi-layered and so to get to the heart of what he's doing you need a really great cast," Rodriguez said.

The classic play is very different from what Rodriguez has directed previously, as he has made his mark for his directorial skills of new productions. Yet this piece is rarely done and contains many of the elements of the dark comedies Rodriguez finds endearing, so he is able to approach it with a fresh, modern feel.

"The base of my work is to get really great actors and dig into the text and to make it very honest and raise the stakes. It doesn't matter if it's Shaw, it doesn't matter if I have a history doing it," Rodriguez said. "The substance of (Shaw's) work sounds heavy, but I've been really pleased how funny his work is... It speaks very seriously, yet it manages to find a tone where it can be both funny and dramatic and in that, it's an interesting and complicated play."

Having directed six consecutive shows up to now, Rodriguez will be on hiatus at least through the end of the year. He has no set plans for the future, but is working on ideas with Furious Theatre for 2013.

In addition to the presentation of "The Doctor's Dilemma," on Oct. 23 there will be a free reading of George Bernard Shaw's drama, "The Devil's Disciple," at 7:30 p.m.

The Doctor's Dilemma

In repertory selected dates through Nov. 25, 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays

A Noise Within, 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena

$36-$52

626-356-3100

www.anoisewithin.org

michelle.mills@sgvn.com

626-962-8811 Ext. 2128

Doctor's Dilemma Final Rehearsals

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 17:54:09 +0100

I love scenic designer Susan Gratch's design for our show. Here's her rendering for the first of the play's four locations. We head into tech rehearsals next week. I'm looking forward to seeing this image come to life. We open Oct. 20 after several previews.

New Play Reading: Petty Harbour by Martyna Majok

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 15:28:00 +0100

I'm working with a wonderful cast on Martyna Majok fantastic new play set in Newfoundland. This is part of the Summer Playwright's Festival, which includes 22 plays read over the course of 8 days. All performances serve as benefit for The Road Theatre Company.

On the rocky shores of Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, a house stands against a storm. Outside, the boats cling to their anchors and the sea churns, waiting. One by one, three banished sons return home and discover their fisherman father has turned the house that they grew up in into a church. Soon the roads will be flooded and the men will be sealed in as the wars, stories, sermons, songs, and drinking party begin. The King Lear of Petty Harbour, it seems, is not done with his throne.

Friday August 10th at 8pm in the Theater

http://www.roadtheatre.org/shows/26-festival-2012/291-petty-harbour

Starring:

Leon Russom

Sam Anderson

Mark St. Amant

Patrick Rieger

Tim Venable

Avery Clyde

Carlyle King