lETTERS
Hello and welcome to the final production of PTC’s 48th season, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill! When we were hired last fall and we looked over the plays that had been programmed, this was the show we were the most excited to work on, and our enthusiasm has only grown. We’re very grateful to Paige Price for programming it!
First, Lady Day takes place right here in Philadelphia, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned about Philadelphians – they love to talk about Philly! And then of course the piece details the life and music of Billie Holiday, one of the greatest and most influential jazz singers of all time. To produce a show that centers a talented Black female musician in Philadelphia, with its deep rich musical history, felt important and necessary – the kind of work we intend to continue in the years ahead.
And on a personal level, we’re grateful this show allowed us to work with the gorgeously talented director Jeffrey Page, PTC’s Resident Artist. Jeffrey worked his magic on last year’s Choir Boy, and we can’t wait for you to see what he’s cooked up this time. In fact, if you’re sitting in the theatre, just look around and see for yourself! Collaborating with one of the country’s best designers in Thom Weaver, Jeffrey has placed you inside Emerson’s Bar & Grill! We think this theatrical, immersive set design will make this Lady Day one people will talk about for years to come.
But of course, every production of Lady Day hinges on the woman playing Billie, and PTC is beyond lucky to have the luminous, magnetic Laurin Talese in the title role. Laurin, who calls Philly her home but is known all over the country for her fantastic voice, is a fearless powerhouse of a performer. We simply couldn’t ask for a better Billie. (Thank you for everything, Laurin!)
And looking ahead to next season, please take note of our “Double Your Impact” donor match – for every dollar you donate to PTC, our board will donate two up to fifty thousand dollars! We are looking to revamp our education programs, continue to build robust community partnerships, and bring you some of the best art and culture in the city…but we can only do it with your help! So please consider donating today!
And now, feel free to grab a drink at Emerson’s Bar, and please enjoy Lady Day!
Taibi and Tyler
Billie Holiday performed for the last time at a small dive bar in south Philadelphia called Emerson’s Bar & Grill at Fiftieth and Bainbridge Street in 1959. She was Philadelphia-born, Baltimore-raised, and among the first to populate the burgeoning village of Harlem. After her time at Alderson Prison, Holiday sought refuge in Philadelphia when the New York City Police Department banned her from performing in bars and clubs of her beloved Harlem. Soon after Billie Holiday’s appearance in south Philly, she conclusively returned to Harlem and succumbed to cirrhosis and heart failure. This play, written by Lanie Robertson, represents something more than a simple accounting of Billie Holiday’s final days in Philadelphia. Perhaps this moment analogizes to Lady Day relieving her heavy load and readying herself for something beyond what she can fully understand.
There is a Kemetic belief in the rites of passage into the afterlife, where the deeds (good and bad) and woes of a person’s life are imprinted and stored within their heart, thereby making the heart heavy. During the judgment within the afterlife, the heart was weighed against the feather of Maat, the goddess of truth and justice. If the heart was heavier than the feather, it signaled that the person had not fully released their concerns about the world. The heavy-hearted would, therefore, not be granted passage. But if the heart balanced the feather, it signified that the person haswhat was needed from their time on earth to reckon with and release their troubles. In this case, that person would gain passage into a forever paradise. Vestiges of this belief are present in many contemporary systems of thought, and I imagine such a belief symbolically ignites the impressionism of this play.
The theatre serves as a way to contextualize the complexities of the human experience. While Billie Holiday’s final public performance inspires the events within Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, Lanie Robertson’s play exemplifies the expansiveness of metaphor. This play is a final accounting of Billie Holiday’s life, flashing before her eyes as she supplicates and readies herself “to be a partner of that heaven up above.” Her songs trigger memories and clarify the blank spots as she faces her mortality. As we watch her—in real-time—uncover battles with various facets of abuse, racism, sexism, self-torment, love, and loss, we also witness her gain a cathartic release. Lady Day journeys through stages of heavy-heartedness to become unbound: something from which we should all learn.
Jeffrey Page
Director, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill
cREDITS
sPECIAL tHANKS
Arden Theatre Company
Drew Billiau
Stephen Kopel
The Philadelphia Jazz Archive at the Charles L. Blockson Collection, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
CAST & CREW
Cast
BILLIE HOLIDAY…………………………………………………………………..……….Laurin Talese
JIMMY POWERS……………………………………………………………………………….Will Brock
Stage Management
Stage Manager…………………………………………………………………………….Angela Cucco*
Stage Management Production Assistant……………….…………………………………Triston Haq
Production and Design Support
Assistant Scenic Designer………………………………..………………………..Victoria Gill-Gomez
Assistant Sound Designer……………………………………………………..………Dakota Erickson
Assistant Sound Designer………………………………………………………………Sharese Salters
Scene Shop………………………………………………………………………..Flannel and Hammer
Audio Equipment……………………………………………………………………………Bauder Audio
Lighting Programmer………………………………………………………………….John Allerheiligen
Piano Tuner………………………………………………………………………………….Mark Benson
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, The Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
Philadelphia Theatre Company (PTC) operates under an agreement between the League of
Resident Theatres (LORT) and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors
and Stage Managers in the United States, and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, an independent labor union.
PTC is a member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for American Theatre, and is a member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT). The scenic, costume, lighting, and sound designers in LORT Theatres are represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829, of the IATSE. Production employees are represented by The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, its territories and Canada, Local 8.
Photos, Videotaping, or other video or audio recording during the production is strictly prohibited, is a violation of United States copyright law, and is an actionable Federal Offense.
CAST & CREATIVE BIOS
Laurin Talese (Billie Holiday) has been captivating audiences with her pure tone and poignant lyrics since childhood. A Cleveland, Ohio native, Laurin was classically trained at the Cleveland Institute of Music, The Cleveland School of the Arts, and later received a bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Her debut album, Gorgeous Chaos, produced by Emmy-winning producer, Adam Blackstone and released in 2016, features a stellar lineup of musicians and was met with wide acclaim.
Ms. Talese’s talents have allowed her to travel around the globe, performing in a host of internationally renowned venues including the Newport Jazz Festival, Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in 2018 when Laurin won the seventh annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Laurin Talese is proud to represent the United States as a cultural ambassador with American Music Abroad – an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and implemented by the Association of American Voices. Following in the footsteps of former Ambassadors Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, and Dave Brubeck, Laurin Talese performs for international audiences and leads educational workshops to bring jazz to new populations.
In 2021, Ms. Talese made her Philadelphia Orchestra debut performing repertoire, including her original composition, “This Love” conducted by Yannick Nezet-Seguin. Laurin Talese enjoys serving as Vice President of the Recording Academy’s Philadelphia Chapter and on the boards of Jazz Philadelphia, and the University of the Arts’ Alumni Council. In 2022, Laurin premiered her newest work, Museum Of Living Stories, commissioned by Chamber Music America.⠀
Will Brock (Jimmy Powers / Musical Director) is the music director and plays Billie Holiday’s pianist Jimmy Powers. Brock is a composer and producer. He has performed around the world with Marion Meadows and Gerald Veasley, and other Jazz icons. His music has been featured on national and international TV and radio ads, and TV shows like “Emeril Live,” “Army Wives,” “The Guiding Light,” “Studio Jams,” and others. Feature Films include Cover, the 2008 thriller by Bill Dukes.
Lanie Roberston (Playwright) His first plays, The Insanity of Mary Girard and Back County Crimes are frequently performed by schools and community theatres. His play about Billie Holiday Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill was produced on Broadway and in London’s West End with Audra McDonald.
Many of his works are about iconic artists and the societal issues they faced: Nasty Little Secret (Joe Orton); Woman Before a Glass (Peggy Guggenheim); Alfred Stieglitz Loves O’Keeffe (Georgia O’Keeffe); Nobody Lonesome for Me (Hank Williams); The Gardener (Claude Monet); and Blythe Coward (Noel Coward).
His works have been produced at the Alley Theatre, the Alliance Theatre; Annenberg Center, Arena Stage, Barrington Stage, the Edinburgh Festival, Festival d’Avignon, George St. Playhouse, Kennedy Center, Old Globe, Primary Stages, Playwrights Horizons, Theatre de la Huchette, Theatre Petit Montparnasse, Theatre Silvia Montfort, Westside Arts Theatre, Vineyard Theatre, Virginia Stage, the Walnut Street Theatre, West Side Arts Theater, and Williamstown Theatre Festival.
His first novel is to be published in 2024.
He is a member of the Dramatist Guild, the Society des Auteur et Compositeurs Dramatiques, and the Writers Guild, East.
Jeffrey L. Page (Director) is an Emmy Award-nominated director and choreographer, he spearheaded the 2015 and 2018 Tokyo productions of the musical Memphis, which received four Yomiuri Award nominations, including Best Musical. The first African American to be named the Marcus Institute Fellow for Opera Directing at The Juilliard School. Mr. Page won an MTV Video Music Award for his work with Beyoncé, whose creative team have included him for more than 12 years. His work was featured on Beyoncé’s “The Formation World Tour”, in her historic Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival performance, and in two of her HBO specials. Mr. Page was the associate creative director for Mariah Carey’s “Sweet, Sweet Fantasy European Tour”, and has been a featured choreographer on Fox Television’s “So You Think You Can Dance”.
He currently is the creative director for singer-songwriter Jazmine Sullivan, most recently working with her on the 2020 BET Soul Train Music Awards. Mr. Page was in the original, award-winning Broadway cast of Fela!. He worked alongside Tony Award-winning composer Jeanine Tesori to choreograph the hit Broadway musical Violet starring Sutton Foster (Roundabout Theatre Company). Page was acknowledged by the Berkshire Theatre Awards for his work at Barrington Stage Company’s Company and Broadway Bounty Hunter. In 2016, he established Movin’ Legacy as an Indianapolis-based nonprofit organization dedicated to the ethnology and documentation of contemporary and traditional dance from Africa and the African diaspora. Jeffrey holds a MFA degree, with a concentration in Theatre Directing from Columbia University in New York City, and serves as a lecturer at Harvard University and The Juilliard School. In 2019 he was awarded the Chuck Davis Emerging Choreographer Fellowship from the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Currently, as co-director and choreographer, he is working with Diane Paulus and the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard University to mount the Broadway revival of 1776.
Thom Weaver (Scenic and Lighting Designer) PTC: 4,000 Miles, Exit Strategy, Venus in Fur, Disgraced, Hand to God. Off-Broadway: Sandra (Vineyard), The Total Bent (Public), Kingdom Come (Roundabout), Exit Strategy (Primary Stages), King Hedley II, How I Learned What I Learned, The Liquid Plain (Signature Theatre Company); Teller’s Play Dead (The Players Theater). Regional: Huntington, Arden, Wilma (Associate Artist), Alliance, Milwaukee Rep, Chicago Shakespeare, Getty, Children’s Theatre Company, Cleveland Play House, Portland Center Stage, Folger Theatre, Asolo Rep, Round House, Hangar, CenterStage, California Shakespeare Theater, Syracuse Stage, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Williamstown, Spoleto, Lincoln Center Festival, and Yale Repertory Theatre, as well as numerous designs with Pilobolus. Awards: two Jeff Awards, six Barrymore Awards and two AUDELCO Awards. Education: Carnegie Mellon and Yale. He is a member of Wingspace Theatrical Design and Co-Founder of Die-Cast. He/him. Black Lives Matter.
Tiffany Bacon (Costume Designer) The Creative & Production Director for WURD Radio, began her career in radio in 1990 at WRTI. At Power 99FM she created Inner City, a show that broke new artists like Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild and more. Tiffany Bacon is the co-author of a health & wellness program for African American teens. Talking Matters is currently being tested for effectiveness by the Research & Evaluation Group at Public Health Management Corporation. Tiffany is also a freelance costume designer whose work has been featured at Quintessence Theatre Group, The Lantern Theater Company, Theatre Exile, & Passage Theatre, to name a few. Tiffany is the 2022 winner of the Broadwayworld.com/ Philadelphia Best Costume Design for a Play or Musical for the Theatre in the X production of Dreamgirls.
Robert Kaplowitz (Sound Designer) is passionate about the intersection of story, society and deliberately curated sound and music. He’s spent 28 years creating work as a sound designer and composer for theater, opera, art installations, and film, and has been honored with a Tony Award for Fela! and an OBIE Award for Sustained Excellence. He developed his dramaturgically driven approach to design in his years with James Houghton at the O’Neill Playwrights Center. He is also on the faculty at Princeton, a co-founder of We Embrace Fatherhood (www.weembracefatherhood.org), and a proud spouse and parent. He dedicates this year’s shows to the memory of Luqman Brown.
Angela Cucco (Stage Manager) is thrilled to be back in the saddle with her first production at PTC. She has previously stage managed for ten seasons at the Walnut Street Theater, and has spent time stage managing at Williamstown Theatre Festival, George Street Playhouse, Vineyard Playhouse, New York International Fringe Festival, and Philly Fringe. Thanks to Mom and Dad, the Castellanos, and the FCM family. Love to David. For Lori.
SUPPORTERS & SPONSORS
Thank you to our Supporters
Philadelphia Theatre Company is deeply grateful for the support we received from the many generous individuals, corporations, foundations and government partners who contribute to PTC.
This list acknowledges donors from January 1, 2022 to March 14, 2023.
Individual Donors
Executive Producers
$100,000+
Rhonda & David L. Cohen
$50,000+
David & Nancy Colman
Producers
($10,000-$24,999)
Gary Deutsch & Susan Dornstein
Julia & Eugene Ericksen
Alice L. George
Linda & David Glickstein
Glenn Gundersen & Susan Manix
John Hanamirian
Sally Katz & David Price
Stephen McConnell
Gayle & David Smith
Shel & Karen Thompson
Alan & Janet Widra
Artists Circle
($5,000-$9,999)
John Alchin & Hal Marryatt
Kia Buckner, CPA
Tracy & Rick Burke
Stephanie B. Fineman, Esq
Greg & Holly Flanagan
Teresa Gavigan & Larry Besnoff
John Kuester III & Harper Seldin
Dale & Richard Levy
Wendy Macdonald
Daryl & Ellen Morey
Vibhat Nair & Jing Wang
Jerry & Cookie Riesenbach
Ryan Schrader
Elliot Schwartz
Laura & Richard Steel
Jay & Danielle Tapper
($2,500-$4,999)
Joseph & Laura Atkinson
Eric & Sue Baelen
Kristin Bair
Mr. & Mrs. Steve G. Filton
Jane & Joe Goldblum
Steve & Ellen Harris
Drew & Rachel Katz
Lawrence & Mary Kent
Taibi Magar & Tyler Dobrowsky
Matthew Massaua
Greg & Marcy Rost
Paul & Aviva Silberberg
The Robert V & Judith A Spires
Nevin Steinberg & Paige Price
Robert Victor & Alexandra Edsall
($1,000-$2,499)
Anonymous
Dr. Peter H. Arger*
James Broderick & Miri Ascarelli
Michael & Ellen Singer Coleman
John & Carol Culhane
The Estate of Gary Grob
Marjorie & Jeffrey Honickman
Geoffrey & Susan Kahn
Christine Kanter
Stephen & Judith Kastenberg
Richard & Michele Kunis
Lawrence & Rita Salva
Paulette Singleton
Bettyruth Walter, PH. D.
Stephen & Rosalyn Weinstein
June & Stephen Wolfson
Performer’s Circle
($500-$999)
Mr. & Mrs. Alvin Block
Larry Ceisler & Lina Hartocollis
David Frank
Philip Gould & Athena Poppas
Ms. Margaret C. Hallenbeck
Bill Hooker & Mark Eichelberger
David Lerman & Shelley Wallock
William Loeb
Michael Mallee
Tammy Murphy
Mr. Jerome Napson
Robin Palley
Craig Richlin & Marty Muller
Vesna & Howard Sacks
Patricia Saddier
Carol Saline & Paul Rathblott
Raymond Smith
Beth Burrel & David Sorensen
Richard Speizman & Faith Horowitz
Stanley & Velma Tilley
Dr. R. J. Wallner
($250-$499)
Dr. Victor & Arlene Adlin
Anonymous
Elaine Axelman & Jere Eisenstat
David & Ann Brownlee
Dr. Sharon Dailey
Mr. & Mrs. H. Robert Fiebach
Steph Fleetman
Leo Gampa
Mark Garvin
Barbara & Ed Glickman
Margaret Green
Mr. & Mrs. Millage Holloway Jr.
Anne & Craig Jorgensen
Jeanette Leff
Todd Levin & Andre Beckett
Joe Manko
David S. Miller
Natalie Nixon
John & Judith Peakes
Dr. Donna-Marie Peters
Barbara Plumeri
Joel & Roberta Porter
Ned & Nancy Scharff
Kathleen Stephenson, Esq.
Carl & Terri Weiner
Rebecca Yang
($120-$249)
(previously $100 – $249)
Sara Allen
Anonymous (3)
Cecily Banks
Mr. Jay Blossom
Kathleen Brooks
Stanton Brown
John & Teresa Cavenagh
Norman & Suzanne Cohn
George Condos
John Custodio
Dr. & Ms. John A. DeFlaminis
Lois & John Durso
Jonathan Edmondson
Elliot Footer
Gardner Friedlander
Sidney & Joyce Gamburg
Professor Janet-Lynn Garrabrant
Joan Gmitter
Rick & Diane Graboyes
Marshal & Tamar Granor
Ms. Susan Grater
Richard Hausch & Jeffrey Renninger
Peggy Hawkins
Bob Hedley & Harriet Power
John E. Holohan
Stuart & Caren Hosansky
David Ingram & Melanye Finister
Marlene & Bernard Jacobs
Karl Janowitz & Amy Goldman
Christina Kind
Margaret Klein
Robert & Dona Krall
Monika Krug*
David Ladov
Gerry Lantz & Jean Fisher
Mr. Daniel T. Lee
Michael Levitan
Natalie Levkovich
Diane Rurode & James Lord
Jane Lowe
Arnold Lurie
Shirley Malitz
Mr. & Mrs. Lowell E. Mann
Larry & Lorraine McClain
Dr. Alan M. Mendelsohn & Ms. Mindy S. Shapiro
Richard E. Mitchell
Mr. James R. Murray Jr.
Lawrence & Paula Ninerell
Linda L. Osler
Clara Parker
Bohdan Pazuniak
Claudia Pine-Simon
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Rathmill
Joyce & Tim Ratner
Mariana Reyes
Justin Romeo
Don Rosenblit
Arlene D. Schaller
Ms. Ann E. Schilling
Dr. Louis & Linda Schwartz
Ms. Janet Golup
John Spitters
Mr. & Ms. Paul Stark
Ivan & Etta Szeftel
Patricia Tahan
Charles Tarr & Roy Ziegler
Anne Taylor
Craig Thomas & Tim Graham
Jeffery & Miriam Tucker
Deborah McColloch & Charles Valentine
Joseph & Jane Vardaro
Howard Wiener
Amy Wilson
Kuna & Sam Yankell
Barrie & Gene Zenone
Gifts in memory/honor
In honor of David L. Cohen
Jeffrey & Marjorie Honickman
In Memory of Joilet Harris
Mark Garvin
In honor of Paige Price
Leslye Silver
Sally Katz & David Price
In honor of Elliot Schwartz
Paul & Aviva Silberberg
In Honor of Max Vernon and PTC’s commitment and support honoring artistry and diversity
Craig Richlin & Marty Muller
In honor of Lisa Washington
Natalie Nixon
Rebecca Yang
In memory of Donald Stanley Wilf
Dr. Peter Arger
*Deceased
Foundations
$250,000+
The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage
Suzanne Roberts Cultural Development Fund
$100,000-$249,999
The William Penn Foundation
$50,000-$99,999
The Wyncote Foundation
$10,000-$49,999
Ann B. Ritt Charitable Foundation
The Lida Foundation
The Shubert Foundation
$250-$9,999
Actors’ Equity Foundation
Charlotte Cushman Foundation
Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation
The Civic Foundation
Dolfinger McMahon Foundation
Independence Foundation
Maxwell Strawbridge Charitable Trust
National Alliance for Musical Theatre
Philadelphia Fund Alliance
The Saramar Charitable Fund
Government
PTC receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Season Sponsors
Program Sponsor
10Tix Presenting Sponsor
Corporate Supporters
Other Corporate Gifts or Matching Gifts
AmazonSmile Foundation
EisnerAmper LLC
Fox Corporation
JP Morgan Chase Foundation
Mondrian Investment Partners
MAC Capital Partners
PNC Bank
PwC LLP
Vanguard
The William Penn Foundation
RESIDENT COMPANY EVENTS
INSTITUTIONAL INFORMATION
GENERAL INFORMATION – Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar & Grill
Box Office Hours
During Productions:
Mon-Sun: 12pm – 30 minutes after curtain
Between Productions:
Mon-Fri: 12pm – 6pm
Sat & Sun: Closed
Assisted Listening Devices
Assisted listening headsets that wirelessly deliver all dialogue, music, and sound from the show at a personally adjustable volume are available for free at every PTC performance through the House Manager or concessionaire.
Accommodations
If you would like to discuss accommodations and accessibility in our facilities, please reach out to Patron Services Supervisor, Angel Chasco at achasco@philatheatreco.org.
Photography
The use of photographic/recording devices is strictly prohibited. Please note: The audience may be photographed by PTC staff for archival and publicity purposes. If you prefer that your likeness not appear in PTC materials, please notify a House Manager.
Facility Rentals
Vince Karlen, Rentals Manager
215.985.1400 x104, or
vkarlen@philatheatreco.org
Group Sales & Strategic Partnerships
For groups of 10 or more please email audienceservices@philatheatreco.org
Volunteer or House Management Opportunities
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer usher, reach out to Patron Services Supervisor Angel Chasco at achasco@philatheatreco.org.
Public Transportation
The Suzanne Roberts Theatre is located at SEPTA Bus Stop ID# 15190 for Bus routes 4, 27, & 32 (on the southbound side of Broad Street). You can also access the theatre from the BSL at the Lombard/South Station by exiting towards Lombard. PATCO stations at 12/13th and 15/16th are approximately 0.4 miles from the theatre. SEPTA Suburban and Jefferson Regional Rail stations are approximately 1 mile from the theatre.
Parking
Parking is available at the Symphony House Garage by reserving ahead of time at https://www.iparkit.com/locations/symphony-house-public-parking-garage. Additional parking can be found across the street at 417 S Broad Street; or at the Parkway Avenue of the Arts parking garage by visiting: https://www.parkwaycorp.com/parking/garage/avenue-arts-1501-spruce/philadelphia/pa/19102. Please note: there is limited street parking available near the theatre, and is not guaranteed.
Restrooms, Elevator, Water Fountains
RESTROOMS are located on the orchestra level of the theatre and are ADA compliant. The ELEVATOR is located to the left of the concession stand which may be used to reach the mezzanine level. WATER FOUNTAINS are located outside the restrooms.
Lost & Found
If you have lost or found an item, please see the Box Office or House Manager. PTC is not responsible for loss or theft of personal belongings.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We recognize and acknowledge that the Suzanne Roberts Theatre stands on the Indigenous territory known as “Lenapehoking,” the traditional homelands of the Lenape, also called Lenni-Lenape or Delaware Indians. These are the people who, during the 1680s, negotiated with William Penn to facilitate the founding of the colony of Pennsylvania. The Lenape diaspora includes five federally recognized nations in Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Ontario. Pennsylvania is one of only a few Eastern states that does not recognize any native tribes.
Here is a local organization you can support: We Are The Seeds
Learn more by visiting The Lenape Nation of PA Cultural Center in Easton, PA.
PTC LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP
Gary A. Deutsch, Chair
Vibhat Nair, PhD, Vice-Chair
Dr. Donna-Marie Peters, Secretary
John M. Hanamirian, Treasurer
Kristin Bair
Kia Buckner CPA, CGMA
David L. Colman, AIA
Tyler Dobrowsky, Co-Artistic Director
Steven Engelmyer
Stephanie B. Fineman, Esq.
Elliot I. Griffin
Glenn Gunderson
Regina Hairston
Sally Katz
Daphne Klausner
John Kuester III
Taibi Magar, Co-Artistic Director
Stephen J. McConnell
Daryl Morey
Gerald Riesenbach, Esq.
Ryan Schrader
Elliot Schwartz
Judy Spires
Dani Tapper
David Treatman
Emily Zeck, Managing Director
ARTISTIC ADVISORY BOARD
Daryl Roth
Harold Wolpert
MEMBERS EMERITUS
Sara Garonzik, Executive Producing Director Emeritus
Don Rosenblit, Chairman Emeritus*
Michael Coleman*
Julia Ericksen
Carol Saline
Sheldon L. Thompson*
Tracey B. Weiss
*Denotes Past President
Tyler Dobrowsky (Co-Artistic Director) previously worked at Trinity Rep as their Associate Artistic Director, and while there he commissioned a number of writers, such as George Brant, Jackie Sibblies Drury, Miranda Rose Hall, James Ijames, Whitney White, and Lauren Yee, co-founded YASI, Trinity’s summer camp for young people, and, working with Rhode Island Latino Arts, developed a free, bilingual, mobile theater program, Teatro en el Verano. Favorite directing credits include: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Little Shop of Horrors, Into The Breeches at Trinity, Macbeth in Stride at A.R.T.; The Big Meal and Morality Play at the Gamm; Capsule for The Public. He has taught at BU, Brown, NYU, Rhode Island College, and a number of other universities.
Taibi Magar (Co-Artistic Director) is a graduate of the Brown MFA program. NY credits include: Help (The Shed), Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 (Signature Theatre, Lortel-winning) Capsule by Whitney White and Peter Mark Kendall (The Public Theater) Blue Ridge starring Marin Ireland and The Great Leap starring BD Wong (Atlantic Theater); Is God Is (Soho Rep, 2018 Obie Award;) and Underground Railroad Game (Ars Nova). She premiered the new musicals Macbeth In Stride and We Live In Cairo at A.R.T.. She is developing the commercial theatrical adaptation of Wonder by Jill Furman (book by Bess Wohl, music and lyrics by A Great Big World). Regional: CTG, Woolly Mammoth, Alley Theatre, The Guthrie, and Seattle Rep, among others. International: Hamburg Festival, Edinburgh Festival, Malthouse Theatre (Melbourne), and Soho Theatre (London). She received an Obie Award in 2018 and the SDC Breakout Award in 2019. Taibi has taught at University of the Arts, Juilliard, NYU and Brown.
Emily Zeck (Managing Director) joined PTC as Managing Director in 2017. She began her theatre management career by producing Off-Off-Broadway, and subsequently joined Theatre Aspen as their Managing Director. She has held management positions at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, a Broadway general management company, and New York Stage and Film. She is currently serving as Treasurer of Theatre Philadelphia and teaches theatre management at University of the Arts. Emily holds an MA and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.
PTC STAFF
LEADERSHIP
Co-Artistic Directors: Taibi Magar & Tyler Dobrowsky
Managing Director: Emily Zeck
ARTISTIC & PRODUCTION
Resident Artist: Jeffrey L. Page
Literary Intern: Rachel Kessler
Production Manager: Jacob Gilbert
Associate Production Manager: Sydney Justice
Head Carpenter: Daniel Barland
Assistant Carpenter: Patrick Dougherty
Wardrobe Supervisor: Danielle Joh
Wardrobe Assistant: Sabrina Reichert
Lighting Supervisor: Colin Lang
Assistant Lighting Supervisor: Jeremy Hugo
Sound Supervisor: Dakota Erickson
Assistant Audio Supervisor: Olivia Denison
Video Supervisor: Brian Morsberger
Properties Supervisor: Alicia Crosby
House Assistant: Heather Pynne
MARKETING & DEVELOPMENT
Director of Marketing: Xiaomeng Sylvia Zhang
Marketing Associate: Lydon Frank Lettuce
Marketing Intern: Jeffrey Gonsiewski, Nate Grigal
Public Relations: Kory Aversa and Carrie Gorn of Aversa PR & Events LLC
Director of Development: Nathan Schultz
Associate Director of Development: Jessica Pasquariello
Institutional Giving Manager: Olivia Broderick
Development Intern: Max Buchman
SUZANNE ROBERTS THEATRE AND AUDIENCE SERVICES
Rental Manager: Vince Karlen
Tessitura Manager: Amy Wilson
Co-Manager of Audience Services: Lauren Davenport
Co-Manager of Audience Services: Jonathan Wallace
Audience Services Associates: Tiffany Hall, RJ Noriega, Emily Wanamaker
Patron Services Supervisor: Angel Chasco
Front of House Staff: Atticus Berry, Peter Groton, Tom Irvin, Lisa M Johnson, Nickolette Jones, Mark Mariano, Evan Mayorga, Luke Mazurek, Javier Mojica, Bella Saltzer, Gabrielle Vaughan
Custodians: KZach Services
GENERAL MANAGEMENT
General Manager: Margo Moskowitz
Management Associate: Matt Demetrides
