October 15 - November 17, 2024
At The Bushwick Starr
The Bushwick Starr presents
a co-production with:
written by Julia May Jonas
music & music direction by Brian Cavanagh-Strong
directed by Sarah Hughes
SETTING: Northampton, Massachusetts
FEATURING
in alphabetical order:
Brittany K. Allen as CHRISTINE
Gabriel Brown as ROY
Annie Fang as RIDA/TRISHA
Zoë Geltman as GRACE
Hannah Heller as SARAH
Lucy Kaminsky as TAMMY
Drew Lewis as LANE
Maria-Christina Oliveras as TINA
Dee Pelletier as CLEO
CREATIVE TEAM:
Scenic Designer: Brittany Vasta, Costume Designer: Wendy Yang, Lighting Designer: Masha Tsimring, Sound Designer: Jordan McCree, Props Manager: Maggie Heath, Assistant Director: Noah Latty, Assistant Costume Designer: Nathalie Gonzalez, Assistant Lighting Designer: Jordan Barnett, Assistant Sound Designer: Brandon Bulls
Stage Manager (through 11/8/24): Siena Yusi
Assistant Stage Manager (through 11/8/24): Sarah Orttung
Stage Manager (beginning 11/9/24): Sarah Orttung
Assistant Stage Manager (beginning 11/9/24): Dominique Nadeau
Line Producer: Lucy Powis
ADDITIONAL STAFF:
Devin McCallion Fletcher (Production Manager), Jay Maury (Technical Director), Maxinne Spann (Assistant Technical Director), Chavon Patterson (Box Office Manager & Captions Operator), Jen Williams (House Manager), Justin Allen (House Associate)
CREW:
Production Electrician: Jacqueline Scaletta, Audio Supervisor: Brandon Bulls, Wardrobe Supervisor: Nai’ya Willis-Hogan, Sound Mixer: Volmar, Wardrobe Supervisor Sub: Kayla Brooke
Lighting Crew: Aldric Durham, Mikelle Kelly, Marcus Gamboa, Eliut Ortiz, Bonnie Puk
Audio Crew: Madilyn Keller, Adjua Jones, Jamie Davis, TJ Dyar, Jeff Rowell
Scenic Crew: Colleen Combs, Joaquim Stevenson-Rodriguez, Cole Montgomery, Michael DeCaul, John Murphy, Luke Pietrantonio, Eliut Ortiz
SUPPORT + DEVELOPMENT:
A WOMAN AMONG WOMEN is made with support from: The NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre by the City of New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment in association with The New York Foundation for the Arts; Venturous Theater Fund of Tides Foundation; The New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; the Mental Insight Foundation
A WOMAN AMONG WOMEN has been previously developed through residencies at NACL, The Jam at New Georges, and The Great Plains Theater Conference.
PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTE:
This play is inspired by Arthur Miller’s All My Sons. Connections to All My Sons weave their ways throughout, but one noticeable connection is that Miller was talking about Fathers and Sons and socialized ideas of legacy, and I am talking about Mothers and Daughters and socialized ideas of legacy. Another is that we are both interested in and pointing to the Greek tragic form as laid out by Aristotle—playing with the concepts of hamartia, spectacle, the unities, recognition, reversal, catharsis, and a scene of suffering. Joe Keller, the tragic hero of All My Sons, is described by Miller in his stage directions as “A man among men.” When I read that, I knew what Miller meant, what kind of man he was suggesting. I knew the way he walked and the way he talked. I didn’t know what it meant to be “A woman among women,” and so this play is an attempt to discover a version (from my own limited perspective) of what that might mean.
I don’t possess or wish to possess Miller’s innate sense of moral authority, though I admire it. Where we most align as artists is our attraction to intractable situations and dilemmas and our love of structures and forms. My intention is not to represent all women, or even some women—the play is not about representation; to me that feels both gender essentialist and suggests that I believe women are a monolith, which I certainly do not. If anything, I will say that in the way Miller was examining what the label of “man” does to and means for his very specific tragic hero and the surrounding characters, I aim to examine how the label of “woman” might affect and have affected my very specific tragic heroine, the people who surround her, and our perception, as an audience, of who she is and what she did.
I write books as well as plays, and have been asked several times how I know what needs to be a book and what needs to be a play. When asked that, I always offer some version of the following. Theater, no matter how naturalistic, is an agreement between the performers and the audience. Every night we create a community. We make the play together. All of my theater work, but maybe especially this play, aims to take advantage of that agreement and to acknowledge that community.
Thank you for coming.
BIOS:
Brittany K. Allen (CHRISTINE) is a Brooklyn-based actor and writer. Recent credits include her own play, Redwood (Ensemble Studio Theatre, Portland Center Stage), Deep Blue Sound (Clubbed Thumb), The Good John Proctor (Bedlam; New Yorker's Best Theatre of 2023), and Gloria: A Life (DR2). She has developed new and old work with The Civilians, Clubbed Thumb, Classic Stage Company, Atlantic Theater Company, New Georges, Bedlam, Primary Stages, The Flea, and New York Stage and Film, among other places. She is a company member with Colt Coeur, and teaches on faculty at the Sewanee Writers Conference.
Gabriel Brown (ROY) most recently appeared in the world premiere of BIG DATA directed by Pam MacKinnon at the American Conservatory Theater. Other credits include: Bobbie Clearly (Roundabout Theater); Love & Money (Signature Theatre); The Mystery of Love & Sex, dir. Sam Gold (Lincoln Center); The City of Conversation, dir. Doug Hughes (Lincoln Center); as well as Blue (The Apollo); Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Mark Taper Forum, Ovation Award); A Raisin in the Sun (Westport Country Playhouse) all directed by Phylicia Rashad. Brown was a Series Regular on the Issa Rae produced limited series “Minimum Wage” (ALLBLK), and has appeared on “The Good Fight” (Paramount +), and “Madam Secretary” (CBS).
Annie Fang (RIDA/TRISHA) Off-Broadway: Your Own Personal Exegesis (LCT3/Lincoln Center Theater), SHHHH (Atlantic Theater Company). Other New York credits include Usus and Chairs (Clubbed Thumb). Select regional: Jennifer Who Is Leaving (Round House Theatre), Thrive, Or What You Will and Twelfth Night (American Shakespeare Center), SHIP (Azuka Theatre), Man of God (InterAct Theatre). IG: @thefatpecan. fang-annie.com
Zoë Geltman (GRACE) is a writer and performer. Select performing credits include Kara & Emma & Barbara & Miranda (The Tank), Remember This Trick (Target Margin), Spindle Shuttle Needle (Clubbed Thumb), The World My Mama Raised (Clubbed Thumb), PIONEERS #goforth (JACK), Evelyn (The Bushwick Starr), and The Return (CPM Gallery). She is currently pursuing an MFA in Playwriting at Brooklyn College. www.zoegeltman.com.
Hannah Heller (SARAH) is a joyous repeat offender at The Bushwick Starr and has gleefully worked with Julia Jonas since 2005, including her plays Evelyn (Bushwick Starr) and Emily Climbs: Machine Mechante (The Brick). Other select NY Theater: Strange Window (BAM), Actress Fury (Bushwick Starr), The World is Round (BAM), The Reception (HERE Arts Center). Film/TV: Lemon (Magnolia Pictures/Killer Films), Hard World For Small Things (WEVR), Jeff and Some Aliens (Comedy Central). Hannah co-created the web-series Morning Chardonnay and wrote and directed the short film Ursula. Upcoming, Hannah will be seen in The Bride (Warner Bros.) and is the co-creator of The Nutcracker Suite with Dorrance Dance at New York City Center this November. Hannah would like to thank Gabú, Uma, and master of humanity Philippe Gaulier.
Lucy Kaminsky (TAMMY) is an actor and dancer from Brooklyn. Over the last 15 years she’s had the absolute thrill and honor to work with 600 Highwaymen, William Burke, Katie Brook, Corinne Donly, Meghan Finn, McFeeley Sam Goodman, Sarah Hughes, Julia May Jonas, LILLETH, Juliana F. May, Daaimah Mubashshir and New Saloon among others. She was featured in the MGMT music video for "When you Die". Recent film credits include: Together Together, A Different Man, The Sweet East, The Adults, The Plagiarists. She graduated from Bard College with a BA in Environmental Studies.
Drew Lewis (LANE) is a Brooklyn-based actor, writer & director. Stage: Redwood (EST); The Joy of Painting (Clubbed Thumb); India Pale Ale (MTC); Romeo & Juliet, Love’s Labour’s Lost (HVSF). He’s developed work at the Bushwick Starr, the Public, Playwright’s Horizons, NYTW, MTC, EST, ACT, etc. Screen: Succession; Mozart in the Jungle; Blue Bloods; Alternatino; and two seasons as ‘Dr. Hack’ on Hack My Life. Internet: Good Cop Great Cop. Drew currently has features in development with Sight Unseen (co-written w/ Will Arbery) & Likely Story. Proud member of EST. Graduate of Kenyon College. thedrewlewis.com.
Maria-Christina Oliveras (TINA) Broadway: Between Riverside and Crazy; Amelie; Machinal; Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson; Hadestown (National Tour). Off-Broadway: Here Lies Love, Romeo and Juliet, Parable of the Sower (Public); Pretty Filthy (Civilians); Zorba! (City Center/Encores); Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade…(St. Ann’s); NYTW, Atlantic, Primary Stages, Clubbed Thumb, EST, among others. Regional: Kiss My Aztec! (Berkeley Rep, La Jolla, Hartford Stage); Soft Power (CTG/Curran); Amelie (CTG/Berkeley Rep); El Huracån (Yale Rep); Macbeth/As You Like It (HVSF); Williamstown, Baltimore Center Stage, Huntington, Long Wharf, Denver Center, Sundance, O’Neill, Powerhouse. Selected Film/TV: St. Vincent, Manhattan Nocturne, “Blue Bloods,” “NCIS: NOLA,” “The Blacklist,” “Law & Order: SVU.” @mcoliveras
Dee Pelletier (CLEO) Broadway: The Minutes, August: Osage County. Off-Broadway: Night of the Iguana, The Fears (Signature), Twelfth Night, Washington Square (Axis Company), Women Without Men (Mint Theater), BUG (Barrow Street). Regional: Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (McCarter Theatre), A Doll’s House, Part 2 (Pendragon Theatre), Third (Hangar Theatre), Good People (Geva Theatre, Indiana Rep), Grace, or The Art of Climbing (Denver Center), Cymbeline, Hamlet, Hedda Gabler (Shakespeare Theatre Co), The Syringa Tree, (Kitchen Theatre, Vermont Stage). TV: Succession, Dr. Death, Orange Is the New Black, Star Trek: Discovery Training: Trinity Rep Conservatory. Member of The Actors Center
Julia May Jonas (Playwright) is a writer and founder of the theater company Nellie Tinder. Recent plays include Your Own Personal Exegesis (LCT3) and Problems Between Sisters (Studio Theatre, Washington, DC). Problems Between Sisters, along with A Woman Among Women (upcoming, at the Bushwick Starr), are from her five-play-cycle, All Long True American Stories, in which she responds to five canonical male-experience plays with new works for other experiences (mostly female). Her debut novel, Vladimir, was published in February 2022 by Avid Reader Press and was named a "Best Book of 2022" by Time Magazine, New York Public Library, People, New York Magazine, Vogue, Esquire, NPR and others, was selected as a New York Times Editor's Pick, and has been translated into 14 languages. Julia has taught at Skidmore College and New York University, and lives in Brooklyn with her family.
Sarah Hughes (Director) is a director of new plays, radical adaptations, and devised work. Recent: Daphne by Renae Simone Jarrett (LCT3), Galatea by MJ Kaufman (Brooklyn Bridge Park), His Chest Is Only Skeleton by Julia Izumi (Playwrights Horizons), #GRACED by Vanessa Garcia (Zoetic Stage). Sarah is an Associated Artist of New Georges and Target Margin Theater, worked for many years with Elevator Repair Service, and has taught at Dartmouth College, Purchase College, and NYU. As Director of Artistic Programming at Theatre Row, she created the Kitchen Sink Residency for new work development. Drama League Beatrice Terry Resident, Mercury Store Lead Artist, National Directors Fellow, WP Theater Directing Lab Member, Clubbed Thumb Directing Fellow, SDCF Barbara Whitman Award Finalist. She lives in Brooklyn with her family. www.sarahcameronhughes.com
Brian Cavanagh-Strong (Composer & Music Director) is a composer and music director whose work has found a place in theatre, musical theatre, opera, film and television, and has been performed in New York City, regionally, and internationally. Theatre: As a composer, his work has been developed at Lincoln Center Theater, The Bushwick Starr, Ars Nova, New Georges, Montclair State New Works Initiative, American Opera Projects, Black Blox Okhla, and others. Music Supervisor: Anthem/Homunculus (Topic Studios); Eh Dah? Questions For My Father (NYTW) and others. Music Director: Disappearing Man (Cloud City); In A Sea Of Faces (Hypokrit Theatre Company) and others. Film (composer): Saints Rest; Baladi. TV (composer): Sesame Street (HBO). He teaches at NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program.
Brittany Vasta (Set Designer) Brooklyn based scenic designer for live performance. Designs seen previously at Signature Theatre, NY City Center, Theatre Row, The Duke, Cherry Lane, The Flea, 59x59, Abrons, JACK, Syracuse Stage, Berkeley Rep. Portland Center Stage, Kansas City Rep, Portland Stage Company, Chautauqua Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre of NY, Theatre Aspen, among others. Drama Desk nomination for Octet (Signature Theatre). MFA, NYU. USA 829 member.
Wendy Yang (Costume Designer) is an Emmy-nominated costume designer for productions including television, films, theater, commercials, and music videos. Born in Hong Kong and raised between cultures and continents, Wendy expresses her Asian-American, mixed race identity and upbringing by bringing an eclectic, global perspective to her designs. Wendy was Associate and Co-Costume Designer with Amy Westcott on Amazon/Kilter Films’ series FALLOUT, based on the retro-futuristic, post-apocalyptic video game; and the Costume Designer of The Strange Dark, world premiering this September at the Soho Film Festival. This is Wendy’s sixth show at the Bushwick Starr. www.wendyyangcostumes.com
Masha Tsimring (Lighting Designer) Off Broadway: Six Characters (LCT3); Staff Meal (Playwrights Horizons); Grief Hotel (Clubbed Thumb); Sad Boys in Harpy Land (Playwrights Horizons/Abrons Art Center); Terce (Prototype); Self Portraits (Bushwick Starr); Montag (Soho Rep). Regional: English (Barrington Stage Company); Eternal Life, Part 1 (The Wilma); The Appointment (Lightning Rod Special); Vietgone (Guthrie); Tick Tick…Boom! (Portland Center Stage); Dance/Opera: Me. You. We. They. (LA Dance Project); Deepe Darknesse (Lisa Fagan/Lena Engelstein); The Hunt (Miller Theater); Rodelinda (Hudson Hall); Der Freischütz (Wolf Trap Opera). She is a proud member of USA829. More info at www.mashald.com.
Jordan McCree (Sound Designer) is an artist based in Philadelphia. Their most recent collaborations include: The Comeuppance (Woolly Mammoth/Wilma Theater), Good Person of Setzuan (Wilma Theater), Grief Hotel (Clubbed Thumb), Cost of Living (Philadelphia Theatre Company), The BFG (Arden Theater Company), Sandblasted (Theatre Horizon), The World Takes (short film, Eight Flow Studio), Eternal Life Part 1 (The Wilma Theater), The Karamazovs (film, Village Park Productions), Fat Ham (2021 World Premiere,The Wilma Theater). They were one of the 2022 grant recipients to the 1/52 Project. They are also a member of Philly-based, Barrymore Award winning, hip hop collective, ILL DOOTS. Their music is available everywhere!
Siena Yusi (Stage Manager) is a stage manager, theatre maker, and arts educator who is passionate about supporting the creation of live performance that is imaginative and intentional. Most commonly working on the development of new plays, Siena has had the honor of collaborating with institutions such as Playwrights Horizons, PAC NYC, Clubbed Thumb, The Play Company, Waterwell, KGM Theatricals, Abrons Arts Center, and Mabou Mines, among others. Proud AEA member. BFA: NYU Tisch. www.sienayusi.com
Sarah Orttung (Assistant Stage Manager) is thrilled to return to the Bushwick Starr for the second time! Recent credits include: Presencia (Bushwick Starr), Luna Gale (The Juilliard School), L'Allegro, il Penseroso... (The Curtis Institute), The Song of the Nightingale (On Site Opera), Don Pasquale (Opera Saratoga), Proving Up (The Juilliard School), How To Catch Creation (The Juilliard School), Mud Row (Premiere Stages).
Noah Latty (Assistant Director) is a director from Philadelphia, based in Brooklyn, New York. They create work that balances the intimate and strange. Noah recently directed Kinderkrankenhaus, which was nominated for Broadway Worlds’ Best New Off-Off Broadway Play in 2023. Their surreal digital play, Still Goes, was a part of the 2022 Exponential Festival. They recently served as Assistant Director for Pre-Existing Condition by Marin Ireland at The Connelly Theater. Other directing credits include Crawl Space at The Flea, Miss Margarida's Way, at Brick Aux, Berlindia!, with The Workshop Theater, and CHOKE, Playwrights Downtown.
Nathalie Gonzalez (Assistant Costume Designer) A dragon year Aries born and raised in Queens, NY. I've always loved cinema, as well as fashion history/costume design/luxury. After my 4 years at FIT studying fashion merchandising, I jumped right into costume design in the indie film world, and have been steadily moving about in the world of costume design ever since!
Jordan Barnett (Assistant Lighting Designer) Brooklyn based Lighting and Scenic Designer | Design Credits: Henry V (Stella Adler), Seagull in the Hamptons (Lee Stransberg), Marisol (Emerson Stage), Hysteria (Neo-Politcal Cowgirls) | Assistant Credits: English with Masha Tsimring (Barrington Stage), Psychic Self Defense with Christina Tang (HERE Arts Center), Chita Rivera Awards with Paige Seber (Skirball Center) | Jupnett.com | Thank you to Masha for bringing me along for the ride!
Brandon Bulls (Assistant Sound Designer & Audio Supervisor) (he/him) is a sound designer and composer based in Brooklyn. Off-Broadway: The Counter - Roundabout Theater (Asst.), Stalker - New World Stages (Asst.), Sabbath's Theater - The New Group (Assc.), Primary Trust - Roundabout Theater (Assc.), Elyria - Atlantic Theater (Assc.), Fiddler on the Roof - New World Stages (Assc.), Wedding Band - TFANA (Assc.). Off-Off Broadway: On Set With Theda Bara - Transport Group, Phantasmagoria - The Tank, Scouts - The Players Theater. Regional: The Half-God Of Rainfall - American Repertory Theater (Assc.), Der Ring Gott Farblonjet - Columbia University, Tempo - Williamstown Theater Festival. Brandon is a member of the TSDCA & IATSE Local USA 829. www.brandon-bulls.com
Lucy Powis (Line Producer) is a producer, dramaturg, and arts administrator. She works at Michael Moore Agency as a Theatrical Literary Agent and previously spent 5 years at A3 Artists Agency. She has held positions in the artistic/literary departments at Roundabout Theatre Company, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Her producing and dramaturgy credits include work at The Public's Under the Radar Festival, Next Door @ NYTW, New Georges, Ars Nova's ANT Fest, Rattlestick, The Segal Center's PRELUDE Festival, HERE, and the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center. Lucy hails from Toronto and holds an MFA in Dramaturgy from Columbia University.
SPECIAL THANKS:
Jess Barbagallo; Taylor Barfield; Pete Betcher; Matthew Capodicasa; John-Philip Faienza; Fordham College at Lincoln Center & Tim Zay; Fordham Theatre Company; Kelly Gillespie; Ann Heath; Nancy & Owen Hughes; K Hurley; Patrick & Christina Jonas; Rachel & Janet Kleinman; Brad Krumholz; Little Sister Creative; Uncle Peter; Catherine Sheehy; Miriam & Adam Silverman; Adam & Ruth Sternbergh; Jessika Stocker; Valerie Terranova; Alex Tilney; Daniel Wilde; Taylor Williams
A Woman Among Women was developed over a series of workshops and residencies starting in 2016, with integral input from the following artists: Noel Allain, Kayla Amani, Rachel April, Inga Ballard, Purva Bedi, Eliza Bent, Kaaron Briscoe, Nikki Calonge, Aron Canter, Sam Chanse, Kallan Dana, Elaine Davis, Kim Gainer, Leoh Ghermay, Arielle Gonzalez, Marisela Gonzalez, David Gould, Beth Griffith, Clifton Joey Guidry III, Deepali Gupta, Megan Hill, Toussaint Jeanlouis, Mia Katigbak, Brian McCarthy, KatieRose McLaughlin, Christina Rouner, Socorro Santiago, Kate Schroeder, Miriam Silverman, Merlin Whitehawk, Hanna Yurfest
ABOUT OUR PRODUCING PARTNER
New Georges advocates for an intergenerational ecosystem of exuberant theatrical minds, furthering fierce new works along with long-term wellbeing, expanding aesthetic boundaries and gender equity in tandem. Since 1992, we have imagined a new kind of artistic home–a relaxed, participatory culture and a productive oasis in a competitive field. Development pathways and artist services (including our workspace, The Room, which marks 30 years of on-its-feet experimentation this month) support New Georges' affiliated artists, the largest ongoing working community of women+ theater artists in New York City. New-play projects in our “weird or weird-ish” aesthetic have wit (in the classical sense), are funny (in any sense), idiosyncratic, often impossible, maybe messy. Honors for New Georges, its plays and its people include National Theatre Conference’s Outstanding Theatre Award, Obie Awards, AUDELCO Awards, The Lilly Award, Susan Smith Blackburn and Kesselring prizes. A transformational home and launchpad for now two generations of artists, our impact reaches every corner of the culture. www.newgeorges.org
New Georges is
Susan Bernfield, Artistic Director/Producer Jaynie Saunders Tiller, Executive Director/Producer
Deadria Harrington, Artistic Operations Director Sonya Sobieski, New Play Advocate
New Georges Board of Directors Susan Bernfield, Hilary Bettis, Morgan Brill, Deadria Harrington, Miranda Haymon, Rachel Karpf, Danielle Porcaro, Alisa Schierman, Jaynie Saunders Tiller
New Georges is grateful for the generous support of Howard Gilman Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Venturous Theater Fund of Tides Foundation, Axe-Houghton Foundation, John Golden Fund, Lucille Lortel Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
Photo by Jessika Stocker