Read Spunk Program - California Shakespeare Theater

BrYAN S. DYEr
(Vocal Coach)
Mr. dyer is a multitalented musician who not
only sings but also plays and teaches several
instruments, including bass guitar, percussion,
and piano; writes and arranges music; conducts
choirs and groups; and works in television, radio
and film. A veteran of some of the Bay Area’s top
vocal groups—including street sounds, soVoso,
slammin all body band, linda Tillery and the
cultural heritage choir, and chelle and Friends—
he also performs with Zadell, rankin scroo
and Ginger, and r&b group d.a.p. his musical
experiences have him taken around the globe
including several trips throughout europe, Japan,
south Korea, and Jamaica. Mr. dyer’s talents have
landed him alongside such artist as al Green,
bobby McFerrin, Michael Mcdonald of the doobie
brothers, ladysmith black Mambazo, and huey
lewis and the News, to name a few.
DAVE MAiEr
(Fight Consultant)
Mr. Maier is the resident fight director at Cal
shakes where he has composed violence for
various productions including Titus Andronicus,
Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet, King Lear, Richard
III, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and As You
Like It. he has won several awards for his work
including two sFbaTcc awards for Fight direction
in 2010 for Oedipus el Rey (Magic Theatre) and
The Fantasticks (SF Playhouse). Recent fight
work includes Othello, the Moor of Venice (Marin
Theatre co.) and Pirates of Penzance (berkeley
playhouse). his efforts have been seen on many
bay area stages including a.c.T., berkeley rep,
san Jose rep, shakespeare santa cruz, and
shotgun players, among others. he is a Full
instructor of Theatrical combat with dueling arts
international and a founding member of dueling
arts san Francisco. he is currently teaching
combat-related classes at berkeley rep school of
Theatre, saint Mary’s college of california, and
uc santa cruz.
LAxMi KUMArAN*
(Stage Manager)
in the bay area, Ms. Kumaran has stage-managed
for san Jose rep and center rep, and joined the
cal shakes family as stage manager for Candida
and Titus Andronicus last season. before moving
to the bay area, Ms. Kumaran stage managed
in chicago for a variety of theaters, including the
Goodman Theatre and the court Theatre. some of
the directors with whom she has had the pleasure
of working include Joel sass, Jonathan Moscone,
rick lombardo, Timothy Near, amy Glazer,
richard seer, John Mccluggage, Kirsten brandt,
barbara damashek, Michael butler, robert Falls,
Mary Zimmerman, david ira Goldstein, Joanne
akalaitis, robert Woodruff, Karin coonrod, Gary
Griffin, and David Cromer. Ms. Kumaran has
taught stage management classes at san Jose
state, Northern illinois, depaul, and Northwestern
universities; and currently teaches at the
university of california santa cruz.
WHO’S WHO
COrriE BENNEtt*
(Assistant Stage Manager)
This is Ms. bennett’s fourth production with cal
shakes. Favorite bay area stage management
credits include Body Awareness and Collapse
with aurora, Witness for the Prosecution, She
Loves Me, and A Marvelous Party with center
rep; Animals Out of Paper with sF playhouse;
and Chosen with Keith hennessy’s circo Zero.
she has also had the pleasure of working with
other local companies including the Magic
Theatre, Marin Theatre company, TJT, american
conservatory Theater, playground, and sOMarts.
Ms. bennett is a producer for the san Francisco
based non-profit Homo A Go Go and production
manager for the organization’s semi-annual music
and arts festivals.
CAL SHAKES PrOfiLES
JONAtHAN
MOSCONE
(Artistic Director)
Mr. Moscone is in his 12 th
season serving as artistic
director of california
shakespeare Theater.
Most recently he directed
the world premiere
of Ghost Light, which
he co-created and developed with playwright
Tony Taccone for Oregon shakespeare Festival
and berkeley repertory Theatre. in addition,
he directed bruce Norris’ Clybourne Park for
american conservatory Theater. cal shakes
credits include: The Tempest; Candida; the world
premiere of John Steinbeck’s The Pastures of
Heaven by Octavio solis (recipient of the inaugural
Nea New play development award); The Life
and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby; Much Ado
About Nothing; Twelfth Night; Happy Days; A
Midsummer Night’s Dream; and The Seagull.
Other regional credits include: huntington
Theatre, alley Theater, Milwaukee repertory
Theater, intersection for the arts + campo
santo, dallas Theater center, san Jose repertory
Theater, intiman Theatre, and Magic Theatre.
Mr. Moscone is an adjunct faculty member with
a.c.T.’s MFa program where he recently received
an honorary M.F.a., and currently serves on the
board of Theatre communications Group. he is
the first recipient of the Zelda Fichandler Award,
given by the stage directors and choreographers
Foundation for “transforming the american
theatre through his unique and creative work.”
SUSiE fALK
(Managing Director)
Ms. Falk was appointed
cal shakes’ Managing
director in February
2009, after serving
for four years as cal
shakes’ Marketing
director, overseeing all
28 california shakespeare theater www.calshakes.org
marketing, sales, and public relations efforts for
the Theater, as well as box office and front of
house operations. during her tenure, the company
has seen ticket revenue increase by 24% and
completed a rebranding effort. she previously
served for five years as Press and Public Relations
director for berkeley repertory Theatre. prior to
that, she spent five years in the PR and Marketing
departments at american conservatory Theater,
and one season as part of the professional arts
Training program at seattle rep. she served for
seven years on the board (four as vice president)
of Theatre bay area, the local service organization
for theater companies and theater workers. she
is a graduate of Vassar college and completed
course work in organizational psychology at JFK
university in pleasant hill. she lives in berkeley
with her husband, lighting designer york Kennedy,
and their daughter pippa.
JESSiCA riCHArDS
(Associate Artistic Director, Casting Director)
Ms. Richards is in her fifth season as Associate
ad, and directed casting for all productions at
cal shakes this season. as associate ad, she
produced the world premieres of John Steinbeck’s
The Pastures of Heaven (2010) and The Verona
Project (2011). previously, Ms. richards served
for two years in cal shakes’ artistic learning
department where she oversaw artist residencies
and other in-school programs. as a director, she
has worked with Town hall Theatre, bay area
children’s Theatre, sF Theatre pub, sF young
playwrights, commonwealth classic Theatre
company (pa), among others. Ms. richards has
been a grantee of the creative capacity Fund’s
NextGen arts program, and a grant review
panelist for the city of Oakland’s cultural Funding
program. she holds a ba in theater and political
science from the university of evansville in
indiana.
PHiLiPPA KELLY
(Resident Dramaturg)
dr. Kelly moved ten years ago from australia
to settle in america with husband, composer
paul dresher, and son cole. her work has been
supported by many foundations and organizations,
including the Fulbright, rockefeller, and Walter
and eliza hall Foundations. her latest book, The
King and I (arden press)—available for purchase
in the cal shakes Theater store, and now in its
third print run—is a meditation on australian
identity through the lens of shakespeare’s
King Lear. The book has been celebrated for
its poignant and humorous exploration of
australian life, and for its illumination of various
contemporary social attitudes toward those on the
fringes of society. dr. Kelly teaches for cal shakes
and uc berkeley, chairs selection panels for the
australian government’s endeavour Foundation,
and travels to saudi arabia to assist university
women with quality assurance. For most of the
summer she can be found out here at cal shakes,
where she is one of the regular pre-show Grove
Talk speakers.