Case Western Reserve University/Cleveland Play House MFA Acting Ensemble to Star in CLYBOURNE PARK

The Case Western Reserve University/Cleveland Play House (CWRU/CPH) MFA Acting Program will open its 2016 - 2017 season in December with the multi-award-winning Clybourne Park. All characters will be played by the CWRU/CPH MFA Class of 2018 Graduate Ensemble, now in its second year of the three-year program. Written by Bruce Norris, Clybourne Park is the winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Laurence Olivier Award, and Tony Award. Inspired by Lorraine Hansberry's 1959 play A Raisin in the Sun, Clybourne Park spans two generations-50 years apart-and further explores Raisin's themes of neighborhood unease, race, and societal change. Donald Carrier, associate director of the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program, will direct this production. The cast of eight will feature many of the actors playing two characters: one in 1959 and one in 2009.

Director Donald Carrier states, "I was attracted to Clybourne Park for a number of reasons. The play's themes regarding race, class, gentrification, and territoriality are part of a rigorous and current national dialogue. Meanwhile, Norris' ability to approach these serious issues satirically, dramatically, and comically is both refreshing and at times bracing."

About the Play

Neighborhoods change, but do people? This ferociously smart and pulverizingly funny satire-inspired by the groundbreaking play A Raisin in the Sun-reveals how people in one house battle to protect or advance their way of life through 50 years of societal changes. Clybourne Park begins in 1959 as Russ and Bev sell their house and unintentionally begin to integrate the neighborhood. In 2009, a young white couple buys the house and starts the process of gentrification. The Washington Post calls this Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner "one of the feistiest, funniest evenings in years."

Clybourne Park Cast - CWRU/CPH Class of 2018 Graduate Ensemble

LAVOUR ADDISON (Albert/Kevin) graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a double major in Psychology and Theatre. He also holds a certificate from the Stella Adler Acting Conservatory in NYC. CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program credits include: Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphoses and a cameo in The Two Gentlemen of Verona. At Cleveland Play House he has performed in The CPH Centennial Plays, the world premiere of Quiara Alegria Hudes' The Good Peaches in collaboration with the Cleveland Orchestra, and the world premiere reading of FEED by Eric Coble. Other credits include serving as the Acting Captain of the Hawaii Pirate Ship Adventures and working as a full time member of the Professional Acting Company with the Honolulu Theatre for Youth. He recently played Macbeth with Oberlin Summer Theatre Festival. Favorite credits include The Wild Party, The Genteel Sabai, and Bug. I love you Brittni!

PAUL BUGALLO (Karl/Kenneth) was raised in Seattle where he discovered his passion for the performing arts. He attended Central Washington University where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatrical Performance. Paul has performed in many of Seattle's professional spaces, including the Seattle Repertory and Center House Theatres as well as improvisational theatres such as Unexpected Productions and Jet City Improv. Now residing in the proud city of Cleveland, Paul is absolutely ecstatic about entering his second year at the Case Western Reserve University/Cleveland Play House MFA Acting Program. Paul was honored to be given the opportunity to perform in several of Cleveland Play House's productions last year including The Good Peaches and FEED during his first year in the MFA Program.

MARIAH BURKS (Francine/Lena) graduated from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with a specialization in Musical Theatre. She is beyond thrilled to be performing this show with her amazing classmates. Credits include: Legally Blonde, Book of Days, Urinetown: The Musical, and Toxic Avenger. Last year she was the (1st place) National Irene Ryan Scholarship Acting Award recipient at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in Washington, DC. CPH credits include: The CPH Centennial Plays during Cleveland Play House's Centennial Celebration Weekend and scenes during CPH's Season Announcement. CWRU/CPH MFA Program credits include: Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphoses! She was last seen in the ensemble of Quiara Alegría Hudes' new play, The Good Peaches and NGTF world premiere reading of Eric Coble's adaptation of FEED. She couldn't be more thrilled and humbled by this opportunity! Shout out to her mother for being a Wonder Woman! Enjoy the show!

KYLE CHERRY (Steve) hails from Sacramento, California by way of Boston and New York. At Cleveland Play House, Kyle has appeared in the world premiere of The Good Peaches with the Cleveland Orchestra, The CPH Centennial Plays, and the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting program's production of Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphoses. Other credits include The Seagull (Huntington Theatre Company), Gross Indecency (Bad Habit Productions), Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Brown Box Theatre Project), Romeo and Juliet and To Kill a Mockingbird (New Repertory Theatre), as well as readings and workshops with the Cherry Lane Theatre, Red Bull Theater, and Theatre Now New York. You can catch him in the German made-for-TV movie, Katie Fforde: Martha tanzt (ZDF). He is a company member at The Middle Voice Theater Company in New York, for whom he has acted, written, and stage-managed. Kyle holds a B.A. in English from Tufts University.

SARAH CUNEO (Bev/Kathy) A native of New Jersey, Sarah graduated from Princeton University with a major in Psychology and certificates in Theater and Neuroscience. Since beginning the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program, Sarah has performed in Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphoses, The CPH Centennial Plays, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona. She also performed at last year's New Ground Theatre Festival in the world premiere of Quiara Alegría Hudes' The Good Peaches and in a staged reading of Kirsten Greenidge's Little Row Boat. Most recently, Sarah played Lady Macbeth at the Oberlin Summer Theater Festival. Much love and appreciation to the entire CWRU/CPH family.

Randy Dierkes (Jim/Tom) hails from Nashville, Tennessee and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Florida State University in Music Theatre. He is thrilled to be in his second year with the Case Western Reserve University/Cleveland Play House MFA Acting Program. Some recent credits include a world premiere of The Good Peaches by Quiara Alegría Hudes at CPH, the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program's production of Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphoses, and La Cage Aux Folles at The Lake Dillon Theatre Company in Colorado. Randy also appeared as Ken in the original cast and International/Asia tour of Barbie Live! The Musical produced by Mattel. He would like to thank his family, friends, and the faculty and staff at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Play House for their guidance and support.

PETER HARGRAVE (Russ/Dan) holds his BFA from Abilene Christian University and is a graduate of Syracuse University's Tepper Semester. Peter most recently appeared as Titus in the New Ground Theatre Festival's reading of FEED by Eric Coble. Other CPH credits include: The Good Peaches and The CPH Centennial Plays. CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program credits include: The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphoses. Regional: Gateway Playhouse, Musical Theatre West, Texas Shakespeare Festival, and Disney Cruise Line. Film: Rush (DH Productions). Love to my incredible family, especially Kat. John 3:30.

MEGAN MEDLEY (Betsy/Lindsey) is jazzed to be working on this compelling production with her collaborative and convivial classmates. Home is Lexington, Kentucky but Cleveland has quickly become a second one. Since joining the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting program she has performed alongside her classmates in Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphoses and the world premiere of The Good Peaches as well as the reading of Feed at the New Ground Theatre Festival. Other credits include: Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and Giselle (NoExit Performance); The Rocky Horror Show (Zach Rosing Productions); and Rapture, Blister, Burn (Theatre on the Square). Please enjoy Clybourne Park!

Clybourne Park Creative Team

Donald Carrier (Director) recently directed The Misanthrope, George Bernard Shaw's Too True to Be Good, and The Violins of Hope for the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program; as well as Seminar (Beck Center for the Arts), and Becky Shaw (Dobama Theatre). Selected directing credits include: The Crucible, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Alms, Twelfth Night, As You Like It, Habeas Corpus, The Pirates of Penzance, and Oh! What a Lovely War. He has appeared at Cleveland Play House in All the Way; Luna Gale; The Crucible; The Little Foxes; Yentl; In the Next Room, or the vibrator play; Ten Chimneys; Noises Off; and Lincolnesque. Regional credits include: The Old Globe, Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival, Great Lakes Theater, The Studio Theatre, The Shakespeare Theatre, The Wilma Theater, The Huntington Theatre, The Intiman Theatre, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. He spent nine seasons at the Stratford Festival and two seasons at the Shaw Festival. Television/film: Guns, The Time Traveler's Wife, The Passion of Ayn Rand, and Dead by Monday. He will be directing a remount of The Violins of Hope with The Cleveland Orchestra and Really Really at the Beck Center for the Arts in 2017. Donald is Associate Director of the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program.

JILL DAVIS (Scenic Designer) is an Assistant Professor at Case Western Reserve University teaching scenic and lighting design and serving as Resident Scenic and Lighting Designer. Some favorite set designs for CWRU include A Midsummer Night's Dream, Betty the Yeti, The Learned Ladies, and The Addams Family. She has designed many sets for the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Ensemble including Too True to Be Good, Identity Theft, Present Laughter, and An Orchard. Other professional set design credits include Chez Feydeau (The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London); The Mystery of Love and Sex, Belleville, Time Stands Still, and Grizzly Mama (Dobama Theater); and A Doll's House (The American Stage Theater Company). As the Charge Scenic Artist at Cleveland Play House 2001-2011, she was in charge of painting the sets for over 100 productions. Website: Jilldavisscenicdesign.com.

ANGELINA HERIN (Costume Designer) has designed costumes and worked as a makeup artist with companies across the country. She is pleased to have had her work presented at venues including Seattle Opera, Texas Shakespeare Festival, Village Theatre, Cleveland Public Theatre, American Folklore Theatre, Ashland University, Montana Repertory Theatre, and Theatre South Carolina. In addition, Angelina has had the opportunity to work with several television production companies as a makeup artist and stylist, including Script to Screen, Mad Monkey, and ESPN. She is currently an Assistant Professor and Resident Costume Designer at Case Western Reserve University. Angelina earned her Master of Fine Arts in Costume Design at the University of South Carolina. She is a member of USITT and Costume Society of America.

MAUREEN PATTERSON (Lighting Designer) returns to the Helen Theatre, having previously designed Twelfth Night for the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program. She designed numerous shows for the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting program and the Cleveland Play House Children Series from 2001-2005. Her designs and production expertise have been showcased in the Cleveland area and beyond for the last eighteen years at Cleveland Play House, Case Western Reserve University, John Carroll University, Cleveland Public Theatre, Cleveland Opera, Cleveland San Jose Ballet, Dallas Theatre Center, MGM Grand, Las Vegas, and many others. For over ten years, Miss Patterson has focused her talents and creativity on special event lighting and is the Owner and Lead Designer at Solus Lighting LTD. Solus Lighting is the only international award-winning company in the city of Cleveland dedicated to lighting and production management for high end corporate, social, and non-profit events of all sizes. Contact Solus Lighting to bring your events to the next level.

CYRUS O. TAYLOR (Sound Designer) is a native of Cleveland and an alumnus of Case Western Reserve University's undergraduate theater program. His design credits include The Mystery of Love and Sex, The Call (Dobama Theater); Mothers and Sons, Seminar (Beck Center for the Arts); A Streetcar named Desire, Woman and Scarecrow (Mamai Theater Company); Mr. Burns (Cleveland Public Theater); The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and The Addams Family (CWRU). He has also acted as audio engineer for numerous events and performances at the Museum of Modern Art in New York; Godspell and The Frogs (Cain Park); Titus: A Grand And Gory Rock Musical (Cleveland Public Theater); Forever Plaid, Mary Poppins, and Spitfire Grill (Beck Center for the Arts); and other Cleveland schools and venues along with numerous events and performances at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He also designed last year's CWRU/CPH MFA production of Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphoses, and has also acted as dramaturg for the program's 2011/2012 season.

Ron Wilson (Fight Choreographer) returned to Cleveland in 1999 to serve as the Chairman of the Department of Theater at Case Western Reserve University and serves as the Director of the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting program. He has been the Resident Fight Choreographer with CPH since 1999. He has directed over 60 productions throughout his career so far. Directing credits for the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program include In Arabia We'd all Be Kings, Arcadia, Hurlyburly, Bus Stop, Hay Fever, and The Real Inspector Hound. Other directing credits include The Triumph of Love, Cincinnati Play House in the Park; and The Comedy of Errors, Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Other credits include musical theater, opera, mime, and movement theater. Acting credits include The Guardsman, Room Service, and The Underpants, Cleveland Play House; and All's Well That Ends Well, CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program.

WIGS AND WHISKERS (Wig Design), owned and operated by Mary Schilling-Martin and Caitie Martin, provides wig, hair and specialty makeup services to performing arts organizations, entertainment companies and educational institutions around the country. Their motto is: "To hair is human, to wig divine." Regional credits include Cleveland Play House, Lyric Opera Cleveland, Goodman Theatre, The Old Globe Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Arizona Theatre Company, Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Victory Gardens, Theatre at the Center, American Theatre Company, Chicago Theatre for Young Audiences, Light Opera Works, Northwestern University, Roosevelt University in Chicago, University of California at San Diego, San Diego State University, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Denver Center Theatre Company, Opera Colorado, and Arizona Opera Company.

POLLY MYTINGER (Stage Manager) hails from Kansas City, Kansas and received her BFA in Theatre Business Management at Stephens College. Some previous credits include: the New Ground Theatre Festival reading of Feed (Cleveland Play House); Disenchanted and The Tempest (Macklenburg Playhouse); Don't Dress for Dinner, The Drowsy Chaperone, and Little Shop of Horrors (Okoboji Summer Theatre); and The Ice Cream Social Issues (Unicorn Theatre, KC Fringe Festival). She's delighted to be working with CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program again and hopes you enjoy this production.

Special InsideCPH Clybourne Park Events - All FREE

Pre-Show Conversations begin 45 minutes prior to the start of every performance-no RSVP required.

TalkBacks

TalkBacks are regularly scheduled for patrons as an opportunity to delve deeper into the experience of the play. No RSVP required.

Friday, December 9 from 9:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Saturday, December 10 from 5 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

This will be a special panel discussion exploring diversity, urban planning, and dramaturgy.

Friday, December 16 from 9:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Ticket Information

Clybourne Park will take place in The Helen Theatre from December 7 - 17. Wednesday and Thursday performances are $15; Friday and Saturday performances are $20. Students are half off! To order single tickets please call 216-241-6000 or visit clevelandplayhouse.com. Groups of 10+ receive a discount-call 216-400-7027 or email groups@clevelandplayhouse.com today.

MFA Season Ticket Discount:

Use promo code MFA20 for Wednesday and Thursday performances of both Clybourne Park and She Stoops to Conquer (CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program's spring show) for $10 each.

Use promo code MFA30 for Friday and Saturday performances of both shows for $15 each.

Offer not valid with any other discount, promotion, or on prior sales.

ASL Performance:

There will be one American Sign Language (ASL) interpreted performance on Thursday, December 15 at 7:30 p.m. for patrons from the Northeast Ohio Deaf Community. Interpretation is supported by a grant from VSA, the International Organization on Arts and Disability, founded more than 35 years ago by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to provide arts and education opportunities for people with disabilities and increase access to the arts for all.

$10 tickets to this performance are available to members of the Deaf Community.

Offer not valid with any other discount, promotion, or on prior sales.