Cooking Up A Theatrical Feast With Julia Cho's AUBERGINE At Everyman Theatre

When words fail, a home-cooked meal transcends differences in Aubergine-a heartfelt story of food, family and memory from playwright Julia Cho, receiving its Mid-Atlantic premiere at Everyman Theatre, March 14 through April 15, 2018. Directed by Everyman Theatre Founding Artistic Director Vincent M. Lancisi and produced in association with Olney Theatre Center, Aubergine is a mouthwatering meditation on the beauty of life where hope is no mere ingredient-it's the main course.

As a Korean American family struggles to relate across emotional and cultural divides, the ingredients they share in common lead to understanding in this perceptive and lyrical exploration of the act of cooking as a form of expression. When classically-trained chef Ray (Tony Nam*) becomes primary caregiver to his ailing father (Glenn Kubota*), he discovers there is no such thing as "too many cooks in the kitchen"-and an obscure family recipe for turtle soup becomes a total team effort involving his girlfriend Cornelia (Eunice Bae*), a distant Uncle (Song Kim), and their hospice nurse, Lucien (Jefferson A. Russell*). Everyman Theatre Resident Company member Megan Anderson* rounds out the cast as Diane-a foodie who discovers the fulfillment a pastrami sandwich can provide.

"Julia Cho's funny and deeply moving Aubergine is destined to enchant lovers of food and lovers of storytelling-and I consider myself a devoted member of both categories," director Vincent M. Lancisi said. "Audiences can expect to savor this ripe, touching story of intergenerational connectedness, forgiveness and the sweetest spice of life: love."

The production team for Aubergine includes Vincent M. Lancisi (Director), Misha Kachman (Set Design), Ivania Stack (Costume Design), Harold F. Burgess II (Lighting Design), Roc Lee (Sound Design), Zachary Borovay (Projection Design), Zach Campion (Dialects) and Cat Wallis* (Stage Manager).

Portions of dialogue in Aubergine are in Korean with English supertitles.

Aubergine runs March 14 through April 15, 2018. Tickets ($10-65) are now on sale online (everymantheatre.org), by phone (410.752.2208), or at the Everyman Theatre Box Office (315 W. Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD).

*Member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States

Food and Beverage

Vinny's Bar
Open 90 minutes prior to curtain; Closes approximately 30 minutes following each performance.
Audiences need not see Aubergine on an empty stomach! In tandem with the play's opening, Vinny's Bar (located in the first floor lobby of Everyman Theatre) will debut a delectable new menu of freshly packaged lunch, dinner and snack options, through its new partnership with City Seeds-a Humanim culinary social enterprise committed to providing quality food and good jobs, while growing Baltimore's local food economy. Also offered is Dinner Express service from Forno, including an eggplant pizza special throughout the run of Aubergine. A full service bar, Vinny's Bar also serves a variety of snacks from local vendors including Fisher's Popcorn, LB Bakery and The Peanut Shoppe, and $0.50 from each Drink Special sold during Aubergine will support Everyman Theatre's Summer Camp scholarships.

Event Listings

Pay-What-You-Can Preview Performances
Sunday, March 11, 2018 at 2:00 PM
Tuesday, March 13, 2018 at 7:30 PM
Pay-What-You-Can to see the first preview performance of Aubergine. Tickets: By donation (cash only), available on a first-come, first-serve basis at the Box Office beginning at 5:30pm. Seating is general admission.

TNT: Theatre Night for Teens
Tuesday, March 13, 2018 at 6:00 PM
Students in grades 9-12 enjoy a dynamic night out at the theatre featuring pre-show dinner sponsored by Noodles & Company, a meet-and-greet with Aubergine lighting designer Harold F. Burgess II, and a 7:30 PM preview performance followed by post-show discussion and dessert. Tickets: $10 each (space is limited).

Everyman at the Parkway: Big Night
Tuesday, March 20, 2018 at 7:00 PM (at the SNF Parkway Theatre)
"To eat good food is to be close to God," asserts one of the main characters in this sumptuous classic-perhaps the greatest food film of all time- about two Italian-American brothers (Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub) struggling to save their failing restaurant in the face of Culture Clash, stiff competition, brotherly love and uncompromising standards. Aubergine director Vincent M. Lancisi will introduce the film and host an informal discussion following the screening. Tickets: $8-10 each (available at mdfilmfest.com).

Meet the Maker: Brown Rice
Friday, March 23, 2018 at 7:00 PM
Friday, April 6, 2018 at 7:00 PM
Try a tasty sample and hear personal stories about bringing traditional Bibimbap, Mandu, and a woman-owned small business to life in Baltimore, with Heather Chung-owner of the popular fast-casual Korean restaurant, Brown Rice-who says, "Eat more veggies!" Admission: Included with ticket to 8:00 PM performance.

World of the Play
Saturday, March 31, 2018, following the 2:00 PM performance
Take part in an in-depth panel discussion on the themes and topics of Aubergine, hosted by Marc Steiner (The Center for Emerging Media). Tickets: Free to attend, reserve in advance at Box Office.

Cast Conversations
Thursday, April 5, 2018, Post-show
Chat with participating cast members following the 7:30 PM performance of Aubergine, or follow along (and submit questions) via Twitter courtesy of @BWW_Baltimore. Admission: Included with ticket to 7:30 PM performance.

About Everyman Theatre

Everyman Theatre is a professional Equity theatre company celebrating the actor, with a Resident Company of artists from the Baltimore/DC area. Founded in 1990 by Vincent M. Lancisi, the theatre is dedicated to engaging the audience through a shared experience between actor and audience seeking connection and emotional truth in performance. Everyman is committed to presenting high quality plays that are affordable and accessible to everyone. The theatre strives to engage, inspire and transform artists, audiences and community through theatre of the highest artistic standards and is committed to embodying the promise of its name, Everyman Theatre.

Media support for Aubergine comes from The Baltimore Sun Media Group and WYPR. Everyman Theatre's Pay-What-You-Can nights are supported by Dr. E. Lee & Bea Robbins. The 2017/18 Season is generously sponsored by LifeBridge Health. Everyman Theatre is supported in part by grants from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Baltimore County Commission on Arts and Sciences.

Everyman Theatre is a proud member of the Bromo Tower Arts and Entertainment District, the Market Center Merchants Association and the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance.

Vincent M. Lancisi is the Founding Artistic Director of Everyman Theatre; Jonathan K. Waller is the Managing Director. For information about Everyman Theatre, visit everymantheatre.org, call 410.752.2208, or connect via Facebook (@everymantheatremd), Twitter (@everymantheatre), YouTube (@everymantheatre) and Instagram (@everymantheatre).