New Dramatists’ Nocturnal Commissions 2006
Each year, the resident playwrights at New Dramatists create and produce a Writers’ Benefit, with the aim of raising funds for a New Dramatists’ project of their choice. In the past, the writers have hosted a wide variety of benefit events here, including the now famous Nude Dramatists Benefit, which raised funds for the lighting grid in the 2nd floor theatre. Six seasons ago we hit upon the unusual idea of auctioning writers, commissioning plays, and performing the newly created pieces at the end of the evening. Could we do it? Not even the staff knew for sure. The first Nocturnal Commissions event was a smash hit! In total, the five previous events have raised over $82,000, which enabled us to renovate our Lindsay & Crouse Studio Theatre, our Upstairs Theatre, and library, as well as upgrade our ailing computer systems and furnish the building with new carpet, a paint job, and frams for our writers’ production posters.
We’re delighted to present our sixth Nocturnal Commissions to you this evening, and we hope you enjoy it. We extend our thanks to all of this evening’s generous patrons who commissioned a playwright for the benefit of New Dramatists.
Writers Benefit Committee
Lisa D’Amour
Kristoffer Diaz
Karen Hartman
Oni Faida Lampley
Ellen Maddow
You Came All This Way
Written by Diana Son
Directed by Rose Riordan
Commissioned by David Kraus & Susan Kraus
CAST
Jan Leslie Harding - Fip
Remy Auberjonois - Yak
Nocturnal Commissioners
David & Charlotte Ackert
Susan Heller Anderson
Anonymous
Gordon Dahlquist
Joanne Jacobson
Isobel Robins Konecky
David Kraus & Susan Kraus
Robin Lynn
Honor Molloy
Michael & Leslie Ross
Janet Cohn Slosberg
Charles Spence
An Intimate
Tea
Written by Anne Washburn
Directed by Lisa Rothe
Commissioned by Joanne Jacobson
CAST
Mia Katigbak - Mary
Nocturnal Commissions Acting Company
Vanessa Aspillaga
Remy Auberjonois
Mia Barron
Yusef Bulos
Danyon Davis
Jack Ferver
Yvette Ganier
Jan Leslie Harding
Mia Katigbak
Jodie Markell
Ken Marks
Kelly McCreary
Keith Randolph Smith
Ed Vassallo
Going Home
Written by Christina Anderson
Composed by Scott Ethier
Directed by Tlaloc Rivas
Commissioned by Gordon Dahlquist
CAST
Chris Wells
Kelly McCreary
Vanessa Aspillaga
Jan Leslie Harding
Nocturnal Commissions
Directing Company
Rose Riordan
Tlaloc Rivas
Lisa Rothe
Honeymoon In Havana
Written by Alejandro Morales
Directed by Tlaloc Rivas
Commissioned by Anonymous
CAST
Jodie Markell - Isabelle
Ed Vassallo - Daniel
Vanessa Aspillaga - La Lupe
Dinner provided by Charlotte Ackert and Janet Cohn
Wine provided by Susan Heller Anderson
and Isobel Konecky
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Writers Benefit Committee: Lisa D’Amour, Kristoffer Diaz, Karen
Hartman, Oni Faida Lampley, Ellen Maddow
Development Committee: Robin Lynn, Charles Spence, Charlotte Ackert,
Luis Castro, Janet Cohn, Catherine Filloux, Susan Kraus,
Rachel Neuburger, Anne Rose, Arielle Tepper
Dinner Planning: Charles Spence
Auction Items: Suzan-Lori Parks, Doug Wright, Horton Foote,
Paula Vogel, John Patrick Shanley, Donald Marguiles, Isobel Konecky
Blow-Up Boards: Luis Castro
Graphics: Sid Pereira
Event Producers
Lisa D’Amour
Kristoffer Diaz
Jennie Greer
Karen Hartman
Oni Faida Lampley
Todd London
Ellen Maddow
Emily Morse
KJ
Sanchez
Auction Producers
Melissa James Gibson, Todd London
Auction Entertainment
Liz Duffy Adams,
Quiara Alegría Hudes
Presentation Producers
Kristoffer Diaz, John Steber
Writing Logistics/Producer of the Flow
Karen Hartman
Emily Morse
Ron
Riley
Auctioneer
Todd London
Emcee
Chris Wells
Performance Entertainment
Jeremy Bass
Building Setup
Kristoffer Diaz
Michael John Garcés
Lucy Thurber
Joel K. Ruark
KJ Sanchez
Barbara Wiechmann
Writer Wranglers
Lisa D’Amour
Karen Hartman
Ellen Maddow
Registry Producers
Karen Hartman
Oni Faida Lampley
Alejandro Morales
Joel Ruark
Cyberspace Manager
Gary Sunshine
Writer Logistics
Karen Hartman
Technology/Copying
Honor Molloy
John Steber
Dominic Taylor
Graphic Designers
Sid Pereira
Sung Rno
Food/Drinks Committee
Lonnie Carter
Melissa James Gibson
Oni Faida Lampley
Karen Noyes
Joel Ruark
Lucy Thurber
Barbara Wiechmann
Front of House & Box Office
David Lindsay-Abaire
Karen Noyes
Jocelyn Sawyer
Auction Escorts
Simon Kendall
Sung Rno
Barbara Wiechmann
Stage Managers
Miranda Halverson
Claire Larsen
Vicky Leone
Margot Newkirk
Brie Walker
Decorations
Kristoffer Diaz
Michael John Garcés
Lucy Thurber
Barbara Wiechmann
House Management/Programs
Michael Lew
Ellen Maddow
John Steber
Tyranny
Written by Lynn Nottage
Directed by Tlaloc Rivas
Commissioned by Joanne Jacobson
CAST
Yvette Ganier - Writer
Keith Randolph Smith - Idea
Natural Habitat
Written by Jordan Harrison
Directed by Lisa Rothe
Commissioned by Robin Lynn
CAST
Jodie Markell - Melinda
Remy Auberjonois - Steven
Keith Randolph Smith - Marine Iguana 1
Vanessa Aspillaga - Marine Iguana 2
Mia Katigbak - Marine Iguana 3
Jack Ferver - Marine Iguana 4
Ed Vassallo - Marine Iguana 5
Song for the Moon and Five Fingers
Written by Mac Wellman and
Brendan Connelly
Directed by Rose Riordan
Commissioned by Michael & Leslie Ross
CAST
Jan Leslie Harding
Yusef Bulos
Jack Ferver
Kelly McCreary
The Most Difficult Truth
Written by Doug Wright
Directed by Lisa Rothe
Commissioned by David & Charlotte Ackert
CAST
Yusef Bulos - Actor One
Yvette Ganier - Actor Two
Fight Club
Written by Willy Holtzman
Directed by Rose Riordan
Commissioned by Isobel Konecky
CAST
Kelly McCreary - Jennifer
Danyon Davis - Izzy
Remy Auberjonois - Ron
The Universe:
Great and Grand
and Incomprehensible
Written by Glen Berger
Directed by Rose Riordan
Commissioned by Janet Cohn Slosberg
CAST
Ken Marks - Man #1
Mia Barron - Woman
Danyon Davis - Man #2
I Am in Total
Bondage to a Tony Winner
Written by Daniel Reitz
Directed by Lisa Rothe
Commissioned by Susan Heller Anderson
CAST
Jack Ferver - Mark
Keith Randolph Smith - Charles
Missing the Mark
Written by Lisa D’Amour
Directed by Tlaloc Rivas
Commissioned by Charles Spence
CAST
Ken Marks - Larger Man
Ed Vassallo - Smaller Man
Going Greek
A Bawdy Verse Comedy
Written by David Grimm
Directed by KJ Sanchez
Commissioned by Honor Molloy
CAST
Jack Ferver - Greek Youth 1
Danyon Davis - Greek Youth 2
Vanessa Aspillaga - Chorus 1
Jodie Markell - Chorus 2
Mia Katigbak - Chorus 3
Mia Barron - Chorus 4