Our Town |
September 26 — October 22“Wilder's tale is stunningly reborn for a new era.”
By Thornton Wilder
Directed by Sheryl Kaller
Starring Jane Kaczmarek
Co-production with
2 hours, 30 minutes
2 intermissions
Members: Free
Tickets: $25+
PlayhouseTalks
October 5 @ 7:00 PM – Join us in the friendship center before the show for a free PlayhouseTalk with Deaf West Artistic Director DJ Kurs, who will give an exclusive inside look at Our Town, the rehearsal process, and more!
Cast
Creative Team
Deaf West Theatre
Deaf West Theatre was founded in 1991 to improve and enrich the cultural lives of deaf and hard of hearing individuals who live in the LA area. Recognized as the premier sign language theater in the United States, DWT consistently sets the standard for high quality inclusive theatrical experiences for deaf and hearing audiences. DWT productions feature deaf and hearing actors working together to present stories in both American Sign Language and spoken English. DWT’s groundbreaking adaptation of Big River earned two Tony nominations and a Tony Honor for Excellence, and went on to tour both nationally and internationally. In 2014-15, DWT’s Spring Awakening garnered three Tony nominations and performed on the broadcast of the Tony Awards. Other productions in 2017: A co-production with the Wallis Annenberg of Edward Albee’s At Home at the Zoo and American Buffalo in association with CAPA.
Thornton Wilder (Playwright)
Thornton Wilder was a novelist and playwright whose works celebrate the connection between the commonplace and the cosmic dimensions of human experience. He is the only writer to win Pulitzer Prizes for both drama and fiction: for his novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey, and two plays, Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth. His other novels include The Cabala, The Woman of Andros, Heaven’s My Destination, The Ides of March, The Eighth Day and Theophilus North. His other major dramas include The Matchmaker (Adapted as the musical Hello, Dolly!) and The Alcestiad. The Happy Journey to Trenton and Camden, Pullman Car Hiawatha and The Long Christmas Dinner are among his well-known shorter plays. He enjoyed enormous success as a translator, adaptor, actor, librettist and lecturer/teacher and his screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt remains a classic psycho-thriller to this day. Wilder’s many honors include the Gold Medal for Fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. More information on Thornton Wilder and his family is available in Penelope Niven’s definitive biography, Thornton Wilder: A Life (2013) as well as on the Wilder Family website, www.thorntonwilder.com
Sheryl Kaller (Director)
Sheryl is thrilled to be at Pasadena Playhouse collaborating with Danny Feldman, DJ Kurs and the magnificent Deaf West Theatre. Recent projects include: Sacred Valley by Josh Radnor, Frozen for Disney Creative/Disney Cruise Lines, Do This by Karen Siff Exhorn, The White Chip by Sean Daniels, and Choice by Winnie Holzman. She also recently directed the world premiere’s of Billy Porter’s play While I Yet Live at Primary Stages, Nick Blaemire’s new musical A Little More Alive (Barrington Stage, Kansas City Repertory Theatre), Roundabout Theatre Company’s Underground production of Too Much Too Much Too Many by Meghan Kennedy, and the LCT3 production of Mr. Joy by Daniel Beaty. Sheryl directed Terence McNally’s Tony nominated play on Broadway, Mothers And Sons with Tyne Daly. Ms. Kaller received a Tony Nomination for Best Director for the Broadway production of Next Fall by Geoffrey Nauffts. She has directed at many theaters including The New Group, Pasadena Playhouse, Primary Stages, Williamstown Theatre Festival, A.C.T., New York Stage and Film, The Geffen, Philadelphia Theater Company, The Huntington, Bucks County Playhouse, the York, EST, National Theater of the Deaf and Naked Angels. She is currently in development with Billy Porter, Ryan Spahn, Dan Fogler, Harrison David Rivers, Alex Lubischer, Annmarie Milazzo, Jonatha Brooke, and Geoffrey Nauffts, among others. Upcoming: A Walk On The Moon by Paul Scott Goodman and Pamela Grey at A.C.T.
David Dorfman (Choreographer)
Recent credits: Indecent’s Tony Award-winning Broadway season; a Lortel Award and Chita Nomination for Indecent’s Off-Broadway run; Assassins and the upcoming An Enemy of the People at Yale Rep. David Dorfman Dance has toured worldwide since 1987, most recently to Greece-and Armenia, Turkey, and Tajikistan via DanceMotion USA/US State Department/Brooklyn Academy of Music where DDD will appear once again in the Next Wave Festival with Aroundtown Nov 8-11. Other awards:NEA, Guggenheim, Bessie, and Barrymore. David is honored to work with the Pasadena Playhouse for the first time and with the wonderful Sheryl Kaller and this incredible cast. David is a professor of Dance at Connecticut College and also tours Live Sax Acts with Dan Froot. www.daviddorfmandance.com
David Meyer (Scenic Designer)
David Meyer is excited to be designing his first set for Pasadena Playhouse. Most recently he designed a remounted production of A Sucker Emcee at the National Black Theater in New York originally produced by Labyrinth Theater. Other productions at Labyrinth include The Way West, Empanada Loca and A Family for All Occasions. Regional productions include Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Merrily We Roll Along and Playboy of the Western World. Feature Film & TV Production Design credits include “John Wick 2 (reshoots),”“Permission” and “She’s Lost Control.” Art Direction credits include “Only the Brave,”“Chi- Raq,” “Westworld s2,” “Birdman” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.” David studied Architecture and Theater at Syracuse University and received his MFA in Production Design at NYU/Tisch. www. davidmeyerdesign.com
Ann Closs Farley (Costume Designer)
Ann Closs Farley is an award winning LA based Designer. Her recent credits include: Zoot Suit, Peleas Et Melisande: Cleveland Opera, Cherry Boom Boom Las Vegas, Shanghai Disneyland Park, Hopscotch: A Mobile Opera, The Pee-wee Herman Show (Broadway), Disney’s Toy Story The Musical, Eric Idle’s What About Dick?, Pride and Prejudice: The Musical, Women Laughing Alone With Salad, Discord, Cunning Little Vixens Opera, Carnage, Rabbit Hole, Broadway Bound, Around The World in 80 Days and many more. acf.costumer@gmail.com
Jared A. Sayeg (Lighting Designer)
Pasadena Playhouse: Shout Sister Shout!, Casa Valentina, Breaking Through, Kiss Me Kate, Under My Skin, ART, Blues for an Alabama Sky. His designs have been seen throughout the U.S., Broadway, Off-Broadway, West-End, Canada, Spain, Edinburgh & Las Vegas. National Tours: Blithe Spirit starring Angela Lansbury, The Who’s Tommy with Alice Ripley, Queen of Spades starring Placido Domingo (Madrid) and Rolling with Laughter at Her Majesty’s Theatre (West-End). Broadway: The Illusionists, Bravo Bernstein, Gotham Glory (Carnegie Hall) and was on the design teams for: PRIMO, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Woman in White and Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Principal designer for the USA International Ballet Competitions. Youngest member of the United Scenic Artists-Local 829 and serves as a trustee to the executive board. www.jaslighting.com
Leon Rothberg (Sound Designer)
Leon Rothberg is delighted to return to The Pasadena Playhouse after a long hiatus. Select Broadway: A Doll’s House Part 2, Violet, The Realistic Joneses, The Nance (Tony Award), The Heiress, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Tony Nom). Select New York/Off- Broadway: Second Stage, New York City Center, Manhattan Theatre Club, Public Theater, Culture Project, Tectonic. Regional: Huntington, A.C.T., Portland Center Stage, Arena Stage, Seattle Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, Old Globe, Folger Shakespeare Theater, Long Wharf, McCarter, Williamstown Theater Festival, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Merrimack Repertory, Delaware Theater Company, New York Stage and Film, Two River Theater, North Shore Music Theater, Theatre By The Sea. Tours/International: Dirty Dancing, Cirque du Soleil. Faculty, CalArts. www.klaxson.net
Jonathan Burke (Sound Designer)
Jonathan Burke is honored to have this opportunity to work with Pasadena Playhouse, Deaf West Theatre and Leon Rothenberg. Production highlights include: Lonesome Traveler, The Best is Yet to Come: The Music of Cy Coleman (59E59). Outside Mullingar, Yes Prime Minister, The Seafarer, The Weir (Geffen Playhouse), Return to the Forbidden Planet, Last Five Years (Ovation Nomination), Daddy Long Legs (Ovation Nomination, Rubicon Theatre Co.), Noah’s Flood (LA Opera). He has worked in the UK, Hong Kong and across the United States and is currently academic coordinator and lecturer for the UCLA School of Theatre, Film and Television, resident sound designer for Cabrillo Music Theatre (since 2003) and owner of JABWORKS a theatrical sound design, rental and consulting company. www.jonathanburkesounddesign.com
Telsey+Company (Casting)
Broadway/Tours: SpongeBob SquarePants, Once on This Island, The Parisian Woman, M. Butterfly, Anastasia, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Hello, Dolly!, War Paint, Come from Away, Waitress, Hamilton, Kinky Boots, Wicked, On Your Feet!, SomethingRotten!, The King and I, An American in Paris. Off- Broadway: Sweeney Todd, Atlantic, Classic Stage, MCC, Second Stage. Film: Miss Sloane, Into the Woods, Margin Call, Rachel Getting Married, Across the Universe, Camp, Pieces of April. TV: “This Is Us,” “I’m Dying Up Here,” “One Day at a Time,” “Rise,” “NCIS: New Orleans,” “Graves,” “Atypical,” “Julie’s Greenroom,” “Grease Live!,” “Masters of Sex,” “Smash,” “The Big C,” commercials. www.telseyandco.com
Tiffany Little Canfield, CSA
Srda Vasiljević (Associate Director)
Srda Vasiljević is a Bosnian-American director based in Brooklyn. He is ecstatic to work with Deaf West Theatre again while making his Pasadena Playhouse debut. He has developed new work at theaters like The Flea, La MaMa and Musical Theatre Factory. Recent Credits: Dust Can’t Kill Me (NYMF), When I Started Dating Men (Dixon Place). Associate/Assistant Credits: The New York Spectacular (Radio City), Deaf West’s Spring Awakening (Broadway), Mothers and Sons (Broadway), Frozen, A Musical Spectacular (Disney), The Laramie Project Cycle (BAM). Upcoming: CLUBLAND, I Spy A Spy, The House of Baby Allen. Srđa is the resident director of Theatre for One and a member of the Lincoln Center Director’s Lab. B.A., Emerson College. www.sr-da.com
Joshua Castille (ASL Master)
Joshua Castille is proud that this is his first theatre experience as an ASL Master. He has done music videos such as: Santa Baby (Jules Dameron), Hell No (Ingrid Michaelson), and Pride (American Authors). He is mostly known as an actor. You may have seen him in the recent Deaf West production of Spring Awakening or the HP #Brothers commercial. He is also an aspiring director that collaborated with Deaf West for a workshop of Stephen Sondheim’s Company. For more information, visit www.joshuacastille.com
Charles Katz (ASL Master)
Charles Katz always has his feet in theatre and academic worlds. He has acted in and directed numerous plays, started Los Angeles Sign Theatre which was active immediately before Deaf West Theatre was founded. Most recently, he performed in Deaf West’s Flowers for Algernon. He has taught all grade levels from preschool to college, has an Ed.D degree in Deaf Studies, and is currently teaching at CSUN and two Simi Valley high schools. He also created The Deaf Child: A Mythology of the American Deaf Experience and 1001 Books in ASL: both view- able on YouTube.
Jenny Slattery (Production Stage Manager)
Pasadena Playhouse debut! Broadway: Bullets Over Broadway, Spider-man, Guys and Dolls, Oleanna, and Cry-Baby. Regional: East West Players, Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, Rude Mechs, and more. Jenny is on the faculty at California Institute of the Arts. Education: MFA (UCSD).
Jessica R. Aguilar (Stage Manager)
Jessica R. Aguilar is grateful to return to the Pasadena Playhouse for Our Town! Select previous works include: Pasadena Playhouse: Shout SisterShout!, The Originalist, Fly, Real Women Have Curves, A Night with Janis Joplin, Stop Kiss, 12 Angry Men, Blues for an Alabama Sky; Geffen Playhouse: reasons to be pretty, Death of the Author; SD Rep: A Snow White Christmas; Cabrillo Music Theatre: Evita, Children of Eden; Marin Theatre Company: Fences, In the Red and Brown Water; Los Angeles Theatre Center: Dementia; Cygnet Theatre: Man of La Mancha, Hedwig & the Angry Inch. She is a proud member of AEA, a fitness enthusiast & an avid SF Giants fan. Thanks to her F&F-SA 2 -HW- PA-ML- MQH, & TB!
Patty Onagan (Press)
Patty Onagan Consulting is thrilled to have a 10-year association with Pasadena Playhouse. Patty led the publicity and/or marketing campaigns for hits like God Looked Away starring Al Pacino, A Night with Janis Joplin, Fences starring Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett, Lythgoe Family Panto produc- tions, Citizen Twain starring Val Kilmer, among others. Prior to Los Angeles, Patty worked on Broadway on the original productions of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King; and the Circle in the Square Theatre.
DJ Kurs (Deaf West Theatre)
DJ Kurs is Deaf West Theatre’s second artistic director in its 25-year history. Produced for Deaf West Theatre: Edward Albee’s At Home at the Zoo (2017), American Buffalo (2015), Spring Awakening (2014- Tony nominated), Flowers for Algernon (2013), Cyrano (2012). ASL Master for Deaf West Theatre: Pinocchio (2011), My Sister in This House (2010) and Children of a Lesser God (2009). Love and kisses to Alice, Isabella, Milo and Romy.
Danny Feldman (Pasadena Playhouse)
Danny Feldman comes to Pasadena from his former post as the Executive Director at Labyrinth Theater Company, a leading Off- Broadway theater company, where he produced over 15 world premiere plays. He produced the theater’s first Broadway production, The Motherf**ker With The Hat. Prior to that, Feldman served as Managing Director of Reprise Theater Company. As an independent producer, he produced the world premiere of bare: a pop opera, which received the 2001 Ovation Award for Best Musical – Intimate Theater and was later produced Off-Broadway in 2004.
Ticket Options
Tickets
Select a date in the calendar below or call our box office at 626 356 7529 to purchase tickets.
Group Sales
Save 10% with a group of 8 or more. For more information, call 626 921 1161 or email groupsales@pasadenaplayhouse.org.
Rush Tickets
A limited number of rush tickets for Our Town are available at 9AM the day-of every performance exclusively through our ticketing partner, TodayTix.
Learn More or Download The App