Recipient of the
2012 American Theatre Wing
National Theatre Company Award

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Press

Rogue Theatre’s Grapes of Wrath an ensemble epic

Review of The Grapes of Wrath posted January 17th in the Tucson Sentinel

Plain spoken power at The Rogue in Grapes of Wrath

Review of The Grapes of Wrath by Chuck Graham on January 15 in Let The Show Begin! at TucsonStage.com

Epic Grapes of Wrath up next for The Rogue

Preview of The Grapes of Wrath by Kathleen Allen to appear in the January 11 Arizona Daily Star

Read others’ reviews of The Rogue Theatre, or write your own review on TripAdvisor!

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Direction

	Joseph McGrath (Director) is a graduate of the Juilliard School of Drama and is the Artistic Director for The Rogue Theatre.  For The Rogue, Joe authored and directed Immortal Longings, and directed A House of Pomegranates, Uncle Vanya (2016 Mac Award for Best Director), The Bridge of San Luis Rey, By the Bog of Cats, The Lady in the Looking Glass, Dante’s Purgatorio, Mistake of the Goddess, Mother Courage and Her Children, As I Lay Dying, The Real Inspector Hound (2010 Mac Award for Best Director), The Decameron, Our Town, Red Noses, Endymion, The Maids (winner of the Arizona Daily Star 2007 Mac Award for Best Play), and The Balcony. Joe was most recently seen as Macbeth in Macbeth, Fitz in Penelope, in the ensemble of The White Snake, Roy Cohn in Angels in America Part One: Millennium Approaches, Mr. Taylor in Tales of the Jazz Age, a singing peasant in Miss Julie, as Claudius in Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Lord Henry Wotton in The Picture of Dorian Gray, Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, Vladimir in Waiting for Godot, Johnnie ‘Rooster’ Byron in Jerusalem, Myron Berger in Awake and Sing, Bernard Nightingale in Arcadia, Duke Vincentio in Measure for Measure, and Richard, Duke of Gloucester in Richard III. In 2009 Joe won the Arizona Daily Star Mac Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Tobias in A Delicate Balance. He has toured with John Houseman’s Acting Company, performed with the Utah Shakespearean Festival, and he is a frequent performer with Ballet Tucson appearing in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Cinderella, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Dracula and The Nutcracker. He has also performed with Arizona Theatre Company, Arizona Opera, Tucson Art Theatre, and Arizona OnStage. Joe owns, with his wife Regina Gagliano, Sonora Theatre Works, which produces theatrical scenery and draperies. Joseph McGrath’s direction of The Grapes of Wrath is supported in part by a generous gift from Pat & John Hemann.

Notes from the Director

Most of you come to the theatre today with expectations, memories, and notions about this story. Those of you who are unfamiliar with the story are in for a grand, sprawling journey. Steinbeck’s novel is a profound, epic tale, and our challenge is simply to do it justice. A tall order in itself. Frank Galati’s adaptation is courageous. There are so many wonderful things in The Grapes of Wrath that must be lost to reduce it to a single evening. But Galati doesn’t shy away from what must be done. I am hopeful that our work in performance will fill in what might be missing from the novel. In the course of telling the story, the scenes shift to many locales and so the stage cannot be rendered in a conventional way. Galati compresses time and space to fit this epic onto the stage. At the beginning of Shakespeare’s Henry V, the Chorus, referring to the stage, asks, “Can this cockpit hold the vasty fields of France?” We will answer that question in our own way tonight. We have assembled a cast of 20 plus 2 musicians. We range in age from 10 to 78 and represent every decade of life in between. One of us, Jay Hornbacher, our Grampa, was born the year The Grapes of Wrath was published. Our Granma, Molly McKasson was once a Tucson City Council member. Many of us are union members and some of us are politically active. And, because of age, some of us wouldn’t know the difference between FDR and George W. Bush. Nevertheless, it’s been a tremendously informative, revealing, and profound journey for all of us. Given that American politics has shifted significantly to the right in the last few decades, the received socialist wisdom of this story comes to us differently than it might have to its first readers. The pro-labor outlook, ascendant then, is not so accepted now, and labor unions have become significantly weaker in recent decades. The story of the Joads remains a worthy lesson—a reminder of what an economy completely devoid of labor regulation looks like. Aside from its politics, Steinbeck’s powerful personal story is immensely satisfying. Cindy and I are always cautious of plays that are driven simply by a social agenda, without offering a grander, more philosophical—even spiritual—outlook. Steinbeck gives us both: not only his indictment of a marketplace that views people as commodities to be used and discarded, but also elements of being: Casy’s revelations in the wilderness (eventually bequeathed to Tom), Uncle John’s tortured conscience, Ma Joad’s tremendous love and resilience, and in the end, a profound and astonishing act of human and divine grace. The Grapes of Wrath offers the range of our humanity—its flaws and brutalities as well as its capability to be transcendent and compassionate. Joseph McGrath, Director director@theroguetheatre.org

 

James Henriksen as Jim Casy, Steve McKee as Muley Graves and Matt Bowdren as Tom Joad

David Greenwood as Pa Joad and Matt Bowdren as Tom Joad

Jay Hornbacher as Grampa and Matt Bowdren as Tom

Photos by Tim Fuller

Author

John Steinbeck (1902–1968) won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature “for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perception.” During his writing career, he authored 27 books, including 16 novels, six non-fiction books, and two collections of short stories. He is widely known for the comic novels Tortilla Flat (1935) and Cannery Row (1945), the multi-generation epic East of Eden (1952), and the novellas Of Mice and Men (1937) and The Red Pony (1937). The Pulitzer Prize-winning The Grapes of Wrath (1939) is considered Steinbeck’s masterpiece. In the first 75 years after it was published, it sold 14 million copies.

Playwright

	Frank Galati (b. 1943) was a member of Steppenwolf Theatre Company and an associate director at Goodman Theatre. He taught at Northwestern University for many years. Galati and co-writer Lawrence Kasdan adapted the novel The Accidental Tourist for a film, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Galati was awarded the Tony Award for Best Play for his adaptation of The Grapes of Wrath in 1990. The production originated at Steppenwolf and transferred to Broadway where, in addition to Best Play, Galati won an additional Tony for Best Direction of a Play. Galati has also adapted Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying and Murakami’s After the Quake for the stage.

 

The Joads begin their journey

A view of California

Photos by Tim Fuller

 

Cast (in order of appearance)
First Narrator		Ryan Parker Knox*
Jim Casy		James Henriksen*
Tom Joad		Matt Bowdren*
Muley Graves		Steve McKee
Willy		Christopher Pankratz
Car Salesmen		Holly Griffith, Ryan Parker Knox*, Claire Mannle, Steve McKee & David Weynand*
Pa		David Greenwood*
Ma		Cynthia Meier
Granma		Molly McKasson
Grampa		Jay Hornbacher*
Noah		Aaron Shand*
Ruthie		Florie Rush
Uncle John		Matt Walley
Winfield		Gabriel Morales
Rose of Sharon		Bryn Booth
Connie Rivers		Christopher Pankratz
Al		Cole Potwardowski
Camp Proprietor		David Weynand*
The Man Going Back		Ryan Parker Knox*
Gas Station Attendant		Claire Mannle
Gas Station Owner		Steve McKee
Second Narrator		Claire Hancock
Agricultural Officers		Holly Griffith & Claire Hancock
Mayor of Hooverville		Jay Hornbacher*
Floyd Knowles		Ryan Parker Knox*
Contractor		David Weynand*
Deputy Sheriff		Steve McKee
Weedpatch Camp Director		David Weynand*
Al's Girl		Sophia Duclo
Elizabeth Sandry		Holly Griffith
Third Narrator		Claire Hancock
Hooper Ranch Bookkeeper		Steve McKee
Hooper Ranch Guard		Claire Mannle
Fourth Narrator		David Weynand*
Mrs. Wainwright		Claire Mannle
Mr. Wainwright		Steve McKee
Aggie Wainwright		Sophia Duclo
The Man in the Barn		James Henriksen*
His Son		Sophia Duclo
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States

 

	Bryn Booth (Rose of Sharon), a graduate of the BFA Acting program at the University of Arizona and member of the Equity Membership Candidacy program, is a proud resident ensemble member with The Rogue Theater, where she has played Sybil in A House of Pomegranates and Lady Macduff in Macbeth. Other credits include Gowdie in The Love Talker (The Scoundrel & Scamp Theatre), Juliet in Romeo & Juliet (Tucson Shakespeare in the Park), Bianca in Othello, Justine in Frankenstein, and Fritzie in Cabaret (Arizona Repertory Theater). In recent years, she had the wonderful pleasure to understudy for Arizona Theatre Company’s productions of Romeo & Juliet as Lady Montague and Lady Capulet, and Of Mice and Men as Curley’s Wife. Bryn is thrilled to tell Steinbeck’s story with such a brilliant group of people. She’d like to thank Joe and Cindy for allowing her to be a part of this theatre, and to her friends and family for their love and support. Bryn Booth’s performance is supported in part by a generous gift from Karen DeLay & Bill Sandel.
Matt Bowdren (Tom Joad) is an Artistic Associate for The Rogue Theatre. At The Rogue he has appeared in Penelope, Uncle Vanya, Tales of the Jazz Age, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Miss Julie, By the Bog of Cats, Hamlet (2015 Mac Award for Best Actor), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Merchant of Venice, Waiting for Godot, Awake and Sing, Betrayal, Arcadia, Measure for Measure, Mistake of the Goddess, after the quake (2013 Mac Award for Best Actor), Richard III, Metamorphosis, Mother Courage and Her Children, The Night Heron, Journey to the West, As I Lay Dying, Major Barbara, The Real Inspector Hound, New-Found-Land, The Four of Us, Six Characters in Search of an Author and The Goat. For The Rogue Theatre Matt has directed Angels in America Part One (2016 Mac Award for Best Director) and Macbeth. Other Arizona acting credits include The Pillowman with the Now Theatre and Romeo and Juliet with Southwest Shakespeare and with The Arizona Repertory Theatre in Frankenstein and Othello. Regionally Matt has performed in Georgia and New York City with The Rose of Athens, Hudson Shakespeare Company, and Collaborative Stages. Matt currently resides in Chicago and has been performing with The Shakespeare Project of Chicago. Matt holds an M.F.A in Performance from the University of Georgia. Matt Bowdren’s performance is supported in part by a generous gift from Bill & Barb Dantzler.
	Sophia Duclo (Ensemble) is a junior at University High School and is thrilled to be making her debut with The Rogue. Sophia has worked with various theatre companies around Tucson, with recent productions including Winding Road’s Julius Caesar (Cinna), Live Theatre Workshop’s One Slight Hitch (P.B.), Arizona OnStage’s The Addams Family Musical (Morticia), and the RUHS production of Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins). Film credits include The Dome (“Best Cast,” IndieAZ Film Fest, 2015) For the People, and Lucky U Ranch (Official Selection, Phoenix Film Festival, 2016). She was also involved with the 2017 Southern Arizona Ben Vereen Awards where she placed as a finalist. Sophia feels so grateful to be a part of this American classic story, and to exist in the arts. Sophia Duclo’s performance is supported in part by a generous gift from Nick Soloway & Kay Ransdell.
David Greenwood (Pa Joad) has appeared at The Rogue in Celia, A Slave, Macbeth, The White Snake, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, By the Bog of Cats, Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, The Merchant of Venice, Waiting for Godot, Jerusalem, Awake and Sing, Purgatorio, Arcadia, Measure for Measure, Mistake of the Goddess, Richard III, Metamorphosis, Mother Courage, The Night Heron, Journey to the West, The Winter’s Tale, As I Lay Dying, Major Barbara, The Real Inspector Hound, The Decameron and The Rogue’s first production, The Balcony. David has appeared locally in Shining City and The Birthday Party at Beowulf Alley Theatre and The One-Armed Man, The Disposal and The Glass Menagerie at Tucson Art Theatre. David Greenwood’s performance is supported in part by a generous gift from Stu Salasche & Els Duvigneau.
	Holly Griffith (Ensemble) is a 4th year member of the Acting Ensemble at The Rogue. Favorite productions include Celia, A Slave, Macbeth, The White Snake, Uncle Vanya, Angels in America Part One, By the Bog of Cats, Hamlet, and Arcadia. She has also served as a Box Officer and Co-Producer of the John & Joyce Ambruster Play-Reading Series at The Rogue. Holly holds an MA in English Literature from the University of Arizona, serves as an Artistic Associate at The Scoundrel and Scamp Theatre, and has a fierce interest in the history, culture, and literary tradition of Ireland. Love to the Griffs. Holly Griffith’s performance is supported in part by a generous gift from Mary & Tom Ryan.
Claire Hancock (Ensemble) performs both nationally and internationally as a dancer, and has been a guest teacher and choreographer for organizations including the Limon Institute, Broadway Theatre Project, Arizona Theatre Company, Arizona Opera, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, and True Concord Voices and Orchestra. She holds a Master of Arts degree in European Dance Theatre from the Laban Centre in London, England, and earned both a Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degree in dance from the University of Arizona. In 2009, together with colleague Ashley Bowman, she formed Artifact Dance Project, a professional contemporary dance company dedicated to presenting original dance works with live music. Claire is co-artistic director, founding member and rehearsal director for the company. For The Rogue Theatre, she has appeared as the Swallow in A House of Pomegranates, the Third Witch in MacBeth and Nancy Lamar in Tales of the Jazz Age. Claire Hancock’s performance is supported in part by a generous gift from Kristi Lewis.
	James Henriksen (Jim Casy) returns to The Rogue, where he was last seen as Escalus in William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. Other Tucson appearances include Invisible Theatre, Arizona Theater Company, Arizona Onstage, and Old Pueblo Playwrights. Los Angeles stage credits include Glengarry Glen Ross and A Few Good Men at Third Stage, Born Yesterday at Pasadena Playhouse, Tent Show at the Cast Theater, Elephant Sighs at Theatre/Theater, and Fog of War at the Ventura Court. He also produced the LA Drama Critics Circle Award-winning Additional Particulars also at Third Stage. “Hendo” was a member of the Groundlings main company for three years. An alumnus of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, he is a proud member of Actors’ Equity. Like Woody Guthrie said, “I’m stickin’ with the union.” James Henriksen’s performance is supported in part by a generous gift from Stuart Salasche and Els Duvigneau.
Jay Hornbacher (Grampa) is delighted to be back at The Rogue for the second time, having played Old Gobbo and The Duke in the 2015 production of The Merchant of Venice. Jay moved to his native Minneapolis with his wife and sweetheart Gayle Bintliff in May 2016, but will be a regular Tucson visitor. He has worked with many of the major theatre companies in Minnesota as an actor and singer, NEVER as a dancer, because he is hopelessly clumsy. He’s happily surprised to be still acting at the age of 78, and will continue to do so as long as his voice and mind hold up. At last report, both are reasonably intact. Thanks to all who support the work of The Rogue! Jay Hornbacher’s performance is supported in part by a generous gift from Kathy Ortega & Lawrence Johnson.
	Ryan Parker Knox (Ensemble)   The Grapes of Wrath marks Ryan’s 28th production at the Rogue spanning more than five seasons as a member of the Acting Ensemble. He remains humbled by the fierce intellect of his fellow company members and the gracious support from the faithful Rogue patrons. Ryan is a South Dakota native and graduate from USD in 1999 with a BFA in Acting, and also spent over a decade performing in Minneapolis/St Paul before arriving in Tucson in the autumn of 2011. He would like to sincerely thank his family and friends for all their support through all the ups and downs. Ryan Parker Knox’s performance is supported in part by a generous gift from Kate Phillips & Sheldon Trubatch.
Claire Marie Mannle (Ensemble) is excited to return to The Rogue this season. She appeared in Macbeth (Ross) and The White Snake (Ensemble). Locally, she has appeared in The Yellow Wallpaper for The Scoundrel and Scamp Theatre as well as The Tempest and The Comedy of Errors for Arizona Repertory Theatre. She is an Instructor for the School of Theatre, Film, and Television for The University of Arizona. A New York City native raised in the Midwest, she came to Tucson via Los Angeles where she worked with The Grand Guignolers, Cornerstone Theater Company, A Noise Within, The Antaeus Academy, and SITI Company. She has her MFA from the Dell’ Arte International School of Physical Theater and her BA from Smith College. Claire Marie Mannle’s performance is supported in part by a generous gift from Joan Cook.
	Molly McKasson (Granma) has appeared at The Rogue as Mildred Louisa Rollins in Celia, A Slave and Marina in Uncle Vanya. Her theater career began in Chicago at the Body Politic, doing story theater with Paul Sills. For six years she continued to work with Sills in numerous productions—twice on Broadway, once at the Mark Taper and the Kennedy Center, as well as on tour. In New York she worked in a variety of off and off-off Broadway shows, before returning home to join Arizona Theatre Company’s first professional company. She’s been a member of the Invisible Theater ensemble and the improv team of Mols & Suz. As a playwright her work has been produced by ATC and I.T., where she continues to perform. Molly McKasson’s performance is supported in part by a generous gift from Ted & Shirley Taubeneck.
Steve McKee (Ensemble) has appeared at The Rogue in A House of Pomegranates, Awake and Sing, Measure for Measure, Richard III, Mother Courage and Her Children and The Winter’s Tale. This past year Steve has been fortunate to play several wonderful and diverse roles, from Alan in God of Carnage to Roger DeBris in The Producers. Steve has also performed with The Gaslight Theatre as well as many local theatre companies and been featured in independent and student films. Thank you for supporting the arts! Steve McKee’s performance is supported in part by a generous gift from Karen DeLay & Bill Sandel.
	Cynthia Meier (Ma Joad) is Co-Founder and Managing and Associate Artistic Director for The Rogue, and has appeared in A House of Pomegranates, Macbeth, Uncle Vanya, Angels in America Part One, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, By the Bog of Cats, The Lady in the Looking Glass, Awake and Sing, Purgatorio, Measure for Measure, Mistake of the Goddess, Mother Courage and Her Children, The Night Heron, The New Electric Ballroom, As I Lay Dying, Major Barbara, The Real Inspector Hound, The Decameron, Ghosts, Not I, Our Town, A Delicate Balance, Immortal Longings, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Red Noses, The Goat (2008 Mac Award for Best Actress), The Maids, Endymion, and The Balcony. Cynthia has been nominated for seven Mac Awards for Best Actress from the Arizona Daily Star. She has also performed in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Arizona Repertory Theatre), A Streetcar Named Desire (Arizona Theatre Company), Blithe Spirit and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Michigan Repertory Theatre), Romeo & Juliet and Chicago Milagro (Borderlands Theatre) and A Namib Spring (1999 National Play Award winner). Cynthia co-founded Bloodhut Productions, which toured throughout the western United States. Cynthia holds a Ph.D. in Performance Studies from the University of Arizona. Cynthia Meier’s performance is supported in part by a generous gift from Ellen Bodow.
Gabriel Morales (Winfield) has appeared at The Rogue Theatre in JMacbeth, Jerusalem and Mistake of the Goddess. He is a native Tucsonan, born in 2007. He currently attends Carrillo Magnet Elementary as a fifth grade student. Gabriel is blessed with parents who love him, and three sisters whom he spends a majority of his time entertaining. He enjoys playing little league baseball, math, baking and playing board games. Gabriel has a beautiful heart, and has to be one of the friendliest ten-year-olds you will ever meet. Gabriel Morales’ performance is supported in part by a generous gift from Norma Davenport.
	Christopher Pankratz (Connie Rivers) is a Tucson native and University of Arizona graduate with a BFA in theatre production and a master’s degree in education. The Grapes of Wrath is Christopher’s first journey with The Rogue. He has previously acted and designed scenery for Arizona Onstage Productions. Currently Christopher teaches acting and theatre tech at Flowing Wells High School where he has written several plays for his troupe of young actors including Black Friday and Frankenstein. At Flowing Wells, Christopher recently directed The Addams Family Musical, which was named 2017 Best Musical by the Southern Arizona Ben Vereen High School Musical Theatre Awards. Christopher would like to thank his director, colleagues, family, friends, and students for their support and inspiration. Christopher Pankratz’s performance is supported in part by a generous gift from Lori Levine & Gary Benna.
Cole Potwardowski (Al Joad) is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Arts in theater at the University of Arizona. He graduated from Pima Community College in 2017 and acted in two seasons at the Center for the Arts. Last fall, he appeared in Luna Gale at St. Francis Theatre. He’s addicted to working, studying and acting. He’s thankful to bring Steinbeck’s novel to life with this team of dedicated storytellers. Cole Potwardowski’s performance is supported in part by a generous gift from Norma Davenport.
	Florie Rush (Ruthie) is a freshman at Tucson High School. She’s been acting since fifth grade, mostly at Live Theatre Workshop. This Fall, Florie was in Tucson High School’s production of The Rubber Room. She’s excited to be in her first professional play here at The Rogue Theatre and is honored to have been given this amazing opportunity to work with this talented cast and crew. She’d like to thank her parents for all of their support. Florie Rush’s performance is supported in part by a generous gift from Joan Cook.
Aaron Shand (Noah Joad) is very excited to be making his Rogue Theatre debut. Born and raised in Tucson, he received a BFA in Acting from the University of Arizona, performing for the Arizona Repertory Theatre as Bo Decker in Bus Stop, James Keller in The Miracle Worker and Tybalt in Romeo & Juliet. He also spent a season interning for the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, performing in The Cherry Orchard, State of the Union and A Christmas Carol. After eight years in Los Angeles, Aaron has returned home to where his love of theater began. Aaron would like to thank his wife and two sons for sacrificing their nights together so he can continue to pursue his passion. Aaron Shand’s performance is supported in part by a generous gift from Jordan & Jean Nerenberg.
	Matt Walley (Uncle John) is a member of The Rogue Theatre acting ensemble and was most recently seen as Georg Lenck in Bach at Leipzig. He has enjoyed previous roles at The Rogue in Macbeth, Richard III, Journey to the West, The Winter’s Tale, Shipwrecked!, As I Lay Dying, and Major Barbara. As the Artist in Residence at The Scoundrel and Scamp Theatre, he’ll be premiering a new work in May 2018. He is on the board of The Tucson Fringe Festival and also The Shakespeare Forum in New York City. His company, Theatre 3, created new work for Live Theatre Workshop’s late night series Etcetera including Theatrum Orbis Terrarum and Mixtape. He graduated from Dell’Arte International in 2009 with an MFA in Physical Ensemble Theatre. He has also performed with The Pinnacle Peak Pistoleros and their Wild West Stunt Shows, Stories that Soar!, and Live Theatre Workshop. Matt Walley’s performance is supported in part by a generous gift from Karen DeLay & Bill Sandel.
David Weynand (Ensemble) has appeared with The Rogue as Graupner in Bach at Leipzig, Duncan in Macbeth, Fa Hai in The White Snake and Serebryakov in Uncle Vanya. Tucson audiences have seen him in Stella and Lou (Invisible Theatre) and Comedy of Errors, Tempest, Othello and Frankenstein (Arizona Repertory Theatre). He has performed off-Broadway as one man in Night just before the forest (UBU Repertory) and Ron in The Ice Fishing Play (The Samuel Beckett Theatre). Favorite roles in regional theatre include Dvornichek in Rough Crossing (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), Etienne in A Flea in Her Ear (St. Louis Repertory Theatre), Hindley in Wuthering Heights (Paper Mill Playhouse), A Tuna Christmas (Actors Theatre of Louisville), Algernon in The Importance of Being Ernest with actor Larry Linville (Capital Repertory), Pseudolous in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Hampton Playhouse), Bela Zangler in Crazy for You (Walnut Street Theatre), Lord Henry in  The Picture of Dorian Gray (Wisdom Bridge), Paul in You Can’t Take it With You (Steppenwolf) and Tom/Phyllis/Leslie in Sylvia (Capital Repertory). David holds an MFA in Directing from Texas State and a BFA in Acting from Theatre School at DePaul University/Goodman School of Drama. David Weynand’s performance is supported in part by a generous gift from Andy & Cammie Watson.

 

Hooper Ranch picketers

Jake Sorgen on Guitar, David Greenwood at Pa Joad and Cynthia Meier as Ma Joad

Photos by Tim Fuller

Music
Guitar & Banjo		Jake Sorgen
Violin		Vicki Brown

Music in The Grapes of Wrath is supported in part by a generous gift from Sally Krusing

	Jake Sorgen (Music Direction and Composer) was music director for Bach at Leipzig, Celia, A Slave, A House of Pomegranates, Macbeth, Penelope, The White Snake, Uncle Vanya, Angels in America Part One, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Miss Julie, By the Bog of Cats, Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, The Merchant of Venice, The Lady in the Looking Glass, Waiting for Godot, Jerusalem and Awake and Sing at The Rogue Theatre, and has performed as a musician at The Rogue in Purgatorio and Betrayal. Jake is an improviser/composer/musician originally from Woodstock, New York. He performs solo and in music and interdisciplinary ensembles around the world with musicians, writers, actors, and dancers. Jake's 4th solo album is set for release in 2018. This summer, Jake will premiere an as yet untitled original work as the 2018 Maverick Prodigy at the Maverick Concert Hall in New York. Jake studied guitar with Ed DeLucia, improvised music with violist Mary Oliver, and movement with dancer Katie Duck and performed and studied with members of the Instant Composers Pool and the Creative Music Studio in the Netherlands and New York.
Vicki Brown (Violin) is a composer and musician with a wide stylistic range. This is her third show with The Rogue, having performed in Bach at Leipzig and Celia, A Slave. Collaboration is a cornerstone of her work, and she thrives on the exciting alchemy of working with a variety of artists, including choreographers, dancers, filmmakers, writers, painters and actors. She has created original scores for theater productions (Kore Press, Arizona Repertory Theater) and choreographers and dance filmmakers (Kimi Eisele, Tori Lawrence + Co, Jeremy Moss, New ARTiculations, Kore Press, Katherine Ferrier and Kathy Couch). She has been resident musician with compositional improvisation dance artists The Architects and Tucson’s Movement Salon. Music from her two solo albums, Winter Garden (2006) and Seas & Trees (2009), appears in the Oscar-nominated HBO documentary films, GASLAND (2010) and GASLAND II (2013). Vicki has also toured and recorded with numerous bands nationally and internationally since 2006. She received her PhD in Psychology from the University of Arizona in 2003 and currently works with international aid organizations and environmental agencies.

 

Music Director’s Notes

I have an endless fascination in the relationship between music and language. Irish scholar Harry White has noted about Irish arts, and I believe the same holds true in America, that the lack of a grand operatic tradition has led to even more intriguing connections between music and literature and theatre. John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath encapsulates this more than many as one of our core American myths. The novel is forever attached to a score of Woody Guthrie music, as well as the photography of Dorothea Lang. It carries these “extra-literary” elements so completely, it’s almost hard to think of it as a novel, containing only words on a page. Frank Galati’s adaptation has given us a large canvas on which to explore these connections. Woody Guthrie’s lyrics will make an early appearance in the play, but Vicki Brown and I have pulled and created original music from all eras of American music. Melodies from the Carter Family, Lead Belly, Danny Dill, Marijohn Wilkin, Buddy Miller, Laurelyn Dossett, and Levon Helm follow the Joads across the country and live in the camps, the picket lines, and along the long roads to the Pacific. —Jake Sorgen, Music Director and Composer

 

Digging Grampa’s grave

Graveside eulogy—James Henriksen as Jim Casy

“Think there’s any hills between here and California?”

Photos by Tim Fuller

 

Designers
Costume Design		Cynthia Meier
Costume design is supported in part by a generous gift from Andy & Cammie Watson
Scenic Design		Joseph McGrath
Lighting Design		Don Fox
Production Staff
Stage Manager		Shannon Wallace
Fight Choreographer		Brent Gibbs
Scenic Artist		Amy Novelli
Set Construction		Joseph McGrath & Christopher Johnson
Costume Construction		Cynthia Meier, Nanalee Raphael & Barb Tanzillo
Master Electrician		Peter Bleasby
Lighting Intern		Connor Greene
Lighting Crew		Deanna Fitzgerald, Brie Gonzales, Chris Mason, Tori Mays, Amber Rudnick & Mack Woods
House Manager		Susan Collinet
Assistant House Manager		Lizzie Schloss
Box Office Manager		Thomas Wentzel
Box Office Assistants		Kara Clauser, Holly Griffith, Allie Knuth & Rebekah Thimlar
Program Advertising		Paul Winick
Poster, Program & Website		Thomas Wentzel

 

	Don Fox (Lighting Design) holds an MFA in Lighting Design from The University of Arizona and a BA in Theatre Administration from St. Edward’s University, Austin, TX. He has been selected to serve as Production Manager for the Ent Center for the Arts at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs beginning January, 2018. He is also a distance/online lighting design instructor for Indiana University of Pennsylvania and has served as Interim Instructor of Lighting Design at The University of Arizona. As a professional, freelance lighting and scenic designer and theatre producer and consultant , his clients include The Moscow Ballet, The Atlantis Resort Bahamas, Borgata Casino Atlantic City, Silversea Cruises, Music Theatre Wichita, Florida State University, Central Washington University, City Opera Ballet Company Bellevue, the San Antonio Botanical Garden’s Shakespeare in the Park, and many others. He is the creator of the techno-rock opera EDM Antigone (visit www.EDMAntigone.com) which launched last spring. Locally, he is honored to regularly design for Artifact Dance Project and has designed acclaimed Rogue productions since 2013 including Arcadia, Lady in the Looking Glass, Angels In America, By The Bog of Cats, The White Snake, and A House of Pomegranates, among many others. Please visit Don on the web at www.DonFoxDesigns.com.
Shannon Wallace (Stage Manager) has served as stage manager for The Rogue Theatre productions of Bach at Leipzig, Celia, A Slave, A House of Pomegranates, Macbeth, Penelope, Uncle Vanya, Angels in America Part One, The Bridge of San Luis Rey and The Picture of Dorian Gray, and as assistant director for The White Snake. She graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, focusing on both stage management and lighting design. During her time in school she worked on over 25 productions with Arizona Repertory Theatre, including: Bat Boy: The Musical, Avenue Q, Love Song, Cymbeline, Nine, Boeing Boeing, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Oklahoma!, Lend Me A Tenor, The Full Monty and Othello. She also worked at Arizona Theatre Company on their Summer on Stage productions of Elephant’s Graveyard and Legally Blonde: The Musical. Additionally, she had the opportunity to work as assistant stage manager for Oklahoma City Philharmonic’s The Christmas Show 2014. And she enjoyed a summer with the Contemporary American Theatre Festival in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, working as part of the company and events management team. Shannon Wallace’s Stage management is supported in part by a generous gift from Todd Hansen.
	Peter Bleasby (Master Electrician) lit his first show at 13. Professionally, he was with BBC-TV for several years, and was an assistant to UK lighting designer Richard Pilbrow during the inaugural production of the National Theatre (Hamlet, directed by Olivier.) He transferred to architectural lighting, but maintained his theatre interests by lighting many shows on both sides of the Atlantic. When the Rogue established itself at the Historic “Y” in 2009, he volunteered for the initial season, returning in 2013 with  lighting designer Don Fox, and later working with Deanna Fitzgerald. He devised the installation of the permanent wiring system that enables lighting teams to devote more time to the creative process. For the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation he directs the technical and logistical aspects of fundraisers, including the fashion show Moda Provocateur.
Susan Collinet (House Manager) earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Creative Writing and English Literature from the University of Arizona in 2008. Decades before returning to college as a non-traditional student, Susan spent twenty years in amateur theater, mostly on the East coast, as well as in Brussels, Belgium in the American Theater of Brussels, and the Theatre de Chenois in Waterloo. She has worked in such positions as a volunteer bi-lingual guide in the Children’s Museum of Brussels, the Bursar of a Naturopathic Medical school in Tempe, Arizona, an entrepreneur with two “Susan’s of Scottsdale” hotel gift shops in Scottsdale, Arizona, and as the volunteer assistant Director of Development of the Arizona Aids Project in Phoenix. Susan continues to work on collections of poetry and non-fiction. Her writing has won awards from Sandscript Magazine, the John Hearst Poetry Contest, the Salem College for Women’s Center for Writing, and was published in a Norton Anthology of Student’s Writing. In addition to being House Manager, Susan serves on the Board of Directors and acts as Volunteer Coordinator for the Rogue.

 

David Greenwood at Pa Joad and Cynthia Meier as Ma Joad

Molly McKasson as Granma, Cynthia Meier as Ma Joad and Bryn Booth as Rose of Sharon

The flood

Bryn Booth as Rose of Sharon

Photos by Tim Fuller

 

Our Thanks
Tim Fuller		Tucson Weekly
Chuck Graham		Patrick Baliani
Arizona Daily Star		Shawn Burke
Jerry James		Our Advertisers
Student tickets are sponsored in part by a generous donation from Sally Gershon

 

 

Performance Schedule for The Grapes of Wrath

Location: The Rogue Theatre at The Historic Y, 300 East University Boulevard
Click here for information on free off-street parking

Performance run time of The Grapes of Wrath is two hours and 55 minutes, including one 10-minute intermission.
Run time does not include the music preshow beginning 15 minutes before curtain, or post-show discussion.

Thursday, January 11, 2018, 7:30 pm DISCOUNT PREVIEW SOLD OUT
Friday, January 12, 2018, 7:30 pm DISCOUNT PREVIEW SOLD OUT
Saturday, January 13, 2018, 7:30pm OPENING NIGHT SOLD OUT
Sunday, January 14, 2018, 2:00 pm matinee SOLD OUT

Thursday, January 18, 2018, 7:30 pm SOLD OUT
Friday, January 19, 2018, 7:30 pm SOLD OUT
Saturday, January 20, 2018, 2:00 pm SOLD OUT
Saturday, January 20, 2018, 7:30 pm SOLD OUT
Sunday, January 21, 2018, 2:00 pm matinee SOLD OUT

Thursday, January 25, 2018, 7:30 pm SOLD OUT
Friday, January 26, 2018, 7:30 pm SOLD OUT
Saturday, January 27, 2018, 2:00 pm SOLD OUT
Saturday, January 27, 2018, 7:30 pm SOLD OUT
Sunday, January 28, 2018, 2:00 pm matinee SOLD OUT

The cast and crew of The Grapes of Wrath
Left to right, front row: Claire Mannle, Matt Walley, Sophia Duclo and Claire Hancock
Middle row: Cynthia Meier, Cole Potwardowski, Florie Rush, Gabriel Morales, Bryn Booth and James Henriksen
Back row: David Greenwood, Steve McKee, Aaron Shand, Joseph McGrath, Shannon Wallace, Vicki Brown, Matt Bowdren,
David Weynand, Holly Griffith, Ryan Parker Knox, Jake Sorgen, Molly McKasson, Christopher Pankratz and Jay Hornbacher

The Joad Family: Bryn Booth as Rose of Sharon, David Greenwood as Pa,
Gabriel Morales as Winfield, Cynthia Meier as Ma and Florie Rush as Ruthie

Cole Potwardowski as Al, Matt Bowdren as Tom, David Greenwood as Pa and Aaron Shand as Noah

Photos by Tim Fuller