STUDY GUIDE Also: Summer Classes 2007–2008 Open Stage Student Matinees Study Guide for The Glorious Ones Book and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens Music by Stephen Flaherty Based on the novel by Francine Prose Directed and Choreographed by Graciela Daniele TABLE OF CONTENTS The Writing Team 3 The Director 4 The Collaboration Process: Q & A 5 About The Glorious Ones 9 The Cast and Creative Team 10 Commedia Dell’Arte 11 • • • • Commedia 101 The Commedia Characters Commedia dell’Arte Quiz 17th Century Overview 11 14 16 18 2 The Writing Team Stephen Flaherty (Music) is probably best known as the Tony Award-winning composer of the Broadway musical Ragtime. His other music for Broadway includes the scores for the musicals Once On This Island, Seussical and My Favorite Year, songs for Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life and incidental music for Neil Simon's Proposals. He is also the composer of A Man Of No Importance and Dessa Rose (both produced by Lincoln Center Theater), Lucky Stiff and Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein, adapted from the works of Ms. Stein by Frank Galati. Film work includes Anastasia, for which Mr. Flaherty received two Academy Award nominations, two Golden Globe nominations and a gold record for its soundtrack. Concert works include With Voices Raised (Boston Pops) and Ragtime Symphonic Suite (Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.) His numerous awards include the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Los Angeles Critics Circle, Chicago's Joseph Jefferson and London's Olivier Award, as well as a citation from the National Academy of Arts and Letters. He has been nominated for the Grammy Award three times. He has enjoyed collaborating with Ms. Ahrens for over twenty years and is thrilled to be premiering The Glorious Ones in his hometown of Pittsburgh. Lynn Ahrens (Book and Lyrics) won Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards and received two Grammy nominations as lyricist of the Broadway musical Ragtime. She wrote book and lyrics for Once On This Island (London Olivier Award, Best Musical, Tony nominations for Book and Score); Seussical (Grammy nomination, now one of the most performed shows in America); Dessa Rose (Outer Critics Circle nomination); A Christmas Carol (Ten years at Madison Square Garden) and Lucky Stiff (Helen Hayes Award, Best Musical). She wrote lyrics for My Favorite Year, A Man Of No Importance (2003 Outer Critics Circle Award, Best Musical) and Chita Rivera: A Dancer’s Life (special material). She received two Academy Award nominations and two Golden Globe nominations for the animated feature film Anastasia and provided lyrics for Camp (IFC Films). For television, she wrote the teleplay adaptation of A Christmas Carol (Hallmark Entertainment, NBC) and was a mainstay songwriter and singer for the renowned animated series Schoolhouse Rock as well as many other shows. She has received the Emmy Award and four Emmy nominations. She serves on the Council of the Dramatists Guild of America. Ms. Ahrens is grateful to Pittsburgh for producing her long-time collaborator Stephen Flaherty. For more on this creative team visit: http://www.ahrensandflaherty.com 3 Director Graciela Daniele (Director, Choreographer) was born in Buenos Aires. Ms. Daniele began dance lessons at age six. "I didn't know about storytelling then," she says. "I just loved dancing. And it all happened by accident. I had some problems with the arches in my feet, and my mother took me to a doctor, who said that if I did a little ballet, my arches would develop. So my mother signed me up for ballet class." Her mother couldn't afford private lessons, so Daniele was enrolled in a school at the Buenos Aires opera house. As part of the curriculum, the children participated as extras, with no pay, in operas and ballets –"so I was onstage starting at seven in the classical repertory. I grew up surrounded by classical music, opera and ballet." She graduated at 14, when she was asked to become a soloist with a local company; at 17 she was traveling as a soloist with a ballet company around South America. The next year, she went to study in Paris. She stayed in Europe for five years – "until I saw West Side Story in Paris. Right then, I decided I had to go to New York to study. I wanted to know how to do that. I thought it was the most extraordinary thing I had ever seen – and I still do." One of her biggest breaks came when the director and choreographer Michael Bennett saw her in a show and asked her to do Promises, Promises. She soon became his assistant. "My transition to the creative side came about because of Michael," she says. Becoming a director happened accidentally. "I adapted and directed and choreographed Tango Apasionado downtown at Westbeth. I wanted to do something that took me back to my roots. It was well received, and everybody thought I could direct." Daniele has been working as a dancer, actor, choreographer and director for nearly 60 years – since age seven, when she first stepped on a stage. She is now an associate director of Lincoln Center Theater, and she has been nominated for ten Tony Awards. Her list of Broadway credits as director and/or choreographer includes Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life, Ragtime, Once On This Island, The Mystery of Edwin Drood and The Pirates of Penzance. Her performing credits include the original productions of Chicago and Follies. 4 The Collaboration Process A Conversation with Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty By Suzanne Bixby Excerpt from an interview with Suzanne Bixby discussing the collaboration process with Ahrens and Flaherty. For the complete article visit: http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/boston/boston62.html Suzanne Bixby: What was it like to see A Man of No Importance now that you're totally removed from the creative process? Lynn Ahrens: I love the show, just love the show. Sometimes you go after a little bit of time and you think, "Oh, that doesn't work. I should have rewritten that. This could be a little better." But I didn't have that feeling last night. In terms of the writing, I just was so happy with it. I thought it was really solid. Stephen Flaherty: With time away from it, you can become much more objective because you're not emotionally involved in the daily creation of the work. It's nice to be able to do that. I also think it's interesting to see somebody else's take on the work. I feel like we did what we wanted to do and now this is part of the joy of letting a piece go into the world. SB: The idea to do A Man of No Importance came from [book writer] Terrence McNally and you've said he was instrumental in coming up with suggestions to musicalize it that appealed to you, but what was the emotional hook that convinced you to spend months, even years, with this material? LA: The main character, Alfie Byrne, is so appealing – so heartfelt, passionate, sad and funny – as are all the others in the show, that we fell in love with the characters. Of course, there were other factors – Stephen loved the Irish milieu – but I think, initially, it's always the story and the characters that grab you by the heart. SF: I loved what the piece had to say about friendship, about the creative spirit and how it binds people together. And for me, I'd never written a gay character before so that was really important for me. I was very excited about that. And it was set at an interesting time, in an interesting world. 5 SB: Could you outline the events leading up to your first show, Lucky Stiff? LA: Stephen and I met in the BMI Workshop in 1982. We started working together – collaborating – in 1983. Our first attempt was a show called Bedazzled. We couldn't get the rights to do it, but it got us noticed by people in the theatre community. We presented it at various workshops and got some notice. One of the important people, I guess, who noticed us was a fellow named Ira Weitzman who got us an NEA Grant and put us together with writer/director George Wolfe [now artistic director of the Public Theatre.] We tried to do an original idea called Antler [with George] and none of us could figure it out. We couldn't find a story that worked, so we abandoned that and decided to do a children's show [The Emperor's New Clothes] for TheatreWorks USA. That was actually our first produced show and was a wonderful, wonderful learning experience for us. And after that, we decided, okay, we're sort of getting this together. I found the novel that Lucky Stiff was based on, and we started working on it. That was the chronology from 1983 to the production of Lucky Stiff in 1988. SF: The hilarious thing is now that we tend to do more serious, dramatic material, Hairspray is all the rage. Lucky Stiff is actually going to be done in two weeks at the York Theatre as part of their "Musicals in Mufti" series, so it will be interesting to see how that little comedy plays at a time when comedy seems to be the thing. SB: Who were your mentors during these early years? LA: We have a fantastic mentor list: Stephen Sondheim critiqued us when we were first starting, Peter Stone, Sheldon Harnick ... SF: You know what's an interesting thing? I don't think I ever received a musical mentor until Bill Brohn [orchestrator for Ragtime and A Man of No Importance]. At most of these workshops, the topic tends to be the dramaturgy and the craft of songwriting – which is great, but not in terms of literally finding someone to learn from and discuss the nitty–gritty of the music. When Bill and I started working together as a team, I started really learning more things about instruments – not necessarily the theatrical use, but from a music perspective. LA: No one had regular meetings with us or anything like that. We would do these workshops and get critiques. They were incredibly valuable, for me anyway. I learned an enormous amount from a number of people along the way who taught me about the craft of writing and structure. Sondheim was very, very kind to us –– sort of behind our backs. He would recommend us for things and we'd find out later. We never asked him for anything, but he was really great. SB: Are you optimistic about the "state" of the American musical theatre? SF: I think these are confused times, certainly on Broadway. LA: Nobody quite knows what to write. We sort of go forward and write what we want to write and hope it will get produced. And if it's going to be in not––for––profit theatres or regional theatres for a while –– or if that's where the really interesting work is being accepted –– then that's what you do. 6 SF: It's tricky. I think a lot of people know what they want to write, but I don't think a lot of producers know what they want to produce. LA: They're afraid to produce. If you start trying to figure out what "they" want, with a capital "T" for they ... SF: The tricky thing is there's so much less funding for the arts in general – private foundations, government subsidy. Every not–for–profit theatre around the country is missing the boat trying to support itself. The work that at one time was supported Off Broadway is hard to find. Everybody's missing the boat. SB: What was it like working with Mantello on his first musical? LA: He was fantastic. He has such musical instincts. You can almost tell it from his play direction. Everything flows, and it's very economical in terms of the movement of scenery. SF: He has wonderful dramaturgical instincts. LA: With A Man of No Importance, I credit him with, not coming up with a solution for the whole end of the show, but pinpointing a problem that we had with that point. I don't think we would have addressed it. We thought it was working fine, and he said, "Something's wrong. Right here." SB: What advice would you offer to young writers to help them avoid the pitfalls? LA: In writing or in business? SB: Either! SF: I personally say, in terms of writing, that nobody knows your show better than you do. Trust your own instincts. It's coming from you. You're the creator. You're the person who sees not only what's there, but also what the potential is for the piece. Trust your gut instinct about what you know intuitively about the piece that you're writing. At the same time, listen to other people's thoughts and opinions, but trust what you know about the piece. Whenever you go against what you believe the piece is, that's when you tend to go down the wrong road. LA: Really, that's what it is. There's a tremendous desire when you're a young writer to be produced and you run the risk of some producer, or someone, coming along and saying, "Why don't you do this?" It's the devil speaking! You have to do what your heart tells you. You have to go with stories and characters and ideas that you feel passionate about. There's certainly something to be said for earning money and for working for money. But on the business side, I would say to young theatre writers, "Do not give up your copyright for anything. It's not worth it. It's your intellectual property." I would say, "Never write what 'They' want; write what you want." 7 Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens Collaborations: Collaborations with Graciela Daniele: 8 About The Glorious Ones The Glorious Ones tells the story of a roving troupe of actors as they chase their dream of theatrical immortality from the streets of 17th century Italy all the way to the present day. Bringing these characters to life on stage is a first rate cast that includes Natalie Venetia Belcon, John Kassir, David Patrick Kelly, Jenny Powers, Paul Schoeffler, Julyana Soelistyo, and Jeremy Webb. The world premiere of this highly anticipated musical will be from April 19 – May 20 at the Pittsburgh Public Theater. Ted Pappas, the theater’s Artistic Director, has this to say about the show: “Lynn Ahrens. Stephen Flaherty. Graciela Daniele. They are three of the most talented and successful theater artists in the world and they chose our own Public Theater as the birthplace of their show. I find that thrilling. The Glorious Ones is about actors – their art, egos, passions and adventures. It takes place in 17th century Italy. But honestly, have actors changed all that much in 400 years?” Some audience members may already be familiar with two songs from the score. "I Was Here" has been performed in concert by artists such as Patti LuPone and Brian Stokes Mitchell, and is included in The Ahrens & Flaherty Songbook. Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley chose "Opposite You" as the title track for their recently released album of duets. The Glorious Ones is a love letter to theater past and present, and will resonate with anyone who has pondered the question of how to leave his or her own personal mark on the world. 9 The Cast and Creative Team Cast of The Glorious Ones: Natalie Venetia Belcon………….….……………..Columbina John Kassir……….…………………………………..Dottore David Patrick Kelly………...………………………Pantalone Jenny Powers……..………………..………..Isabella Andreini Paul Schoeffler………….……………………..Flaminio Scala Julyana Soelistyo…..……………….………..Armanda Ragusa Jeremy Webb………………………………Francesco Andreini Creative & Production Team for The Glorious Ones: Thomas Murray…………….…………….Musical Director Daniel S. Ostling………………………..…Scenic Designer Mara Blumenfeld…………….………….Costume Designer Stephen Strawbridge……………..…..….Lighting Designer Michael Starobin…………..…………………..Orchestrator Zach Moore………………….…………..…Sound Designer Nevin Hedley………………..….Production Stage Manager Fredric H. Orner……………..……Assistant Stage Manager 10 Commedia dell’Arte 101 What does Commedia dell’Arte mean? Commediacomedy dell’Arte of professional artists What is Commedia dell’Arte? Commedia Dell’Arte is a humorous theatrical presentation performed by professional players who traveled in troupes throughout Italy. The troupes traveled throughout Italy in the 16th Century and maintained their popularity until the 18th Century. Commedia differed from other theatre groups because there were no scripts involved. Everything was improvised. Sometimes they used lazzi, which are stage tricks used to evoke laughter to heighten the comedy. Commedia dell’Arte required only actors at its heart; no scenery and very few props were considered necessary. Performances were improvised around conventional situations: adultery, jealousy, old age, and love. Some of these scenarios can be traced in the Roman comedies, which are themselves translations of lost Greek comedies of the fourth century BCE. Performances took place on temporary stages that sometimes were the back of their traveling wagon. These events took place mostly on city streets, but occasionally in court venues. There were a vast number of Italian dialects, however, there was no attempt made to change the performance’s dialect from region to region. The focus was instead placed on physical business rather than the spoken text. 11 Speaking of the “physical business,” ever wonder where we get the word slapstick? Well, a character would utilize a prop called a slapstick, which was two pieces of wood joined together and when slapped against another performer it made the sound of a slap–which is where “slapstick comedy” comes from. This is a modern day version of a slapstick. The ones the troupe used were bound together with a leather band, rather than a hinge. The commedia troupe consisted of 10-14 actors, fewer women then men. Their productions were free to watch, but were funded by donations. The actors were paid a share of the play’s profits equivalent to the size of their roles. Masks forced actors to project their characters’ emotions through the body. Leaps, tumbles, gags, obscene gestures, and slapstick antics were incorporated into their acts. Music, dance and witty dialogue contributed to the comic effects. Subsequently, the art form spread throughout Europe, with many of its elements persisting into present-day theater. Aspects of commedia such as stereotyped characters, masks, broad physical gestures, improvised dialogue, and clowning represent the theatrical element of drama. Without the ingenuity of these crazy Italians, William Shakespeare may not have been inspired to write Twelfth Night, The Tempest or Merchant of Venice. The comic tradition continued through Vaudeville, and its influences can be seen in the likes of the Marx Brothers, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and even today’s comics. See if you recognize any of these commedia inspired characters that are pictured on the following page. 12 Answers on page 17 13 The Commedia Characters Using physical comedy, commedia poked fun at elements of society’s respectable values by means of exaggerated styles and insightful character traits. The actors of commedia represent fixed social types such as foolish old men, devious servants, or military officers full of false bravado. The following is a short list of the stock characters, as well as the mask that was tied to that character. Arlecchino: the most famous character. He was an acrobat and a wit, childlike and amorous. He wore a cat like mask and motley colored clothes and carried a wooden bat (slapstick). Brighella: friend of Arlecchino, a simple, slow, fat, hungry character that was always being made a joke of and always the last one to get it. He was also a cowardly villain that would do anything for money. Columbina: maidservant to the Innamorata and lover of Arlecchino. Usually involved in a scheme and is rather intelligent. The only woman to sometimes wear a mask on stage, Colombina brings femininity and a playful stubbornness to the plot. Il Capitano (The Captain): a cheap he-man soldier, but a coward underneath. He was a caricature of the professional soldier. Regardless of region, he always spoke in Spanish. 14 Il Dottore (The Doctor): a local aristocrat, who is extremely rich, with “old” money. He loves food and good wine, thus he is a little fat. Being a caricature of learning he traveled all the way to Bologna to read for his degree. Pantalone: a caricature of the Venetian merchant, rich and retired. Frequently the father of one of the innamorati. He employs Arlecchino and is very cruel to him. Innamorata and Innamorato (the Lovers): the leading man and woman who wore no mask. They are handsome, well educated and witty. The dapper young man was usually opposed in his love affairs by one of the masters (usually his father). The young lady was sophisticated, noble and innocent. For a complete list of Commedia dell’Arte characters visit: http://www.delpiano.com/carnival/html/commedia.html 15 Commedia dell’arte Quiz How well do you know your commedia dell’arte? 1. ____________________, also known as "Italian comedy," was a humorous theatrical presentation performed by professional players who traveled in troupes throughout Italy in the 16th century and continued until the 18th century. 2. Performances took place on ____________________, mostly on city streets, but occasionally even in court venues. 3. True/False: Touring companies changed their dialect to make themselves understood. 4. Regardless of region, il Capitano would have spoken in __________. 5. The commedia dell’arte survived the early _____ century only by means of its vast influence on written dramatic forms. 6. True/False: There were elaborate sets in commedia dell’arte. 7. The character Arlecchino bore two sticks tied together, which made a great noise on impact. This gave birth to the word __________. 8. The unique talent of commedia players was to ____________________ around a pre––established scenario. 9. What were lazzi? 10. __________ was a caricature of learning—pompous and fraudulent. 11. __________ was a caricature of the Venetian merchant, rich and retired, mean and miserly, with a young wife or an adventurous daughter. 12. True/False: While the inamorato and the female characters wore neither masks nor costumes unique to that personage, certain information could still be derived from their clothing. 13. Arlecchino would be immediately recognizable because of his __________ and __________ costume. 14. In addition to acting skills, all actors were required to also display abilities in __________ and _________ skills. 16 How well did you do? Answers (from page 13): Line 1: 1) Bart Simpson 2) Mr. Burns 3) Homer Simpson Line 2: 1) Cast of Seinfeld 2) Lucille Ball, I Love Lucy Line 3: 1) Cast of The Three Stooges Line 4: 1) Cast of Gilligan’s Island 2) The Marx Brothers 3) Charlie Chaplin Answers (from page 16): 1) Commedia dell’Arte 2) Temporary stages 3) False 4) Spanish 5) 18th Century 6) False 7) Slapstick 8) Improvise comedy 9) Rehearsed routines inserted into the to heighten comedy 10) Il Dottore 11) Pantalone 12) True 13) Black mask and patchwork 14) Music and dance 17 17TH Century Time Line The following is a brief overview of what was happening in the world politically, theatrically and historically. 1600 1603 William Shakespeare writes Hamlet Kabuki drama in Japan Golden Age of drama in Spain 1610 1611 1612 1615 1616 King James Version of the Bible is published William Shakespeare writes The Tempest Miguel de Cervante writes Don Quixote de la Mancha William Shakespeare dies 1618 30 Years War begins 1621 The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth Rock 1626 The Dutch settle New Amsterdam, now New York City 1631 Plague claims the lives of 12,000 inhabitants of Venice Mount Vesuvius erupts; 3,500 –– 4,000 killed 1620 1630 18 1636 Harvard University founded Japan severs contact from all foreign countries 1639 The first comic opera, Chi Soffre Speri, is performed in Italy 1642 1648 Parliament orders the theatres of London closed End of 30 Years War 1653 Taj Mahal Completed 1640 1650 1660 1664 1666 Theatres reopen after King Charles II is restored to the throne of England Moliere writes The Misanthrope Isaac Newton establishes Three Laws of Motion Great Fire destroys London. 1670 1673 1675 Molière dies on stage during the fourth performance of The Imaginary Invalid William Wycherley writes The Country Wife 1687 Nell Gwyn, famous English comedic actress, dies in London 1692 Witch Trails in Salem, Massachusetts 1680 1690 19 Works Cited www.ahrensandflaherty.com www.commedia-dell-arte.com www.commedia-dell-arte.com/timeline2.htm www.davidclaudon.com/arte/commedia.html www.delpiano.com/carnival/html/commedia.html www.italian.about.com/library/weekly/aa110800a.html www.playbill.com www.shane-arts.com/commedia.htm www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/boston/boston62.html www.theatrehistory.com/italian/commedia_dell_arte_001.html www.theatredb.com/QPerson.php?pid=p000214 www.wikipedia.org 20 Sign Up Now for Summer Youth Classes! All classes and workshops are held at the O'Reilly Theater. To enroll in summer classes, please email Kelly Mednis, Education Coordinator, at kmednis@ppt.org. For more information, contact Rob Zellers, Education Director, at 412.316.8200, ext. 715 or rzellers@ppt.org. For more education news, visit us online at www.ppt.org. Acting Workshop: Scene Study (Ages 13 –– 17) June 18 –– June 29, 2007 Monday Friday, 10:00 a.m. ––3:00 p.m. This popular two––week workshop that features some of the Public's best guest artists as instructors focuses on the actors' character development, objectives, subtexts and scene work. As always, experienced and new actors are welcome; dedication and enthusiasm are the only prerequisites. Instructor: Amy Landis Fee: $275 Students perform Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Playwriting (Ages 13 –– 17) June 25 –– July 13, 2007, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10:00 a.m. –– 1:00 p.m. This three––week introductory course is composed of intensive writing exercises that illuminate the basic tenets of playwriting and screenwriting. Students are encouraged to find the dramatic connections between their work and their personal experiences. This course culminates in a reading of the students' work by a company of professional actors. Instructor: Rob Zellers Fee: $225 Acting Workshop: Making It Real (Ages 10 –– 12) July 2 –– July 13, 2007, Monday –– Friday, 10:00 a.m. –– 1:00 p.m. (no class on July 4) How does an actor make it real? How do you make the audience believe you? During this two––week workshop, students are guided through an exploration of the basic skills of acting that address these questions. In––class exercises in improvisation, character development and movement help students find truthfulness in the art of acting. Instructor: Sarah Carleton Fee: $225 Acting Workshop: Shakespeare Intensive July 9 –– July 27, 2007, Monday –– Friday, 10:00 a.m. –– 3:00 p.m. (Ages 13 –– 17) If you are interested in learning more about classical acting, this class is for you. Students approach Shakespeare from an actor's perspective, using the text and verse to aid in character development. This workshop also focuses on vocalization and movement exercises. This class culminates in an actual performance of one of William Shakespeare's works. Experienced and new actors are welcome; dedication and enthusiasm are the only prerequisites. Enrollment is limited to a company of 20 actors. Instructors: Lisa Ann Goldsmith and Amy Landis Fee: $325 21 Season 33 Open Stage Student Matinees: Please note that dates and times are subject to change. The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare THREE student matinees! Thursday, October 4; Wednesday, October 10; Wednesday, October 17, 2007 11:30 am Two sets of identical twins are separated in childhood. Years later, they all show up in the same place at the same time, creating mayhem and non-stop laughs. This fast– paced, flat-out farce is Shakespeare at his funniest. Gangsters! Music! Nuns! This play has it all, in a spectacular production set in New York’s Little Italy. It’s The Sopranos, The Marx Brothers and The Rat Pack, with a little bit of William Shakespeare thrown in for fun. We are offering three student matinees of this classic comedy. This Wonderful Life by Steve Murray, conceived by Mark Setlock November 21, 2007 at 11:30 am Life is truly worth living in this delightful re-imagining of the movie It’s A Wonderful Life. One amazing actor plays George Bailey, Clarence the Angel, Mary, Old Man Potter, Zuzu, and twenty more of Bedford Falls’ finest citizens in this theatrical twist on Frank Capra’s timeless film. Brimming with hope and humor, This Wonderful Life is a must––see event that will provide the perfect start to holiday festivities. 22 Amadeus by Peter Shaffer January 30 & February 6, 2008 at 12:00 Noon One of the triumphant successes of modern theater, Amadeus brings the dazzling legend and music of Mozart to thrilling life. Part biography, part murder mystery, this five-time Tony Award-winner pits the envious composer, Salieri, against the young genius, Mozart, in a fight to the finish with 18th-century Austria as the dramatic backdrop. Be there as The Public unleashes this full-out, lavish production staged by Ted Pappas. A Number By Caryl Churchill March 12, 2008 at 11:30 am If you thought you had a complicated relationship with your father, this powerful new work from the renowned Caryl Churchill may change your mind. Taking you into the future – when human cloning is no longer the stuff of science fiction – a father makes the decision to replicate his son and is forced to face the consequences when son number two (and an unexpected son number three) enters the picture. Last year's hot ticket in New York, A Number provides fresh perspective on what it is that makes us who we are. Rabbit Hole By David Lindsay-Abaire April 23, 2008 at 11:30 am A couple who seemingly has it all is forced to confront the ultimate loss. Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire balances honesty with humor and tragedy with hope in this moving, five-time Tony Award-nominated play exploring a family’s journey to find their way out of the darkness after their lives are suddenly – and forever –changed. 23 PPT.ORG IT’S BIGGER, BETTER & BRAND–NEW! For more education information visit us at: http://www.ppt.org/content/education.cfm Our new and improved website is up and running. See great new features including: The PUBLICATION newsletter online A clickable events calendar “Ted’s Take” on upcoming productions and much more CHECK US OUT Visit PPT.ORG 24