The Gingham Dog
by Lanford Wilson
June 1, 2012 – July 7, 2012“Wilson’s play is, quite simply, magnificent – in its honesty, its perception and its theatrical integrity.” –Washington (D.C.) Examiner
Description: It’s 1968 in the height of the civil rights movement. Gloria and Vincent, an interracial couple once happily married, are suffering through the first days of their separation. Vincent has decided to move out, and as they divide their possessions amidst the mutual recriminations and accusations about one another’s race, their tolerance level for each other sinks.
Written by Lanford Wilson
Directed by Beau Bratcher
Featuring: Becca Chapman, Joyce Deal, Chris Marroy, Garrett Prejean with Jenny Billot Stage Manager, Mike Harkins Sound Design, Mignon Charvet Costume Design, Troy Buckley Lighting Design, and Sean Creel Set Design
Biographies:
LANFORD WILSON (Playwright) was the author of 17 full-length and over 30 short plays. He received numerous awards including the Brandeis Creative Arts Award, The Institute of Arts and Letters Award, four Obies, two New York Drama Critic’s Circle Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. He was one of four founders of The Circle Repertory Company and was resident playwright there from 1969-1995. His plays included So Long at the Fair; Home Free!; The Madness of Lady Bright; This Is the Rill Speaking; The Rimers of Eldritch; The Gingham Dog; Lemon Sky; Serenading Louie; The Hot L Baltimore; The Mound Builders; Fifth of July; Talley & Son; Talley’s Folly; Balm in Gilead; Angels Fall; Burn This; Redwood Curtain; Book of Days; Sympathetic Magic; and Rain Dance. He has translated The Three Sisters and Ghosts, written the teleplays Taxi! and The Migrants (both Emmy nominees) and written the libretto for Lee Hoibe’s opera of Summer and Smoke. He was a member of the theatre group Circle East and was on the Dramatists Guild Council. Born April 13, 1937 in Lebanon; Died March 2011.
BEAU BRATCHER (Director) is a proud graduate of the University of New Orleans. In his time with Theatre UNO, Beau directed Much Ado About Nothing, Weïrd and Jared Gore’s My Name is Chainsaw. Beau’s credits also include Big Easy and Storer Boone nominated The Night of the Iguana for Theatre UNO and the Tennessee Williams Festival and Big Easy Award winning Is He Dead? for the NOLA Project and Theatre UNO. Beau is now in his fifth year as a resident of New Orleans and in that time he has worked with some wonderful people, he looks forward to many more years of the same. Specific thanks to all of his friends and colleagues with Theatre UNO, the NOLA Project and Southern Rep. The Gingham Dog marks his debut at The Elm so thanks to Garrett, Jenny and the rest of the Elm family for this opportunity. And lastly, to all his friends and family Beau extends a huge and heartfelt thanks for your support.
BECCA CHAPMAN (Barbara) Becca is a proud ensemble member of The Elm Theatre. She has happily worked and performed with several local theatre companies, some of which are: New Noise, Goat in the Road Productions, Neutral Ground Ensemble, New Orleans Fringe Festival, Southern Rep, and Le Petit. She received a Marquee Award for best “Supporting Actor in a Comedy” for Annelle in Steel Magnolias (Le Petit) and a Big Easy Nomination for “Best Actress in a Drama” for Froggy in BlackBird (Elm Theatre). Becca is STOKED about all the work New Orleans Theatre Companies have been doing and hopes that this show is one of the many performances you will see this weekend!!!
JOYCE DEAL (Gloria) has a BA in Speech and Theater from Dillard University. She is also a University of New Orleans graduate, receiving her MFA in Performance Acting. Joyce has a long list of performance credits. Her most memorable roles were Henrietta King in “Do Lord Remember Me,” in which David Cuthbert of the Times Picayune called her performance “Mesmerizing.” She has also starred in productions such as: Spunk, “Soweto,” and as Beneatha in “A Raisin in the sun” at Dillard University. She was Yvonne Robinson in “The Story” at Anthony Bean Community Center. Joyce is a William Inge theater festival 1st runner up winner and a 2007 KCACTF Irene Ryan nominee and finalist. She is also a 2009 KCACTF Irene Ryan region 6 winner and competed nationally at The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Her most recent performances include: New Play Bacchanal – HMO at Southern Rep., The Key at The New Orleans Fringe Festival, Extremities, at The Actors Theater of New Orleans, The Essence festival, Origins Of life, and 13 Lessons at Ashe Cultural Arts Center. Joyce was also in A Stage reading of Fleeing Katrina, Comedy of Errors, The Three Sisters, Katrina’s Path, Metamorphoses, and Miss Margarida’s Way-A One-woman show at the University of New Orleans and Ashe Cultural Arts Center. She has also landed a Day player role and Voice-over work on HBO’s series Treme. Joyce would like to thank her parents, sister, and brothers for their unwavering love and support.
CHRIS MARROY (Robert) Chris Marroy graduated from The University of Southern Mississippi summa cum laude in 2010 with a B.F.A. in Performance. Since moving back to his ever-busy New Orleans, he has been seen on TNT as rookie cop Martin Fox along side Jason Lee in the NOLA-shot TV series, MEMPHIS BEAT (season 02/episode 07), in the 2011 Tennessee Williams Festival World Premieres of THE PRETTY TRAP and THE MAGIC TOWER at Southern Rep, in LET FREEDOM SWING! at the National WWII Museum, in REASONS TO BE PRETTY at Actor’s Theatre of New Orleans, and in HOW I BECAME A PIRATE at JPAS. Chris is a proud member of The Elm Theatre in New Orleans where he plays his part as actor/graphic designer. Thanks to family, friends, and everyone along the way…especially Becca.
GARRETT PREJEAN (Vincent) was born and raised in North Baton Rouge (NBR), La. Garrett is a graduate of Northwestern State University and also a graduate of The Conservatory Program and the Acting Program at The Second City Training Center in Chicago. Garrett has also studied Acting with Darrell W. Cox and Erica Daniels from Profiles and Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago as well as Viewpoints with Michael Patrick Thorton from The Gift Theatre and Steppenwolf in Chicago. Garrett was a founding member and the Artistic Director of EP Theater in Chicago. There he worked to develop new plays with Chicago playwrights as well as New York and Los Angeles. Garrett most recently taught Acting 1 classes and Audition classes at the Second City Training Center in Chicago. He was also known as the “Resume Doctor” for The Second City Training Center, assisting students in finding opportunity’s in the Art/Theatre industry. He was last seen in The Elm Theatre’s production and Big Easy nominated “Orange Flower” Water by Craig Wright and The Elm Theatre’s production “Blackbird”, by Adam Rapp which was nominated for 4 Big Easy’s including Best Actor in a Drama. Garrett’s other theatre credits include: “Avenue A” in the highly recommend show (Chicago Tribune, TimeOut Chicago), by David Steen at EP Theater. Other EP Theater credits include, “Grey” co-writer (Recommend Windy City Times), “Life Support”, “La Belle Vito”, and the “Woods”. “Automobile Graveyard”, “Shoemakers”, “The Flies” at the Trapdoor Theatre. “True Crimes”, “The Vortex”, and “Creeps” at Boxer Rebellion Theatre. “The Nebraska Project” and “I Saw You’s” at Bruised Orange Theatre. “The Gurney”, Secret Life Theatre.
