THE ALLEY THEATRE
www.alleytheatre.org
Gregory Boyd, Artistic Director
Dean R. Gladden, Managing Director
 

PRESENT

WARRIOR CLASS

By Kenneth Lin

Directed by Wilson Milam

May 3 - June 2, 2013

Alley Theatre Announces Cast and Creative Team for Warrior Class, Returning Kenneth Lin to its stage.

- Warrior Class runs May 3 through June 2, 2013 on Neuhaus Stage

HOUSTON, TX – Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd announces the cast and creative team for Kenneth Lin’s Warrior Class. Kenneth Lin is a staff writer on Netflix’s House of Cards and the creator of a new limited series, American Way, for USA Networks. Warrior Class, which won the Theatre Communications Group Edgerton New Play Prize, is directed by Wilson Milam and runs May 3 through June 2, 2013 on the Neuhaus Stage.

The cast of Warrior Class features Vito D’Ambrosio as Nathan Berkshire, Caroline Hewitt as Holly Lilliam Eames, and Nick Maccarone as Julius Weishan Lee. All three actors are making their Alley Theatre debuts.

Warrior Class features scenic design by Eugene Lee and costume design by Deb Trout. Lighting design is by Geoff Korf with sound design by Matt Starritt and dramaturg Jacey Little.

Kenneth Lin returns to the Alley with his newest play, Warrior Class, as part of the Alley Theatre’s New Play Initiative, which facilitates the creative collaboration between playwrights, directors, actors, and designers during all stages of a new play’s development. In 2010, the Alley produced Lin’s world premiere of Intelligence-Slave as part of its New Play Initiative.

Nick Maccarone as Julius Weishan Lee in the Alley Theatre's production of Warrior Class. Warrior Class runs on the Alley's Neuhaus Stage May 3 - June 2, 2013. For more information visit www.alleytheatre.org. Photo by Jann Whaley.

Warrior Class centers on Julius Weishan Lee, a New York assemblyman who's been dubbed "The Republican Obama." Lee is the son of Chinese immigrants and a decorated war veteran with a seemingly limitless political career ahead of him. Then someone from his past threatens to reveal a college transgression, and Lee must decide how far he'll go to keep the incident out of the public eye. Whatever his decision, the consequences may be costly.

Kenneth Lin’s plays include Fallow, which received a Barrymore Nomination for Outstanding New Play and a Brown Martin Philadelphia Award; Intelligence-Slave; Po Boy Tango, which won the TCG Edgerton New Play Prize; said Saïd, which was a Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition Winner, won a L. Arnold Weissberger Award and a  Princess Grace Award; Life On Paper; Agency* and Genius In Love. His plays have been seen at theatres throughout the country, including the Second Stage Theatre Company, Alliance Theatre, Northlight Theatre Company, People’s Light and Theatre Company, South Coast Rep, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Marin Theater Company and East West Players. Commissions include Ensemble Studio Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, South Coast Rep, Wilma Theater and Arena Stage. Residencies include Ojai Playwrights Conference, Ucross Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Lark Playwrights Workshop, Interstate 73, New York Stage and Film, McCarter Playwrights Retreat. Education includes Cornell University, a Fulbright Scholarship and Yale School of Drama.

Warrior Class, by Kenneth Lin and directed by Wilson Milam, begins performances Friday, May 3, opens officially Wednesday, May 8, and runs through Sunday, June 2, 2013, on the Neuhaus Stage.

(Left to Right) Vito D'Ambrosio as Nathan Berkshire and Nick Maccarone as Julius Weishan Lee in the Alley Theatre's production of Warrior Class. Warrior Class runs on the Alley's Neuhaus Stage May 3 - June 2, 2013. For more information visit www.alleytheatre.org. Photo by Jann Whaley.

ABOUT THE CAST

Vito D’Ambrosio (Nathan Berkshire) is making his Alley Theatre debut.  Regional theatre credits include Harbor Lights Theater, NYC as Vincent in Lombardi; Arena Stage, D.C. as Johnny in Frankie & Johnny in the Claire De Lune; LATC, L.A. in The Inspector General and King Lear; The Goodman Theater, Chicago as Genilli in Riverview; and Steppenwolf Theater, Chicago as Eddy in Fool for Love, Habu in Tracers and Sgt. Rooney in Streamers. Film credits include How Sweet it is, Nancy Dre, and The Untouchables. Guest star credits include Harry’s Law, Person of Interest, Desperate Housewives, Boston Legal where he recurred as Supreme Court Justice Sam Alito, Without a Trace, Jack & Jill, Just Shoot Me, Everybody Loves Raymond, Diagnosis Murder, Seinfeld, ER and many more. Vito grew up in Chicago where he attended Columbia College's Theater Dept. In L.A. he is a graduate of Joanne Baron Studio as well as Linklater and Feldenkrais in New York.

Caroline Hewitt (Holly Lilliam Eames) is making her Alley Theatre debut. Off-Broadway credits include New York Theater Workshop of Five Very Pretty Girls with Director Michael Greif and reading of Checkers with Live Schreiber and Hope Davis; Tamburlaine reading with Director Julie Taymor at Theater for a New Audience; and Stockholm, Pennsylvania reading and A Short History of Women reading with Judith Ivey at The Public Theater Emerging Writers Group. Regional credits include Baltimore Centerstage in The Rivals; The American Conservatory Theater in The Caucasian Chalk Circle with Director John Doyle and A Christmas Carol; The Chautauqua Theater Company in Arcadia and The Winters Tale; Portland Stage Company in Marie Antoinette: The Color of Flesh; Gulfshore Playhouse in Blithe Spirit; Surflight Theater in Barefoot in The Park and Translator: Rose, La Nuit Australienne.  Caroline is a founding member of The­­­________Space; she is currently adapting the novel Howard’s End into a play.  She has a BA in French from Vassar College and a MFA in Acting from The American Conservatory Theater.

Nick Maccarone (Julius Weishan Lee) is making his Alley Theatre debut. Off-Broadway theatre credits include MC in Classic Kitchen Timer, written and directed by Adam Rapp and Hortensio in The Taming of the Shrew at CSC Young Company. Film credits include Fortune House, Girls Against Boys, EMR and Il Giorno Piu. TV credits include Law & Order: SVU, Unforgettable, and Americana. He has an MFA from Columbia University.

Vito D'Ambrosio as Nathan Berkshire in the Alley Theatre's production of Warrior Class. Warrior Class runs on the Alley's Neuhaus Stage May 3 - June 2, 2013. For more information visit www.alleytheatre.org. Photo by Jann Whaley.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM

Wilson Milam (Director) returns to the Alley after directing God of Carnage last season. Other U.S. credits include American Buffalo, God of Carnage, Glengarry Glen  Ross, The Seafarer at Seattle Rep; The Lieutenant of Inishmore at Atlantic/Lyceum, NYC which received a Tony nomination for Best Director and the Mark Taper Forum, LA which received a Saturn Award for Best Production; Poor Beast In The Rain at Matrix; Three Changes at Playwrights Horizon; Closer at Berkeley Rep; Bug at Woolly Mammoth; Killer Joe at Next, Chicago and 29th St Rep/Soho Playhouse, NYC; and The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial at Red Orchid. UK and Ireland credits include Harvest, Flesh Wound,  and Fresh Kills at the Royal Court; Lay Me Down Softly, Defender of the Faith, and On Such As We at Abbey, Dublin; Othello at Shakespeare’s Globe; The Lieutenant of Inishmore at RSC Stratford/Barbican/Garrick; Hurlyburly with Peter Hall Company at the Old Vic/Queens; True West at Bristol Old Vic; A Lie of the Mind at Donmar; Swimming With Sharks at Vaudeville; The Wexford Trilogy at Tricycle; Chimps at Liverpool Playhouse; Bug at Gate, London; and Killer Joe at Traverse/Bush/Vaudeville. Other credits include Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka for BBCi.

Eugene Lee (Scenic Designer) has designed Treasure Island and God of Carnage at the Alley. He has been resident designer at Trinity Repertory since 1967. He holds BFA degrees from Art Institute of Chicago and Carnegie Mellon, a MFA from Yale and three honorary doctorates. He has been the production designer at NBC's Saturday Night Live since 1974. He has received the Tony Award, American Theatre Wing's Design Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama Desk Award, Lucille Lortel Award, Pell Award and Elliot Norton Award for Sustained Excellence. He is currently represented on Broadway by the musical Wicked and Off-Broadway by My Name is Asher Lev. He was recently inducted into the NY Theatre Hall of Fame.

Deb Trout (Costume Designer) is pleased to be working with old friends for the first time here in Houston. Previously she designed Mr. Milam’s American Buffalo, God of Carnage, Glengarry Glen Ross and The Seafarer. A Northwest designer, Ms. Trout’s recent works include Seattle Repertory Theatre’s Photograph 51, Seattle Children’s Adventures with Spot, The Intiman Festival’s Romeo and Juliet and Dirty Story, Portland Center Stage’s The North Plan, Seattle Opera’s Lucia di Lammermoor and their Young Artists Program’s delightful Don Pasquale. Other collaborations include shows at Seattle’s ACT Theatre, Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Denver Center Theatre, Manhattan School of Music, Minneapolis Children’s Theatre Co., Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Juneau’s Perseverance Theatre, Syracuse Stage, and Shakespeare Santa Cruz, among others. Co-founder of the New York-based millinery company Mackey and Trout, she is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama and a member of the design faculty at the University of Washington’s School of Drama.

Geoffrey Korf (Lighting Designer) has designed the lighting for about 300 productions over the past 30 years. His work has appeared on Broadway, at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Rep, Intiman, Seattle Children’s, the Mark Taper Forum, Geffen Playhouse, Cornerstone Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, South Coast Repertory, The Guthrie Theatre, The Goodman Theatre, The Children’s Theatre of Minneapolis, Long Beach Opera and San Francisco Opera. He is a member of the Ensemble of Cornerstone Theater and serves as the Head of Design at the University of Washington. He is a graduate of California State University, Chico and the Yale School of Drama.

Matt Starritt (Sound Designer) is a freelance sound designer for both theatre and dance and a writer from Seattle. He is currently the sound design associate at Seattle Repertory Theatre and is a part-time lecturer for the UW’s School of Drama. In Seattle he has designed for Book-it Repertory Theatre, The Cherdonna and Lou Show, Intiman and the Intiman Theatre Festival, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company, Strawberry Theatre Workshop, Waxie Moon and was a founding member of the Washington Ensemble Theatre. Nationally he has designed for the Alley Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Cornerstone Theater Company, Illusion Theatre and South Coast Repertory.

Caroline Hewitt as Holly Lilliam Eames in the Alley Theatre's production of Warrior Class. Warrior Class runs on the Alley's Neuhaus Stage May 3 - June 2, 2013. For more information visit www.alleytheatre.org. Photo by Jann Whaley.

ABOUT THE ALLEY THEATRE

The Alley Theatre is a nationally recognized Theatre Company based in Houston, Texas.  The Alley was founded in 1947 and is one of the few US companies with a commitment to resident artists. Under the direction of Artistic Director Gregory Boyd and Managing Director Dean R. Gladden, the Alley creates a wide-ranging repertoire of innovative productions of classics, neglected modern plays, and new works in its 11 production season. The Alley has brought its productions to Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, 40 American cities, to Berlin, Paris, and St. Petersburg, as well as to major European festivals (including two in one season at the Venice Biennale). A recipient of the Special Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, the Alley has premiered plays by Edward Albee, Horton Foote, Robert Wilson, Rajiv Joseph. Kenneth Lin,  Eve Ensler, Keith Reddin, and Herbert Siguenza, as well as creating the premieres of the musicals Jekyll & Hyde, The Civil War, and Wonderland. Other notable collaborations include The Roman Plays (with Vanessa Redgrave), Hydriotaphia (by Tony Kushner), and Danton's Death. The Alley’s productions are built and rehearsed in the Alley Theatre Center for Theatre Production – a 75,000-square-foot facility adjacent to the theatres themselves and are performed on the 824-seat Hubbard Stage and the 310-seat Neuhaus Stage. The Alley continues to provide its audiences with thought-provoking, diverse and transformative theatre. alleytheatre.org

SPONSORS

Warrior Class is generously sponsored by Neuhaus Stage Season Sponsor Randall H. Jamail. The Alley Theatre is supported by the 2012-2013 season sponsor United Airlines, the official airline of the Alley Theatre.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets to Warrior Class start at $26. All tickets to Warrior Class are available for purchase at alleytheatre.org, at the Alley Theatre Box Office, 615 Texas Avenue, or by calling 713.220.5700. Groups of 10 or more can receive special concierge services and select discounts by calling 713.220.5700 and asking for the group sales department.

CAPTIONED PERFORMANCE

Sunday, May 5, 2013 at 2:30 p.m.

The Alley Theatre offers access services for our deaf or hard of hearing and sight-impaired patrons. Audio Description is provided for each Hubbard Stage production and Open Captioning is offered for every Hubbard Stage and Neuhaus Stage production. To ensure that your seats will accommodate your needs, please call the box office 713.220.5700 when ordering tickets to this performance.  Discounted tickets are available for groups of 10 or more.

TALKBACK

Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.

Members of the cast return to the stage following the performance to take questions from the audience. TalkBacks are led by a member of the Alley Artistic Staff.

Nick Maccarone as Julius Weishan Lee in the Alley Theatre's production of Warrior Class. Warrior Class runs on the Alley's Neuhaus Stage May 3 - June 2, 2013. For more information visit www.alleytheatre.org. Photo by Jann Whaley.