Cambodian Rock Band digital program

 

Welcome (finally!) to Lauren Yee’s Cambodian Rock Band! I know how patiently some of you have been waiting for this moment, when we get to welcome Lauren back to the Bay Area, and back to Berkeley Rep. I was lucky enough to be invited by Lauren and Chay and this glorious team of designers and cast to attend their dress rehearsal in New York in February 2020, and, well, we all know what came right after that. And so it has taken a bit longer to come to today than any of us might have wished.

 

But as we have found repeatedly since reopening the theatre in November 2021, sometimes plays meet their moment in strange and delightful ways. And tonight, as I sit in the back of the Roda, watching this group of artists prepare to encounter this particular audience, I’m thinking about art and power. Artists (and the institutions that are built in service of them) have perhaps never felt more disempowered than we have over the last few years. Our very survival, not to mention the activities that give meaning to our lives, has felt entirely beyond our control. When will we be allowed to reopen? On what terms? Will audiences remember that the theatre has given shape and meaning to their lives, not to mention the delight in gathering?

 

But perhaps we have more power than we think…

 

We have seen throughout history that art, and artists, have been deeply feared by totalitarian regimes and authoritarian leaders across the world, and perhaps for good reason! Artists have always had the capacity for unmasking, oftentimes revealing the absurd or malevolent tendencies of leaders. Art can serve as a message, as a structure around which like-minded individuals can coalesce, as a call to arms. Simultaneously, stories are some of the greatest tools for fostering empathy that I have ever known, giving us the opportunity to be plunged into the specific existence of a character with whom we may ostensibly share almost nothing, but in whom we discover profound likeness. The Khmer Rouge, deeply suspicious of “decadent” Western influence, silenced the musicians of Cambodia, along with the writers, visual artists, actors, and intellectuals who were among the almost 2 million victims of the genocide. But as we have seen, dissent can never be eradicated. Community will not be silenced.

 

There is so much that is radical about Cambodian Rock Band. It is to Lauren and Chay’s credit that a piece about genocide can bring an audience to its feet in joyful appreciation. These artists are wielding their unique power for our shared enlightenment and our enormous enjoyment. They are creating community and awakening us to our collective powers. What better task can there be for theatre artists?

 

I’m thrilled to have you join us for this powerful, tender, joyfully potent play.

 

Warmly,

Johanna Pfaelzer
Artistic Director

 

Welcome to Lauren Yee’s Cambodian Rock Band! And welcome back to Berkeley Rep, Lauren Yee! Lauren grew up in the Bay Area, participated in Berkeley Rep’s fellowship program, and worked on developing Cambodian Rock Band in The Ground Floor Summer Residency Lab.

 

This production is a long time coming and is the result of pandemic creativity and perseverance. As you may know, occasionally Berkeley Rep partners with other theatres on what are called co-productions, where two or more theatre companies come together to share the costs and efforts of creating a piece of theatre and then move the production between their respective venues. Co-productions were common before the pandemic to either save money, produce something of larger scale that might not be possible otherwise, or balance the construction workload of building each show from the ground up.

 

Emerging from the pandemic, these sorts of collaborations and relationships are especially important and economical, as we work to revitalize our organizations, rebuild audiences, and bolster charitable contributions. Berkeley Rep is a member of the League of Resident Theatres, an association of the country’s top nonprofit theatre companies, and we are fortunate to be collaborating with several of our colleagues to make this production of Cambodian Rock Band possible. The stage set you are seeing was built here in Berkeley and then shipped to Houston, where the production was rehearsed and first performed at the Alley Theatre. The production was then packed up, and everyone and everything moved to Berkeley. From here, the production will move to ACT Theatre/5th Avenue Theatre (Seattle), Center Theatre Group (Los Angeles), and others. In addition to delighting audiences in numerous cities, this production will provide almost a full year’s employment to the artists involved.

 

As we are partnering with others to keep our costs down, I hope you will help us to regrow our revenue by subscribing, resubscribing (keep an eye out for our season announcement and subscription renewal invoice in April), bringing friends to the theatre with you, giving tickets to friends, spreading the word, signing up for a class at our School of Theatre, or making a donation. While audiences are increasingly returning to the theatre, there are still many folks that could use your encouragement. Only through collaboration and working together can we successfully emerge from the pandemic and advance our mission to create ambitious theatre that entertains and challenges audiences, provokes civic engagement, and inspires people to experience the world in new and surprising ways.

 

I cannot believe it has already been six months since I joined you on this journey as Berkeley Rep’s managing director. Thank you for the wonderful welcome you have shown me in my first months in the Bay Area. As I have been meeting audience members, donors, volunteers, and community leaders, I resoundingly have heard great pride in and admiration of Berkeley Rep’s past accomplishments, and I am looking forward to building on that legacy with your continued support. Together, we will elevate Berkeley Rep to ever higher heights of theatrical storytelling and innovation, educational and community impact, and national and international reach.

 

Thank you for your patronage and support. Enjoy the show!

Tom Parrish 

Managing Director

 

When playwright Lauren Yee set out to write Cambodian Rock Band she began with her initial inspiration, music. Specifically, music from the band Dengue Fever, who combine Cambodian rock and pop music of the 1960s and ’70s with psychedelic rock and other world music styles. She also incorporated classic Cambodian oldies from artists, such as Sinn Sisamouth, who were part of a thriving music scene in Phnom Penh prior to the Khmer Rouge regime. In doing so, Lauren wrote what we have on our stage today, a play with music.  

 

Different from a traditional musical, where characters break out into song to express their feelings and move the plot along, Cambodian Rock Band introduces us to a fictional band, The Cyclos, who perform a concert of musical interludes that weave together the scenes of a traditional play and propel the energy of the story forward. The music is loud, it is fun, it makes you want to dance; and this juxtaposition of high-octane energy and joy against a narrative of genocide and a dark chapter of Cambodian history feels both deeply intentional and vital to lifting the resilience of the Cambodian people. It also highlights how music historically has served a key role in revolutions and remembrance.  

 

The eclectic sounds of Cambodian, or Khmer, rock also highlights the various cultural influences brought about through the globalization of Southeast Asia. Through these sounds we can hear how music evolves a culture by mixing the sounds of traditional Cambodian instruments with American rock, blues, and jazz, and the Khmer language. Like the music of Dengue Fever, the story of Cambodian Rock Band also uplifts the evolution of culture by highlighting a story of a father and daughter from two generations: one who fled from the regime of the Khmer Rouge and another who was born on American soil and whose connection to both her father and her culture have been affected by this history. For many first-generation youths, music is often used to connect with their own cultural heritage and extended families.  

 

One story that parallels the narrative of this play belongs to one of Cambodia’s biggest pop stars today, Laura Mam. An American artist and Bay Area native, Laura connected with her mom Thida Buth to help translate her music written in English into the Khmer language. Ten years ago, she recorded a music video, which she released on YouTube, and overnight became a global sensation. In 2016, Laura and her mom founded Baramey Production in Cambodia, a premium talent management and concert production agency for Khmer music that has been working to revitalize the output of contemporary Cambodian artists making music. Like the characters of Chum and Neary, the father/daughter duo at the heart of Cambodian Rock Band, Laura and her mom used music to connect, heal, and press against the single narrative of Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge regime.  

 

But music is not the only art form doing this work. Amplifying Berkeley Rep’s mission of provoking civic engagement through the medium of theatre, we have partnered with the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, through our In Dialogue initiative. Through this partnership we met with Associate Curator Dr. Natasha Reichle for a tour of the Southeast Asian Art Wing. One of the main takeaways was acknowledging how the ancient art, including sculptures, reliefs, and the temple of Angkor Wat, depicts the stories and living culture of a people and has been used by artists and historians to excavate a history that was attempted to be forgotten, a history of Southeast Asia and Cambodia before the Khmer Rouge regime. 

 

In bringing this play to Berkeley Rep and highlighting the work of artists making global connections through art, theatre, and music, we are reminded of the vibrant, rich, and complicated past, present, and future of both Cambodia and its people. As the character of Duch proclaims, “music is the soul of Cambodia,” and its placement both in this play and throughout history allow us to explore a narrative beyond genocide. The music is intended to be celebrated, honored, and danced to, to recognize that culture cannot be easily erased.  

 

– David Mendizábal  

 

Photo of David Mendizábal by Brandon Nick

 

A Bay Area native, Lauren Yee returns to Berkeley with her play Cambodian Rock Band. She spoke with Katie Stevenson, Berkeley Rep’s Bret C. Harte Artistic Fellow, about her inspiration for the play, love of Dengue Fever, and memories at Berkeley Rep.

 

Katie Stevenson: Hey Lauren! 

 

Lauren Yee: Hello, hello!  

 

KS: Thank you so much for meeting with us to talk about your play, Cambodian Rock Band, and your return to Berkeley Rep! To get started, I’d love to hear a little bit about the origins of this play. What was the inciting inspiration for you? 

 

LY: Yeah, the inciting incident was actually the music of Dengue Fever. When I was in grad school, somebody dragged me to their concert and I experienced that electric moment of hearing music, not knowing anything about the artists or their history and just being like, I am so deeply in love with this. Really, I was starting from them and digging into their own inspiration, which is Cambodian surf rock of the ’60s and ’70s and being like, what is this music? And then falling down the rabbit hole of, well, what happened to those musicians? And the truth is that most of those musicians died during the Khmer Rouge’s regime. So, it’s this collision of history where you’re just like, I love this wild music and this is how it intersected with historical events. So that was the inspiration.  

 

KS: I love that the music was always so central to this piece. Did you always plan to have a live band in the play? 

 

LY: No, actually, when I was at Ground Floor’s Summer Residency Lab with the project in 2016, it was a play about music — we talk about music, there was a band, but there wasn’t any music in the play itself. When I got to Berkeley Rep, we happened to cast actors who all played musical instruments and so, in the spirit of Ground Floor, we told them to bring them in just to see what would happen. It became so immediately clear that you needed live music in this show. If we have a protagonist who in a way risks his life for music, let’s hear the music, let’s hear why it mattered to him. 

 

KS: Absolutely. I think it’s so interesting placing this festive surf rock ’60s and ’70s music in conversation with the Khmer Rouge and this dark moment of history. How do you see those two things interacting with one another? 

 

LY: What always I think has felt important for me, especially as someone who’s not Cambodian American and didn’t grow up with this history, is expressing the joy, vitality, and just badass quality of that music and that music scene and helping folks to celebrate that music. I describe a lot of my work as light existing within the dark. While the play never shies away from grappling with the Khmer Rouge, I think we’ve always led with such a sense of joy and appreciation for the music. We celebrate the musicians and this music scene first.  

 

KS: We’re so excited to have this story at Berkeley Rep and to bring your work back to our home! To close out our conversation, I know you mentioned your time at the Ground Floor working on this piece but, to travel even further back through time, your work first premiered at Berkeley Rep in the School of Theatre’s Teen One-Act program, is that right? 

 

LY: Yeah, I think I just squeaked in there because everyone was actually a high school teenager, and I was in college, so I was technically a teenager but older. 

 

KS:  And then not too long after that you came to Berkeley Rep as the development fellow! 

 

LY: Yeah! I was there in the 2007/08 season. For me, the most exciting days would be the first day of rehearsal when there were snacks and that you also got to hear the play and meet the artists. And I remember just that always being the most incredible thing. So, I know it takes a village of people, and I deeply respect and know the work the theatre staff puts into making it all happen. 

 

KS: I love the idea that it was the art that was compelling and the free snacks. 

 

LY: Oh yeah. I remember working a Page to Stage event where there was a whole tray of cream puffs left over. So, I took them home and for a whole week after, I just ate cream puffs. 

 

KS: Well, we’re so happy to have Cambodian Rock Band here on the Roda stage for this wonderful full circle moment. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us, Lauren! 

 

LY: Thank you! And thank you for the trip down memory lane. 

 

Photo of Lauren Yee by Beowulf Sheehan

 

In 2011, playwright Lauren Yee tagged along with a friend to a music festival in San Diego where the LA-based, Cambodian-inspired band Dengue Fever was performing live. Upon hearing their opening number, “One Thousand Tears of a Tarantula,” she was immediately taken by the sound of Cambodian (or Khmer) rock and the rest is, well, the play you’ve come to see tonight. 

 

While Lauren found her inspiration in San Diego, Dengue Fever keyboardist Ethan Holtzman found his on a trip to Cambodia, returning home with a suitcase full of cassette tapes and a newfound obsession with Khmer rock. Back in the U.S., his brother Zac discovered the same Cambodian music that boomed in the ’60s and ’70s through a friend who worked at Aquarius Records in San Francisco, sparking an obsession of his own. Much like Yee, they were inspired by this specific music to create something of their own to pull the past into the present. The sound of Khmer rock itself feels as though it pulls together time and space with its dynamic use of genre and style. As Zac, who is now the band’s guitarist, notes in an interview with the voting organization Headcount, “It combines Cambodia’s vocal style with American and British garage, psychedelic, and surf sounds. It’s their spin on it. It’s just really fun and has great energy. It inspired us and then we went off in our own direction.” 

 

Catalyzed by Khmer inspiration, the brothers, along with bassist Senon Williams, saxophonist/flutist David Ralicke, and drummer Paul Smith, formed Dengue Fever in 2001. Named after a tropical disease and inspired by the music of Khmer legends, Dengue Fever blends ’60s Cambodian pop and psychedelic rock for a sound that has become an international sensation. Originally, the band focused on covers of songs by Cambodian singers and songwriters such Sinn Sisamouth and Ros Serey Sothea (both of whom have songs featured in Yee’s play) along with other artists, many of whom died or disappeared during the Khmer Rouge regime. With the decision to perform songs in the original Khmer, the band held auditions for a vocalist before selecting Chhom Nimol, a Cambodian-born singer who had a significant following in Cambodia and emigrated to the U.S. in 2001. The original members of Dengue Fever all remain in the band today, now performing original work in addition to covers. Zac Holtzman, the band’s primary songwriter, pens songs in English and passes them off to a friend to be translated into Khmer. In an interview with NPR, he explained the drawbacks of this process noting, “a phrase in English will be about, you know, seven or eight syllables. And then we translate it into Khmer, and it comes back and it’s like 20, 25 syllables.” The end result then comes from a “filtration process where we get rid of all the little unnecessary words and… [the lyrics] kind of becomes this little haiku.” Vocalist Chhom Nimol, whose native language is Khmer, lifts these “haikus” off the page for audiences who may or may not speak the language themselves. While the band continues to play songs in Khmer, they now also dabble in English and instrumentals, continuing to blend language as well as genre amidst their meld of pop, rock, metal, indie, and psychedelic sounds.

 

Since their inception, the LA-based band has found success and acclaim both in and out of the U.S. as their music brings the sounds of Khmer rock to a new generation. With six albums, domestic and international tours, stints at music festivals, profiles in major news sources, and even an episode of the HBO series True Blood named after one of their songs, Dengue Fever continues to harbor a deep passion for Cambodian-inspired music as they share it with the world. With their most recent album, The Deepest Lake, Dengue Fever took over all aspects of production: writing, recording, and producing themselves and releasing the album through their own label. The Deepest Lake features elements of Latin grooves, Cambodian hip-hop, and Afro-percussion as Dengue Fever continues to experiment and bring different sounds from different places together. 

 

When Lauren Yee approached the band about using some of their songs in a play she was working on, she gave Dengue Fever a new opportunity to collaborate and continue to share their love of Cambodian music. Members of the band were involved in the development process, with bassist Senon Williams even joining Lauren at the Ground Floor Summer Residency Lab in the summer of 2016. In an interview with the music magazine With Guitars, Zac recalls, “We would go to the workshops with the actors and teach them the songs and give Lauren feedback on how the play was coming along. It took all these great turns and huge changes that she would write between each workshop. And then it started happening and it’s been really cool.” 

 

In Yee’s play, the fictional band The Cyclos brings that music to life on stage, performing covers of songs by both Khmer rock legends and Dengue Fever, including that very first song that inspired it all, “One Thousand Tears of a Tarantula.” Featuring Dengue Fever songs performed in both English and Khmer, Cambodian Rock Band seems to perfectly captures the band’s musical footprint, playing their work alongside that of the Khmer artists who initially inspired the band’s formation. Just as those artists inspired Dengue Fever to create work that brings the sound of Khmer to new audiences, Dengue Fever inspired Lauren Yee to do the same. Cambodian Rock Band goes beyond simply featuring the music of Dengue Fever to embodying the band’s central mission in its presentation of history and celebration of music that now reaches new audiences every night at Berkeley Rep.

 

Katie Stevenson

 

Photo of Dengue Fever by Marc Walker

 

His New York credits include the Public Theater, Playwrights Horizon, New York Theatre Workshop, Signature Theatre, Playwrights Realm, Audible Theatre, Rattlestick, Ensemble Studio Theatre, National Asian American Theatre, and Ma Yi. Regionally, he directed for the Humana Festival, Goodman Theatre, Kennedy Center, American Conservatory Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Hartford Stage, La Jolla Playhouse, South Coast Repertory, Huntington Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Rep, Woolly Mammoth, Center Theatre Group, Long Wharf, Alley Theatre, Hartford Stage, Denver Theatre Center, Portland Center Stage, Round House Theatre, Singapore Repertory Theatre, amongst others. His opera credits include the world premieres of Osvaldo Golijov’s and David Henry Hwang’s Ainadamar (co-production with Tanglewood Music Center, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Los Angeles Philharmonic) and Rob Zuidam’s Rage D’Amors (Tanglewood). He is a recipient of the OBIE Award for Direction. From 2011 to 2020, he was the Artistic Director of Victory Gardens Theatre in Chicago. chayyew.com

Alley Theatre: Quixote Nuevo, Grounded, A Few Good Men, Other Desert Cities, Red, The Farnsworth Invention, Subject to Fits, and Orson’s Shadow. Broadway: Clyde’s, Derren Brown: Secret. Off-Broadway: Office Hour (Public); Man from Nebraska (Second Stage); The Great Leap, Through a Glass Darkly, The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow (Atlantic); Until the Flood (Rattlestick). Regional: American Players Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Central City Opera, Dallas Theater Center, Denver Theatre for the Performing Arts, Ford’s Theatre, Geffen Playhouse, Goodman, Hartford Stage, Huntington Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, Long Wharf, Mark Taper Forum, Nashville Opera, Old Globe, Portland Center Stage, Steppenwolf, Williamstown and Yale Rep. Kata has been the recipient of Michael Merrit, Drama Desk, Obie and Jeff Awards and has been nominated for. Ovation, San Francisco Critics Circle, Elliot Norton, TBA and Barrymore Awards. Kata is an Associate Professor at University of Southern California, School of Dramatic Arts. 

Broadway: POTUS, Summer 1976, Take Me Out, Grand Horizons, Anastasia (Tony®, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Award nominations), The Great Society, A Gentlemen’s Guide… (Tony® and Henry Hewes Awards), Lifespan of a Fact, Velocity of Autumn. Selected credits: Samson and Delilah, MET Opera, Michelle Dorrance at ABT City Center, Advisory Committee of the American Theatre Wing. MFA, Yale School of Drama. lindacho.com

David is thrilled to continue bringing Chay Yew’s production of Lauren Yee’s Cambodian Rock Band to audiences since its world premiere at South Coast Repertory in 2018. Broadway: The Great Society, The Price, Misery, Romeo and Juliet, Dead Accounts, Grace, Godspell, The Normal Heart (Tony – best revival, play), Reasons to Be Pretty, Butley, The Real Thing (Tony – best revival, play), Dinner at Eight, Betrayal. Off-Broadway: The Public Theater, Manhattan Theatre Club, Second Stage Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, Manhattan Class Company, New York Theatre Workshop, Theatre for a New Audience, Vineyard Theatre, Atlantic Theater Company. Regional: Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Steppenwolf, Goodman, CTG, La Jolla Playhouse, Alley Theatre, McCarter, Huntington, American Repertory Theater, Williamstown. Theme park: Frozen at Hyperion Theater, Disney California Adventure Park. Architecture: numerous projects including NYC Michelin Star award-winning restaurants Al Coro, Saga, Crown Shy and Cote. DavidWeinerDesign.com

Fiksel (he/him) is a Tony Award-winning designer, composer, audio producer, and DJ working in theatre, dance, film, and audio-forward media. Besides numerous productions of Cambodian Rock Band, other projects include collaborations with Playwrights Horizons, The Public, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare, La Jolla Playhouse, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Victory Gardens, Albany Park Theatre Project, Audible Originals, and Make Believe Association (where he serves as the director of audio production and with whom he just released a new audio drama series “Lake Song” featured at Tribeca Audio Premieres). Film credits include original scores for Glitch, The Wise Kids, and In Memoriam. Other awards include three Lucille Lortel Awards, multiple Jeff Awards, 2020 Obie Award for Sound Design. Fiksel is on the faculty at Columbia College Chicago and is a proud member of USA and TSDCA. 

Megumi Katayama is a NY-based sound designer. Off-Broadway: The Nosebleed (LCT3), Regretfully, So the Birds Are (Playwrights Horizons), for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf (Public Theater), The Life (NYCC Encores!), Signature Theatre, Ping Chong and Company, NAATCO, Rattlestick. Regional: Alley Theatre, Geva Theatre Center, Arena Stage, Woolly Mammoth, Everyman Theatre, Long Wharf, Studio Theatre, Yale Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Kansas City Rep, Two River Theater, and more. MFA Yale School of Drama. 

Originally from N. Ireland, headed the wig/makeup department at the Metropolitan Opera for 17 years. He has designed more than 100 Broadway productions: Wicked, Rock of Ages, The King & I, Fiddler on the Roof, Oslo, Falsettos, The Little Foxes, Junk, My Fair Lady, King Kong, All My Sons, Great Society, and Plaza Suite.

Five Ohm Productions is a New York City-based production company specializing in theatrical and experiential audio and video applications. Five Ohm has employed hundreds of design and technical artists and has an ever expanding roster of technicians and venues in New York City and beyond. Notable design credits include video design with Tal Yarden for the Apollos original production of Ta-Nehisi Coates' Between the World and Me performed at the Apollo and Kennedy Center and the eventual subject of an HBO documentary of the same name. Other notable credits include: New York Times Dealbook Conference with Jazz at Lincoln Center, original animations and design for Fahrenheit 451 at the Hippodrome and Cambodian Rock Band video design with Luke Norby at Signature Theatre. Special thanks to Luke and Ben on the Houston team. 

Matt MacNelly is a musician and actor living in Los Angeles. He co-arranged Cambodian Rock Band and has worked as music supervisor on many previous productions, including Signature Theatre (NYC), the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, South Coast Repertory, and Victory Gardens in Chicago, among others. He’s been playing guitar and singing for over 20 years. Matt has a BA in Theater and Performance Studies from Georgetown University, and an MFA in Acting from the University of California, San Diego.

Jane Lui is a singer, songwriter, keyboardist, percussionist. Recent credits include “Opera Evelyn” vocal contributions to the soundtrack of Everything Everywhere All At Once (A24), Arranger/Pou in Cambodian Rock Band (off-Broadway Signature Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, South Coast Repertory), Huong in Vietgone (East West Players), original compositions in All’s Well That Ends Well (OSF), composer and music director in Secret in the Wings (Coeurage Theatre Co). Her electro project, SURRIJA, departs from her past work, exploring glitch and warm electronic design. The album earned a nomination for Best Pop Album at San Diego Music Awards 2021. Her music video “Southern Winds” earned Best Music Video at Dublin Web Fest 2017. She has worked with Matt Chamberlain, Son Lux, Felicia Day, CDZA, and toured internationally. @surrija // Surrija.com

Graham Schmidt is a Brooklyn-based theatre director. Graham has directed and developed work at the Orchard Project, Ensemble Studio Theatre, the Lark Theatre, the Wild Project, the National Winter Playwrights’ Retreat, Salvage Vanguard Theater, Aye Defy, the Blue Theater, the Off Center, NYU Grad Acting, Fordham University, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and UT-Austin. Graham teaches acting in BFA programs at Pace University and Brooklyn College. 

Broadway: The Book of Mormon, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. NY City Center: Call Me Madam (Encores). Off-Broadway: Sanctuary City, Othello, Dreaming Zenzile, An Ordinary Muslim (NYTW); Good Enemy (Minetta Lane); Somebody’s Daughter, The Layover, Invisible Thread, The Other Thing (Second Stage); Gently Down the Stream, Sweat Mobile National, Measure for Measure Mobile (The Public); Daphne’s Dive (Signature). Regional: Seder (Hartford Stage), 10x10 2016 (Barrington Stage), On the Town (Boston Pops). 

Broadway: Clyde’s. Off-Broadway: Good Enemy (Minetta Lane), HEART (Minetta Lane), ¡Americano! (New World Stages), My Mother’s Severed Head (Theatre Row), Whisper House (59E59). New York: SuperYou Musical Concert (Carnegie Hall), Bridesmaids: A Dance Narrative (Symphony Space). 

Julia is thrilled to return to Berkeley Rep where she previously worked on Goddess and Culture Clash (Still) in America. Other stage management credits include: Romeo y Juliet, House of Joy, Everybody (California Shakespeare Theatre); Sleeping Beauty, The Magic Lamp (Presidio Theatre); Justice The Musical, The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley, Oslo (Marin Theatre Company). 

Broadway: Death of a Salesman, The Skin of Our Teeth, The Parisian Woman, Hand to God, The Heidi Chronicles, The Performers, Golda’s Balcony, and Metamorphoses. Other credits include: 25 years of off-Broadway, regional, and international work.

Associate Scenic Designer 
Robin Vest 

 

Associate Costume Designer 
Herin Kaputkin 

 

Associate Lighting Designer 
David Shocket 

 

Associate Sound Designer 
Ben Truppin-Brown 

 

Associate Video Designer 
Ben Moll 

 

Fight Director (Alley Theatre) 
Aldo Uribe 

 

Khmer Language Consultant 
Sokunthary Svay 

 

Production Assistant 
Emily Betts 

 

A1 
Jordana Abrenica 

 

A2 
Angela Don 

 

Deck Crew  
Milo Blue · James McGregor · Kaitlynn Walker · Zach Wziontka 

 

Automation 
Isaac Jacobs 

 

Wardrobe Crew 
Barbara Blair (Wardrobe Supervisor) 
Willow Adventure · Caz Hiro · Rachel Mandelstam 

 

Light Board Operator & Lighting Programmer 
Kenny Coté 

 

COVID Safety Manager 
Kathleen Parsons 

 

Scene Shop 
Adam Clay · Carl Martin · Sean Miller · Maggie Wentworth · Zach Wziontka 

 

Scenic Art 
Nathaniel Bice · Julie Ann Brown · Katie Holmes · Neena Holzman · Maya Matthews · Tatiana Ray · Cayla Ray-Perry · Tia Shank 

 

Props 
Garner Takahashi-Keene · Brittany Watkins 

 

Lighting 
Nikola Capp · Lauren Chang · Travis Clark · Brittany Cobb · Richard Fong · Jack Grable · Jacob Hill · Jason Joo · Caleb Knopp · Charlie Mejia · Riley Richardson · Taylor Rivers · Noah Rojas-Domke · C. Swan-Streepy · Matt Sykes 

 

Sound 
Courtney Jean · Camille Rassweiler · Cal Swan-Streepy 

 

Assistant Production Manager
Florence Gill (Production Management Fellow) 

 

Assistant Company Manager  
Emily Zhou (Company Management Fellow) 

 

Assistant Sound Designer 
Ariana Cardoza (Harry Weininger Sound Fellow) 

 

Assistant Lighting Designer 
Tiffany Hernandez Alberto (Lighting Fellow) 

 

Special thanks to Vannak Sorn

 

Medical consultation for Berkeley Rep provided by Agi E. Ban DC, John Carrigg MD, Cindy J. Chang MD, Christina Corey MD, Neil Claveria PT, Patricia I. Commer DPT, Brenton Dowdy DPT, Kathy Fang MD PhD, Steven Fugaro MD, Whitney R. Johnson DDS, Olivia Lang MD, Allen Ling PT, and Christina S. Wilmer OD.

 

In the season before the pandemic shutdown, Francis received a Lucille Lortel Award for Cambodian Rock Band, an Outer Critics Circle Award for Soft Power, and a Bay Area Critics Circle Award for The Language Archive. He has appeared on Broadway in Pacific Overtures, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and M. Butterfly. Recent Off-Broadway credits include Good Enemy, Twilight: Los Angeles 1992, and Wild Goose Dreams (Obie Award). His regional credits include Today Is My Birthday, King of the Yees (Bay Area Critics Circle Award), and Tiger Style!. TV/Film: Madam Secretary, Hightown, Law & Order: SVU, Joyful Noise, White Noise and upcoming Our Son. 

 

Regional: Originated the role of Rom in Cambodian Rock Band (Signature Theatre Company, Pacific Playwrights Festival, South Coast Repertory, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, La Jolla Playhouse); Son in LA Riots (Cafe-Club Fais Do Do). Music: National and International tours with Run River North, DANakaDAN and Magnetic North & Taiyo Na. Drummer on Magnetic North & Taiyo Na’s album, Home: Word. Music band affiliations: IXS, Monroe St., The Blazing Rays of the Sun, Former Faces, Fyke, Ruth + the Library, Priska, Surrija. Music Producer: Priska (State Change), SGLA (Be Thou My Vision). TV/Film: Good Sessions (CBS pilot). Jasyn’s Theme (YouTube). Education: Craig Kupka, Daniel Yoo, Angelica Thompson. Instagram: @0abrahamkim0. 

 

Jane Lui is a singer, songwriter, keyboardist, percussionist. Recent credits include “Opera Evelyn” vocal contributions to the soundtrack of Everything Everywhere All At Once (A24), Arranger/Pou in Cambodian Rock Band (off-Broadway Signature Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, South Coast Repertory), Huong in Vietgone (East West Players), original compositions in All’s Well That Ends Well (OSF), composer and music director in Secret in the Wings (Coeurage Theatre Co). Her electro project, SURRIJA, departs from her past work, exploring glitch and warm electronic design. The album earned a nomination for Best Pop Album at San Diego Music Awards 2021. Her music video “Southern Winds” earned Best Music Video at Dublin Web Fest 2017. She has worked with Matt Chamberlain, Son Lux, Felicia Day, CDZA, and toured internationally. @surrija // Surrija.com. 

 

Joe Ngo is an Obie Award winning actor, writer, and musician who most notably originated and developed the role of Chum in Lauren Yee’s Cambodian Rock Band (directed by Chay Yew, music by Dengue Fever) with productions at South Coast Repertory, La Jolla Playhouse, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Off-Broadway at the Signature Theatre in NYC, and at the Alley Theatre. Regional: Mlima’s Tale (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis), White Snake (Center Stage/Baltimore), King of the Yees (ACT/Seattle, Center Stage/Baltimore), Vietgone (Studio Theatre, DC) TV: Crashing (HBO) V/O: Funan (gKids) Education: MFA (UW Seattle) Joe-Ngo.com.

 

Geena Quintos was recently seen in Audible Theater’s production of Good Enemy, and in Hartford Stage’s production of Kiss My Aztec! written by John Leguizamo. Other credits include Broadway/Tour: Miss Saigon, A Chorus Line. Off-Broadway/Regional: Soft Power (The Public Theater), Vietgone (Geva Theatre), Emojiland (Duke on 42nd), Here Lies Love (Seattle Rep), Undesirables (Kennedy Center), Interstate (NYSAF), Diamond Alice (Fiasco Theater). Thank you to the entire CRB team for welcoming me with open arms! IG: @geenaquinoa. geenaquintos.com.

 

New York: Cambodian Rock Band (Signature Theatre), Sonic Life of a Giant Tortoise (The Play Company), Fornicated From The Beatles (The New Ensemble), Chairs and a Long Table (Ma-Yi Theatre), Fast Company (Ensemble Studio Theatre). Select Regional: Henry V, Snow In Midsummer, The Odyssey, The Winter’s Tale (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); Vietgone (OSF/Seattle Repertory); Cambodian Rock Band (OSF/La Jolla Playhouse); Our Town (South Coast Repertory); It’s a Wonderful Life (TheatreWorks Silicon Valley); Warrior Class (Alliance Theatre); Swamp Is On (Pig Iron Theatre Company); King Lear (Denver Center). Training: MFA, National Theatre Conservatory. BA, University of San Francisco. All my love to Amy. @themightymos. 

 

Kelsey is honored to join the Cambodian Rock Band family. Fave regional creds: Cambodian Rock Band (HI); Lizzie, the Musical (Playhouse Square, OH); Wild Swimming (HI); Henry IV, part 1 (HI Shakes Fest). Tour: The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System (Theaterworks USA). Directing creds: Kate Hamill’s Pride & Prejudice at KOA Theater, HI, associate to Erin Ortman on Jeannette, a new musical about the right to vote, associate to Jess McLeod on the NYCLU’s “Sing Out For Freedom.” Education: Baldwin Wallace University, Mid-Pacific School of the Arts. Mahalo nui loa to everyone who said yes, to the ohana, pamilya, and bong. IG: @kelseyangelb. kelseyangelbaehrens.com. 

 

Alex is thrilled to be joining the Cyclos for their national tour! Previous credits include As You Like It (Quest Players), Such Things As Vampires (People’s Light), It Can’t Happen Here (Berkeley Rep), Sisters Matsumoto (CenterREP), and the Ground Floor workshop of Cambodian Rock Band. Many thanks to Lauren Yee, Chay Yew, and the rest of the Cyclos. 

 

Born in the shadow of Sai Gon, Vietnam and raised in the cattle country of southwestern Kansas, Vi Tran is equal parts sea salt and wheat fields. Creator of The Butcher’s Son, an autobiographical refugee folk musical about his family’s escape from Vietnam, their capture by the Khmer Rouge, and their resettlement in the meatpacking country of America. The Butcher’s Son was nominated for 8 awards at the 2018 Chicago Musical Theatre Festival and winner of Most Promising Musical and Best Leading Performer (Tran). Watch and listen at youtube.com/vitranmusic. Credits: Vietgone (Unicorn Theatre, American Stage); Miss Saigon (Paramount, Western Playhouse); M Butterfly (Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre); Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Unicorn); Lucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon (Our Perspective/Steppenwolf/Lookout); Take Me Out (Unicorn, Playhouse on the Square); Molière’s The Pests (Kansas City Actors Theatre); King Henry V (Heart of America Shakespeare Festival). 

Steve is a retired real estate developer, and Susan a retired architect. Their main focus now is the Chamberlin Education Foundation, which focuses on K-12 education issues in the West Contra Costa Unified School District. Susan has been a season ticket holder for over 25 years.

Michelle and Bruce have been ardent supporters of Berkeley Rep since 1993, when they moved with two young children in tow to Berkeley. Their favorite evenings at Berkeley Rep were usually the discussion nights, where often friends would join them for an early dinner, an evening of great theatre, followed by a lively discussion with members of the cast. Over the past 30+ years, Michelle and Bruce have recognized Berkeley Rep’s almost singular role in the Bay Area in promoting courageous new works and nurturing innovative, diverse playwrights. According to Michelle and Bruce, “There’s never been a more vital time in our lives when the power of theatre to transform, compel, inspire, and energize has been more necessary.”

Warren and Frances are avid watchers of live theatre, which includes Berkeley Rep and an annual pilgrimage (when COVID allows) to London's West End. Having loved Berkeley Rep for years, they are thrilled to sign on as 2021/22 season sponsors. They are very proud of the cutting edge, exceptional theatre that Berkeley Rep continuously produces. Frances' day job is as Professor of Physics at UC Berkeley and Warren is a Machinist and Welder at 5th Street Machine Arts.

Betty and Jack are proud to support Berkeley Rep. Jack is a sustaining advisor of the Theatre, having served on the board for many years, and is now on the board of San Francisco Opera. He is an emeritus board chair of the San Francisco Art Institute and the Oxbow School. In San Francisco, Betty is involved with Wise Aging, a program for adults addressing the challenges of growing older. She serves on several non-profit boards. They have three daughters and eight grandchildren.

Roger Strauch is chair of The Roda Group. He has served on Berkeley Rep’s Board of Trustees for over twenty years, often as an executive member. Roger is an engineer, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and philanthropist. He has helped build technology companies that have had public stock offerings or have been sold to global industry leaders. Currently, Roger focuses on the development of several enterprises whose products and services will mitigate the negative impact of industry on global climate change and human health. Roger serves on the boards of the Chart Industries (NYSE:GTLS); Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI); Northside Center in Harlem, NYC, a mental health service agency; and UC Berkeley's College of Engineering. He is the leader of the Mosse Art Restitution Project, a major international effort to restitute stolen art from his great step family during the Third Reich. Roger and his wife, Dr. Julie Kulhanjian, a retired pediatric infectious disease physician, have three adult children. Roger and Julie divide their time between Piedmont, CA and Martha’s Vineyard.

Gail has been a Berkeley Rep trustee for 11 years and previously served as board president. She retired from Kaiser in San Leandro where she was a hematologist and oncologist. She is the founder of Tiba Foundation (tibafoundation.org), an organization investing in community healthcare in an underprivileged district of western Kenya, in partnership with Matibabu. Arne is a retired lawyer. In his retirement, he teaches and tutors high school math part-time, and serves as treasurer for Tiba Foundation. Gail and Arne have been attending the Theatre since they were students in 1972.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is the backbone of the Bay Area transit network serving five counties throughout the region. BART’s all-electric trains make it one of the greenest and most energy-efficient transit systems in the world. We encourage our riders to visit bart.gov/welcomeback as the region continues to reopen as we safely welcome you back. To learn more about great destinations and events that are easy to get to on BART (like Berkeley Rep!), visit bart.gov/bartable. At BARTable, you can find discounts, enter sweepstakes offering fantastic prizes, and find unique and exciting things to do just a BART ride away. While you’re there, be sure to sign up for BARTable This Week, a free, weekly email filled with the latest and greatest BARTable fun!

Peet’s Coffee is proud to be the exclusive coffee of Berkeley Repertory Theatre and the namesake of Berkeley Rep’s state-of-the-art Peet’s Theatre. In 1966, Alfred Peet opened his first store on Vine and Walnut in Berkeley and Peet’s has been committed to the community ever since. Supporting Berkeley Rep’s high artistic standards and diverse programming is an extension of this mission. As the pioneer of the craft coffee movement in America, Peet’s is dedicated to smallbatch roasting, superior quality beans, freshness, and a darker roasting style that produces a rich, flavorful cup. Peet’s is locally roasted in the first LEED® Gold certified roaster in the nation.

Jon and Karen are proud supporters of Berkeley Rep. Karen is a member of the company’s Sustaining Advisors and Jon has helped the theatre advance its green initiatives in all its buildings. They are pleased to sponsor Cambodian Rock Band. Former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Jon is the CEO of GridPolicy Inc., an internationally recognized energy policy consultancy. Karen is an award-winning journalist and writer. Check out her blog, Muddling through Middle Age, at muddling.me and her column, The Matzo Chronicles, which appears in newspapers across the U.S. and abroad. Former residents of Berkeley, they now live in Reno, NV.

Artistic Director
Johanna Pfaelzer

 

Managing Director
Tom Parrish

 

ARTISTIC

 

Associate Artistic Director
David Mendizábal

 

Associate Casting Director & Artistic Associate
Karina Fox

 

Artists Under Commission
Todd Almond
Christina Anderson
Rafael Casal
Daveed Diggs
Dipika Guha
Richard Montoya
Nico Muhly
Lisa Peterson
Sarah Ruhl
Tori Sampson
Jack Thorne
Joe Waechter

 

PRODUCTION AND COMPANY MANAGEMENT

 

Director of Production
Audrey Hoo

 

Associate Production Manager
Kali Grau

 

Company Manager
Peter Orkiszewski

 

STAGE OPERATIONS

 

Stage Supervisor
Julia Englehorn

 

Associate Stage Supervisor
Gabriel Holman

 

Head Stage Technician
James McGregor

 

PROPERTIES

 

Properties Supervisor
Jillian A. Green

 

Associate Properties Supervisor
Amelia Burke-Holt

 

Properties Artisan
Lisa Mei Ling Fong

 

SCENE SHOP

 

Co-Technical Directors
Jim Smith
Matt Rohner

 

Head Carpenter
Read Tuddenham

 

Scene Shop Supervisor
Patrick Keene

 

Draftsperson
Grant Vocks

 

Scenic Carpenters
Faye Joseph
August Lewallen

 

SCENIC ART

 

Charge Scenic Artist
Lisa Lázár

 

COSTUMES

 

Costume Director
Maggi Yule

 

Draper
Star Rabinowitz

 

Wardrobe Supervisor
Barbara Blair

 

Resident Design Associate
Kiara Montgomery

 

ELECTRICS

 

Lighting Supervisor
Frederick C. Geffken

 

Associate Lighting Supervisor
Sarina Renteria

 

Senior Production Electrician
Kenneth Coté

 

Production Electrician
Desiree Alcocer

 

SOUND AND VIDEO

 

Sound and Video Supervisor
Lane Elms

 

Associate Sound and Video Supervisor
Chase Nichter

 

Senior Sound Engineer
Angela Don

 

Sound Engineer
Akari Izumi

 

ADMINISTRATION

 

General Manager
Sara Danielsen

 

Finance Director
Jared Hammond

 

Associate Managing Director
Sunshine Deffner

 

Executive Assistant
Kate Horton

 

Associate Finance Director
Katie Riemann

 

Bookkeeper
Alanna McFall

 

Payroll Administrator
Jennifer Light

 

Director of Human Resources and Diversity
Modesta Tamayo

 

DEVELOPMENT

 

Interim Director of Development
Lisa Salomon

 

Associate Director of Development
Laura Fichtenberg

 

Philanthropy Officer
Andrew Maguire

 

Individual Giving Manager
Marcela Chacón

 

Special Events Manager
Elaina Guyett

 

Institutional Grants Manager
Kelsey Scott

 

Interim Institutional Gifts Manager
Cassie Newman

 

Development Coordinator
Nicky Martinez

 

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

 

Director of Marketing and Communications
Voleine Amilcar

 

Marketing Consultant
Colleen Flanigan

 

Public Relations Consultant
Kevin Kopjak

 

Communications and Digital Content Director
Karen McKevitt

 

Senior Graphic Designer
DC Scarpelli

 

Video and Multimedia Content Creator
Calvin Ngu

 

Marketing Associate
Beatriz Hernandez

 

OPERATIONS

 

Director of Operations
Amanda Williams O’Steen

 

CRM Project Manager
Destiny Askin

 

Web and Database Specialist
Christina Cone

 

Facilities Director
Mark Morrisette

 

Facilities Manager
Adam Johnson

 

Building Engineers
Kevin Pan | Thomas Tran

 

Building Technician
Jesus Rodriguez

 

Facilities Assistants
Darrel De La Rosa | Theresa Drumgoole | Wendi Lau | Sophie Li

 

PATRON SERVICES

 

Director of Patron Experience
Brian Davis

 

Front of House Director
Kelly Kelley

 

Patron Services Supervisors
Maddi Gjovik | Nina Gorham

 

Patron Experience Representatives
Emma Allen-Landwehr | Jessica Bates | Alicia Battle | Megan Bedig | Victoria Broach | Phoenyx Butts | Matthew Canter | Rachel Cole | Steven Cole | Julian Dion | Fillomena Franchina | Jasmine Guillot | Matthew Hayden | Latasha Hayes | Amir Heibl | Armando Herrera | Joelle Joyner-Wong | Caitlyn Lee | Jennifer Light | Leigh Nelson | Maura Oliverira | Angela Phung | Tuesday Ray | Anna Riggin | Alana Scott | Debra Selman | Sloane Sim | Isaiah Valencia | Anna Vorobyeva

 

Subscription Manager
Laurie Barnes

 

Box Office Manager
Julie Gotsch

 

Box Office Agents
Oliver Kampman | Mikee Loria | Alanna McFall | Cassidy Milano | Dom Refuerzo | Chris Selland | Christy Spence | Gianna Francesca Vescio

 

BERKELEY REP SCHOOL OF THEATRE

 

Director of the School of Theatre
Anthony Jackson

 

Associate Director
Dylan Russell

 

Director of Classes and Summer Programs
MaryBeth Cavanaugh

 

Curriculum and Educational Programs Manager
Si Mon’ Emmett

 

Classes and Communications Administrator
Ashley Lim

 

Programs Administrator
Tate Lancaster

 

Teaching Artists
Bobby August Jr. · L.M. Bogad· Diana Brown· Nicole Bruno· Catherine Castellanos· Rebecca Castelli· Kate Cherry· Iu-Hui Chua· Jiwon Chung· Robin Dolan· Lura Dolas· Jim Edgar· Bob Ernst· Deb Eubanks· Todd Fortier· Maria Frangos· Adrian Gebhart· Nancy Gold· Gary Graves· Marvin Greene· Ben Hartley· Ramon Higuera· William Thomas Hodgson· Katya Davida· Jennifer LeBlanc· Jasmine Lew· Dave Maier· Carolyn McCandlish· Annie Obermeyer· Brennan Pickman-Thoon· Lisa Porter· Hans Probst· Kenneth Ransom· Kimiya Shokri· Joyful Simpson· James Wagner· Tracy Ward· Farin Zahedi

 

2022/23 BERKELEY REP FELLOWSHIPS

 

Bret C. Harte Artistic Fellow
Katie Stevenson

 

Company Management Fellow
Emily Zhou

 

Costumes Fellow
Violet Clemons

 

Education Fellow
Elizabeth Woolford

 

Harry Weininger Sound Fellow
Ariana Cardoza

 

Lighting Fellow
Tiffany Hernandez Alberto

 

Marketing Fellow
Caroline Mae Woodson

 

Multimedia Content Fellow
Muriel Steinke

 

Peter F. Sloss Artistic Fellow
Maria Arreola

 

Production Management Fellow
Flo Gill

 

Properties Fellow
Kristina Fosmire

 

Scenic Art Fellow
Kenzie Bradley

 

Scenic Construction Fellow
Seraphim Blount

 

Stage Management Fellow
Calvin Friedman

President
Emily Shanks

 

Vice Presidents
Chuck Fanning
Bruce Golden
Sudha Pennathur

 

Treasurer
William T. Espey

 

Secretary
Scott Haber

 

Chair, Governance Committee
Anne Nemer Dhanda

 

Chair, Audit Committee
Steven C. Wolan

 

Board Members
Edward D. Baker
Susan Chamberlin
David Cox
Christopher Doane
Sandra Eggers
Kerry L. Francis
Steven Goldin
Jonathan C. Logan
Melanie Maier
Henning Mathew
Juan Oldham
Tom Parrish
Johanna Pfaelzer
Allan Smith
Sherry Smith
Gail Wagner
Brian Watt

 

Past Presidents
Helen C. Barber
A. George Battle
Carole B. Berg
Robert W. Burt
Shih-Tso Chen
Narsai M. David
Thalia Dorwick, PhD
Nicholas M. Graves
Richard F. Hoskins
Jean Knox
Robert M. Oliver
Stewart Owen
Marjorie Randolph
Harlan M. Richter
Richard A. Rubin
Edwin C. Shiver
Roger A. Strauch
Gail Wagner
Martin Zankel

 

Sustaining Advisors
Rena Bransten
Diana Cohen
Robin Edwards
William Falik
David Fleishhacker
Paul T. Friedman
Jill Fugaro
Karen Galatz
David Hoffman
Richard F. Hoskins
Dugan Lamoise
Sandra R. McCandless
Helen Meyer
Peter Pervere
Marjorie Randolph
Leonard X Rosenberg
Patricia Sakai
Jack Schafer
William Schaff
Richard M. Shapiro
Michael Steinberg
Roger A. Strauch
Jean Z. Strunsky
Michael S. Strunsky
Felicia Woytak
Martin Zankel

 

Founding Director
Michael W. Leibert
Producing Director, 1968–83