Issuu

AFLAC IS PROUD TO BE A SEASON SPONSOR OF

RIVERCENTER

FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS.

For more information about Aflac, visit aflac.com. One Day Pay SM available for most properly documented, individual claims submitted online through Aflac SmartClaim ® by 3 PM ET. Aflac SmartClaim ® is available on most Accident, Cancer, Hospital, Specified Health, and Intensive Care policies. Individual Company Statistic, 2017. Individual coverage is underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus. Worldwide Headquarters | 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, Georgia 31999. Z170888

EXP 7/18

A P PL AUSE

2017-2018 SEASON 9 0 0 B R OA DWAY | C O L U M B U S , G A | 7 0 6 . 2 5 6 . 3 6 1 2 | R I V E R C E N T E R . O R G

RIVERCENTER INC. & the Cultural Economy: Aside from providing great entertainment, performance space, and support services for several area arts organizations, RiverCenter plays an important role in our local economy. As calculated by the Americans for the Arts Economic Impact Calculator based upon an Annual Budget of $2,760,000 RiverCenter activities result in over $4.5 million in economic activity. This supports 153 full time equivalent jobs and represents over $3.5 million in local household income. RIVERCENTER INC. & Tourism: RiverCenter supports conferences, meetings, productions, and other programs that attract tourists to our community for multiple days. Those visitors dine in area restaurants and support other retail businesses in the County during their visit. The entire local economy wins. Since our performing arts center attracts tourists to the city, stands as a symbol of high culture, improves the community’s quality of life, and aids businesses when attracting talent to the region, RiverCenter receives a subsidy from the hotel/motel tax. The revenue is derived from taxes paid by visitors staying in area hotels or motels located within Muscogee County. These funds are exclusively dedicated to the maintenance, utilities, and upgrades necessary to keep the facility competitive and attractive for the city. Area residents do not fund this tax but they reap the benefits of having their very own performing arts center in Columbus. RIVERCENTER INC. & the Next Generation: RiverCenter provides extensive educational programming both in and outside of RiverCenter for area K-12 public schools. Activities include teacher workshops, study aids, pre and post visit lesson plans, subsidized tickets and transportation to low income schools, and access to the arts for over 20,000 students. RIVERCENTER INC. & Facility Partners: Through significant in-kind contributions RiverCenter supports the activities and performances of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and the Youth Orchestra of Greater Columbus. Both are resident companies within the Center. In addition, RiverCenter’s south wing is filled with the Schwob School of Music. Through this collaboration both organizations serve the community in uniquely different ways that would ordinarily not be possible. This synergy brings the university and our nonprofit together to create vibrancy and variety in Uptown.

April 17 & 18, 2018

APPLAUSE A PRI L - MAY 2018

ISSUE NO. 83

IN THIS ISSUE: 13

Classic Albums Live: Led Zeppelin's II April 7 | 7:30 PM 35

Urban Bush Women: Hair & Other Stories April 26 | 7:30 PM

The Sound of Music April 17 & 18| 7:30 PM 49

The Rainbow Fish May 11 | 6:30 PM

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 4 6 10 73

Curtain Raisers RiverCenter Members RiverCenter Capstone Society Volunteers

74 Board of Trustees 74 Administration and Staff 75 Ticket Information 1

MES S AGE

FROM THE D I R EC TOR Welcome to the 2017-2018 RiverCenter Experience! Whether you are joining us for the first time or are a regular attendee, we are thrilled that you have joined us! This season we continue programs that are certain to delight, inspire and amaze. Family matinee performances for the very young and the young at heart are on tap, together with stories of romance told in music, dance and the spoken word. Norman S. Easterbrook Experience the Broadway musical ELF with Executive Director your family. Perhaps a rock concert with Classic Albums Live is more your speed. On Valentine’s Day enjoy dinner and comedy with your sweetheart or just a ladies night. We are so pleased to be hosting the Mystical Arts of Tibet in the spring. Patrons can see the monks design a sand mandala in the RiverCenter lobby! We will offer expanded Arts Education this season, too. All part of our commitment to provide opportunities for school students to engage in the live performing arts, not just at RiverCenter but through training teachers in ways that they can use the performing arts each day in the classroom. None of this could be possible without your generous support. We look forward to seeing you at the theatre this season!

To help support RiverCenter please contact the Advancement Team at 706.256.3653 or development@rivercenter.org 2

2017-2018 SEASON

ELF: The Musical | Nov. 11, 2017 | 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM Dirty Dancing | Dec. 2, 2017 | 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM Riverdance: The 20th Anniversary World Tour | Jan. 11, 2018 | 7:30 PM Motown the Musical | Mar. 20 & 21, 2018 | 7:30 PM The Sound of Music |Apr. 17 & 18, 2018 | 7:30 PM

Classic Albums Live: Pink Floyd | Sep. 8, 2017 | 7:30 PM A Charlie Brown Christmas Live! | Dec. 18, 2017 | 6:30 PM Classic Albums Live: Creedence Clearwater Revival | Feb. 1, 2018 | 7:30 PM The Magic of Adam Trent | Feb. 2, 2018 | 7:30 PM Southern Fried Chicks: Cage-Free Comedy Tour | Feb. 14, 2018 | 7:30 PM Moscow Festival Ballet: Cinderella | Mar. 3, 2018 | 7:30 PM Olate Dogs: Rescue Tour | Mar. 10, 2018 | 2:30 PM Classic Albums Live: Led Zeppelin | Apr. 7, 2018 | 7:30 PM

Choir of Clare College, Cambridge | Dec. 9, 2017 | 7:30 PM Cantus Christmas | Dec. 19, 2017 | 7:30 PM Mystical Arts of Tibet | Feb. 16, 2018 | 7:30 PM Urban Bush Women: Hair & Other Stories | Apr. 26, 2018 | 7:30 PM

RiverCenter Advancement RiverCenter is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Ticket sales meet only a portion of RiverCenter’s operating expenses. The balance is covered by contributions to RiverCenter. The generosity of many individuals and corporations helps RiverCenter present world-class artists and offer varied educational opportunities. To receive information about becoming a Member or Curtain Raiser, please call 706-256-3653 or email development@rivercenter.org.

RiverCenter Sponsors: Curtain Raisers

Curtain Raisers are RiverCenter’s major sponsors, granting agencies, or corporate contributors. The funds support RiverCenter’s diverse program schedule, including professional touring attractions and educational activities. RiverCenter values its phenomenal partners. List based on donations given as of Mar. 1, 2018 SEASON SPONSOR

CHAMPION LEVEL SPONSORS

SUSTAINER LEVEL SPONSORS

BENEFACTOR LEVEL SPONSORS

AND THE VALLEY

DIAMOND LEVEL SPONSORS

PLATINUM LEVEL SPONSORS

Communicorp, Inc. CIRCA Craft Cocktails

Fox Theatre Institute Page, Scrantom, Sprouse, Tucker & Ford, PC

Wells Fargo

GOLD LEVEL MEMBERS

Columbus Water Works Greystone Properties, LLC

Kodak Company SILVER LEVEL MEMBERS

Chick-fil-A, Inc. Giving Fund

Metro Power, Inc.

BRONZE LEVEL MEMBERS

Rivertown Dental Care

Hoo Knows Magazine 5

RIVERCENTER MEMBERS

MARQUEE SOCIETY MEMBERS • The Marquee Society advances fulfillment of RiverCenter’s mission of “bringing together a variety of artists and audiences for entertainment, education and enrichment of the cultural life of our region.” Society members annually contribute $1,000 or more and know the true value of the arts and cultural preservation. Membership has its benefits. Please contact Betsy Fitzgerald at 706-256-3653 to discuss Marquee Society membership. List based on donations given as of Mar. 1, 2018

M A R Q U E E S O C I E T Y: S U S TA I N E R L E V E L

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen T. Butler M A R Q U E E S O C I E T Y: B E N E F A C T O R L E V E L

Sally and Madden Hatcher

Al and Betsy Ramsay

Wendell Lewis Memorial Fund

Mary W. Schley

M A R Q U E E S O C I E T Y: D I A M O N D L E V E L Anonymous

Mr. and Mrs. Wright B. Waddell

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel P. Amos

Mrs. Janice M. Watson In memory of Dr. Davis R. Watson, Sr.

Mr. and Mrs. James H. Blanchard Gardiner and Nora Garrard

Ray M. and Jane R. Wright Foundation

Dr. David and Suzanne Levine M A R Q U E E S O C I E T Y: P L AT I N U M L E V E L Kriss and Lisa Cloninger

Dr. Franklin J. Star

Akitoshi and Etsuko Kan

Judy W. Thomas

Mr. and Mrs. John C. Martin, II

Rick and Jan Ussery

Mr. & Mrs. Jack J. Pease, III

Wade and Adrianne Wallace

David and Linell Pringle

James and Teresa White

Dr. and Mrs. Richard S. Robbins

Mr. and Mrs. M. Troy Woods

Mr. and Mrs. William P. Scarbrough

James D. and Ruth B. Yancey

Mr. Gavin G. Spence

in memory of Geraldine Spence

M A R Q U E E S O C I E T Y: G O L D L E V E L Anonymous Dr. and Mrs. Ferdinand Q. Alcaide Rick and Cindy Alexander Fred & Catalina Aranas Family Foundation Kara and Matt Barkley Jacob and Claire Beil Dr. and Mrs. Thomas N. Bernard, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Walker R. Bickerstaff Mrs. Tom B. Black Miss Lucy Hill Bowers Mr. and Mrs. Richard Bradley Kay Broda Mrs. Charles W. Burgin Mrs. Otis B. Burnham Ann Burr Mrs. Forrest L. Champion, Jr. Creek Stand Partners, LP Janet Davis Mr. and Mrs. Norman S. Easterbrook Mr. and Mrs. Thad Estes Drs. Bobbi Farber and Thomas Walsh Suzanne and Joel Fine Mrs. Frank D. Foley, Jr. Mrs. Mellie S. Fountain Cindy and Spencer Garrard Mr. and Mrs. J. Hudson Garrett Dr. and Mrs. Jerry Goldsmith Mrs. Richard Hallock Mr. and Mrs. A. Comer Hobbs Roderick C. and Stephanie Y. Hunter Mrs. Stephen C. Hunter Dr. William P. Kendall Susan and Bryson Langford John and Kayron Laska

Dr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Lawhorne, Jr. Mary Jane and Tony Link Mrs. James B. Lipham Jacki W. Lowe Mr. Walter Miller, Jr. Mrs. A. Ben Moon, Jr. Jimmy and Barbara Motos Mr. Jerry B. Newman Mr. and Mrs. Marc Olivie Ruth Ann and Lamar Powers Mrs. Sam Rawls Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Reed The Honorable and Mrs. Rumer Dr. Carole Rutland and Mr. Robert D. Offer Marnie Salter The Honorable Julia Willcox-Lumpkin Sando and Colonel Donald Mark Sando, U.S. Army, Retired Mr. Stephen M. Sawyer Mr. and Mrs. Claude G. Scarbrough, III Mr. and Mrs. John A. Shinkle Mr. and Mrs. J. Edward Sprouse Mr. and Mrs. Clifford J. Swift, III Jim and Pat Thompson Chip and Audrey Tillman Mr. and Mrs. Philip Tomlinson Martha S. Tubb Brad and Sally Turner Mr. and Mrs. Jack G. Turner Mr. and Mrs. John T. Turner Chris Weaver Bernard and Sylvia Witt Foundation Matthew E. and Cynthia Woodsmall Jones Mr. and Mrs. Joel O. Wooten

SILVER & BRONZE MEMBERS â€˘ Individuals may become members of RiverCenter with a contribution of $100 or more. List based on donations given as of Mar. 1, 2018

S I LV E R L E V E L Maria Luisa Aranas

Mrs. Charlyn Kerr

Ms. Betty L. Auten

Mr. and Mrs. Justin Krieg

Bruce and Angie Bacon

Ashok and Mary Kumar

Dr. and Mrs. Philip L. Brewer

Ben and Annelle McCosh

Dr. and Mrs. Robert H. Bush

Gene and Meg Perkins

Matthew and Zarina Cheves

Bob and Stacy Poydasheff

Dr. Thomas Cochran

Col. and Mrs. Robert H. Robinson

Dail and Christy Fields In memory of Wendell Lewis

Ralph and Edith Satterwhite

Marlene and Robert Garnett

Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Staples

Murray and Celia Solomon

Steve and Mary Hall

Mr. and Mrs. Mat Swift

Mr. and Mrs. William B. Hardegree

M. E. Thorne

Ed and Lana Helton

Tom and Jackie Titus

Tom and Laura Helton

Pat and Jack Wilensky

Charlie and Pam Johnson

BRONZE LEVEL

Anonymous

Ms. Julie A. Bray

Mr. and Mrs. W. Mizell Alexander

Frank and Jo Ann Brown

Gary G. Allen

Thomas B. Buck, III

Ray L. Allison

Dr. Bob and Lisa Bunting

Brian and Heather Anderson

Revs. Taylor and Grace Burton-Edwards

Mr. Richard F. Andrews

John and Eva Chappelle

Mr. and Mrs. James R. Ballengee

Joan S. Cheves

Peggy and Charles Batastini

Skip and Joyce Chittenden

Janice Beam

Bonnie and Leslie Cohn

Susan and Carter Berry

Red and Fay Coleman

Mrs. James J. W. Biggers, Jr.

Rev. and Mrs. Mabry Collins

Alfred and Courtney Blackmar

Mrs. Marion Cornwell

Neil Block and Regina Satlof

Shirley and Tom Craddock

Ms. Jaunita Booker

Donna J. Craig

Patricia A. Boutton

Mrs. L. A. Cunningham

Iveta and Jim Boyanchek

Don and Bobbie Dakin

Chuck and Carol Bradshaw

Dan and Sandy Dawson

Sherida Brannan

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence M. Derby

Martha and Kelly Dimon

Bill and Pat Porter

Mrs. Frank S. Etheridge, III

Mr. and Mrs. E. Lowry Reid, Jr.

Henry Farmer

Dr. John C. Richards

Judge and Mrs. Kenneth B. Followill

Cheryl L. Roberts

Brett Gant

Mrs. Amy Robertson

Mr. and Mrs. Mike Gaymon

Dr. and Mrs. Theus W. Rogers, Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. Lamar Hamric

Barbara Rothschild

Phil and Marie Hand

Sally Rotunno

MGen (Ret.) and Mrs. Henry H. Harper

Mr. George F. Schladensky

Corinne M. Haslam

Patricia Schneider

Mr. and Mrs. David Hay

Joyce and Henry Schwob

Dr. and Mrs. Steven Henslee

Alex and Willette Shalishali

Ms. Betty Jo Hooks

Ms. Eva M. Smith

Pamela C. Humber

Mrs. Bettye T. Spence

Jeanette and Milton Jones

Warren and Lorie Steele

Kevin and Donna Kelly

Dr. and Mrs. John R. Stephenson

Jean and Gerald Kent

Mary Stewart

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Kilpatrick, Jr.

Lesley Tambora

Jo Ann and Ernie Kirk

Patty Kimbrough Taylor

LTC Patricia A. Krause USA Ret.

Jim and Sue Trott

Mr. and Mrs. John T. Laney, III

Mr. and Mrs. Dave Troxel

Marv and Vicki Lieberman

Ms. Lois Tryon

Julie and Neal Littlejohn

Richard M. Tucker In memory of Marjorie S. Tucker

Wylene and Morris Loeb Georgia Matheney Jim and Mary Matthews Ginny Mayher Almeda Medlin Chris and Wendy Miller Mr. and Mrs. Binford Minter Vincent and Dian Naman Mr. and Mrs. Richard Olson Louise and Judson Patten Mr. Jordan and Mrs. Stephanie Payne

Tim Vinson Dr. Thomas A. and Sherry F. Wade Anita B. Walters Lamar and Dorenda Weaver Mark and Andi Weaver In Honor of Chris Weaver Lynn and Rex Whiddon Jim and Ann White Jerrel and Laura Yates Mrs. Margaret G. Zollo

THANK YOU!

WE COULDNâ€™T DO IT WITHOUT YOU! 9

The Capstone Society “Assuring the Promise of Tomorrow”

The Capstone Society is RiverCenter’s planned-giving program. Founded by the late Wendell Lewis, the society honors donors who disclose they have included RiverCenter for the Performing Arts in their estate plans. It provides RiverCenter the opportunity to recognize and thank these donors during their lifetimes. If you have made a planned gift to RiverCenter, Inc. and are not listed below, or if you wish to discuss how your planned gift can assist RiverCenter in its artistic and educational mission, please contact the Advancement office at 706-256-3653 or development@rivercenter.org.

Mr. & Mrs. W. Mizell Alexander Thomas B. Buck, III Mrs. Otis B. Burnham Dorothy Jean Bush

Nora Garrard Charlyn Kerr Virginia Norman Chris Weaver

“The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade we do not plan to sit.” —Nelson Henderson

In memory and celebration of the life of Wendell Lewis. 10

R iver C enter

MARQUEE SOC I ETY THE MARQUEE SOCIETY IS COMPRISED OF DONORS WHO INVEST A MINIMUM OF $1,000 TO THE RIVERCENTER MISSION EACH SEASON.

Every aspect of the Marquee Society emblem has a special meaning. The gears represent our mill history and the collaboration of the Columbus Challenge.The bee in its hive is a powerful symbol of the workers who built the city and RiverCenter. The blue represents our connection to the mighty river and the creative flow of the arts. The gold represents your annual investment and commitment to quality. Each Marquee Society member embodies the spirit and sentiment of this design. To join the Marquee Society, visit rivercenter.org, email development@rivercenter.org, or call 706-256-3653.

Lose yourself in the beauty of the arts.

We are pleased to play a supporting role in celebrating the arts in our community. Itâ€™s an investment that delivers a return with every inspiring performance.

synovus.com Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank, Member FDIC. Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast.

CLASSIC ALBUMS LIVE PERFORMS:

LED ZEPPELIN’S

“II”

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR HOTEL SPONSOR:

APRIL 7 | 7:30 PM13

Putting People First for 35 Years. People are at the center of everything we do at TSYS. This was true in 1983, when we began our journey to become the leading global payment solutions provider, and it’s still true today. We are determined to make a difference in business and in our community. Helping others is the Heart of TSYS.

Get to know us. +1.844.663.8797 | sales@tsys.com | www.tsys.com © 2018 Total System Services, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide. TSYS is a federally registered service mark of Total System Services, Inc.

APRIL 17 & 18 7:30 PM19

Targeted TV+Digital Advertising Push your brand to its limits. Only OnMedia delivers your advertising message using todayâ€™s hottest cable TV programming and digital platforms to precisely target your customers. Our customized marketing solutions and data-driven strategies give you the greatest return on your investment. Contact OnMedia to improve your advertising accuracy today.

Call 706-596-1004 to learn more

OnMediaAdSales.com 32

OM_PLAYBILL_print_ad_3.indd 1

2/9/18 3:09 PM

BURGER KING IS PROUD TO BE A PART OF THE SUPPORTING CAST.

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

HAIR & OTHER STORIES

This performance is funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The presentation of Hair and other Stories by Urban Bush Women was made possible by the  New England Foundation for the Arts' National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke  Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

APRIL 26 | 7:30 PM 35

URBAN BUSH WOMEN PRESENTS Hair & Other Stories There will be one fifteen minute intermission Program and casting subject to change. The videotaping or taking of photographs during performances is strictly prohibited Crafted from personal narratives from our communities, kitchens and living rooms, social media and YouTube, Hair & Other Stories debates the center of perceived American “values” and celebrates the persevering narrative of the African Diaspora. Hair & Other Stories explores disquieting perceptions of body image, race, gender identity, economic inequities and what constitutes freedom, liberation, and release in our everyday struggles to rise to our Extra-ordinary Selves in extraordinary times. This is the urgent dialogue of the 21st Century. Choreographed by Chanon Judson and Samantha Speis in collaboration with The Company Stage Direction Raelle Myrick-Hodges Dramaturg Jawole Willa Jo Zollar The Company Du’Bois A’Keen, Courtney J. Cook, Chanon Judson, Tendayi Kuumba, Stephanie Mas and Samantha Speis Lighting Designer Xavier Pierce

Costume Designer DeeDee Gomes

Sound Design by: Everett Asis Saunders

Projections Designer Nicholas Hussong

Music Composed by: The Illustrious Blacks (Manchildblack and Monstah Black)

Additional Music: “Own That Sh*t” by Tendayi Kuumba and Greg Purnell; “Break It Down” by Tendayi Kuumba; “I Am Not Yours” by Du’Bois A’Keen "The Issue of Colorism” by Dr Grills used with permission by Dr Grills and D.Channsin Berry “Move B*tch” by Michael L. Tyler, Craig Stephen Lawson, Jonathan H. Smith, Bobby Wardell Sandimanie Jr., Jeffrey Ray Grigsby, Lola Chantrelle Mitchell, Paul D. Beauregard, 36

Ricky Dunigan, Sean Paul Joseph, Stephanie C. Martin, Jordan Michael Houston, Jason Williams as sung by Ludacris is used with permission from Universal Music, Reservoir Media and Ultra Music. Original Concept for HairStories (2001) by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and Elizabeth Herron -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------URBAN BUSH WOMEN COMPANY HISTORY

Urban Bush Women (UBW) burst onto the dance scene in 1984, with bold, innovative, demanding and exciting works that bring under-told stories to life through the art and vision of its award-winning founder Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. The company weaves contemporary dance, music, and text with the history, culture, and spiritual traditions of the African Diaspora.

Under Zollar’s artistic direction, Urban Bush Women performs regularly in New York City and tours nationally and internationally. The Company has been commissioned by presenters nationwide, and includes among its honors a New York Dance and Performance Award (“Bessie”); the Capezio Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance; a Black Theater Alliance Award; and two Doris Duke Awards for New Work from the American Dance Festival. In March 2010, UBW toured South America as part of DanceMotion USAsm, a cultural diplomacy initiative spearheaded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. In recent years, Zollar has been awarded the 2014 Southern Methodist University Meadows Prize, the 2015 Dance Magazine Award and the 2016 Dance/USA Honors Award. In 2017, Zollar received a Bessie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Dance.

Off the concert stage, Urban Bush Women has developed an extensive community engagement program called BOLD (Builders, Organizers, & Leaders through Dance). UBW’s BOLD program has a network of facilitators that travel nationally and internationally to conduct workshops that bring the histories of local communities forward through performance. UBW’s largest community engagement project is its Summer Leadership Institute (SLI), established in 1997. This 10-day intensive training program serves as the foundation for all of the company’s community engagement activities. Ultimately the SLI program connects dance professionals and community-based artists/activists in a learning experience to leverage the arts as a vehicle for civic engagement. As an extension of UBW’s mission and core values, UBW launched the Urban Bush Women Choreographic Center in January 2016. The center supports the development of women choreographers of color and other underheard voices. FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AND VISIONING PARTNER

Jawole Willa Jo Zollar After earning her B.A. in dance from the University of Missouri at Kansas City, she received her M.F.A. in dance from Florida State University. In 1984 Zollar founded Urban Bush Women (UBW) as a performance ensemble dedicated to exploring the use of cultural expression as a catalyst for social change. Zollar developed a unique approach to enable artists to strengthen effective involvement in cultural organizing and civic engagement, which evolved into UBW’s acclaimed Summer Leadership Institute. She serves as director of the Summer Leadership Institute, founding artistic director and visioning partner of UBW and currently holds the position of the Nancy Smith Fichter Professor of 37

Dance and Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor at Florida State University.

Awards: 2008 United States Artists Wynn fellowship, 2009 fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial, 2013 Arthur L. Johnson Memorial award by Sphinx Music, 2013 Doris Duke Performing Artist Award. 2014 Meadows Prize from Southern Methodist University, In 2015: Dance Magazine Award; In 2016: Dance/USA Honor Award, Black Theater Alliance Award. In 2017: Bessie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Dance. WHO’S WHO IN THE COMPANY (Listed Alphabetically) Aminata Balde (Performer) is making her debut performance with Urban Bush Women. She is excited to celebrate this landmark in her two years of being on the Earth.

Chanon Judson (Associate Artistic Director/Performer) began her relationship with UBW in 2001. She has had the privilege of serving the company as rehearsal director, Director for UB2 – Urban Bush Women’s performing apprentice ensemble, and now furthers her work with UBW as Associate Artistic Director and Co-Coordinator of BOLD (Builders Organizers and Leaders through Dance). An avid arts educator, Chanon has instructed for Ailey Arts in Education (Dir. of Ailey Camp MO), BAM, Earl Mosley's Institute for the Arts, and is the founder of Cumbe’s Dance Drum and Imagination Camp for Children as well as Family Arts Movement LLC, which offers creative movement and art making for children. She gives thanks to her dad for his help on research for Hair & Other Stories.

Courtney J. Cook (Performer) is a Virginia Native now residing in Brooklyn, NY. She began her formal dance training at the Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts. She later attended and graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University, receiving her B.F.A in Dance and Choreography. In addition to being a company member with Urban Bush Women, she also performs in projects, working with astounding choreographers and artists of the community such as Christian Von Howard, Jennifer Archibald, Brotherhood Dance, and The Indigo Artists 38

Collective. She looks forward to continuing her journey in the Arts and community organizing with Urban Bush Women.

DeeDee Gomes (Costume Designer) is a self-taught fashion and fiber artist based in New York. She has created stage attire and done fashion styling for musicians and bands, including Meshell Ndegeocello; Nation Beat; and individual singers from Enrique Iglesias’ band. She designed costumes for Brazilian band Fihos de Jorge that were featured in one of their music videos that had over 6 million views. She also designed costumes for dance ensemble, The Pulse Project. She did the styling and costumes for a girl band called Funky Diamonds, of which she was a member, that toured internationally. DeeDee is owner of DeeDee’s Street Boutique in New York, which features her remarkable one-of-akind repurposed, recycled clothing. Du’Bois A’Keen (Performer) a true renaissance spirit: born and raised in Albany, GA, A'Keen began his formal dance training at age 19. After receiving his BFA in Dance from Florida State University; He was accepted as an MFA candidate. While studying in NYC A’Keen was asked to joined UBW in December 2014. Aside from his work with UBW as a company member and Marketing/Branding consultant, A’Keen serves as the Founder & leader of the rapidly growing creative movement and global community “The Tuesday Thing”. A’Keen is the Co-Founder & Creative Director of AKEEN BRAND, LLC and 'KEEN Thinking, lifestyle brand and blog platform. A’Keen is also a IFP Screen Forward Lab Fellow for the 2017

cohort. While working in the industries of film, fashion and music (as a singer/ songwriter): A’Keen looks forward to continued growth and success, alongside his beautiful wife and life partner Camry Vonyae' A'Keen. He is guided by his faith and life mantras, "JUST BE."

Everett Asis Saunders (Sound Designer) is the founder and creative director of Flux Innovations, a sound and audio services company. Their recent clients include PBS, Sony Music, and Columbia Records. Saunders is a producer, composer, songwriter, and performer. He has specific knowledge and practice in arranging, editing and mixing for theater, film and music entertainment. His work spans across genres with original compositions for numerous independent films and New York/LA dance community, with his latest commissions including Marjani Forte & Works Memoirs of a.. Unicorn. Film works include PBS March on Washington (2013), Print Shop (2016), and Project Imagination winner TRANSPORTER directed by Damon Colquhoun.

The Illustrious Blacks (Music Composer) Manchildblack & Monstah Black comprise this fabulous musical duo who have arrived on a mission to fuse futuristic funk, hypnotic house and cosmic pop into pulsating positivity for the planet. Their entertaining weekly radio show on WBAI 99.5 FM in NYC, On Air w/The Blacks, invites audiences to listen in as they conduct interviews, feature live performers and discuss the latest happenings in global pop culture. Nicholas Hussong (Projections Designer) Off-Broadway credits include: Skeleton Crew (Atlantic Theater Company), These Paper Bullets! Drama Desk Nomination (Atlantic Theater Company, Geffen Playhouse, Yale Rep) Regional credits include: Grounded (Alley Theatre), Two Trains Running (Arden Theater), The Mountaintop (Playmakers Rep), I Saw My Neighbor on the Train and I Didn’t Even

Smile (Berkshires Theatre Group) as well as productions with Esperanza Spaulding, Abrons Art Center, Premieres NYC, Ars Nova, Heartbeat Opera, Cantata Profana, Nashville Symphony, Hartford Symphony, I am a Boys Choir, Summerworks Toronto, LaMaMa Summer Share, and Joe’s Pub. Nicholas was the Artistic Associate at Triad Stage in Greensboro, North Carolina where he continues to design new works based on Appalachian life written by Preston Lane.

Raelle Myrick-Hodges (Stage Director) With a study of theater and science, Raelle Myrick-Hodges is ecstatic to be working with Urban Bush Women for the first time. RMH has directed plays nationally and worked as a stage director internationally in devised works. She is the founder of Azuka Theater located in Philadelphia - an award-winning theater company now in its 23rd year. Raelle has presented works in dance, music, theater and film as Curator of Performing Arts for the Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans. Raelle has worked with artists in different aesthetics and disciplines including Denis O'Hare, Miriam Hyman, Meryl Streep, Antonio Brown (Choreographer), Jeffrey Wright, Chinaka Hodge, among others. Currently, Raelle is working on two works for her newly created theater ensemble Elephant Room which will premiere in January 2019. Raelle's creative contribution on Hair & Other Stories is dedicated to the memory of Ebony McKinney, co-founder of Elephant Room. Upcoming works directed by Raelle: The Bluest Eye written by Toni Morrison adapted by Lydia Diamond at the Arden Theater Company and a world premiere of the 1947 play, In Splendid Error written by William Branch - the fictional telling of the day before John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry. (R.I.P Ebony McKinney and Robert Langston.) Samantha Speis (Associate Artistic Director/Performer) is a movement artist based in New York City. She has worked with Gesel Mason, The Dance Exchange,

Jumatatu Poe, Deborah Hay (as part of the Sweet Day curated by Ralph Lemon at the MoMA), Marjani Forte, and Liz Lerman. She is currently a member of The Skeleton Architecture, a collective of black womyn and and gender nonconforming artists who use the practice of improvisation to create, organize, advocate, gather, play and challenge. Speis was the 2012 recipient of the Alvin Ailey New Directions Choreography Lab and recently was awarded a Bessie for Outstanding Performer. Her work has been featured at the Kennedy Center (Millennium Stage), Long Island University, Joyce SoHo, Hollins University, Danspace Project, Dixon Place, Dance Place, and The Kelly Strayhorn Theater. Speisâ€™ solo, The Way it Was, and Now, was commissioned by the Jerome Foundation to be performed at Danspace Project for the Parallels Platform Series, and was later invited to the Kaay Fecc Dance Festival in Dakar, Senegal. She has developed a teaching practice that explores pelvic mobility as the root of powerful locomotion and as a point of connection to the stories, experiences and lineages that reside in each of us. She has been a guest artist and taught workshops throughout the United States, South America, Senegal, and Europe. Recent projects include, Walking with Trane cochoreographed with Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and her collaboration with Chanon JudsonJohnson and Raelle Myrick-Hodges on Hair and Other Stories.

Stephanie Mas (Performer) is a Miami native and has been a performer with Urban Bush Women since her entry into the company in June 2013. Throughout her time with Urban Bush Women she has had the opportunity to tour world-wide, performing and co-facilitating workshops/master classes in the different communities they have been invited to visit. She also works as a freelance performing artist and has had the opportunity to collaborate and create with artists such as Paloma McGregor, Millicent 40

Johnnie, Megan Bascom, Megan Kendzior, Kate Weare, BODYART, and Kirstin Kapustik. Mas received her 200hr Yoga Certification in 2013.

Susan Hamburger (Production Manager) has designed the lighting for Urban Bush Women for over 13 years and has worked with such notable artists as Craig Harris, Lucinda Childs, Mark Rucker and Mark Morris. Other notable dance companies she has designed for include Bessie winner Nora Chipaumire, Troika Ranch, Ellis Wood, Urban Tap and Alice Farley. She has also designed The Mystery of Edwin Drood, On The Town, A Child's Christmas in Wales, Little Shop Of Horrors, Suddenly Last Summer, The Great Highway, West Side Story, The Cryptogram, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing and Waiting for Godot as well as many other plays and performance pieces Susan is an adjunct professor at New York University and received her MFA from Yale School of Drama. www. susanhamburger.com

Tendayi Kuumba (Performer) is a graduate of North Atlanta High School of Performing Arts and Spelman College. Her training ranges from Buffalo Inner City Ballet, Ballethnic, Callanwolde Fine Arts, and Moving in the Spirit. Currently, Tendayi is a company member of Urban Bush Women, ASE Dance Theater Collective, and Axam Dance Theater Experience. Past works include Liberata Dance Theater, Marjani Forte of LOVE/FORTE Collective, T Lang Dance, and Nathan Trice/Rituals Performance Project StrangeLove. Tendayi performs regularly as a resident Jazz vocalist at the Williamsburg Music Center with the Gerry Eastman Quartet every Friday night. She gives thanks and blessings for life, love, breath, and the pursuit of happiness. Xavier Pierce (Lighting Designer) Xavierâ€™s credits include Shakespeare in Love (Oregon Shakespeare Festival Festival dir Christopher Moore) Smart People (Arena Stage dir Seema Sueko)

Harvey (The Guthrie, Dir. Libby Appel), Fences (Long Wharf / McCarter Theatre co-production, Dir. Phylicia Rashad), Fly (Florida Studio Theatre / Handy Award for Best Lighting), Two Trains Running (Two Rivers Theatre, Dir. Ruben Santiago-Hudson), A Raisin in the Sun (Westport Country Playhouse, Dir. Phylicia Rashad), Common Enemy (Triad Stage, Dir. Preston Lane), The Piano Lesson (Olney Theatre Center, Dir. Jamil Jude), Two Trains Running (The Arden, Dir. Raelle Myrick Hodges), and 4,000 Miles, Peter and the Starcatcher, and The

Mountaintop (PlayMakers Rep). Upcoming: Native Gardens (The Guthrie & Arena Stage, dir. Blake Robison), Blithe Spirit (The Guthrie, dir. David Ivers). Othello, (Oregon Shakespeare Festival dir Bill Rauch) Xavier is a graduate of New York University Tisch School of the Arts MFA in Design Stage and Film. â€œAminataâ€? short film and publicity videography by Ramy Mam. Photography by Hayim Heron. Additional sound recording by Jared Hassan Foles at World Eater Recordings. Special Prop design by Kofi.

URBAN BUSH WOMEN STAFF Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Founder/Visioning Partner Renee Taylor-Foles, Organizational Advancement Partner Chanon Judson & Samantha Speis, Associate Artistic Directors/Associate BOLD Coordinators Michelle Coe, Producer Tahnia Belle, Operations Manager Cheri Stokes, Company Manager Zoe Walders, Administrative Associate Henry Liles, Finance Manager Jennifer Calienes, Strategic Advisor, Urban Bush Women Choreographic Center Susan Hamburger, Lighting Designer/Production Manager Jose Santiago, Lighting Supervisor Ross Daniel, Stage Manager/Sound Supervisor Bennalldra Williams, Training Specialist URBAN BUSH WOMEN BOARD OF DIRECTORS Tammy Bormann, Chair; Ashly Nikkole Davis; Mary Jamis; Yvahn Martin, Vice-Chair; Ngozi Ogbonna Tanisha Ross; Alice Sheppard; Jennifer Smith, Treasurer; Jawole Willa Jo Zollar Regina Bain - UBW National Advisory Board; Theodore S. Berger - UBW National Advisory Board URBAN BUSH WOMEN CREATIVE CATALYST CIRCLE The UBW Creative Catalyst Circle invites the partnership of individuals, teams of individuals, and institutions who believe in the vision and mission of UBW and who wish to bring this vision to the stage through their philanthropic gifts. Alfred and Patricia Zollar Tracey and Phillip Riese

MAJOR FUNDING FOR URBAN BUSH WOMEN IS PROVIDED BY:

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Doris Duke Charitable Foundation - Leadership Grants Program; Ford Foundation; Howard Gilman Foundation; Mertz Gilmore Foundation; Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation; Nathan Cummings Foundation; National Endowment for the Arts; New Music USA; New York Community Trust; New York State Council on the Arts; Silicon Valley Community Foundation; and The Surdna Foundation Hair & Other Stories was commissioned by the Virginia Arts Festival and had its proscenium stage premiere as part of the 2017 Festival at the Attucks Theatre, Norfolk, VA, on April 22, 2017. Hair & Other Stories (audience-engaged version) is a National Performance Network (NPN) Creation Fund Project co-commissioned by Junebug Productions in partnership with Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans, Dance Place and NPN. For more information: www.npnweb.org. Hair & Other Stories is made possible by: Engaging Dance Audiences, which is administered by Dance/USA and made possible with generous funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; the Lincoln Center Cultural Innovation Fund, which is generously supported by The Rockefeller Foundation and administered by Lincoln Center; the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; the MAP Fund, which is supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; and Acton Family Giving and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. It is also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Hair & Other Stories was made possible by residencies at Baruch College and City College Center for the Arts through the City University of New York (CUNY) Dance Initiative, which receives major support from The Mertz Gilmore Foundation, the Howard Gilman Foundation, and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Jerome Robbins Foundation and the Harkness Foundation for Dance. CDI is spearheaded and administered by The Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College. Hair & Other Stories is informed by our ongoing partnership and work with The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond’s Understanding and Undoing Racism workshop. http://www.pisab.org/ Special thanks to Talvin Wilks for early dramaturgical support for Hair & Other Stories; to Stephanie McKee and Laurie Uprichard for their continued support during the development of Hair & Other Stories; and to Jonathan D. Secor, Lai-Lin Robinson, and Thamar Fedestin for shepherding Hair & Other Stories during their tenure at Urban Bush Women. Additional thanks to Jared at World Eater Recordings for sound recording and support.

URBAN BUSH WOMEN -- 30 PLUS YEARS STRONG!

Urban Bush Women galvanizes artists, activists, audiences and communities through performances, artist development, education and community engagement. With the ground-breaking performance ensemble at its core, ongoing initiatives like the Summer Leadership Institute (SLI), BOLD (Builders, Organizers & Leaders through Dance) and the Choreographic Center, UBW continues to affect the overall ecology of the arts by promoting artistic legacies; projecting the voices of the under-heard and people of color; bringing attention to and addressing issues of equity in the dance field and throughout the United States; and by providing platforms and serving as a conduit for culturally and socially relevant experimental art makers.

Urban Bush Women is delighted to announce the Creation of the UBW Choreographic Center. The center supports the development of women choreographers of color and other underheard voices. For more information please visit the choreographic center website at www.urbanbushwomencenter.org.

To learn more about Urban Bush Women and its programs, please call Chanon Judson and Samantha Speis, UBW Associate Artistic Directors at 718.398.4537 or email cjudson@ urbanbushwomen.org and sspeis@urbanbushwomen.org UBW, Inc., dba Urban Bush Women, is a not-for-profit organization located at: 138 S. Oxford St. | Suite #4B Brooklyn, NY 11217 | phone (718) 398-4537

UBW, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization and gratefully accepts contributions, which are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. To make a donation visit www. urbanbushwomen.org or contact Renee Taylor-Foles, Organizational Advancement Partner at rtaylorfoles@urbanbushwomen.org. For booking information, please contact: Matthew Bledsoe, IMG Artists at 212.994.3565 or mbledsoe@imgartists.com. Michelle Coe, UBW Producer at mcoe@urbanbushwomen.org

Good News Travels Fast. Share the News.

AND THE VALLEY

To subscribe or advertise contact us today Jill Tigner & Mike Venable, Publishers

ColumbusAndTheValley.com • ValleyParent.com • 706.324.6214 46

Locally-Owned Local Radio

1820 Wynnton Road · Columbus, Georgia, 31906 (706) 327-1217 · pmbbroadcasting.com 47

MAY 11 | 6:30 PM49

Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia presents

THE RAINBOW FISH 2018 Premiere Tour US/Canada

Author/Illustrator: Marcus Pfister Director/Production Designer: Jim Morrow  Composer: Steven Naylor  Narrators: Laura Benanti and Linda Wonneberger Associate Designers: Struan Robertson, Deborah MacLean Scenic Painter: Sarah Haydon Roy  Stage Manager: Michael Panich Performers: Katie Dorian, Franziska Glen, Kya Mosey Adapted with permission. The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister™ ©1992 North South Books, Inc.  Licensed by RJM Licensing, Inc. NorthSouth Books, Inc. - www.northsouth.com Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Province of Nova Scotia. Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia is a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres and engages professional Artists who are members of Canadian Actors' Equity Association under the terms of the Canadian Theatre Agreement.

ABOUT MERMAID THEATRE OF NOVA SCOTIA  Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia ranks among North America’s most respected theatres for the young, and plays an important ambassadorial role for Nova Scotia and for Canada. The company regularly crosses the continent, and has represented Canada in the United States, Japan, Mexico, Australia, England, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Holland, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Vietnam, South Korea and Taiwan, Bahrain, and the People’s Republic of China. Mermaid Theatre has earned Export Excellence awards from both the Governments of Canada and of Nova Scotia. Based in the Town of Windsor, Mermaid has performed for more than 5.5 million spectators on four continents. The company was founded in 1972. 50

ABOUT OUR PRODUCTION  The first of three tales introduces the most beautiful fish in the sea, whose scales shimmer in all the colours of the rainbow. He is admired – and resented - by the entire underwater world, until a clever octopus advises him to give each fish one of his scales. Further adventures follow as The Rainbow Fish finds the courage to explore the great unknown deep sea, discovering a new world with wonderful sights and friendly creatures of all shapes, sizes and colours who are eager to make his acquaintance. The underworld wonderland is the setting for an introduction to the concept of opposites. As a fitting finale, the story ends with the most satisfying opposite of all—give and take—as Rainbow Fish shares one of his shining scales with a friend.

MARCUS PFISTER, AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR Marcus was born in 1960 in Bern, Switzerland, where he attended art school and trained as a graphic designer before turning to the creation of innovative children’s literature. Published in 1992, The Rainbow Fish took the bestseller lists by storm. Now celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary, more than thirty million copies have been sold worldwide in different formats, appearing in over fifty different languages.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM Jim Morrow, Director/Production Designer  Jim is Managing Artistic Director of Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia. He was first introduced to puppetry in 1978 when he joined Mermaid Theatre as a young performer. His work with Mermaid has taken him across North America, the United Kingdom, and Asia. He has directed, designed, and carved the puppets for stage, film, television, parks, and industry and has created twenty-four shows for Mermaid, including: Guess How Much I Love You & I Love My Little Storybook; Goodnight Moon & The Runaway Bunny; and the award-winning productions of Swimmy, Frederick & Inch by Inch and The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Other Eric Carle Favourites. Jim’s contributions to the community, both as artist and mentor, have earned him the Nova Scotia government’s highest award for artistic achievement, the Portia White Award; a Doctor of Humanities from his Alma Mater, Acadia University; the Order

of Nova Scotia; and the Mickey Minor Award, presented annually by the USbased International Performing Arts for Youth (IPAY) to distinguished artists who have made exemplary contributions to the lives of the children around the world. Jim was born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, lives in Lower Avonport, Nova Scotia. Steven Naylor, Composer  Steven has created the music for more than a dozen Mermaid shows, including The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Other Eric Carle Favourites; Stella, Queen of the Snow; Swimmy, Frederick, and Inch by Inch; Goodnight Moon & The Runaway Bunny and many others. His many other professional activities include original film and television scores; contemporary music composition and performance; university teaching and curriculum development; and a longterm international involvement with electroacoustic concert music. Steven is Mermaid Theatre's Artistic Advisor for Music and Sound Design. 51

Laura Benanti and Linda Wonneberger, Narrators In addition to substantive professional accolades, Laura is the mother of a young child and a passionate advocate for the promotion of literacy and music education. She was born in New York City, daughter of Linda Wonneberger, a vocal coach and former actress (with whom she collaborates frequently). She is of Serbian, German, Irish, and Native American heritage. An accomplished actor and singer, she’s enjoyed countless roles on stage, in television and film, and as a musical recording artist. She’s the winner of a myriad of awards, including the Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle, and co-stars with Amy Schumer in Steve Martin’s current Broadway show, Meteor Shower. Linda and Laura have recently appeared together in a wellregarded Mother-Daughter Cabaret, which they perform periodically.

ABOUT THE COMPANY Michael Panich, Stage Manager   Michael graduated from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec in 2008 with a BFA in Theatre. He has worked as stage management with a number of Toronto and Montreal theatre companies, including Infinitheatre, Repercussion Theatre, George Brown Theatre School, Smile Theatre, Lighthouse Festival Theatre, Pleiades Theatre, Native Earth Performing Arts and The Segal Center for the Performing Arts. In addition to stage management, Michael is also a production manager, an independent set and light designer and does a bit of acting occasionally. He joined Mermaid in 2014. Katie Dorian, Performer Katie is a Nova Scotia-based theatre creator and actor; a graduate of 52

Dalhousie University with BA Honours in Theatre (2011), and the Professional Training Program in Circus Arts at Atlantic Cirque (2012). She has worked for many theatre companies around Atlantic Canada including Festival Antigonish, Matchstick Theatre, Zuppa Theatre and of course Mermaid! Katie spends most of her time with her clowntroupe-turned-theatre company Tea Time, developing site-specific creations to engage and excite audiences. Katie believes in magic and the power of confetti. Franziska Glen, Performer Franziska hails from Chesterville, ON. After graduating from Mount Allison University in 2016, Franziska has slowly been moving West working in Winnipeg, MB and now in Whitehorse, YT. Her past theatre credits include Vault Productions, Théâtre Alacenne and numerous productions with MotyerFancy Theatre. In the spring of 2017, Franziska completed Mermaid Theatre's puppetry intensive program and is now delighted to be touring with their production of Rainbow Fish. Kya Mosey, Performer Kya is originally from Toronto, but is now currently based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is a recent graduate of the Fountain School of Performing Arts at Dalhousie University. After completing Mermaid’s puppetry intensive last year, she is very excited to make her Mermaid debut with this Rainbow Fish tour. Most recently, Kya was seen on stage as Joey Del Marco in the Canadian professional debut of Slut: The Play with LunaSea. Upcoming work includes Shakespeare in Love with Neptune and Joyride with Matchstick.

Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia Staff  Artistic Director: Jim Morrow  General Manager: Danny Everson Administrator: Cathy White  Public Affairs Consultant: Sara Lee Lewis  Production Manager: Deborah MacLean  Production Associate & Workshop Coordinator: Struan Robertson  Technical Director: Michael Jamieson  Artistic Advisor for Music and Sound Design: Steven Naylor   Seamstress: Sarah Harvey Hart Production Associates: Rosie Browning, Tony Gallant Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia is represented by  KIDS’ ENTERTAINMENT  Toronto, Ontario, Canada  tel: 416 971 4836 email: info@kidsentertainment.net  website: www.kidsentertainment.net For general information, please contact  Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia  P.O. Box 2697  Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada B0N 2T0  tel: 902 798 5841 fax: 902 798 3311 email: puppets@mermaidtheatre.ca  website: mermaidtheatre.ca

Support for this tour comes from:

t h i s p r e s e n tat i o n o f

The Rainbow Fish

is dedicated to the life & memory of

W endell L ewis

A PROUD SUPPORTER OF THE RIVERCENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS.

greystoneproperties.net 58

706.221.6810

Page Scrantom Sprouse Tucker Ford AT T O R N E Y S

C O U N S E L L O R S

L A W

Established 1902

EstablishedKENNETH 1902 E. EVANS, JR.

ALEX M. SHALISHALI

W.G. SCRANTOM, JR.

GEORGE W. MIZE, JR.

J. EDWARD SPROUSE

WILLIAM C. POUND

THOMAS F. GRISTINA

PATRICK A. COLEMAN

WILLIAM L. TUCKER

ALAN F. ROTHSCHILD, JR.

W. FRAY MCCORMICK

JULIE DORCHAK JOHNSON

ELIZABETH W. MCBRIDE

ALAN G. SNIPES

TYLER C. CASHBAUGH

JAMES C. CLARK, JR.

JOSEPH A. SILLITTO

TAYLOR G. MARTIN

ANGELA M. HICKS

LINDA D. NGUYEN

CAMERON H. A. SAUNDERS

FORREST LEE CHAMPION, III

LARAE D. MOORE

CHANDLER W. RILEY

AUSTIN S. GIBSON

STEPHEN G. GUNBY

JERALD L. WATTS, II

APRIL H. HOCUTT

W. M. PAGE (1917-2008)

RUSSELL E. HINDS

ROBERT M. MCKENNA

RANDOLPH B. JONES

S. DAVIS LANEY (1945-2008)

CHARLES H. FORD, JR. E. LOWRY REID, JR. J. LINDSAY BUILDER, JR. MARCUS B. CALHOUN, JR.

Synovus Centre

1111 Bay Avenue, Third Floor, Columbus, GA 31901 P.O. Box 1199 Columbus, GA 31902 631 W. Morse Blvd., Suite 202, Winter Park, FL 32789 321-304-6030 www.psstf.com

706-324-0251

ALWAYS JOIN US BEFORE & AFTER THE SHOW FOR A SIGNATURE COCKTAIL AND TAPAS 900 FRONT AVE. | ACROSS FROM RIVERCENTER (FORMERLY BELLOOS)

CLEARLY ADVANCED 3T MRI-Coming Soon • MRI • CT scan • Cardio Studies 3D Mammography • Ultrasound • X-rays • EMG/EKG DEXA scans • Arthrogram • Myelograms • Fluoroscopy Vascular studies • IVP

NEW NORTHSIDE LOCATION COMING SOON! 2040 10th Avenue (706) 322-3000 • 2131 Comer Avenue (706) 323-7622 60

WE KNOW THE KEYS TO HAVING YOUR MARKETING

TAKE CENTER STAGE. Experts in Print. Masters of Marketing Solutions.

Communicorp. We market. You profit. Steve Thomas | 706. 304. 1491 | sthomas4@communicorp.com

or visit communicorp.com

The River Regionâ€™s newest luxury apartment community overlooking the beautiful Chattahoochee River! River Views Elevator Access Onsite Marina 866-706-0254 RockIslandRidges.com 65

BenneƩ Property Management, LLC (Managing Broker) WITH 25 YEARS OF PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SUCCESS WITH HIS OWN LARGE INVENTORY OF RENTAL HOMES, LET HIM MANAGE YOUR PROPERTY NOW!

706 - 576 - 6508 Keller Williams Realty River CiƟes (Associate Broker) LICENSED IN GA & AL, DAN IS A PRIOR SERVICE INFANTRY OFFICER WITH A MISSION DRIVEN ENTHUSIASM THAT PRODUCES POSITIVE RESULTS FOR ALL CLIENTS.

706 - 681 - 6234 Clownin’ Around, Inc. (Founder / Owner )

Daniel J Bnett

THIS FULL SERVICE AMUSEMENT RENTAL COMPANY HAS SAFELY AND SUCCESSFULLY PRODUCED OVER 12,000 EVENTS SINCE 1993. VISIT WWW.CLOWNIN-AROUND.COM

706 - 576 - 5768

Much more than life insurance.

John Hiers, Area Manager (706)563-7745 Licensed: GA, AL,& FL CD1419 10/16 Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society: Omaha, NE

RiverCenter Volunteers Made up of devoted, conscientious supporters of the arts, the members of RiverCenter Volunteers work tirelessly in support of the many programs, projects, and activities that RiverCenter produces or hosts. A major portion of the volunteersâ€™ efforts involves ushering at events and assuring that all patrons have an enjoyable experience each time they visit RiverCenter. To receive information about RiverÂCenter Volunteers call Heather Watson at 706-256-3652. Mary Ann Alexander

Linda Fannin

Charlotte McShurley

Barbara Singleton

Nina Alexander

Connie Farrow

Cheryl Meyers

Sylvia Sledge

Shelley Anderson

Glenn Fleming

Sharon Mosely

Rose Slonaker

Edie Barber

Sheila Gantley

Catherine Neal

Donna Smith

Sandra Barker

Lawrence Gibbs

Mary Nell Nail

Eva Smith

Belinda Barron

Rosalind Gilbert

Linda Nerness

John Soltau

Susan Benson

Mary Gist

Mary Noles

Tess Soltau

Ann Bowden

Laverne Golden

Barbara Nye

Alice Spengler

Gail Brantley

Lois Griffiths

Julius Otero

Louise Spivey

Karla Broadnax

Cenneta Gunn

Charlotte Pace

Gail Stafford

Marie Brooks

Charles Hancock

Ethel Pate

John Stafford

Christina Brown

Wendy Harding

Chyll Perry

Malinda Stovall

Eloisa Brown

Jennifer Hardy

Lorene Peterson

Edweena Thomas

Ann Buckner

Shirley Harris

Socorro Pope

Alexis Thompson

Eleanor Buckner

Theresa Hart

Thomas Pope

Brenda Thompson

Carl Burell

Linda Harvey

Adrien Rameau

Karin Thompson

Pat Burell

Cynthia Hightower

Paulette Rameau

Melode Thornton

Judith Burgess

Mary Hightower

Kitrina Ray

Carolyn Tigner

Cynthia Cain

Claren Hill

Joyce Richburg

Mike Turner

Ann Carlisle

Creola Howard

Beverly Riley

Linda Twiggs

Bobbie Carter

Priscella Jackson

Dianne Robinson

Wallace Twiggs

Ricky Chambers

Gloria Johnson

Linda Rumold

Katherine Walker

Vivian Chambers

Hattie Jones

Wanda Rutledge

Sophia Walker

Philip Chan

Lorrie Kasych

Sandy Saling

Geraldine Watson

Laura Chandler

Jan Knowles

Dolores Sanchez

Howard Watson

Eva Chappelle

Tracy Knox

Beverly Schlitzkus

Renate Wiley

John Chappelle

Carol Lee

Charlie Scott

Carol Williams

Levonia Cochran

William Lee

Susie Scott

Juanita Williams

Latrella Conwell

Audrey Lenig

Sandra Severt

Walter Williams

Gabriel Couroux

Patti Lin

Sabrina Shine

Jane Wilson Yulane Wilson

Sandra Couroux

Jane Madayag

Nancy Shipman

Brenda DeRamus

Suzanne Maynard

Miriam Short

Frank Zylstra

Linda Duncan

Renee McBride

Sara Silva

Gayle Zylstra

Eileen Edwards

Wanda McFadden

Louise Simmons

Pat Etemadi

Katrina McKinney

Edmond Singleton 73

2018 RiverCenter Board of Trustees Mr. Alex Shalishali, Chair Mrs. Susan Lawhorne, Past Chair Mr. Gene Perkins, Vice Chair Mrs. Becky Rumer, Treasurer Dr. William P. Kendall, Secretary Mr. Norman S. Easterbrook, Executive Director, CEO Mr. Matthew J. Barkley Ms. Dale Goldsmith Mr. Keith Harnage Mr. Isiah Harper, III Dr. Tom Helton

Mrs. Stephanie Hunter Mrs. Lucia Reed Mrs. Linda Shinkle Mrs. Natalia N. Temesgen Ms. Judy Thomas Mr. Tom Titus Mr. Dave L. Troxel Mr. Wright Waddell Ms. Teresa White Mr. M. Troy Woods

RiverCenter Administration & Staff EXECUTIVE GROUP Norman S. Easterbrook, Executive Director, CEO John Camp, Production Director Carrie Corbett, Director of Marketing Cherwanda Jones, Operations Director Betsy Fitzgerald, Director of Development Jannina Marion, Director of Business Affairs, CFO Jim Rutland, Program Director BOX OFFICE Jennifer Graham, Box Office Manager Indya Bussey, Assistant Box Office Manager Shonda Dugan, Ticketing Associate Amanda Ellenburg, Ticketing Associate Zamar Griffin, Ticketing Associate Zach McDonald, Ticketing Associate De'Marcus Monroe, Ticketing Associate Kayla Reid, Ticketing Associate Rebekah “Chase” Worthey, Ticketing Associate BUSINESS AFFAIRS Jannina Marion, Director of Business Affairs, CFO Shannon Preston, Accounting Coordinator & HR Assistant Mahalia Dawes, Administrative Assistant DEVELOPMENT Betsy Fitzgerald, Director of Development 74

Cheryl Roberts, Development Assistant MARKETING Carrie Corbett, Director of Marketing Gina Tew, Marketing Specialist OPERATIONS Cherwanda Jones, Operations Director Seth Burgamy, Events Manager Veronica Frazier, Facility Coordinator Marion Fletcher, Facility Services Specialist Ishmun Holcomb, Events Assistant Heather Watson, House Manager/Volunteer Coord. Billy Johnson, Security Lead Terry Karnes, Security Officer PRODUCTION John Camp, Production Director John (J.D.) Davis, Technical Director John Land, Stage Manager Austin Phillips, Stage Coordinator Lance Fraker, Audio Coordinator Randall Baptiste, Lighting Coordinator PROGRAMMING & EDUCATION Jim Rutland, Program Director Rick McKnight, Education Program Manager

Ticket Information The RiverCenter box office has tickets available for these series and events: TSYS Broadway on Broadway, Synovus Center Stage, RiverCenter Music, Discovery Matinees, and Spotlight Specials. Tickets also are available for programs presented by the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, CSU Schwob School of Music, and various third-party presenters. The box office accepts cash, and all major credit cards: VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. TICKETS AT THE DOOR—Tickets to events that are not sold-out may be purchased at the box office beginning one hour before the start of the event. SEASON TICKETS—Season tickets may be purchased at the box office, by telephone (706-256-3612) or with order forms in RiverCenter publications and mailings. CUSTOM COMBOS—Tickets to single RiverCenter events may be purchased at a savings as Custom Combos. A Custom Combo consists of at least one ticket to each of at least

three events per patron. SINGLE TICKETS—Single tickets to individual RiverCenter events may be purchased without a service charge at the box office at the corner of Broadway and Tenth Street. For a service charge, tickets also may be purchased online at tickets.com, or rivercenter.org GROUP DISCOUNTS—Most RiverCenter events offer discounts on individual tickets sold to groups of 10 or more. For information call 706-256-3612. SPECIAL DISCOUNTS—Patrons must come to the box office to take advantage of most special promotions and discounts. Military, Public Service, Educator and Senior discounts are available on single ticket purchases to most events. Student Rush prices are available all day on the day-of-show at most events. Patrons using vouchers or gift certificates should note deadlines and restrictions that apply. No refunds are given for ticket price variances or special offers.

Important Information BOX OFFICE & PARKING BOX OFFICE—The box office at RiverCenter, located at the corner of Broadway and Tenth Street, is open Monday–Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It opens one hour before each performance and remains open through inter mission. The box office is not open on federal holdays unless there is an event that day. FREE PARKING—Parking is available in the parking garage directly in front of RiverCenter, 900 Broadway. Parking for those with disabilities is available in front of RiverCenter’s main entrance. The garage is managed by the City of Columbus, not RiverCenter.

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY FIRE NOTICE—Exits are indicated by red “exit” signs. In case of fire or other emergency, please do not run, but walk to the exit nearest to your seat.

EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS—The RiverCenter emergency phone number is 706-256-3610. Please provide this number and your seat location to your personal contacts or child care providers.

HOUSE RULES NO BABIES IN ARMS—Everyone attending a ticketed event, including all children regardless of age, must have a ticket. BACKSTAGE AREAS RESTRICTED—For safety and security and out of respect for performers’ privacy, patrons are not given access to backstage areas before or after performances. HOUSE OPENING AND LATE ARRIVALS— RiverCenter’s Grand Lobby opens one hour prior to events and seating begins approximately 30 minutes before curtain. At the discretion of house management and in compliance with artists’ 75

contractual agreements, latecomers will be seated at appropriate intervals during events. Latecomers may be seated near the entry doors out of courtesy to performers and other patrons. PROHIBITED EQUIPMENT—Please be courteous and turn off devices such as cell phones and pagers. Photography and recording is prohibited in the theatres. SMOKE-FREE POLICY—RiverCenter is a smokefree facility. Smoking is permitted in outdoor areas only. Thank you for your cooperation.

SPECIAL SERVICES BAR SERVICE—Bar service is available in the Grand Lobby prior to the start and during intermissions of most RiverCenter events. Food and drink is not permitted in the theatres. COURTESY CUPS—Refillable Courtesy Cups will now be sold at RiverCenter concessions for $10 each. These cups will be allowed into Bill Heard Theatre during select RiverCenter performances. Outside beverages are not permitted. ELEVATOR—A patron elevator is located between the entrances to Bill Heard Theatre and Studio Theatre. WHEELCHAIRS—Wheelchairs are available for patrons needing help getting to or from seating. Ushers will provide assistance. AUDIO AIDS—Subject to availability, infrared lis tening devices are available for hearing impaired patrons. They may be obtained free of charge by presenting personal identification to ushers.

LOST AND FOUND—Lost items should be given to an usher for storing with RiverCenter Security. These items are retained by Security for sixty days then donated to Valley Rescue Mission, Inc. Owners may claim lost items by calling 706-256-3610.

RENT A VENUE BILL HEARD THEATRE, STUDIO THEATRE, AND/OR LEGACY HALL—Call 706-256-3607 regarding availability of specific dates on the RiverCenter master calendar. Complete rental fees and policies can be found on rivercenter.org. PATRONS ROOM—The Patrons Room on the mezzanine level may be reserved for private functions by RiverCenter Members and Partners. For information call Jim Rutland at 706-256-3607. ILLGES PLAZA—Event and green space on 10th St. on North Side of Center may be reserved for special events. Call 706-256-3607.

IMPORTANT NUMBERS Emergency

706-256-3610

Event Information

706-256-3612

Ticket Information

888-332-5200

Season Ticket Purchases

706-256-3632

Group Sales

706-256-3612

Rentals

706-256-3607

Volunteer Office

706-256-3652

Development

706-256-3653

Marketing / Advertising

706-256-3608

ArtsReach