Sense of an Ending by Ken Urban
Directed by Adam Fitzgerald
Danyon Davis*, Dana Marie Ingraham*, Hubert Point-Du Jour*,
Joshua David Robinson*, Heather Alicia Simms*
U.S. premiere at 59E59 Theater C
Click here for tickets.
Performances Tue, Wed & Thu 7:30 pm; Fri & Sat 8:30 pm; Sun 3:30 pm
Approximately ninety minutes, no intermission.
Follow us on facebook, and click here to donate and become a supporter.
*Equity approved showcase. The actors are members of Actors' Equity Association.
Directed by Adam Fitzgerald
Danyon Davis*, Dana Marie Ingraham*, Hubert Point-Du Jour*,
Joshua David Robinson*, Heather Alicia Simms*
U.S. premiere at 59E59 Theater C
Click here for tickets.
Performances Tue, Wed & Thu 7:30 pm; Fri & Sat 8:30 pm; Sun 3:30 pm
Approximately ninety minutes, no intermission.
Follow us on facebook, and click here to donate and become a supporter.
*Equity approved showcase. The actors are members of Actors' Equity Association.
JUST ANNOUNCED!
POST-SHOW TALKBACKS FOR TICKETHOLDERS
Click here for details
Thursday, August 27: Shaping the Narrative: Documenting Human Rights Violations and Recovery
with Rob Fruchtman and Susie Linfield
Thursday, September 3: Moving Forward: Rwanda and Its Citizens, Post-Genocide
with Jacqueline Murekatete and Jesse Hawkes
POST-SHOW TALKBACKS FOR TICKETHOLDERS
Click here for details
Thursday, August 27: Shaping the Narrative: Documenting Human Rights Violations and Recovery
with Rob Fruchtman and Susie Linfield
Thursday, September 3: Moving Forward: Rwanda and Its Citizens, Post-Genocide
with Jacqueline Murekatete and Jesse Hawkes
A disgraced New York Times journalist, Charles, arrives in Rwanda for an exclusive interview with two Hutu nuns. Charged with homicide, the nuns must convince the world of their innocence during the 1994 genocide or face a lifetime in prison. When an unknown survivor contradicts their story, Charles must choose which version of the truth to tell the world. Sense of an Ending shines a light on questions of faith and responsibility in the face of violence.
Marking the 21st anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, this compelling political thriller asks if forgiveness is possible in a world where questions of right and wrong are never simple and new headlines continually vie for our attention. It is all too common to point to the other side of the globe and dismiss atrocities as "over there", and it is all too easy to let the memory of horrific events slip into a category of yesterday's mistakes. Sense of an Ending commands our attention to the past, the victims, the perpetrators and our own responsibility as observers.
A stellar cast has been assembled for this powerful new U.S. production: Danyon Davis (Dusabi), Dana Marie Ingraham (Sister Alice), Hubert Point-Du Jour (Paul), Joshua David Robinson (Charles) and Heather Alicia Simms (Sister Justina). Hunter Kaczorowski (Costumes) and Jeremy Stoller (Dramaturg) join kef alums David L. Arsenault (Scenic), Travis McHale (Lights), Christian Frederickson (Sound) on the Sense of an Ending design team, with Samantha N. Spellman (Stage Manager), Rebeccca Nichols (Production Manager) and Chantal Mason (Assistant Stage Manager).
Marking the 21st anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, this compelling political thriller asks if forgiveness is possible in a world where questions of right and wrong are never simple and new headlines continually vie for our attention. It is all too common to point to the other side of the globe and dismiss atrocities as "over there", and it is all too easy to let the memory of horrific events slip into a category of yesterday's mistakes. Sense of an Ending commands our attention to the past, the victims, the perpetrators and our own responsibility as observers.
A stellar cast has been assembled for this powerful new U.S. production: Danyon Davis (Dusabi), Dana Marie Ingraham (Sister Alice), Hubert Point-Du Jour (Paul), Joshua David Robinson (Charles) and Heather Alicia Simms (Sister Justina). Hunter Kaczorowski (Costumes) and Jeremy Stoller (Dramaturg) join kef alums David L. Arsenault (Scenic), Travis McHale (Lights), Christian Frederickson (Sound) on the Sense of an Ending design team, with Samantha N. Spellman (Stage Manager), Rebeccca Nichols (Production Manager) and Chantal Mason (Assistant Stage Manager).
CLICK HERE for an interview with playwright Ken Urban and dramaturg
Jeremy Stoller on the origins and history behind Sense of an Ending.
CAST
DANYON DAVIS (Dusabi) As an actor, Danyon has performed in classical, contemporary, and experimental plays in theaters across the U.S. and in Europe. New York theater includes: Experiments in Opera’s Brother, Brother; Danyon’s adaptation of Henry David Thoreau’s early writing, Of Rivers, Of Days; and WeildWorks’ Fêtes de la Nuit (Drama Desk nomination for Most Unique Theatrical Experience). Also, as an associate with the SITI Company, Danyon created the role of Wilson in Charles Mee’s bobrauschenbergamerica. As a director, Danyon assisted Bill T. Jones on the musical adaptation workshop of Super Fly; Danyon also assisted David Esbjornson on the world-premiere of Arthur Miller’s Resurrection Blues. Regional theater includes: the world-premiere of Richard Wilbur’s translation of Moliere’s The Bungler (Long Wharf Theatre); Hamlet, Edward II, and Tamburlaine (Shakespeare Theater Company); King Lear (with André De Shields; Classical Theatre of Harlem/ Folger Theatre). A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, Six Degrees of Separation (Guthrie Theater).
DANA MARIE INGRAHAM (Sister Alice) was most recently seen on Broadway in Motown the Musical. Credits also include Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark (Original B’way Company) Hot Feet, "Smash," and the national tours of Motown, The Lion King, and The Color Purple as well as touring both nationally and internationally with the companies of PHILADANCO! and Armitage Gone! Dance. Training includes William Esper Studio, Southern Methodist University (BA, BFA), and The Ailey School. She is a co-founder of community service organization Broadway Serves, and a U.S. Presidential Scholar of the Arts. Jeremiah 29:11.
HUBERT POINT-DU JOUR (Paul) Select theater credits: the Obie Award-winning play A Beautiful Day...Great Lakes (Women’s Project Theater and New Georges), The Model Apartment (Primary Stages, Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk Award nominations: Outstanding Revival), A Fable (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater), the Obie Award-winning A Map of Virtue (13P), Angels in America (Signature Theatre Company), Nightlands (New Georges), The Tempest (Target Margin), The Gentleman Caller (Clubbed Thumb), The Two Gentlemen of Verona (The Old Globe), A Raisin in the Sun directed by Phylicia Rashad (Westport Country Playhouse). TV credits: “The Good Wife” (CBS), “Happyish” (Showtime), “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: SVU” (NBC), “Over/Under” (USA), “Black Jack” (Comedy Central pilot). Training: New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. YoungArts awardee. hubertpointdujour.com.
JOSHUA DAVID ROBINSON (Charles) is proud alumnus of NYU’s Graduate Acting Program. He was most recently seen in The Acting Company’s productions of Macbeth and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court at The Pearl Theatre and Piehole Theatre’s groundbreaking production of Hand Foot Fizzle Face at Jack. An active member of The 52nd Street Project and Smoke and Mirrors Collaborative, Joshua is always working to use theatre as a means to engage with his community and promote social justice. Joshua is also the spokesperson for the tax preparation website Taxslayer.com.
HEATHER ALICIA SIMMS (Sister Justina) is an actor, voiceover artist, teacher and writer. She’s appeared on television, film, and on stage in New York, London and regionally. Her Broadway credits include Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, A Raisin in the Sun, and Gem of the Ocean. Other theater credits include The Correspondent; A Beautiful Day in November…; Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike; The Brother Sister Plays; born bad; The Exonerated; Pure Confidence; Ruined; Joe Turner’s Come and Gone; Breath, Boom; Insurrection: Holding History among others. Heather’s film credits include Red Hook Summer, The Nanny Diaries, Broken Flowers, Head of State, NY’s Dirty Laundry, among others. Her television credits include “Law and Order,” “Whoopi,” “Homicide,” “Third Watch” and “As The World Turns.” Heather attended Tufts University where she received a B.A. in History and English. She received an MFA from Columbia University. She is the recipient of a Round 4 TCG/Fox Foundation Fellowship.
PRODUCTION TEAM
KEN URBAN (Playwright) is a playwright and screenwriter based in New York. His plays have been produced Off-Broadway at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, The Summer Play Festival at The Public, and Studio 42. His play The Awake was produced by kef productions at 59E59 Theaters in 2013. He has developed new work at Playwrights Horizons, The Huntington, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and Donmar Warehouse (London). In 2015, A Future Perfect received its World Premiere at SpeakEasy Stage Company and Sense of an Ending opened in London at Theatre503 in May. Upcoming: The Awake at Chicago’s First Floor Theatre in February 2016. Awards include the Weissberger Playwriting Award, Huntington Theater Playwriting Fellowship, Headlands Artist Residency, Dramatist Guild Fellowship, Core Writer at the Playwrights’ Center, and MacDowell Colony Fellowships. He wrote the screenplay for The Happy Sad. His plays are published by Dramatists Play Service and Methuen.
ADAM FITZGERALD (Director) Artistic Director: kef theatrical productions. With kef: The Awake (New York Times Critics’ pick), Methtacular! (Time Out NY Critics' Pick), Killing Women, Lyric is Waiting, and It’s Only Kickball, Stupid (Advocate magazine Best of 2014); Other select NYC: A Dish for the Gods and Getting the Business (Rachel Reiner Productions), Songs for a More Funnier World (NYMF), Our Town (St. Bart's Theater); Concerts: Ali Ewoldt and Adam Jacobs Heart Full of Love (Town Hall), Carner and Gregor's Island Song (92YTribeca); Are You Working on Something New? (BC/EFA); Infinite Joy (Las Vegas benefit). Selected Regional: Defiance (Playhouse West, Critics' Circle Award nominations for Director and Production), Santaland Diaries (Homemade Theater), Methtacular! (About Face Theater, Time Out Chicago Critics’ Pick), Twelfth Night (Scranton Shakes) TV/FILM: PSA for the Ad Council and GLSEN; Conversations with my Ex (web series, FIFTY2&NINE and GWIST TV), Occupy Me (short film for 2015 release). www.directorfitz.com
DAVID L. ARSENAULT (Scenic Designer) kef: It’s Only Kickball, Stupid; The Awake; Methtacular!; and First Prize. Recent NYC: Long Story Short (Prospect), New York Times Critics’ Picks Handle With Care (Westside Theatre), and Broadway Bares: Rock Hard! (Hammerstein Ballroom). Broadway (associate design): Constellations starring Jake Gyllenhaal, The Color Purple (upcoming), and King Charles III (upcoming). International: English Theatre Berlin, Germany. Outside NYC: Bay Street Theatre, Kitchen Theatre Company, Hangar Theatre, Geva Theatre, Merry Go Round Playhouse, Gulfshore Playhouse, About Face Theatre, Hudson Stage, Urban Arias, Bucks County Playhouse, and others. In 2011, David was nominated for the American Theatre Wing’s Hewes Award for his design of kef’s First Prize. www.DavidArsenaultDesign.com
CHRISTIAN FREDERICKSON (Sound Designer) is a violist, composer, and sound designer living in New York. Frederickson is a founding member of the band Rachel's, who released 6 albums on Touch and Go/Quarterstick Records and toured widely in the United States, Europe, and South Korea. He is a graduate of The Peabody Conservatory and The Juilliard School. Other selected credits are: Trojan Women, and The Master Builder (BAM); The Awake (59E59 - NYIT Award); The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey (Westside Theatre); A Midsummer Night's Dream, Unnatural Acts, Three Sisters, and The Tempest (Classic Stage Co.); Through the Yellow Hour (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater - 2013 Drama Desk Nomination); The Emperor Jones (Irish Repertory Theater - Lortel Nomination); The Painted Bird Trilogy (The Wexner Center); Glory of the World, At the Vanishing Point, Romeo and Juliet, The Edge of Our Bodies, and The Tempest (Actors Theatre of Louisville). www.christianfrederickson.com
HUNTER KACZOROWSKI (Costume Designer) New York credits include HAM (Ars Nova, directed by Billy Porter), several productions with The Astoria Performing Arts Center, HERE Arts Center, Dixon Place, The Joyce Soho, The New School for Drama, Lee Strasberg Institute, Vital Children's Theater, NY NeoFuturists, Harlem School of the Arts and The Gallery Players. Regional: Design for Living, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (Berkshire Theater Group), A Streetcar Named Desire (Yale Repertory Theater), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Barrington Stage Company), Noises Off!, How to Succeed in Business, Once Upon a Mattress, Deathtrap (among others, The Millbrook Playhouse), as well as productions with The Yale Baroque Opera Project, The Red House Theater, Kitchen Theater Company and Luna Stage Company. Now Playing/Upcoming: The Fix (Signature Theater, dir. Eric Schaeffer), Chicago (Muhlenberg College), Merrily We Roll Along (Yale Drama). MFA, Yale School of Drama. www.Huntersk.com
JEREMY STOLLER (Dramaturg) is a freelance dramaturg and producer. Current: Resident Dramaturg for terraNOVA Collective and the Jewish Plays Project; Literary Manager, |theclaque|. Founder, The Dramaturgy Open Office Hour Project. Previously: Literary Manager @ Two River Theater. Dramaturgy/literary work with The Flea, Disney Theatrical Group, PlayPenn, The Drama League, 52nd Street Project, Target Margin, First Person Arts Festival, George Street Playhouse; writer for HowlRound and TheaterMania. He received his BA from Drew University.
SAMANTHA N. SPELLMAN (Stage Manager) is very excited to be included in this production. Samantha graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 2014 and is currently studying TV and Film at St. John’s University. She has been an assistant director for AADA’s Company, and has stage managed for Douglas Carter Beane at the 2014 Scranton Shakespeare Festival on his new play Fairycakes. Ultimately, she is working to get her true passion of writing and directing to a running start with two short films to hit the festival circuit in the spring. In everything she does, Sam would like to pave the way for new storytellers in hope to inspire exciting work like this. She would like to thank God for her strength, her family for endless support, Adam for this amazing opportunity and last to Ken Urban, without whom this would not have been possible.
CHANTAL MASON (Assistant Stage Manager) is thrilled to be a part of this production. Chantal graduated from the third year program of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts this April and is currently a working actor, freelancing in makeup. She is hoping to venture further into the production side of the industry and thanks Adam and Ken for taking her on for the ride!
JEREMY BOHMSTEIN (General Manager) is thrilled to be joining kef theatrical productions. He is currently the Management Associate at Mint Theater Company and has previously worked with The New Group and {Your Name Here} A Queer Theater, for which he was a founding member of. Jeremy is a graduate of Point Park University and has found himself performing on stages such as Paper Mill Playhouse, Gateway Playhouse, Surflight Theater and Pittsburgh Playhouse and in such shows as Contact; Reefer Madness; Kiss Me,Kate; and A Chorus Line.
