Asolo Rep Presents Inside Asolo Rep: RHINOCEROS and ROE

Asolo Rep will host Inside Asolo Rep: RHINOCEROS and ROE on Wednesday, February 28 at 11am, with refreshments at 10:30am. This insightful behind-the-scenes panel will feature Frank Galati (Director, RHINOCEROS), Lavina Jadhwani (Director, ROE), Peggy Roeder (Queen Elizabeth, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE; Mrs. Boeuf, RHINOCEROS); and Terri Weagant (Norma McCorvey, ROE). The discussion will be moderated by Asolo Rep Dramaturg and Literary Manager Paul Adolphsen.

Frank Galati (Director, RHINOCEROS) is a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago. His adaptation of John Steinbeck's East of Eden opened the theatre's 40thanniversary season. Over the years, he has received nine Joseph Jefferson Awards for his work in Chicago theatre. Here at Asolo Rep he has directed The Little Foxes; Guess Who's Coming to Dinner; Both Your Houses; Philadelphia, Here I Come; 1776 ; My Fair Lady; Twelve Angry Men. He has directed at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Berkeley Rep, Mark Taper Forum, Long Wharf Theatre, Chicago Opera Theatre, San Francisco Opera, Dallas Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, The Metropolitan Opera, The Stratford Festival in Canada, and the Roundabout Theatre in New York. For 20 years he was an Associate Director at The Goodman Theatre in Chicago. He won two Tony Awards in 1990 for his adaptation and direction of the Steppenwolf production of The Grapes of Wrath on Broadway and was nominated again in 1998 for directing Ragtime on Broadway. In 1989, Mr. Galati was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay (with Lawrence Kasdan) of The Accidental Tourist. In 2000 he was inducted into The American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Mr. Galati is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Performance Studies at Northwestern University. He lives in Sarasota.

Lavina Jadhwani (Director, ROE) is elated to be making her Asolo Rep debut. Her directing credits include work at Actors Theatre of Louisville, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Phoenix Theatre, Teatro Vista, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, Silk Road Rising, Victory Gardens Theater, and Writers Theatre. As an adaptor, she has tackled both South Asian epics (The Ramayana, Shakuntala) as well as Western classics like Uncle Vanya. Up next: Lavina will direct the Chicago premiere of Qui Nguyen's Vietgone at Writers Theatre. Graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University (MFA, Directing), Carnegie Mellon University (BFA, Scenic Design; Masters, Arts Management). www.lavinajadhwani.com

Peggy Roeder* (Queen Elizabeth, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE; Mrs. Boeuf,RHINOCEROS) has appeared at Asolo Rep in The Grapes of Wrath; Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike; Guess Who's Coming To Dinner; Ah, Wilderness!; Matchmaker; and Good People. Other favorites include The Dresser (Steppenwolf), Romeo and Juliet (Goodman), Clean House (Milwaukee Rep), Kabuki Macbeth (Chicago Shakespeare), The Cider House Rules (Atlantic Theatre Company), My Fair Lady (Lyric Opera), Big Meal (ATC), Outside Mullingar (Peninsula Players), Float (About Face), Barefoot in the Park (Drury Lane Oakbrook). Her work has garnered four Jeff Awards, three Artisan Awards, two After Dark Awards. Film and TV credits include Groundhog Day, Road to Perdition, Were the World Mine, Stranger Than Fiction, Star Trek: DS9, Law & Order.

Terri Weagant* (Norma McCorvey, ROE) is thrilled to be making her Asolo Rep debut. In Sarasota, she was last seen in the solo show Bo-Nita at Urbanite Theatre. She has worked with such companies as Seattle Shakespeare Company, ACT Theatre, 14/48 Projects, Book It Repertory Theatre, Consolidated Works, CHAC, and the Radial Theater Project. She has performed in many parts of the US, Canada, Australia and the Czech Republic. Terri is producer/co-director of the documentary film "Above the Bamboo Room," which will premiere in Haines, Alaska in 2018.

*Members of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Wednesday, February 28
Refreshments: 10:30am
Panel Discussion: 11am

FSU Center for the Performing Arts
Cook Theatre
5555 N. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34243

Panel discussion tickets are just $5 for the general public and are free for all donors and Asolo Rep Guild members. To reserve your tickets, call the Asolo Rep Box Office at 941.351.8000 or visit www.asolorep.org.

Inside Asolo Rep is sponsored by Designing Women Boutique, Hotel Indigo and the Observer

ABOUT RHINOCEROS

February 7-April 14
By EUGÉNE IONESCO
Translated by Derek Prouse
Adapted and Directed by Frank Galati

A farce. A tragedy. A magical experiment for the mind. Brace yourself for this illuminating new adaptation by two-time Tony Award®-winner Frank Galati. Berenger is a simple man with a simple life. He has a regular job, drinks too much, and has a flirtatious relationship with his coworker Daisy. But his day is interrupted by a rhinoceros charging through town - then another and another, until all of the townspeople transform into rhinos. As one of the few humans remaining, Berenger ponders the ramifications of literally following the herd. Written just after World War II, Rhinoceros was considered a masterpiece of absurdist theatre, where the world is incomprehensible and anything a writer can imagine can happen. Don't miss this hilarious satire about mass culture, conformity, and integrity.

ABOUT ROE

March 14 - April 15
By Lisa Loomer
Directed by Lavina Jadhwani
Based on the original production directed by Bill Rauch

The lawyer: a young, courageous woman arguing her case before the Supreme Court. The plaintiff: a hard-living, single woman hoping for a quick end to an unwanted pregnancy. The aftermath: a place in American judicial history and a lifetime of inescapable notoriety. Lisa Loomer cuts through the headlines to deliver a clever, comic and poignant portrayal of the two women at the center of one of the most infamous court cases of all time. Taking place from the 1970s to the present with characters on both sides of the issue spanning from decidedly pro-choice to decidedly pro-life, Roe reflects the polarization in America today while illuminating the heart and passion each person has for their cause.

CONTAINS MATURE LANGUAGE AND THEMES.

ABOUT ASOLO REP

Now in its 59th season, Asolo Repertory Theatre is recognized as one of the premier professional theatres in America and one of the largest in the Southeastern United States. One of the few select theatres in the nation that performs in true rotating repertory, Asolo Rep's highly skilled acting company and extensive craftsmanship bring to life this unique performance method that gives audiences the opportunity to see multiple productions in the span of a few days. Asolo Rep presents up to 10 productions each season including contemporary and classic works and provocative musical theatre experiences. A theatre district in and of itself, Asolo Rep is committed to expanding its reach into the community, furthering its collaboration with the best theatre artists working in the industry today and cultivating new artists through its affiliation with the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards and Managing Director Linda DiGabriele, Asolo Rep's ambitious theatrical offerings and ground-breaking education and community programming engage audiences and ensure its lasting legacy for future generations.

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