Maple and Vine
By Jordan Harrison
Jan 18 - Feb 16, 2014Low-priced Previews Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2014
Southern California Premiere
Katha and Ryu have become allergic to their 21st-century lives. After they meet a charismatic man from a community of 1950s reenactors, they forsake cell phones and sushi for cigarettes and Tupperware parties. In this compulsively authentic world, Katha and Ryu are surprised by what their new neighbors-and they themselves-are willing to sacrifice for happiness. Contains Adult Themes.
“A darkly appealing fairy tale. [Playwright] Jordan Harrison racks up beaucoup points for originality.” – Variety
Cast
Jo Anne GloverJo Anne Glover
KathaCygnet Resident Artist. Jo Anne is thrilled to be returning to Cygnet. Founder and Managing Director of MOXIE Theatre, she has worked in New York, Los Angeles, and regionally. Previously for Cygnet: Our Town, The Norman Conquests, The Receptionist (SDCC Best Supp. Actress). Other San Diego credits: Skinless, Hickorydickory, Exit Interview, Zoot Suit, In the Wake, Dead Man’s Cell Phone (SDCC Best Actress Nomination), Or, Summer and Smoke, Expecting Isabel, Drink Me, Rabbit Hole, Bleeding Kansas, The Listener, Bluebonnet Court, Devil Dog Six, WET, Miss Witherspoon, Dog Act, Limonades Tous les Jours (Patte award, Best Actress), Pulp, Kimberly Akimbo, Hamlet, Stop Kiss, and Othello. In addition to her work as an actress, she has worked as a producer in New York and L.A.
Jordan MillerJordan Miller
DeanJordan is honored to return to Cygnet. Previously at Cygnet Theatre: Travesties, The Importance of Being Earnest, Bed and Sofa (Craig Noel Award). He was most recently seen at Lamb’s Players Theater in their highly acclaimed production of Fiddler On The Roof (Sasha). Other notable San Diego credits include several productions at Lyric Opera San Diego including The Gondoliers (Giuseppe), Anything Goes (Billy Crocker) and A Little Night Music (Mr. Lindquist), and The Old Globe’s Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas (understudy – The Grinch). Favorite regional credits include Oklahoma! (Prather Family of Theaters), Annie Get Your Gun (Performance Riverside), Rapunzel! Rapunzel! A Very Hairy Fairy Tale (Casa Mañana Theater), and the world premier of Life In The Park (14th Street Playhouse). Additionally, Jordan has had the pleasure of sailing around the world as the principle singer with Holland America Line’s record breaking The Showroom At Sea. Jordan is originally from Huntsville, Texas, and holds a BFA in acting from the North Carolina School of the Arts.
Mike NardelliMike Nardelli
Roger/OmarMike studied theatre at Rollins College, and later went on to the Outdoor Drama Tecumseh! in Chillicothe, Ohio. He completed a year apprenticeship at the B Street Theatre in Sacramento, CA, before making the plunge into the LA acting scene. Some of his favorite roles include: Alan in Equus and Michael in Two Rooms. He has produced his own web series, The Pizza Guy Diaries, and is active on Vine; he dares you to follow him. He is a board member for Camp TLC (Together Living a Challenge), an “on the move” performing and creative art based camp that delivers a week of escape for children living in challenging financial, medical, and or emotional situations that are given hope and happiness through the arts. Mike is thrilled to be in San Diego, as a part of the Cygnet Theatre for the first time with such an amazing cast and crew. He would like to thank his family, friends, and of course Amanda.
Jo Anne Glover
Cygnet Resident Artist. Jo Anne is thrilled to be returning to Cygnet. Founder and Managing Director of MOXIE Theatre, she has worked in New York, Los Angeles, and regionally. Previously for Cygnet: Our Town, The Norman Conquests, The Receptionist (SDCC Best Supp. Actress). Other San Diego credits: Skinless, Hickorydickory, Exit Interview, Zoot Suit, In the Wake, Dead Man’s Cell Phone (SDCC Best Actress Nomination), Or, Summer and Smoke, Expecting Isabel, Drink Me, Rabbit Hole, Bleeding Kansas, The Listener, Bluebonnet Court, Devil Dog Six, WET, Miss Witherspoon, Dog Act, Limonades Tous les Jours (Patte award, Best Actress), Pulp, Kimberly Akimbo, Hamlet, Stop Kiss, and Othello. In addition to her work as an actress, she has worked as a producer in New York and L.A.
Jordan Miller
Jordan is honored to return to Cygnet. Previously at Cygnet Theatre: Travesties, The Importance of Being Earnest, Bed and Sofa (Craig Noel Award). He was most recently seen at Lamb’s Players Theater in their highly acclaimed production of Fiddler On The Roof (Sasha). Other notable San Diego credits include several productions at Lyric Opera San Diego including The Gondoliers (Giuseppe), Anything Goes (Billy Crocker) and A Little Night Music (Mr. Lindquist), and The Old Globe’s Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas (understudy – The Grinch). Favorite regional credits include Oklahoma! (Prather Family of Theaters), Annie Get Your Gun (Performance Riverside), Rapunzel! Rapunzel! A Very Hairy Fairy Tale (Casa Mañana Theater), and the world premier of Life In The Park (14th Street Playhouse). Additionally, Jordan has had the pleasure of sailing around the world as the principle singer with Holland America Line’s record breaking The Showroom At Sea. Jordan is originally from Huntsville, Texas, and holds a BFA in acting from the North Carolina School of the Arts.
Mike Nardelli
Mike studied theatre at Rollins College, and later went on to the Outdoor Drama Tecumseh! in Chillicothe, Ohio. He completed a year apprenticeship at the B Street Theatre in Sacramento, CA, before making the plunge into the LA acting scene. Some of his favorite roles include: Alan in Equus and Michael in Two Rooms. He has produced his own web series, The Pizza Guy Diaries, and is active on Vine; he dares you to follow him. He is a board member for Camp TLC (Together Living a Challenge), an “on the move” performing and creative art based camp that delivers a week of escape for children living in challenging financial, medical, and or emotional situations that are given hope and happiness through the arts. Mike is thrilled to be in San Diego, as a part of the Cygnet Theatre for the first time with such an amazing cast and crew. He would like to thank his family, friends, and of course Amanda.
Amanda SittonAmanda Sitton
Ellen/JennaCygnet Resident Artist. Selected theater credits include: The Glass Menagerie, Man From Nebraska, It’s A Wonderful Life, Las Meninas (Cygnet Theater); Road To Mecca, Doubt (SD Theatre Critics Circle Craig Noel Award Outstanding Featured Performance), A Christmas Carol (San Diego Rep); Voice of the Prairie, Don’t Dress For Dinner, Collected Stories, Amy’s View (North Coast Rep); Comedy of Errors, Four Dogs and a Bone, Be Aggressive, Golden Boy (SD Theatre Critics Circle Craig Noel Award Outstanding Lead Performance), Dancing at Lughnasa, Sailor’s Song, Crimes of the Heart, Three Sisters (New Village Arts, Ensemble Member) Fair Use, Torch Song Trilogy, Twilight of the Golds (Diversionary Theater); A Bright Room Called Day (Backyard Productions/Diversionary Theater); Hysterical Blindness (Backyard Productions); The Gingerbread Lady (Renaissance Theater Co.); The Terrible Girls (Fringe Festival NYC). Ms. Sitton received her BA in Theatre from UCSD.
Greg WatanabeGreg Watanabe
RyuGreg’s theater credits include the world premiere productions of The Ballad Of Yachiyo (Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Public Theater New York Shakespeare Festival); Butcher’s Burden (Asian American Theater Company); The Summer Moon (A Contemporary Theater, South Coast Repertory Theatre); 10,000 Years (written and produced by John Ridley); Nono Boy (adapted by Ken Narasaki); The Happy Ones (South Coast Rep – nomination for L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Performance); Extraordinary Chambers (The Geffen Playhouse – nomination for Ovation Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play); Yellow Face (nomination for a San Diego Critics Circle Craig Noel Award for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play), Extraordinary Chambers (Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company); Golden Child (Signature Theater). Television credits include cast member of the UPN sketch comedy pilot Off Limits, 23 episodes of Watch Over Me (MyNetworkTV). Other appearances include: Curb Your Enthusiasm, Reno 911!, Criminal Minds, The Proud Family, Hidden Hills, J.A.G., and Nash Bridges. Film appearances include Only The Brave, Americanese, True Love and Mimosa Tea, Life Tastes Good, and Forgotten Valor. Greg has been a company member of the Asian American sketch comedy troupe, the 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors since 1994. The documentary about them, Mighty Warriors of Comedy won a Northern California Emmy.
Amanda Sitton
Cygnet Resident Artist. Selected theater credits include: The Glass Menagerie, Man From Nebraska, It’s A Wonderful Life, Las Meninas (Cygnet Theater); Road To Mecca, Doubt (SD Theatre Critics Circle Craig Noel Award Outstanding Featured Performance), A Christmas Carol (San Diego Rep); Voice of the Prairie, Don’t Dress For Dinner, Collected Stories, Amy’s View (North Coast Rep); Comedy of Errors, Four Dogs and a Bone, Be Aggressive, Golden Boy (SD Theatre Critics Circle Craig Noel Award Outstanding Lead Performance), Dancing at Lughnasa, Sailor’s Song, Crimes of the Heart, Three Sisters (New Village Arts, Ensemble Member) Fair Use, Torch Song Trilogy, Twilight of the Golds (Diversionary Theater); A Bright Room Called Day (Backyard Productions/Diversionary Theater); Hysterical Blindness (Backyard Productions); The Gingerbread Lady (Renaissance Theater Co.); The Terrible Girls (Fringe Festival NYC). Ms. Sitton received her BA in Theatre from UCSD.
Greg Watanabe
Greg’s theater credits include the world premiere productions of The Ballad Of Yachiyo (Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Public Theater New York Shakespeare Festival); Butcher’s Burden (Asian American Theater Company); The Summer Moon (A Contemporary Theater, South Coast Repertory Theatre); 10,000 Years (written and produced by John Ridley); Nono Boy (adapted by Ken Narasaki); The Happy Ones (South Coast Rep – nomination for L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Performance); Extraordinary Chambers (The Geffen Playhouse – nomination for Ovation Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play); Yellow Face (nomination for a San Diego Critics Circle Craig Noel Award for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play), Extraordinary Chambers (Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company); Golden Child (Signature Theater). Television credits include cast member of the UPN sketch comedy pilot Off Limits, 23 episodes of Watch Over Me (MyNetworkTV). Other appearances include: Curb Your Enthusiasm, Reno 911!, Criminal Minds, The Proud Family, Hidden Hills, J.A.G., and Nash Bridges. Film appearances include Only The Brave, Americanese, True Love and Mimosa Tea, Life Tastes Good, and Forgotten Valor. Greg has been a company member of the Asian American sketch comedy troupe, the 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors since 1994. The documentary about them, Mighty Warriors of Comedy won a Northern California Emmy.
Creative Team
Kevin Anthenill
Previously worked with Cygnet Theatre sound designing and composing music for Gem of the Ocean, Shakespeare’s R&J, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Travesties. Sound Design credits include USD/Old Globe’s A Measure for Measure, Winters Tale, Twelfth Night, and Fathers and Sons; San Diego Repertory Theatre’s Zoot Suit; Diversionary Theatre’s She-rantulas from Outer Space, The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabbler, Birds of a Feather, Edward II, Next Fall, Harmony Kansas, Pippin, and Marry Me a Little; Moxie Theatre’s A Raisin in the Sun and The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek. He composed original music for San Diego Repertory Theatre’s Boom and In the Next Room, was the Sound Design Assistant at The Old Globe’s Summer Shakespeare Festival three times, and worked with The Old Globe’s education department sound designing their Summer Shakespeare Intensive four times. He is the Resident Sound Designer at the San Diego Repertory Theatre. He holds a B.A. in Theater Design from San Diego State University.
Michelle Caron
Cygnet Resident Artist. Cygnet Theatre: Man of La Mancha, Dirty Blonde, A Behanding in Spokane, The Glass Menagerie, Our Town, It’s a Wonderful Life ’09 -’11 and The Norman Conquests. National Credits: Cinderella: A New Telling of an Old Tale (Penobscot Theatre, Bangor Maine). Selected Local Credits: The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler, Birds of a Feather, Harmony Kansas, The Pride, Edward II, and Fair Use (Diversionary Theatre); Thoroughly Modern Millie (Coronado School of the Arts); Spring Awakening (America Rose Theatre at San Diego Rep); Malashock/RAW and Surface Tension (Malashock Dance). Michelle holds an MFA in Theatrical Design from San Diego State University and she lives in Pennsylvania. See her theatrical and architectural work at carondesignworks.com.
Sean Fanning
Cygnet Resident Artist. Sean is a San Diego based set designer, with a career spanning over thirty productions across local stages. At Cygnet: The Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties, Shakespeare’s R&J, Mistakes Were Made, Man of La Mancha, Parade, Dirty Blonde, Little Shop of Horrors, Cabaret, Sweeney Todd, The Tragedy of the Commons (World Premiere), The Norman Conquests, Noises Off, Mauritius, A Christmas Carol, A Little Night Music, The Receptionist, and The Matchmaker. The Old Globe: A Doll’s House, Plaid Tidings, KINGDOM. Elsewhere: In the Heights, Walter Cronkite is Dead (San Diego Repertory); A Raisin in the Sun (Moxie Theatre); Hamlet (Intrepid Shakespeare); Birds of a Feather, Pippin, Harmony Kansas (Diversionary Theatre); Much Ado About Nothing, Measure for Measure, Twelfth Night, The Winter’s Tale, Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Old Globe/USD). Sean is in his sixth season as the Resident Design Assistant at the Old Globe, where he has assisted designers on over sixty productions. He holds a B.A. in Technical Theatre from Sonoma State University and an M.F.A. in Scene Design from San Diego State University. See more of his work at www.seanfanningdesigns.com.
Igor Goldin
Igor is thrilled to be back in San Diego and directing for Cygnet. Previously in San Diego he directed the original one-man musical …And Then I Wrote a Song About It and Paul Rudnick’s play The New Century, both for the Diversionary Theatre. He also directed the Diversionary, New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) and Off-Broadway productions of YANK! for which he received a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Direction of a Musical. Igor has developed 10 original musicals for the New York Musical Theatre Festival and received 3 NYMF Awards for Excellence in Direction; one for Crossing Sword, a musical adaptation of Cyrano; one for the musical adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice; and the other for the commissioned dance musical, Common Grounds. Additional credits include his Off-Broadway production of With Glee and regional productions of Twelve Angry Men, South Pacific, The Spitfire Grill, The Foreigner, The Mystery of Erma Vep, I Love You Because (New Hampshire Theatre Award nomination for Best Direction of a Musical), The Complete History of America (abridged), Dracula, Blithe Spirit, Violet and The Full Monty. Igor was nominated by his peers as a top 5 finalist for the SDC Joe A. Callaway Award for Distinguished Direction. He is a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC). Thank you to Sean Murray and everyone at the Cygnet.
Sunny Haines
Cygnet Resident Artist. For Cygnet: A Little Night Music (ASM/Wardrobe Supervisor), Bed and Sofa (ASM/Wigs), Sweeney Todd (ASM), Cabaret, Parade and Assassins (Head Dresser). San Diego Theatre: Forbidden Broadway, Miracle Theatre Productions; Baby, North Coast Repertory Theatre; Man of La Mancha, San Diego Lyric Opera; Amahl and the Night Visitors, San Diego Lyric Opera; Tannhäuser, San Diego Opera; The Big Bang, North Coast Repertory Theatre; Xanadu, La Jolla Playhouse; Rumpelstiltskin / Trial by Jury, San Diego Lyric Opera; Godspell and Mixtape, Lamb’s Players; Annual Shakespeare Festival (2010-Current) and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2010-Current), Death of a Salesman, The Old Globe. Sunny has a Bachelor’s degree in Theater Technology from San Diego State University.
Jordan Harrison
Mr Harrison’s plays include Maple and Vine (Playwrights Horizons, 2011 Humana Festival), Doris to Darlene (Playwrights Horizons), Finn in the Underworld (Berkeley Repertory Theatre), Futura (Portland Center Stage, The Theatre @ Boston Court), Act a Lady (2006 Humana Festival), Amazons and Their Men (Clubbed Thumb), Kid-Simple (2004 Humana Festival), The Flea and the Professor (Arden Theatre Company), and The Museum Play. He is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Hodder Fellowship, the Kesselring Prize, the Heideman Award, a Theater Masters’ Innovative Playwright Award, and the Loewe Award in Musical Theater. Maple and Vine was nominated for a 2012 GLAAD Media Award for Best New York Production and The Flea and the Professor won the 2011 Barrymore Award for Best Musical. A graduate of Stanford University and Brown University’s M.F.A. program, he is an alumnus of New Dramatists.
Ryan Heath
Cygnet: Debut. San Diego: A Raisin in the Sun (Moxie). Stage Manager: San Diego: Marry Me a Little, The Divine Sister, Birds of a Feather, The Pride (Diversionary Theatre); References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot, Freedom of Speech (MOXIE); Other: Merry Wives of Windsor (Livermore Shakespeare Festival), I Hate Hamlet (The Western Stage). Production Assistant: Side Show (La Jolla Playhouse), A Doll’s House (The Old Globe). He also acted as a Stage Management intern on The Old Globe Shakespeare Festival in the summer of 2011. Ryan earned his Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from San Diego State University.
Peter Herman
Cygnet Resident Artist. Cygnet Theatre: Costumes and Wig/Makeup Design for Shakespeare’s R&J, Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Wigs/Makeup Design for The Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties, Company, Assassins, A Christmas Carol, Gem of the Ocean, Mistakes Were Made, Man of La Mancha, Dirty Blonde, Parade, A Behanding in Spokane, The Glass Menagerie, Little Shop of Horrors, Our Town, Cabaret, The Norman Conquests, Private Lives, Sweeney Todd, The Piano Lesson, It’s a Wonderful Life, Noises Off, Bed and Sofa, The History Boys, The Receptionist, A Little Night Music, Fences, The Turn of the Screw, Communicating Doors, Arcadia, The Matchmaker. Elsewhere: Peter has designed hair and wigs for over 300 productions, including the La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Rep, San Diego Opera, Disneyland, and various film and television projects. Film: Costume design for Ready? OK! Peter currently teaches wigs and makeup at SDSU.
Jennifer Kozumplik
Cygnet Resident Artist. The Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties, Gem of the Ocean, Man of La Mancha, Dirty Blonde, Our Town, Private Lives, Noises Off (Cygnet Theatre); His Girl Friday (La Jolla Playhouse); A Hammer, a Bell, and a Song to Sing, In the Wake, Superior Donuts, Culture Clash in AmeriCCa, The Who’s Tommy, The Seafarer, The Road to Mecca, Doubt, Water and Power (San Diego Repertory Theatre); Frozen, La Gaviota, Punks (ion theatre). Education: BA in Theatre Arts from San Diego State University.
Jeanne Reith
Cygnet Resident Artist. As a Theatrical Costume Designer, she has dressed over 300 productions. She serves as Resident Designer at Lambs Players Theatre Coronado. Over two dozen of her costume designs have received Costume Excellence Awards including Cygnet’s The Little Foxes and A Little Night Music. Awards include: Craig Noel, Patte, LA Weekly, Backstage West, Dramalogue, and Critics Circle. Works for Cygnet include the first two years of It’s A Wonderful Life, Copenhagen, Arcadia, The Matchmaker, My Fair Lady, The Norman Conquest and Company. Jeanne teaches Draping, Patternmaking, Apparel Construction, Fashion Sketching and Portfolio at San Diego Mesa College, San Diego Continuing Education and SDUIS.
William Parker Shore
William is proud to contribute to his first production at Cygnet Theatre. A graduate from the theater department at Arizona State, he has had the privilege of working in over a dozen productions in San Diego. Some of his favorite roles include Brad in Orange Flower Water, Greg in Relatively Speaking, John in Love, Sex and the IRS, and most recently, Carl in It’s Just Sex. William would like to thank all the cast and crew of Maple and Vine for making this such a rewarding experience.
Taylor Wycoff
Taylor is thrilled to be continuing her work as dramaturg for the Cygnet Theatre. Previous dramaturgical credits include A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play, The Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties, Company, Shakespeare’s R&J, Assassins, Gem of the Ocean (Cygnet); Kita y Fernanda, Yellow Face (Mo’olelo). Taylor specializes in the relationship between minority performance art and the social sphere, and has had the privilege of presenting her research at the Association for Theatre in Higher Education Annual Conference and the Philadelphia Theatre Research Symposium. She also teaches for Kids Act and is a graduate of Young Audiences Teaching Artist Institute. Taylor holds a BA in Theatre Arts and International Relations from the University of San Diego and is a member of the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas.
Angelica Ynfante
Cygnet Resident Artist. Previously at Cygnet: The Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties, Company, Assassins, Gem of the Ocean, A Christmas Carol, Mistakes Were Made, Man of La Mancha, Dirty Blonde. Texas State University graduate with a BFA in theatre. She made her way around the U.S. and Mexico for five years working in Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Vermont, New York, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Cancun until she made it to sunny California where she is currently the props mistress with the San Diego Rep. She has also worked with Moxie Theatre.
April 2024