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The Unmentionablesby Bruce Norris Featuring company member Naomi Jacobson with James Foster, Jr., Charles Hyman, Tim Getman, James J. Johnson, John Livingstone Rolle, Kofi Owusu, Marni Penning and Dawn Ursula THE UNMENTIONABLES closed on
     About the Show:Bruce Norris’s explosive satire launches the Woolly season after startling audiences during its world premiere last fall at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre. Thanks to their missionary zeal, a motley collection of do-gooder Americans stirs up tension and trouble in an isolated African village. A wealthy entrepreneur, a pair of Christian charity workers and a flamboyant government official get caught in a web of good intentions and bad judgments in this scathingly funny and provocative new work. "KNIFE-TWISTING SATIRE... KEENLY ACIDIC PORTRAYALS" "TWO HOURS OF GASP INDUCING HILARITY" “Scabrously funny satire…a little absurd, plenty humorous [with] ENTERTAINING LIVELY PERFORMANCES. "ONE OF THE STRONGEST COMPANIES TO TREAD "Boisterous, frenzied comedy…directed with manic glee" “SLASHING WIT…the entire cast is dead-on” “the dialogue is AMAZINGLY SHARP…with a VIDEO: Pam MacKinnon on directing The Unmentionables
Who's WhoPLAYWRIGHT
BRUCE NORRIS is an actor and writer whose plays include, The Infidel (2000), Purple Heart (2002), We All Went Down to Amsterdam (2003), The Pain and the Itch (2004), and The Unmentionables (2006) all of which had their premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago. He has also worked with Lookingglass Theatre, Chicago (an adaptation of Joe Orton’s Up Against It, 1994 and The Vanishing Twin, 1996) as well as Philadelphia Theatre Company, Playwrights Horizons (New York), The Galway Festival (Galway, Ireland), Yale Repertory Theatre and the Royal Court, London. He is the recipient of the Whiting Foundation Prize for Drama (2006) as well as two Joseph Jefferson Awards for Best New Work, and the Kesselring Prize, Honorable Mention, for 2006. As an actor he can be seen in the films A Civil Action and The Sixth Sense. He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.
DIRECTORPAM MACKINNON most recently directed the world premiere of John Fugelsang’s All The Wrong Reasons (New York Theatre Workshop) and The Four of Us by Itamar Moses (The Old Globe). Upcoming projects include the New York premieres of Edward Albee’s Peter and Jerry: Homelife and The Zoo Story (Second Stage) and The Four of Us by Itamar Moses (Manhattan Theater Club). Her recent credits include David Mamet’s Romance (Goodman Theatre), Gina Gionfriddo’s After Ashley (Philadelphia Theatre Company) and Bach at Leipzig by Itamar Moses (NYTW); world premiere productions of Alice the Magnet by Erin Courtney (Clubbed Thumb), Sheri Wilner’s Father Joy (CATF and SPF) and Victor Lodato’s 3F, 4F (Magic). Other recent productions include the world premiere of Edward Albee’s Peter and Jerry (Hartford Stage); Ann Marie Healy’s Dearest Eugenia Haggis (CCTP); Yazmina Reza’s LIFEx3 (Alley); Victor Lodato’s Slay the Dragon (A.C.T.); Edward Albee’s The Play About the Baby (Goodman); Tina Howe’s Water Music (EST); and the U.S. regional (Alley) and European (Vienna) premieres of Edward Albee’s The Goat or, Who Is Sylvia? She works frequently with Clubbed Thumb, Inc., where she is an Affiliated Artist. CAST
JAMES FOSTER, JR. (Soldier 2) Washington Shakespeare: The Royal Hunt of the Sun,and The Winter’s Tale; Silver Spring Stage: Master Harold and the Boys, and Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet); H Street Playhouse: The Gospel at Colonus,and Slaughter City; Theater Alliance/CHAW: Love Letters; Trinity Players: All My Sons; Mt. Vernon Players: Othello; 48 Hour Film Project: Glass House (www.reflectiondigital.com/glasshouse) and Cupid, Incorporated (www.reflectiondigital.com/cupid). New York credits include Comedy of Errors, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Medal of Honor Rag, Boogie Woogie and Booker T, and The Amen Corner. He studied acting with the renowned Earle Hyman (Bill Cosby’s TV Father) at HB Studio, NYC. James is a proud member of Actors Equity. 
TIM GETMAN (Dave) is thrilled to be making his mainstage Woolly Mammoth debut, having appeared in the Woolly/UM productions of Savage in Limbo and The Distance from Here. He most recently appeared in Birds with Rorschach Theatre with whom he is an Artistic Partner. Tim has acted for numerous local theatres, including CenterStage, The Folger Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Round House, Arena Stage, The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Signature Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Theater J, Source Theatre and Imagination Stage, among others. He trained at Macalester College and Trinity College, Dublin, and is a recipient of a Mary Goldwater Award. Tim will next be seen in the world premiere of Christmas Carol 1941 at Arena Stage. 
CHARLES HYMAN (Don) is delighted to be performing at the renowned Woolly Mammoth and visiting DC, both for the first time. He has performed off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel and regionally at the Geva Theatre, Hudson Valley Shakespeare, Dallas Theatre Center, St. Louis Rep, Kansas City Rep, A.C.T. in San Francisco, San Jose Rep, The Geffen, Mark Taper Forum and Ft. Worth Shakespeare. His t.v. credits include Cagney and Lacey, Alice, Simon and Simon, The A-Team, Dukes of Hazzard, Riptide, Briscoe County Jr., Sidekicks, the mini-series Dream West, a recurring role in Tour of Duty, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Law and Order, among others. Charles appeared in several features and a dozen national commercials. He trained at The University of Dallas, Dallas Theatre Center and was an acting fellow at A.C.T. He dedicates this performance to Jack, Mary Brown, Peggy and the family. 
NAOMI JACOBSON (Nancy), a 15 year Woolly company member, was in last season's Dead Man's Cell Phone and Vigils. Most recently, for the Capital Fringe Festival, she played Genevieve in Gwydion Suilebhan's Abstract Nude. Naomi is an affiliated artist at Arena Stage and has performed at Shakespeare Theatre Company, Ford's Theatre, Round House Theatre, Folger Shakespeare Library, Signature Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Olney Theatre Center, Theater J, Blue Light in NYC, The Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Delaware Theatre Company and the Berkshire Theatre Festival. Naomi does voice overs, radio dramas, low budget indie films and birthday cakes. She's received an MFA from Temple University, a Helen Hayes Award, and an Individual Artist Grant from the DC Commission on the Arts. Upcoming shows: View From The Bridge and Death of a Salesman at Arena Stage. 
JAMES J. JOHNSON (Soldier 1) is so grateful to be making his debut at Woolly Mammoth. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre in 1997 from Virginia Commonwealth University. DC theatre credits include: Junebug and the Reverend (Imagination Stage), Member of the Wedding (Ford’s Theatre), Hidden Pages (Flashpoint Mead Theatre Lab), Twelfth Night (Shakespeare Project), Macbeth (Theatre at Lime Kiln), Anna Lucasta (Rep Stage), Kingdom (African Continuum Theatre Co.). NYC theatre credits include: Richard III (TWAS Project), All’s Well That Ends Well (Tattooed Potato), The Meeting (Paul Robeson Theatre). Film/TV credits include: Too Saved, Eleven, Cupid, Incorporated, Gratuity’s Included, America’s Most Wanted and Kid Fitness TV. He wants to thank God, friends and family for their love and support. 
JOHN LIVINGSTONE ROLLE (Doctor) is pleased to be making his Woolly Mammoth debut. He has worked the past seven seasons with The Shakespeare Theatre Company in such productions as The Oedipus Plays, Lorenzaccio, The Silent Woman, Richard III, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Pericles, among others. Other theatre companies of note: The Acting Company, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, The Pearl Theatre Company, as well as The New York Shakespeare Festival. Most recently, John played in the world premiere of Jason Grote’s 1001 at Denver Center Theatre (directed by Ethan McSweeny). The summer of 2005, he was a participant at the Sundance Theatre Festival and collaborated with directors Kate Whoriskey and Michael Grief. John can be seen as Festus Lepetu in this season’s Law & Order. He is a graduate of The Juilliard School. 
KOFI OWUSU (Etienne) is very pleased and honored to be making his debut at Woolly Mammoth. Some of his Washington appearances include The Blues of Lula Mae at THEARC Theater and The Black Women’s Playwrights Group production of Everyday Gumbo at Studio Theater. He is a graduate of Howard University. 
MARNI PENNING (Jane) is thrilled to be back at Woolly, having appeared as Mom in Big Death & Little Death, and Ashley in After Ashley (Helen Hayes Award nomination), as well as having her first full-length play, Carol’s Christmas, read in the rehearsal room last December. Now in NYC, but originally from Arlington, Marni also co-founded Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival, for whom she has performed over 35 roles, including Juliet, Kate, Rosalind, Beatrice, and Hamlet. Favorite roles include Peg in Six Years (Actors Theatre of Louisville, Humana Festival), Luciana in Comedy of Errors and Catherine in Lorenzaccio (Shakespeare Theatre Company), Helen in Machinal (American Century), Lady Macbeth in Macbeth (Georgia Shakespeare), Adriana in Comedy of Errors (Folger), Mrs. Manningham in Gaslight (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival), and Myra/Myrna in The Mineola Twins (Human Race). TV/Film: Saturday Night Live, The Sopranos, Guiding Light, Mona Lisa Smile. 
DAWN URSULA (Aunty Mimi) is glad to be back at Woolly Mammoth. After performing in Woolly’s The Velvet Sky and Starving, she took a year off to complete her MFA with The Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Academy For Classical Acting where she did 'Tis Pity She's a Whore and Much Ado About Nothing. Her other credits include Everyman Theatre’s Yellowman and Light up the Sky, African Continuum's Joe Turner's Come and Gone, True Colors’ Flyin' West, Rep Stage's Anna Lucasta, Imagination Stage's Charlotte's Web and The Kennedy Center's Shear Madness. A new company member with Everyman, she will appear in their upcoming productions of Much Ado About Nothing and Gem of the Ocean. Dawn, a member of AEA, SAG, & AFTRA, had a reoccurring role in Season 4 of HBO's The Wire and will appear in the upcoming PBS documentary Prince Among Slaves. PRODUCTIONThe production team for THE UNMENTIONABLES includes James Kronzer (Set Design), Helen Q. Huang (Costume Design), Colin K. Bills (Lighting Design), Matthew M. Nielson (Sound Design), Jennifer Sheetz (Properties), Elissa Goetschius (Dramaturg), Barbara Papendorp (Dialect Coach) and Laura Smith (Production Stage Manager). Schedule & Prices
Key:PWYC — Pay-What-You-Can preview performances
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Kofi Owusu in The Unmentionables
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