Death and the Maiden

January 30-February 11, 2018

Sorenson Black Box Theater, Babson College, Wellesley

By Ariel Dorfman

Directed by Steven Maler

February 2-3 at 7:30pm
February 4 at 3:00pm
February 8-10 at 7:30pm
February 11 at 3:00pm

In this powerful political drama and psychological thriller, a former political prisoner finds herself face to face with the man she believes was her captor. Set in an unnamed country that is, like the author’s native Chile, emerging from a totalitarian dictatorship, the play explores the after-effects of repression on hearts and souls. This white-knuckle thriller is a riveting intellectual and emotional tug of war. 

Running Time: 100 minutes with no intermission.

“Death and the Maiden’’ is another solid step toward broadening CSC’s identity and proving the troupe can thrive beyond the Common.”
Don Aucoin, The Boston Globe

Cast

Flora Diaz
Paulina Salas
Flora Diaz
Paulina Salas

Flora Diaz was last seen locally at CSC in Death and the Maiden last season, and played the role of Gretchen in Donnie Darko at the A.R.T. and Flora/Eve in Boleros for the Disenchanted at the Huntington Theatre. Her off-Broadway credits include Abyss (The Play  Company), Enfrascada and Crumble (Clubbed Thumb), Flowers and Tooth And Claw (Ensemble Studio Theatre), Jailbait and Girl (Cherry Lane Theatre), War and Seven Spots on the Sun (Rattlestick Theatre), With Love, Gabe (INTAR),  Women on Love (The Culture Project), SCAB (Women’s Expressive Theatre) Regional credits include So Go the Ghosts of Mexico, Part Two (Sundance Theatre Lab),  A Christmas Carol(Actors Theatre of Louisville), The Rest of your Life (Axial Theatre), Once Removed (Coconut Grove Playhouse), Crippled Sisters (Baltimore Center Stage), How to Act Around Cops (SOHO Theatre, London). Television and film includes “Gotham,” “Elementary,” ”Law & Order” (classic, “Criminal Intent” and “SVU”),Over/Under” (pilot), The Eyes of My Mother (2016 Sundance), CAMRodger Dodger, You Were Never Here, The Impossibilities (web series). She attended Northwestern University.

Mickey Solis
Gerardo Escobar
Mickey Solis
Gerardo Escobar

Mickey Solis played Edmund in CSC’s production of King Lear on the Boston Common in 2015 and was most recently seen at Gloucester Stage in the New England Premiere of The Effect with Lindsay Crouse, directed by Sam Weisman. He is a graduate of the A.R.T. Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard, and played leading roles in the A.R.T. productions of The Seagull, Cardenio, Romeo and Juliet, and Desire under the Elms. His New York and Off-Broadway credits include Illusions (Baryshnikov Arts Center), An Oresteia (Classic Stage Company), God of Carnage (Engeman Theater), White People (Ensemble Studio Theatre), Night Over Taos (INTAR), The Master and Margarita (Fisher Center at Bard College), Beckett at 100 (92nd St. Y with Alvin Epstein and Bill Camp), and Error of Their Ways (HERE Arts Center). He has also performed at several regional theaters. His film and TV credits include michigan (writer), Lament for the Artist (co-writer), Fall NorthMan with Van, “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “Person of Interest,” “Blacklist,” “Mysteries of Laura,” and “Girls.”

Mark Torres
Roberto Miranda
Mark Torres
Roberto Miranda

Mark Torres appeared in the CSC productions of Death and the Maiden and in Richard III. He has worked on Broadway, and at such regional theatres as Trinity Repertory Company, Dallas Theater Center, Dallas Shakespeare Festival, Arkansas Repertory Theater,  Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, Plaza Theatre in Dallas, Center Stage in Baltimore, Melody Top Theatre in Milwaukee, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Music Theatre of Connecticut, Ocean State Theatre, The Theatre at Monmouth and Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre.  He has also appeared on television and in several films, most recently the thriller Shorecliff. 

Creative Team

Steven Maler
Director

Steven Maler is the Founding Artistic Director of Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (CSC). At CSC he has been directing Free Shakespeare on the Boston Common productions since 1996, including Richard III, Love’s Labour’s Lost, King Lear, Twelfth Night, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Coriolanus, All’s Well That Ends Well, Othello, The Comedy Of Errors, As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, Henry V, The Tempest, Julius Caesar, and Romeo & Juliet. Other CSC works include his critically acclaimed production of Naomi Wallace’s adaptation of William Wharton’s novel Birdy, Ariel Dorfman’s Death and the Maiden, the world premiere of Jake Broder’s Our American Hamlet, and the world premiere of Robert Brustein’s The Last Will.  In collaboration with Boston Landmarks Orchestra, he directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream, featuring the Overture and Incidental Music of Felix Mendelssohn, as well as concert stagings of The Boys from Syracuse and Kiss Me Kate at Boston’s iconic Hatch Shell.  For CSC he has also directed one-night-only readings of iconic plays featuring Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Paul Rudd, Anthony Mackie, Blair Brown, Tony Shalhoub, Brooke Adams, Leslie Uggams, David Morse, and Jeffrey Donovan among others.  He conceived and directed Shakespeare at Fenway, an evening of Shakespeare scenes performed at Boston’s iconic Fenway Park, featuring Mike O’Malley, Neal McDonough, Maryann Plunkett, Jay O. Sanders, Kerry O’Malley, Seth Gilliam, Zuzanna Szadkowski, Max Von Essen, Christian Coulson, Jason Butler Harner, and many others.

In collaboration with Google, he adapted and directed a first of its kind sixty minute virtual reality film of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, entitled Hamlet 360: Thy Father’s Spirit, starring Jack Cutmore-Scott, Jay O. Sanders, Brooke Adams, and Faran Tahir.  It is currently available for viewing on Boston public media producer GBH’s YouTube channel; for more information, visit www.wgbh.org/hamlet360.

Outside of CSC, he directed Maria, Regina D’Inghilterra for Odyssey Opera, Péter Eötvös’ operatic treatment of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America (U.S. Premiere) and Thomas Adès’ Powder Her Face for Opera Boston, The Turn of the Screw at New Repertory Theatre, Santaland Diaries and Chay Yew’s Porcelain at SpeakEasy Stage Company, Top Girls and Weldon Rising at Coyote Theatre, and The L.A. Plays by Han Ong at A.R.T. His New York City credits include the New York Musical Theatre Festival production of Without You, written by and starring Anthony Rapp. The production has been seen in Boston, Edinburgh, Toronto, London, and Seoul.

He received the prestigious Elliot Norton Award for Sustained Excellence, as well as for Best Production for Twelfth Night and All’s Well That Ends Well; Outstanding Director, A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Best Production, SubUrbia; Best Solo Performance, John Kuntz’s Starf***ers (which also won Best Solo Performance Award at New York International Fringe Festival). His feature film “The Autumn Heart,” starring Tyne Daly and Ally Sheedy was in the Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival.

Ariel Dorfman
Playwright
Ariel Dorfman
Playwright

Vladimiro Ariel Dorfman (born May 6, 1942) is an Argentine-Chilean American novelist, playwright, essayist, academic, and human rights activist. A citizen of the United States since 2004, he has been a professor of literature and Latin American Studies at Duke University, in Durham, North Carolina since 1985.

 

Clint Ramos
Scenic and Costume Design
Clint Ramos
Scenic and Costume Design
Clint Ramos designed Birdy, Death and the Maiden, Romeo & Juliet, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet, Macbeth, and The Taming of the Shrew for CSC. He is the recipient of a TONY Award, 2 Obie awards, 3 Lucille Lortel Awards, 2 American Theater Wing Awards, a Helen Hayes Award, IRNE Awards, and many others. His most recent work on Broadway includes Slave Play, Grand Horizons, Once On This Island (Tony nomination), Torch Song (Tony nomination) He has over 200 NY, national and international design credits. Other notable credits are Eclipsed, Here Lies Love, Sunday in the Park with George, and The Elephant Man. He is professor of design and Head of Design and Production at Fordham University. @Clint Ramos

 

Jeff Adelberg
Lighting Design
Jeff Adelberg
Lighting Design

Jeff Adelberg returns to CSC after designing Death and the Maiden and Macbeth last season. Other recent work: Trouble in Tahiti and Arias and Barcarolles (Boston Lyric Opera); Gloria, The Night of the Iguana, As You Like It (The Gamm Theatre, RI); Beckett Women: Ceremonies of Departure (Poets’ Theatre at the MAC Belfast, Northern Ireland); Being Earnest, The Legend of Georgia McBride (Greater Boston Stage Co.); Frankenstein, Constellations (Underground Railway Theatre); The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Hand to God (SpeakEasy Stage Company); Man of La Mancha (New Repertory Theatre); Rhinoceros (Boston Playwrights’ Theatre); Edward II, God’s Ear (Actors’ Shakespeare Project);Finish Line (Boston Theatre Co.); and Boston’s Christmas Revels since 2010. A graduate of the University of Connecticut, Jeff teaches at Boston College and Brandeis University. Member of United Scenic Artists 829. www.jeffadelberg.com

Arshan Gailus
Sound Design
Arshan Gailus
Sound Design

Ashan Gailus has created soundscapes and original music for theater companies including ArtsEmerson, The Huntington Theatre Company, Shakespeare & Company, Contemporary American Theater Festival, A.R.T Institute, The Lyric Stage Company, New Repertory Theater, Actors’ Shakespeare Project, Brandeis University, The Nora Theatre Company, SpeakEasy Stage Company, The Gloucester Stage Company, and Company One.
Arshan was awarded the 2016 IRNE Award for Best Sound Design (Small Theater) for his design of appropriate (SpeakEasy Stage Company) and was a member of the Elliot Norton Award winning design teams for The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity (Company One, 2012) and Twelfth Night (Actors’ Shakespeare Project, 2011).  Arshan teaches Sound Design at Emerson College where he serves as Resident Sound Designer for Emerson Stage, and he has designed sound and composed original music for independent video games.

Sally Tomasetti
Props Artisan
Sally Tomasetti
Props Artisan

Sally Tomasetti is pleased to return to CSC having recently worked on Birdy, Universe Rushing Apart and Birdy.  A freelance set and props designer working with Next Generation Theatre Company, Boston Improv, Walpole Children’s Theatre, Uncommon Theatre Company and Needham Explorations. Sally is an artist that specializes in portraits and liturgical art. Each spring and summer Sally’s joy is to teach Theatre and Set design classes, educating the next generation in the wonders of backstage theater.

Jenna Worden
Stage Manager
Jenna Worden
Stage Manager

Jenna Worden is a producer, director, and stage manager with a passion for storytelling, education, and access to the arts. Favorite CSC credits include Birdy, Universe Rushing Apart, and Our American Hamlet. Additional regional credits include New Rep Theatre, Gloucester Stage Company, Phoenix Theatre, and Childsplay AZ. She collaborates often with Brian O’Donovan and is the director and producer of A Christmas Celtic Sojourn. She earned both her BA in Theatre Studies and BSEd in History from Northern Arizona University and is constantly looking for new ways to teach and be in conversation with the past. Proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Kristen Mazzocchi
Production Manager
Kristen Mazzocchi
Production Manager

Kristen Mazzocchi is an experienced arts educator, director and production manager. She holds a BA in Theatre and Economics from Boston College and a Master’s in Education from Harvard University. Kristen began her career at the Boch Center for the Performing Arts working in their arts education program. She went on to work as Production Manager and Director of Education for Celebrity Series of Boston. Kristen is currently a freelance teaching artist, director and production manager working with many schools and arts organizations in the Boston area. Current and past clients include: New England Conservatory of Music, Improv Asylum, Needham Public Schools and Needham Community Theatre. She also serves as Chair of the Needham Cultural Council.

Rachel Corning
Assistant Stage Manager
Rachel Corning
Assistant Stage Manager

Rachel Corning returns to CSC for the Stage2 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Since 2016, she has worked in various technical capacities with companies throughout the Boston and North Shore areas. Select credits include Deal Me Out (Boston Playwrights’ Theatre), A Christmas Celtic Sojourn (WGBH), TrayfCardboard Piano (New Repertory Theatre), Romeo & JulietBirdyBlue Kettle/Here We GoMacbeth, Old Money, Death and the Maiden (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company), A Christmas CarolSunset Boulevard, Jersey BoysJekyll and Hyde (North Shore Music Theatre). Rachel holds a BA in Communications from Simmons University and is a native of Ipswich, MA, where she first discovered her love for theatre in sixth grade.

Nikta Sabouri
Assistant Director
Nikta Sabouri
Assistant Director

Nikta Sabouri is very excited to be part of CSC again after being the assistant director on the “Death and the Maden” performance in 2018. She is an Iranian-American freelance theatre director, translator, and actor based in Boston.
As an artist living in the diaspora, she finds her way of expressing herself and contributing to socio-cultural activities by presenting part of her culture that is less known to the rest of the world. To do so, she embarked on a multi-year project to translate and direct the works of Bahram Beyzaie, one of Iran’s essential contemporary playwrights. She co-translated the book “Naqqali Trilogy,” by Bahram Beyzaie, published in the spring of 2023 by Ilex Foundation and Harvard university press. She is currently doing a residency at New Repertory Theatre in the Pipeline Project program.

Stephanie Klapper Casting
Casting

Stephanie Klapper is overjoyed to continue her collaborations with Commonwealth Shakespeare Company and Steven Maler.  Her work is frequently represented on Broadway, Off-Broadway, regionally, internationally, on television and film.  She continues her long collaborations with numerous companies such as New York Classical Theatre, Mint Theatre Company, Primary Stages, Masterworks, Resonance Ensemble, Capital Rep, Adirondack Theatre Festival, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Capital Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse, American Players Theatre, amongst  many others.  Recent projects include: Hamlet; The Importance of Being Earnest; Maverick; Actually We’re F…ed; Daniel’s Husband; Final Follies; Days to Come; A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur; The Saintliness of Margery Kemp; Romeo and Juliet; A Letter to Harvey Milk; Final Follies; Red Roses; Green Gold; Hindle Wakes; The Mecca Tales; West Side Story (Philadephia Orchestra); “Epiphany V” (film). Member: Casting Society of America.

Carling-Sorenson Theater
19 College Drive Babson College
231 Forest Street
Babson Park (Wellesley), MA 02457

Driving Directions to Babson College/Sorenson Center for the Arts

From the east: Take the Massachusetts Turnpike to Exit 15 (Interstate 95/Route 128). After the tolls, follow signs to Route 95/128 South to Exit 21 (Route 16 Newton/Wellesley) …

From the west: Take the Massachusetts Turnpike to Exit 14 (Interstate 95/Route 128). After the tolls, follow signs to Route 95/128 South to Exit 21 (Route 16 Newton/Wellesley) … From the south: Follow Route 95/128 North to Exit 21 (Route 16 Newton/Wellesley) …

From the north: Follow Route 95/128 South to Exit 21 (Route 16 Newton/Wellesley) …

Then … At end of the off ramp, follow signs for Route 16 West (Washington Street). Continue on Route 16 West for 2 miles through Newton Lower Falls and Wellesley Hills. Turn left onto Forest Street and follow for 1 mile to Babson College; the main entrance is on the right. Turn left onto Map Hill Drive and park in the Trim Parking Lot. The theater is a short walk away, on College Drive.

Trim Parking Lot is the best place to park when attending events at the Sorenson Center for the Arts.  As you enter on Forest Street, make a left at the first stop sign unto Map Hill Drive.  On your right will be a smaller lot, Hollister Lot. If there is space available, patrons may park there.  However, Trim Parking Lot is preferred which will be on the left hand side after you pass the Hollister lot.  To walk to the theater, walk back towards the stop sign and make a left at the Hollister building.  Continue walking straight past Reynolds Campus Center and the Sorenson Center for the Arts will be the next building.

Handicap parking is available in the Hollister Lot, on Map Hill Drive.  We also recommend that patrons with mobility issues be dropped off in front of the theater before your party finds parking in Hollister or Trim lot for your convenience. 

From the Amtrak Terminal at South Station

You have two options:

1) Take the Framingham/Worcester Commuter rail to Wellesley Hills. From South Station, take the Framingham/Worcester commuter rail to Wellesley Hills. Depending on the time of day, regularly scheduled trains leave South Station at ½ to 2-hour intervals (Monday-Friday), and 1-to 3-hour intervals (Saturday and Sunday). The trip takes approximately 30 minutes. Purchase your ticket in the station. Then, call a taxi from Wellesley Hills. (See Area Taxis, below.)

2) Take the “T.” From South Station, take the MBTA subway Red Line inbound two stops to Park Street. Walk upstairs and take the Green Line outbound Riverside D train to Woodland, the next to last stop on the D line. Allow an hour for the trip. Then, take a taxi from Woodland to Babson. (See Area Taxis, below.)

For complete information about Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) services, including specific maps, schedules, and fares for trains, buses, and subways, please visit the MBTA web site.

By Taxi

Veteran’s Taxi (781) 449-8294 Wellesley Transportation (781) 235-2200 The Babson campus is handicap accessible.

Reviews

“A carefully rendered thriller that follows the toxic drops of injustice as they burn through the soul.”  

- WGBH, Jared Bowen

“Death and the Maiden’’ is another solid step toward broadening CSC’s identity and proving the troupe can thrive beyond the Common.

- The Boston Globe, Don Aucoin

Under the taut direction of CSC Artistic Director Steven Maler, a trio of actors inhabits the cast of characters who spend 36 hours together in a secluded beach house…

- Broadway World, Nancy Grossman

News

Dig Boston: Death and the Maiden Asks ‘How Do We Move On?’
Category: News

Photo Gallery

Videos

What is the running time of the production?

100 minutes with no intermission.

What ages is the production appropriate for?

Contains strong language, frank dialogue, and mature subject matter. Sensibilities vary from person to person.  If you have specific concerns about content, please contact the box office at 781-239-5880.

Are there accessible performances for patrons with disabilities?

Currently there are no accessible dates for this production.  CSC is committed to making theater available for all and we look forward to offering accessible performances in the near future,

Is there handicap seating available?

Yes, there are several locations in the theater to accommodate wheelchairs.  Call the box office at the Sorenson Center for the Arts to purchase these locations at 781-239-5880.

Are assisted listening devices available?

Yes, visit the box office for assisted listening devices.

When should I arrive?

The theater will open for seating roughly a half hour before curtain time.

We advise you give yourself plenty of time for parking and walking to the theater.

Where should I park?/How do I get to the theater after parking?

Trim Parking Lot is the best place to park when attending events at the Sorenson Center for the Arts.  As you enter on Forest Street, make a left at the first stop sign unto Map Hill Drive.  On your right will be a smaller lot, Hollister Lot. If there is space available, patrons may park there.  However, Trim Parking Lot is preferred which will be on the left hand side after you pass the Hollister lot.  To walk to the theater, walk back towards the stop sign and make a left at the Hollister building.  Continue walking straight past Reynolds Campus Center and the Sorenson Center for the Arts will be the next building.

Are concessions available?

Although there is no food or drink permitted in the theater, food and drink are available for purchase in the Reynolds Campus Center next to the Sorenson Center for the arts.

Are shows delayed or canceled for weather?

Audience and actor safety is our main concern.  In cases of heavy snow or extreme weather, we will cancel and try to reseat patrons into an alternative performance date.  Weather updates can be found on the homepage of our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

If I miss the show, what are my options?

To reschedule, call the box office at the Sorenson Center for the Arts at 781-239-5880 at least one business day before your reservation.  We will make our best efforts to seat you in another performance.  Seating will be based on availability.  It is not our policy to refund tickets but we are happy to reseat you on another date.  If you miss a production altogether, we will reseat you in an alternative production of your choice based on availability.

Can I take photos or video?

The taking of photos or video is strictly prohibited.

How can I support Commonwealth Shakespeare Company?

to make a donation or call 617-426-0863.  Click on the Ways To Give tab on our website to learn more about upcoming fundraising events and ways to get involved.

 

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