LAST GAS

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Maine-Born Playright Brings Rural Perspective to New York Theater

FACED WITH CHOICES Life in Northern Maine, in Last Gas.

The Biddeford Journal TribuneLAST GAS by John Cariani

Almost there

Theater Review: 'Last Gas' a full tank of unfulfilled desires

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT

John Cariani - John grew up in Presque Isle, Maine and learned that he wanted to write plays when his junior English class made the trip from Presque Isle to Portland Stage Company to see a student matinee of The Cherry Orchard. It seemed appropriate that his first play, Almost, Maine, would premiere at Portland Stage Company in 2004. Almost, Maine was a big success at Portland Stage. The Wall Street Journal named the production one of the ten best of the 2004-2005 regional theatre season, and the American National Theatre honored Almost, Maine as one of the outstanding plays of the 2004-2005 regional theater season. And, after Almost, Maine opened off-Broadway in early 2006, the play was selected for inclusion in Smith and Kraus' New Playwrights: Best Plays of 2006. It has since been produced over 600 times at theaters all across the country and around the world, and has been translated into Korean and Spanish. And it all started here! LAST GAS is John's latest play--and you're about to see it's premiere. Here's hoping you enjoy it. Many thanks to everyone at Portland Stage--the incredible artists, interns, and staff--for giving LAST GAS a life. And even more thanks to Anita who takes excellent risks and runs one of the premiere institutions of its kind in the country. And very special thanks to Greg and Louise Hamlin, Andy Polk, Jack Thomas, Dan Burson, and Sally Wood. Without them, LAST GAS would not exist.

ABOUT THE CAST

Tom Bloom (Dwight Paradise) Broadway – Cyrano; Henry IV, (both w/Kevin Kline); Racing Demon.  Off Broadway – Circle-In-Square: Widow’s Blind Date; TFANA: Alls Well; Roundabout: Arms & The Man; Lincoln Center:The Lights; Lortel: Lips Together; MTC: Mad Forest; Classic Stage:  Winter’s Tale; Pearl: Major Barbara, Guardsman, Mollusc.  Regional – Yale Rep: The Clean House; Shakespeare Theatre (DC): Taming of the Shrew;  Baltimore Center Stage: Ah, Wilderness; ‘Tis Pity;  Hartford Stage: Learned Ladies of Park Ave; Light Up The Sky; Portland Center Stage (OR): Snow Falling On Cedars; Williamstown: Rivals; Shrew; many more; Other Regional: George Street; Guthrie; Huntington; McCarter; NYStage & Film; Buffalo Studio;  Trinity; others.  Film/TV – Thomas Crown; Joshua; Emperor’s Club; Best Thief In The World; Max Bickford; Wonderland; Ed; Law & Order; SVU; Criminal Intent; The Jury.  Directing -  Abingdon, NY;  Capital Rep; Theatre-By-The-Sea, NH; Caldwell Theatre, FL; American Premiere Stage,  Boston, (A.D.); Circle Rep Lab; Writer’s Theatre; Court Rep, Boston; others.

Moira Driscoll (Cherry Tracy) has performed in the Portland Stage Company productions of Peer Gynt, Two Rooms, The Price, The Foreigner, Women & the Sea, The Misanthrope, and A Christmas Carol, as well as many From Away readings and Little Festival workshops.  New York and regional theater credits include Baby Anger (Playwright’s Horizons, dir. Peter Hedges);  Nebraska (Naked Angels, dir. Joe Mantello);  The Starry Messenger (Naked Angels, dir. Kenneth Lonergan);  Actor with a Gun (MCC Theater, written and performed with John Michael Higgins);  The Trials of Monica Lewinsky (HBO/U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, Aspen); and Jump Cut: Faust (with the Obie Award-winning performance group The Builders Association).  She has worked on the development of new plays with New York Stage & Film, New Dramatists, Playwright’s Horizons, and New York Theatre Workshop, and has been a volunteer actor, director, and playwright with the 52^nd Street Project (NYC).  Television appearances include guest-starring roles on Law & Order, Cosby, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.  As an Affiliate Artist of Portland Stage she participates frequently in Theater for Kids, conducts theater workshops in schools across southern Maine, and co-produces Longfellow’s Shorts.  Her voice is heard on numerous audiobooks, and in exhibits at the Smithsonian and other museums around the country. 

Mike Houston (Guy) Mike is thrilled to be making his Portland Stage debut with such a beautiful creative team on this amazing world premiere!  A HUGE thank you to John and Sally for creating and fostering such a wonderful family and for giving him an opportunity to be a part of it.  He is a graduate of the University of Colorado with a B.A. in political science and of The William Esper Acting Studio in New York City.  He is also a founding and participating member of The Collective (thecollective-ny.org) and a proud member of the Actors Equity Association. Theater: Someone Who'll Watch Over Me (The Collective in assoc. with the New York Theatre Workshop), Me Equals This'(The Collective I.E.D. series), The Ledge (2007 New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Solo Performance), Miss Saigon (Worcester Foothills Theatre)  TV: The Big C, Brotherhood, The Good Wife, Mercy, White Collar, Gossip Girl, Law & Order, Law & Order: CI, As the World Turns. Film: I’m Not Me (2012), Rocksteady (2011), The Taking of Pelham 1:23. 

David Mason (Nat Paradis) David is thrilled to be making his Portland Stage debut.  Other regional credits include:  Almost, Maine (Geva Theatre Center/Syracuse Stage/Shadowland Theatre); Red Herring (Shadowland Theatre); Intimate Apparel, To Forgive Divine, Arcadia, Arsenic and Old Lace, Kimberly Akimbo, Sight Unseen, The Underpants, Lobby Hero, The Boys Next Door, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, An Inspector Calls, The Big Apple and All in the Timing (New Century Theatre); The Last Mass at St. Casimir’s, Almost, Maine (The Public Theater); Enchanted April, It’s a Wonderful Life, Lumberjacks in Love (Majestic Theater); Jerry Finnegan’s Sister (Mt. Holyoke Summer Theatre, Foothills Theatre). Recent NYC credits include:  The Three Hagi Sisters (The Japan Society); Sky (Impact Theatre Festival); Two Rooms (Red Fern Theatre); Barbara Bush Never Slept Here (Circle East); L’Espirit d’Escalier (Chip Deffaa Invitational); Kalighat (Circle East); New York (Ensemble Studio Theatre, Civilian Studios); Mae and Her Stories (Primary Stages); The Breaking Light (Present Company); This Will Be the Death of Him (NativeAliens). Film: Conflict of Instinct; Carson’s Place; Writer’s Block.  TV: All My Children.

Kathy McCafferty (Lurene) is excited to make her Portland Stage debut.  She was last seen playing Maggie in Red Herring at The Shadowland Theatre. This year she played Nadia in David Hare’s The Vertical Hour at the Human Race Theatre in Dayton, Almost, Maine for the Barnstormers in New Hampshire, and Lydia in All My Sons for Love Creek in NYC. Other theatre credits include:  The Corn is Green (opposite Kate Burton at The Huntington Theatre and Williamstown Theatre Festival), Dancing at Lughnasa (Seven Angels), Ah, Wilderness (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and Repertory Theatre of St. Louis). She’s performed six seasons at The Williamstown Theatre Festival, in productions including The Front Page, The King Stag, Once in a Lifetime, Street Scene, Blue Bird, Under Milkwood, The Threepenny Opera, Tonight at 8:30 and Design for Living. Other regional credits: To Kill a Mocking Bird (Huntington Theatre), Almost, Maine (Shadowland Theatre, Hudson Stage), A Christmas Carol (Bay Street Theatre), Boy Gets Girl(Stamford Theatre Works), The Tempest and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare on the Sound/Norwalk Symphony Orchestra).  Recent NYC credits: The Pearl (Rattlestick Playwright’s Theatre, NYC), Women in Heat (EAT Fest, NYC), Electra Speaks (Manhattan Theatre Source), Sniper (Center Stage, NYC). T.V. and film credits include: Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Onion News Network, April’s Fool, Rosaries & Vodka, The Taking and Renata of Wilbur Falls.

Dave Register (Troy Paradise) is pleased to be making his debut at Portland Stage Company. It has been four long years since his last stage performance and he's glad to be back. He graduated from Fordham University this past May with degrees in Spanish and Journalism. Prior to college, Dave was an active participant in Cape Elizabeth High School's theatre program, where he performed in: Les Miserables, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Black Snow, All American, Audience, Damn Yankees, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, and The Boyfriend.  He directed Steve Martin's WASP, at Cape Elizabeth High School in 2006. 

ABOUT THE DESIGN TEAM

Sally Wood (Director) is an actor, fight choreographer, teaching artist and director. Sally has worked regionally and abroad. In Maine Sally has directed with Aire Theater, The University of New England, The Theater at Monmouth and the Fenix Theatre Company. With Portland Stage Sally has directed Doubt, The Gin Game and The Drawer Boy.

ANITA STEWART (Set & Costume Designer) has worked as a set and costume designer at leading theatres across the country, including: the Guthrie, Seattle Rep, Canadian Opera Company, Minnesota Opera, A.R.T., Steppenwolf, Hartford Stage, Dallas Theater Center, Long Wharf Theatre, New York Theater Workshop, Boise Contemporary Theater, New Jersey Shakespeare and Portland Stage Company. Anita's desire to play a meaningful role as an artist in a specific community brought her to Portland Stage Company in Maine as Artistic Director, a company for which she had previously done significant freelance design.

Julian Fleisher (Composer) composed the songs for Portland Stage's productions of Tom Stoppard's Rough Crossing and John Cariani's Almost, Maine. Other theatrical composing credits include Connecticut Repertory's productions of Love's Labor's Lost and Brecht's Galileo. His songs have appeared on many recordings, in movies and on TV. As a singer, he has been described as “a nightclub supernova” by the LA Times, “brainy” by the Washington Post. He appears regularly at The Public Theater, BAM, Symphony Space, The 92nd St. Y, The Mark Taper Forum and The Aspen Music Festival. Julian produced his own recordings, Live in LA, Rather Big, and the upcoming Finallly -- as well as those by Kiki & Herb and others. Last year, Julian received rave reviews for originating the role of Cat in the Off-Broadway production of Coraline. He is currently composing the songs for the new musical Measure of Success and is the host of the popular podcast Julian Fleisher’s Guilty Pleasures, a periodic survey of the songs we hate to admit that we love. julianfleisher.com

Shannon Zura (Sound Designer) is happy to be returning to Portland Stage for 

The 39 Steps. She recently designed the lights for Portland Stage’s production of The Gin Game, the set for InterAct Theatre Company’s Black Pearl Sings, the lights and sound for Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble’s production of Leading Ladies, and the lights for Opera House Arts’ 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Additional design credits include the sound and lights for 

InterAct Theatre Company’s productions of Kiss of the Spider Woman and American Sublime and the sound for Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre’s Romeo and Juliet, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) and The Taming of the Shrew. Shannon holds a MFA in Lighting Design from Temple University and is currently an Assistant Professor of Theatre at the University of Southern Maine.

Gregg Carville (Lighting Designer) Gregg is a free-lance lighting and sound designer who has worked in the Portland area for a while. A native of Maine, he previously worked for Portland Stage Company in both administrative and production roles. Gregg is currently the technical director for Merrill Auditorium and other City of Portland venues.  He received a MFA in Lighting Design from NYU-Tisch School of the Arts in 2002. He continues to free-lance as a designer as well as a consultant on various theatrical projects.

Maggie Jo Saylor (Choreographer) Maggie Jo has a B.A. in Performance Theatre at High Point University.  Outside of school, she is one of the country’s youngest established contra dance callers.  This is the third John Cariani play with which Maggie Jo has had the pleasure to be involved; she appeared in HPU’s 2008 production of Almost, Maine and was also in the cast of the recent world premiere of his newest endeavor, Love/Sick. Maggie Jo will be studying abroad at the Accademia Dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy next semester. 

Shane Van Vliet (Stage Manager) is thrilled to be back working at Portland Stage for her third season. Before coming to Portland, Shane stage managed national and international tours with Jean Ann Ryan Productions, Two Beans Productions, Theaterworks and The Radio City Rockettes. She worked on numerous productions in New York with Phoenix Theatre Ensemble, Turtleshell Productions, T.Shcreiber Studios and The New York Fringe Festival as well as The Washington D.C. Fringe Festival and she spent some time in Buffalo, NY working with The Kavinoky Theater and Sheas Performing Arts Center.