SPECIAL THANKS

Brian Adoff Whit MacLaughlin/New Paradise Laboratories

Tim Martin/Lantern Theater Company Jessica Doheny/Walnut Street Theatre

Britt Plunkett Andy Campbell Jaime Pannone Monah Yancy Jesse Delaney

Bill Brock Kevin Francis David Mason

John D'Alonzo Robynn Dumont/Capitol Business Systems The Onion, America’s Finest News Source

Jim Caiola, David Salama, Leslie and the staff at L’Etage Cabaret Kate Black-Regan

Liam Castellan Kati Kertesz Mark Knight Ethan Lipkin

Charlotte Northeast Lee Pucklis

Kirsten Quinn Sonja Robson

Jane Stojak Bayard Walker

Ryan McMenamin Gertrude Furman

AXD Gallery Lorin Lyle/The Arts Parlor

Johanna Austin (austin.art.photo)

www.idiopathicridiculopathyconsortium.org

The Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium P. O. Box 63872, Philadelphia, PA 19147

February 2011

“We are racing towards the future at full speed, going so fast that we cannot glimpse the present, and the dust raised by our pounding feet hides the past from us.” -- Leon Dupont, The Empire Builders

Welcome!

The time seemed right for The Empire Builders, French playwright Boris Vian’s absurdly farcical look at our relationship with our biggest enemy -- fear -- and the havoc that ensues from its mismanagement. Written in 1959 and translated by Simon Watson Taylor in 1967, Vian never saw a production of Empire in his short lifetime.

Boris Vian was a writer, poet, musician, singer, translator, critic, actor, inventor and engineer. He is best remembered today for his novels, published under the pseudonym Vernon Sullivan -- parodies of criminal fiction, highly controversial at the time. Vian’s highly individual writing style featured nonsensical words, subtle wordplay and surrealistic plots. L'Écume des jours is the best known of these, and one of the few translated into English.

Vian suffered from ill health throughout his childhood and was educated at home until age five. Shortly after his 12th birthday, he developed rheumatic fever, followed by typhoid. This combination led to severe health problems that left him with a heart condition which ultimately marked his death at age 39.

Empire’s family patriarch, Leon Dupont, says, “I always felt sure that it was only the absence of real tranquility that prevented my discovering the origin and basic pattern of things…” and we see him play out the disastrous results of his anxiety and inability to manage his emotional world.

Empire provided a unique opportunity for the actors, designers and director alike to grapple with how to illustrate the many ways we embrace and run from our fear and pain. How it guides us, warns us, shows us the way.

Thanks for sharing your evening with us. Tina Brock Producing Artistic Director

2011 SEASON CONTRIBUTORS

Marquis ($250.00 and above)

The Samuel S. Fels Foundation The Philadelphia Cultural Fund Earl Wilcox, Plannerzone, Inc.

Vicomte ($100.00 - $249.99)

Brian and Morgan Adoff • Fred Barfoot Michael Golden & Shelley Green

Andy Lamas & Ginny Vanderslice • Askold Zagars & Marie Feehan

Baron ($50.00 - $99.99)

Herman & Madeline Axelrod • Pat & Stacey Bishop Harvey & Mary Goldstein • Mrs. Leonie Luterman

Michael Lynch • Christopher & Jennifer Rule Bob & Pat Schmidt • Alexandra Townsend

Dr. Robert J. Wallner

Seigneur (Up to $49.99)

John & Alberta Chiaravalloti • Norman & Carolyn Ellman Sharon Geller • Dan Gottesman • Jeanette Hartunian

Baylor Harton • Frederick D. Jackes • Moe & Sandy Lebo Lawrence Lindsay and Carla Puppin • Jane Moore

Marc Scheiner & Jonathan Hamm • Will & Jessica Stanforth Bertram and Lynne Strieb • Michael R. Treat

Kent & Sara Weymouth

The Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium Board of Directors

(2011) Brain Adoff Tina Brock

Susan Feagin Gail Furman - Secretary

Eileen O'Brien - Treasurer Lee Pucklis

Susan Satkowski, Esq. Bob Schmidt

Jane Stojak - President

The Empire Builders Physical Attacks

F=Father. M=Mother, G=Mugg, N=Neighbor, S=Schmurz, Z=Zenobia

(DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME)

Chart and illustrations courtesy Jaime Pannone

Limited edition signed prints available upon request

The Empire Builders by Boris Vian

Translated by Simon Watson Taylor

Father…….……..Bob Schmidt

Mother………..Kirsten Quinn

Zenobia….Kate Black-Regan

Mugg……………Sonja Robson

Neighbor…….……..Mike Dura

The Schmürz…..Tomas Dura

Directed by Tina Brock

ACT I The Dupont’s three room apartment in

a Parisian apartment building

ACT II Two Days Later:

The Dupont’s two room apartment, one flight up in the same Parisian apartment building

ACT III The Next Day:

The Attic, yet one more flight up in the same Parisian apartment building

This production is made possible in part by generous grants from

The Samuel S. Fels Fund and The Philadelphia Cultural Fund

Playing time is approximately 80 minutes; there will be no intermission.

The Empire Builders

Costume Design Maggie Baker

Fight Choreography David Mason

Lighting Design Maria Shaplin

Scenic Design Meghan Jones

Sound Design Kevin Francis

Technical Director Rajiv Shah

Fight Captain/Stage Manager Jaime Pannone

Property Master/Stage Manager Monah Yancy

Lights & Sound Operator Jesse Delaney

Scenic Construction Anthony Carpenter Nathanael Harting

John D’Alonzo

Scenic Painter Colleen Sawyer

Photography Johanna Austin (austin.art.photo)

The IRC participates in the Barrymore Awards Honoring Excellence in Theater.

Maria Shaplin (Lighting Design) is a Philadelphia based lighting designer. Maria is a member of The Riot Group and co-artistic director of Applied Mechanics. She works with many companies in Philadelphia, including New Paradise Laboratories, The Berzerker Residents, Swim Pony Performing Arts, Pig Iron Theater Company, InterAct Theater Company, Flashpoint Theater Company, and The Gravity Project at Juniata College. Maria has a BA from Hampshire College and an MFA from Temple University.

Monah Yancy (Property Master/Stage Manager) is a property manager for an apartment community in the Northeast as well as an actress. Monah graduated from Texas Woman’s University in December 1999 with her B.A. in Performing Arts. She moved to Philadelphia in 2001 to pursue her acting career. Since then she has not only acted on stage but has also done technical work for theatre companies such as Playmasters’ in Bensalem, PA as sound and lighting tech. This is Monah’s second time working with The Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium, and she loves every minute of it. Monah would like to thank Tina for allowing her to be a part of a creative, outgoing group of actors/project. Thank you to such great parents for allowing me to always express myself and for showing me such unconditional love and support.

Arromanches, France The town lies along the stretch of coastline designated as Gold Beach during the D-Day landings. Arromanches was selected as one of the sites for two temporary harbors built on the Normandy coast, sections of which still remain today with huge concrete blocks sitting on the sand, and more can be seen further out at sea. Today it is mainly a tourist town.

Chasuble A sleeveless outer vestment worn by the officiating priest at mass.

Garret Attic

(Horse) Knacker A knacker is a person in the trade of rendering animals that are unfit for human consumption, such as horses that can no longer work. This leads to the slang expression "knackered" meaning very tired, or "ready for the knacker’s yard", where old horses are slaughtered and made into dog food and glue.

“It moves for all that” was allegedly uttered by Galileo after he signed his compulsory recantation of the Copernican system and was placed under house arrest for the rest of his life (8 years).

For more information on Boris Vian: http://www.borisvian.org/en/index.html

Kevin Francis (Sound Design) most recently designed sound for Silverhill at InterAct Theatre and Capsule 33 at the Barrow Street Theatre in New York, co-designed with the group Evening Magazine. Also a musician, he enjoys recording music in his studio Polarity Sound Space. His work has been heard at the Arden, Theatre Exile and in the soundtrack to the film Cellar. Kevin is looking forward to his next project Whale Optics, for Thaddeus Phillips and the Live Arts Festival.

Meghan Jones (Scenic Design) Is proud to be apart of the design team for The Empire Builders. This is her first season designing with IRC. She holds her MFA from Temple University. Most of her designs can be seen throughout the Philadelphia area. Past companies include The Lantern Theater Company, InterAct, Theatre Exile, Azuka, Amaryllis Theatre Company and Walnut Street Theater. Upcoming designs include A Midsummer Night's Dream with Lantern Theater Company Much appreciation to the IRC Cast and Crew.

David Mason (Fight Choreographer) is working with The IRC for the first time and has been thrilled with all this talented cast and crew. He has performed, fight directed and taught workshops around the country with such companies as Yale Rep, Harvard University, Peterborough Players, Delaware Shakespeare, Enchantment Theatre Company, Theatre Horizon and Delaware Shakespeare. Most recently he worked with IronAge Theatre choreographing the boxing match for their production of Molumby's Million. Love to Erin.

Jaime Pannone (Fight Captain/Stage Manager) picked up a guitar in New York City before packing up her bags and heading to Philadelphia. Since relocating to the City of Brotherly Love, she has become a familiar face on the local music scene with her band, After the Noise. Since playing the role of Paulette in IRC’s September production of The Madwoman of Chaillot, Jaime has enjoyed exchanging her blonde wig for boxing gloves as The Empire Builders’ fight captain.

Rajiv Shah (Technical Director) is a graduate of Temple University. His commitment to theater began at a young age with summers shared between Spoleto Festival USA, Charleston, SC and Summer Stage, Upper Darby, PA. From 2002 to 2009 he toured as Production Manager for The Gershwin's Opera, Porgy & Bess in England, Ireland, Scotland, Portugal, Poland, Russia, Greece, Estonia, Latvia, Trinidad, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada, and the USA, Head carpenter with the national tour of Martha Graham Dance Company, Avenue Q, and Barbie Live in Fairytopia. Raj's love of Philadelphia and carpentry has empowered him to freelance as a technical director since early 2010, creating scenery for the LanternTheater, Inis Nua Theatre Company, The Berserker Residents, Amyrillis, and Burlington County College, and most recently the Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium. Arts is a rough road in a recession but I'll swing the hammer if you buy the seat.

WHO’S WHO

Kate Black-Regan (Zenobia) is quite grateful to be stuck in a room with this talented, absurdly funny cast and crew. The Empire Builders marks Kate's fifth appearance with the IRC. Previous performances include The Young Pupil in The Lesson (2009), Irma in The Madwoman of Chaillot (Fringe 2010), and a rabid animal lover and flighty midwife in the Raw Onion(s). Her most recent work in Philadelphia includes Ocelot on a Leash's And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little, Dysfunctional Theatre's Fefu and Her Friends and Stumblegoat's Rails (Fringe 2009). Thanks so much to Tina for the difficult, amazing work she does, Monah and Jaime for consistently being awesome, to the superbly skilled Maggie, Maria Meghan and Kevin, and thanks to everyone in this cast - Kirsten, Sonja, Bob, Tom and Mike - you continue to amaze me with your craft, your kindness, and of course good humor. Thanks all who came to support this show!

Michael Dura (The Neighbor) has been actively involved in theatre, film, music and dance for over twenty five years. He received his BA degree in Music at La Salle University in 1975 and went on to study voice with Regina Zona, Joyce M. DiDonato, Thomas Scurto-Davis, and finally Enrico Di Giuseppe. Theatrically he has performed with such companies as The Vagabond Acting Troupe, Big Mess Theatre, Iron Age Theatre, and The Brick Playhouse. Philadelphians got to know him for his annual portrayal of Edgar Allen Poe with the Philadelphia Orchestra in its Halloween Concert at the Kimmel Center. He is also known for playing Dick Deadeye in the Savoy Company's last production of H.M.S Pinafore at the Academy of Music. He has performed operatically for such companies as Deleware Valley Opera, Amici Opera, Blue Planet Opera, and the West Chester Opera Society. Previous performances with the IRC include his shared performance with his brother, Tomas, in Samuel Beckett's Ohio Impromptu, and his portrayal of the street singer in The Madwoman of Chaillot.

Tomas Dura (The Schmürz) has toured Europe, Canada and the U.S. and has appeared in film, video and television. He is best knows as a flamenco dancer in addition to being an actor, musician and fire eater. He worked with the great flamenco dancer, Jose Greco, for 8 years, frequently serving as assistant during Mr. Greco's last years. Tomas performed solo with the Philadelphia Orchestra to a sold out house at the Kimmel Center in his own choreography of the Spanish Dance from Swan Lake (2007). He has worked in the films Smoke and Mirrors (director K. Hardy ), Loneliness (director M. Zubarev) and About Angels (Zubarev). He dances in the soon to be released movie, Cafe, directed by Marc Erlbaum and starring Jennifer Love Hewitt. Tomas has collaborated with artists like Flameno Ole, Kei Takei's Moving Earth and the Wilma Theater . He is the director and lead male dancer of Fiesta Flamenco

Dancers and is choreographer in residence with the Amici Opera Co. He has received numerous grants from the Pa Council on the Arts and the 5 County Arts Fund. He has also received commissions from the Community Education Center & NY performances at the Joyce Soho through the New Dance Alliance. He teaches flamenco dance classes in grade schools, high schools, colleges and public community centers. Previous roles with the IRC have included the Listener in Beckett's Ohio Impromptu and the Deaf Mute in The Madwoman of Chaillot.

Kirsten Quinn (Mother) is thrilled to be working with IRC again on The Empire Builders after appearing this past fall in The Madwoman of Chaillot. Quinn holds an M.F.A. in acting from the University of Pittsburgh where she worked with such renowned teachers as Dennis Krausnik, Sarah Barker, Lynn Innerst, Isobel Kirk, Jefferson Mays, W. Stephen Coleman, Bruce McConaghie, and Yuri Belov. Credits in Philadelphia and the surrounding area include work with the Wilma, the Lantern, InterAct, Luna Theatre, Theater Catalyst's ESP (co-founder), New City Stage, Greenlight, Montgomery Theatre, B.Someday, and various Fringe companies. Favorite roles include (but are certainly not limited to) Ms. Havilland in Unwrap Your Candy (Luna), Julie in Miss Julie (ESP), and Adela in House of Bernarda Alba (Lantern). Kirsten would like to send love and thanks to her wonderful family for all of their love and support, and to Ari, for being the best husband in the world. This show is dedicated to PopPop Benson and to Mel Lynch. You will always be with us.

Sonja Robson (Mugg) was born in New York and raised in Stockholm, Sweden. She has been performing both on stage and film since 1990. She received her BFA in Acting from The University of The Arts. She has worked at many local theatres, including The Wilma, The Walnut and The Lantern. In 1998 she received a Supporting Actress Barrymore nomination for her role in The Lover/A kind of Alaska at The Walnut, and she has also been seen in numerous local and national commercials. Sonja was last seen in IRC’s The Madwoman of Chaillot and Winter Onionland. She wishes to thank David and Ingrid for their patience, as always. Also, thanks to Tina for everything!

Bob Schmidt (Father) is a founding member of the IRC and has appeared in many productions since the company's founding in 2006: Jean Giraudoux’s The Madwoman of Chaillot, Eugène Ionesco's The Chairs, Victims of Duty, The Leader, and Foursome; Christopher Durang's The Actor's Nightmare, Wanda's Visit, Samuel Beckett's Catastrophe, and numerous Raw Onions. Many thanks to Kate, Mike, Tom, Kirsten and Sonja for their warmth and inspiration; Jaime, Monah and Jesse, for their tireless support; an awesome group of designers for creating this wonderful world; to Tina for pushing, prodding and supporting all at the same time; and to YOU for coming out to support the IRC.

Maggie Baker (Costume Design) is an award winning designer with over a decade of experience designing for dance, theatre, opera and film. Originally from California, Maggie has designed her way across the country and is glad to have Philadelphia as her new home. Her designs have been seen locally at The Prince Music Theatre, Montgomery Theatre, Penn State Abington, Media Theatre, Amaryllis Theatre Company, and Inis Nua Theatre Company. Nationally her work has been seen at A Noise Within in Glendale, CA, Pittsburgh Opera Theatre, Point Park College, San Francisco State, Woodminster Amphitheatre, Sacramento Music Circus, 12 Miles West, and The Theatre Project. In film, Maggie has designed for Warner Brothers Family Entertainment, Skinny Dip Productions, and USC Films. Maggie's educational experience began when she was Executive Producer for the No Limits theatre group for Hearing Impared Children in Hollywood, CA and after earning her MFA in costume design from Carnegie Mellon University, Maggie went on to teach and guest-artist at Saint Mary's College of California, Saint Mary's College Notre Dame, Cornell College, The Art Institute of Philadelphia, and is now currently the Assistant Professor for Costume Design for University of the Arts. Maggie continues to design in the area and is resident costume designer for Inis Nua Theatre Company.

Tina Brock (Producing Artistic Director) is one of the founding members of the IRC. Directing projects include Jean Giraudoux's The Madwoman of Chaillot, Eugène Ionesco's The Chairs, The Lesson, Frenzy for Two, Foursome, The Leader and Victims of Duty; Samuel Beckett's Ohio Impromptu, Catastrophe, and Come and Go; Edward Albee's The Sandbox; Harold Pinter’s Trouble in the Works; Christopher Durang’s Wanda’s Visit, For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls, Desire Desire Desire, A Stye of the Eye and The Actor’s Nightmare, and Tennessee Williams' The Gnädiges Fraulein. As an actress, theater credits include Luna Theater, Azuka Theater, Theatre Exile, Arden Theater Company, Philadelphia Theater Company, Act II Playhouse. Tina studied Journalism and Dance at University of Maryland; Speech Communication at West Chester University and Psychology at Rutgers University. Over the past fifteen years she has also worked as a freelance producer and writer, including associate producer credits on the NPR radio series A Chef's Table with Jim Coleman, and in the development, public information and fundraising departments at PBS affiliate WHYY-TV12. Many thanks to Bob for suiting up and stepping up to the plate, and to the designers, cast and crew for many welcome laughs along the way.

Jesse Delaney (Lights and Sound Operator) This is Jesse's fourth show with the Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium. Most recently, he opened doors and peddled shoelaces in The Madwoman of Chaillot. It is always a pleasure working with the IRC.

Coming Sunday, April 3, 2011

Best of RAW ONION:

“Let Them Eat Cake!”

Join us for the Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium’s

5th birthday bash featuring audience favorites from the Community Voices pages of

ONE NIGHT ONLY! Shows at 6:00 pm, 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm

L’Etage Cabaret

6th and Bainbridge Streets

Tickets: www.idiopathicridiculopathyconsortium.org

www.brownpapertickets.com

The IRC: We Bring Good Nothingness to Life!

Coming Sunday, April 3, 2011

Best of RAW ONION:

“Let Them Eat Cake!”

Join us for the Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium’s

5th birthday bash featuring audience favorites from the Community Voices pages of

ONE NIGHT ONLY! Shows at 6:00 pm, 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm

L’Etage Cabaret

6th and Bainbridge Streets

Tickets: www.idiopathicridiculopathyconsortium.org

www.brownpapertickets.com

The IRC: We Bring Good Nothingness to Life!

Dancers and is choreographer in residence with the Amici Opera Co. He has received numerous grants from the Pa Council on the Arts and the 5 County Arts Fund. He has also received commissions from the Community Education Center & NY performances at the Joyce Soho through the New Dance Alliance. He teaches flamenco dance classes in grade schools, high schools, colleges and public community centers. Previous roles with the IRC have included the Listener in Beckett's Ohio Impromptu and the Deaf Mute in The Madwoman of Chaillot.

Kirsten Quinn (Mother) is thrilled to be working with IRC again on The Empire Builders after appearing this past fall in The Madwoman of Chaillot. Quinn holds an M.F.A. in acting from the University of Pittsburgh where she worked with such renowned teachers as Dennis Krausnik, Sarah Barker, Lynn Innerst, Isobel Kirk, Jefferson Mays, W. Stephen Coleman, Bruce McConaghie, and Yuri Belov. Credits in Philadelphia and the surrounding area include work with the Wilma, the Lantern, InterAct, Luna Theatre, Theater Catalyst's ESP (co-founder), New City Stage, Greenlight, Montgomery Theatre, B.Someday, and various Fringe companies. Favorite roles include (but are certainly not limited to) Ms. Havilland in Unwrap Your Candy (Luna), Julie in Miss Julie (ESP), and Adela in House of Bernarda Alba (Lantern). Kirsten would like to send love and thanks to her wonderful family for all of their love and support, and to Ari, for being the best husband in the world. This show is dedicated to PopPop Benson and to Mel Lynch. You will always be with us.

Sonja Robson (Mugg) was born in New York and raised in Stockholm, Sweden. She has been performing both on stage and film since 1990. She received her BFA in Acting from The University of The Arts. She has worked at many local theatres, including The Wilma, The Walnut and The Lantern. In 1998 she received a Supporting Actress Barrymore nomination for her role in The Lover/A kind of Alaska at The Walnut, and she has also been seen in numerous local and national commercials. Sonja was last seen in IRC’s The Madwoman of Chaillot and Winter Onionland. She wishes to thank David and Ingrid for their patience, as always. Also, thanks to Tina for everything!

Bob Schmidt (Father) is a founding member of the IRC and has appeared in many productions since the company's founding in 2006: Jean Giraudoux’s The Madwoman of Chaillot, Eugène Ionesco's The Chairs, Victims of Duty, The Leader, and Foursome; Christopher Durang's The Actor's Nightmare, Wanda's Visit, Samuel Beckett's Catastrophe, and numerous Raw Onions. Many thanks to Kate, Mike, Tom, Kirsten and Sonja for their warmth and inspiration; Jaime, Monah and Jesse, for their tireless support; an awesome group of designers for creating this wonderful world; to Tina for pushing, prodding and supporting all at the same time; and to YOU for coming out to support the IRC.

Maggie Baker (Costume Design) is an award winning designer with over a decade of experience designing for dance, theatre, opera and film. Originally from California, Maggie has designed her way across the country and is glad to have Philadelphia as her new home. Her designs have been seen locally at The Prince Music Theatre, Montgomery Theatre, Penn State Abington, Media Theatre, Amaryllis Theatre Company, and Inis Nua Theatre Company. Nationally her work has been seen at A Noise Within in Glendale, CA, Pittsburgh Opera Theatre, Point Park College, San Francisco State, Woodminster Amphitheatre, Sacramento Music Circus, 12 Miles West, and The Theatre Project. In film, Maggie has designed for Warner Brothers Family Entertainment, Skinny Dip Productions, and USC Films. Maggie's educational experience began when she was Executive Producer for the No Limits theatre group for Hearing Impared Children in Hollywood, CA and after earning her MFA in costume design from Carnegie Mellon University, Maggie went on to teach and guest-artist at Saint Mary's College of California, Saint Mary's College Notre Dame, Cornell College, The Art Institute of Philadelphia, and is now currently the Assistant Professor for Costume Design for University of the Arts. Maggie continues to design in the area and is resident costume designer for Inis Nua Theatre Company.

Tina Brock (Producing Artistic Director) is one of the founding members of the IRC. Directing projects include Jean Giraudoux's The Madwoman of Chaillot, Eugène Ionesco's The Chairs, The Lesson, Frenzy for Two, Foursome, The Leader and Victims of Duty; Samuel Beckett's Ohio Impromptu, Catastrophe, and Come and Go; Edward Albee's The Sandbox; Harold Pinter’s Trouble in the Works; Christopher Durang’s Wanda’s Visit, For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls, Desire Desire Desire, A Stye of the Eye and The Actor’s Nightmare, and Tennessee Williams' The Gnädiges Fraulein. As an actress, theater credits include Luna Theater, Azuka Theater, Theatre Exile, Arden Theater Company, Philadelphia Theater Company, Act II Playhouse. Tina studied Journalism and Dance at University of Maryland; Speech Communication at West Chester University and Psychology at Rutgers University. Over the past fifteen years she has also worked as a freelance producer and writer, including associate producer credits on the NPR radio series A Chef's Table with Jim Coleman, and in the development, public information and fundraising departments at PBS affiliate WHYY-TV12. Many thanks to Bob for suiting up and stepping up to the plate, and to the designers, cast and crew for many welcome laughs along the way.

Jesse Delaney (Lights and Sound Operator) This is Jesse's fourth show with the Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium. Most recently, he opened doors and peddled shoelaces in The Madwoman of Chaillot. It is always a pleasure working with the IRC.

Kevin Francis (Sound Design) most recently designed sound for Silverhill at InterAct Theatre and Capsule 33 at the Barrow Street Theatre in New York, co-designed with the group Evening Magazine. Also a musician, he enjoys recording music in his studio Polarity Sound Space. His work has been heard at the Arden, Theatre Exile and in the soundtrack to the film Cellar. Kevin is looking forward to his next project Whale Optics, for Thaddeus Phillips and the Live Arts Festival.

Meghan Jones (Scenic Design) Is proud to be apart of the design team for The Empire Builders. This is her first season designing with IRC. She holds her MFA from Temple University. Most of her designs can be seen throughout the Philadelphia area. Past companies include The Lantern Theater Company, InterAct, Theatre Exile, Azuka, Amaryllis Theatre Company and Walnut Street Theater. Upcoming designs include A Midsummer Night's Dream with Lantern Theater Company Much appreciation to the IRC Cast and Crew.

David Mason (Fight Choreographer) is working with The IRC for the first time and has been thrilled with all this talented cast and crew. He has performed, fight directed and taught workshops around the country with such companies as Yale Rep, Harvard University, Peterborough Players, Delaware Shakespeare, Enchantment Theatre Company, Theatre Horizon and Delaware Shakespeare. Most recently he worked with IronAge Theatre choreographing the boxing match for their production of Molumby's Million. Love to Erin.

Jaime Pannone (Fight Captain/Stage Manager) picked up a guitar in New York City before packing up her bags and heading to Philadelphia. Since relocating to the City of Brotherly Love, she has become a familiar face on the local music scene with her band, After the Noise. Since playing the role of Paulette in IRC’s September production of The Madwoman of Chaillot, Jaime has enjoyed exchanging her blonde wig for boxing gloves as The Empire Builders’ fight captain.

Rajiv Shah (Technical Director) is a graduate of Temple University. His commitment to theater began at a young age with summers shared between Spoleto Festival USA, Charleston, SC and Summer Stage, Upper Darby, PA. From 2002 to 2009 he toured as Production Manager for The Gershwin's Opera, Porgy & Bess in England, Ireland, Scotland, Portugal, Poland, Russia, Greece, Estonia, Latvia, Trinidad, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada, and the USA, Head carpenter with the national tour of Martha Graham Dance Company, Avenue Q, and Barbie Live in Fairytopia. Raj's love of Philadelphia and carpentry has empowered him to freelance as a technical director since early 2010, creating scenery for the LanternTheater, Inis Nua Theatre Company, The Berserker Residents, Amyrillis, and Burlington County College, and most recently the Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium. Arts is a rough road in a recession but I'll swing the hammer if you buy the seat.

WHO’S WHO

Kate Black-Regan (Zenobia) is quite grateful to be stuck in a room with this talented, absurdly funny cast and crew. The Empire Builders marks Kate's fifth appearance with the IRC. Previous performances include The Young Pupil in The Lesson (2009), Irma in The Madwoman of Chaillot (Fringe 2010), and a rabid animal lover and flighty midwife in the Raw Onion(s). Her most recent work in Philadelphia includes Ocelot on a Leash's And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little, Dysfunctional Theatre's Fefu and Her Friends and Stumblegoat's Rails (Fringe 2009). Thanks so much to Tina for the difficult, amazing work she does, Monah and Jaime for consistently being awesome, to the superbly skilled Maggie, Maria Meghan and Kevin, and thanks to everyone in this cast - Kirsten, Sonja, Bob, Tom and Mike - you continue to amaze me with your craft, your kindness, and of course good humor. Thanks all who came to support this show!

Michael Dura (The Neighbor) has been actively involved in theatre, film, music and dance for over twenty five years. He received his BA degree in Music at La Salle University in 1975 and went on to study voice with Regina Zona, Joyce M. DiDonato, Thomas Scurto-Davis, and finally Enrico Di Giuseppe. Theatrically he has performed with such companies as The Vagabond Acting Troupe, Big Mess Theatre, Iron Age Theatre, and The Brick Playhouse. Philadelphians got to know him for his annual portrayal of Edgar Allen Poe with the Philadelphia Orchestra in its Halloween Concert at the Kimmel Center. He is also known for playing Dick Deadeye in the Savoy Company's last production of H.M.S Pinafore at the Academy of Music. He has performed operatically for such companies as Deleware Valley Opera, Amici Opera, Blue Planet Opera, and the West Chester Opera Society. Previous performances with the IRC include his shared performance with his brother, Tomas, in Samuel Beckett's Ohio Impromptu, and his portrayal of the street singer in The Madwoman of Chaillot.

Tomas Dura (The Schmürz) has toured Europe, Canada and the U.S. and has appeared in film, video and television. He is best knows as a flamenco dancer in addition to being an actor, musician and fire eater. He worked with the great flamenco dancer, Jose Greco, for 8 years, frequently serving as assistant during Mr. Greco's last years. Tomas performed solo with the Philadelphia Orchestra to a sold out house at the Kimmel Center in his own choreography of the Spanish Dance from Swan Lake (2007). He has worked in the films Smoke and Mirrors (director K. Hardy ), Loneliness (director M. Zubarev) and About Angels (Zubarev). He dances in the soon to be released movie, Cafe, directed by Marc Erlbaum and starring Jennifer Love Hewitt. Tomas has collaborated with artists like Flameno Ole, Kei Takei's Moving Earth and the Wilma Theater . He is the director and lead male dancer of Fiesta Flamenco

The Empire Builders

Costume Design Maggie Baker

Fight Choreography David Mason

Lighting Design Maria Shaplin

Scenic Design Meghan Jones

Sound Design Kevin Francis

Technical Director Rajiv Shah

Fight Captain/Stage Manager Jaime Pannone

Property Master/Stage Manager Monah Yancy

Lights & Sound Operator Jesse Delaney

Scenic Construction Anthony Carpenter Nathanael Harting

John D’Alonzo

Scenic Painter Colleen Sawyer

Photography Johanna Austin (austin.art.photo)

The IRC participates in the Barrymore Awards Honoring Excellence in Theater.

Maria Shaplin (Lighting Design) is a Philadelphia based lighting designer. Maria is a member of The Riot Group and co-artistic director of Applied Mechanics. She works with many companies in Philadelphia, including New Paradise Laboratories, The Berzerker Residents, Swim Pony Performing Arts, Pig Iron Theater Company, InterAct Theater Company, Flashpoint Theater Company, and The Gravity Project at Juniata College. Maria has a BA from Hampshire College and an MFA from Temple University.

Monah Yancy (Property Master/Stage Manager) is a property manager for an apartment community in the Northeast as well as an actress. Monah graduated from Texas Woman’s University in December 1999 with her B.A. in Performing Arts. She moved to Philadelphia in 2001 to pursue her acting career. Since then she has not only acted on stage but has also done technical work for theatre companies such as Playmasters’ in Bensalem, PA as sound and lighting tech. This is Monah’s second time working with The Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium, and she loves every minute of it. Monah would like to thank Tina for allowing her to be a part of a creative, outgoing group of actors/project. Thank you to such great parents for allowing me to always express myself and for showing me such unconditional love and support.

Arromanches, France The town lies along the stretch of coastline designated as Gold Beach during the D-Day landings. Arromanches was selected as one of the sites for two temporary harbors built on the Normandy coast, sections of which still remain today with huge concrete blocks sitting on the sand, and more can be seen further out at sea. Today it is mainly a tourist town.

Chasuble A sleeveless outer vestment worn by the officiating priest at mass.

Garret Attic

(Horse) Knacker A knacker is a person in the trade of rendering animals that are unfit for human consumption, such as horses that can no longer work. This leads to the slang expression "knackered" meaning very tired, or "ready for the knacker’s yard", where old horses are slaughtered and made into dog food and glue.

“It moves for all that” was allegedly uttered by Galileo after he signed his compulsory recantation of the Copernican system and was placed under house arrest for the rest of his life (8 years).

For more information on Boris Vian: http://www.borisvian.org/en/index.html

The Arsonists

by Max Frisch

Translated by Alistair Beaton

A moral play without a moral

Philadelphia Live Arts and Philadelphia Fringe Festival

September 2 – 18, 2011

Tickets: www.idiopathicridiculopathyconsortium.org

www.brownpapertickets.com 215.285.0472

Walnut Street Theater Studio 5

The Arsonists

by Max Frisch

Translated by Alistair Beaton

A moral play without a moral

Philadelphia Live Arts and Philadelphia Fringe Festival

September 2 – 18, 2011

Tickets: www.idiopathicridiculopathyconsortium.org

www.brownpapertickets.com 215.285.0472

Walnut Street Theater Studio 5

The Empire Builders Physical Attacks

F=Father. M=Mother, G=Mugg, N=Neighbor, S=Schmurz, Z=Zenobia

(DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME)

Chart and illustrations courtesy Jaime Pannone

Limited edition signed prints available upon request

The Empire Builders by Boris Vian

Translated by Simon Watson Taylor

Father…….……..Bob Schmidt

Mother………..Kirsten Quinn

Zenobia….Kate Black-Regan

Mugg……………Sonja Robson

Neighbor…….……..Mike Dura

The Schmürz…..Tomas Dura

Directed by Tina Brock

ACT I The Dupont’s three room apartment in

a Parisian apartment building

ACT II Two Days Later:

The Dupont’s two room apartment, one flight up in the same Parisian apartment building

ACT III The Next Day:

The Attic, yet one more flight up in the same Parisian apartment building

This production is made possible in part by generous grants from

The Samuel S. Fels Fund and The Philadelphia Cultural Fund

Playing time is approximately 80 minutes; there will be no intermission.

February 2011

“We are racing towards the future at full speed, going so fast that we cannot glimpse the present, and the dust raised by our pounding feet hides the past from us.” -- Leon Dupont, The Empire Builders

Welcome!

The time seemed right for The Empire Builders, French playwright Boris Vian’s absurdly farcical look at our relationship with our biggest enemy -- fear -- and the havoc that ensues from its mismanagement. Written in 1959 and translated by Simon Watson Taylor in 1967, Vian never saw a production of Empire in his short lifetime.

Boris Vian was a writer, poet, musician, singer, translator, critic, actor, inventor and engineer. He is best remembered today for his novels, published under the pseudonym Vernon Sullivan -- parodies of criminal fiction, highly controversial at the time. Vian’s highly individual writing style featured nonsensical words, subtle wordplay and surrealistic plots. L'Écume des jours is the best known of these, and one of the few translated into English.

Vian suffered from ill health throughout his childhood and was educated at home until age five. Shortly after his 12th birthday, he developed rheumatic fever, followed by typhoid. This combination led to severe health problems that left him with a heart condition which ultimately marked his death at age 39.

Empire’s family patriarch, Leon Dupont, says, “I always felt sure that it was only the absence of real tranquility that prevented my discovering the origin and basic pattern of things…” and we see him play out the disastrous results of his anxiety and inability to manage his emotional world.

Empire provided a unique opportunity for the actors, designers and director alike to grapple with how to illustrate the many ways we embrace and run from our fear and pain. How it guides us, warns us, shows us the way.

Thanks for sharing your evening with us. Tina Brock Producing Artistic Director

2011 SEASON CONTRIBUTORS

Marquis ($250.00 and above)

The Samuel S. Fels Foundation The Philadelphia Cultural Fund Earl Wilcox, Plannerzone, Inc.

Vicomte ($100.00 - $249.99)

Brian and Morgan Adoff • Fred Barfoot Michael Golden & Shelley Green

Andy Lamas & Ginny Vanderslice • Askold Zagars & Marie Feehan

Baron ($50.00 - $99.99)

Herman & Madeline Axelrod • Pat & Stacey Bishop Harvey & Mary Goldstein • Mrs. Leonie Luterman

Michael Lynch • Christopher & Jennifer Rule Bob & Pat Schmidt • Alexandra Townsend

Dr. Robert J. Wallner

Seigneur (Up to $49.99)

John & Alberta Chiaravalloti • Norman & Carolyn Ellman Sharon Geller • Dan Gottesman • Jeanette Hartunian

Baylor Harton • Frederick D. Jackes • Moe & Sandy Lebo Lawrence Lindsay and Carla Puppin • Jane Moore

Marc Scheiner & Jonathan Hamm • Will & Jessica Stanforth Bertram and Lynne Strieb • Michael R. Treat

Kent & Sara Weymouth

The Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium Board of Directors

(2011) Brain Adoff Tina Brock

Susan Feagin Gail Furman - Secretary

Eileen O'Brien - Treasurer Lee Pucklis

Susan Satkowski, Esq. Bob Schmidt

Jane Stojak - President

SPECIAL THANKS

Brian Adoff Whit MacLaughlin/New Paradise Laboratories

Tim Martin/Lantern Theater Company Jessica Doheny/Walnut Street Theatre

Britt Plunkett Andy Campbell Jaime Pannone Monah Yancy Jesse Delaney

Bill Brock Kevin Francis David Mason

John D'Alonzo Robynn Dumont/Capitol Business Systems The Onion, America’s Finest News Source

Jim Caiola, David Salama, Leslie and the staff at L’Etage Cabaret Kate Black-Regan

Liam Castellan Kati Kertesz Mark Knight Ethan Lipkin

Charlotte Northeast Lee Pucklis

Kirsten Quinn Sonja Robson

Jane Stojak Bayard Walker

Ryan McMenamin Gertrude Furman

AXD Gallery Lorin Lyle/The Arts Parlor

Johanna Austin (austin.art.photo)

www.idiopathicridiculopathyconsortium.org

The Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium P. O. Box 63872, Philadelphia, PA 19147