Perseverance Theatre presents

White Rabbit Red Rabbit

By Nassim Soleimanpour
Production Coordinator Kacey Gritters
Stage Manager Chris Schweiger

Artistic Director Leslie Ishii
Managing Director Frank Delaney
Producer Joseph Biagini
Production Manager Jenn Bobiwash

With Support From

Juneau Radio Center The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska

Alaska Airlines
The Island Pub
KTOO
Hecla Greens Creek
Coeur Alaska – Kensington Mine
Alaska Marine Lines
MRV Architects
NorthWind Architects
Valley Medical Care
Alaskan Brewing Company
Specialty Imports
Valley Paint Center
National Endowment for the Arts
Alaska State Council on the Arts
Juneau Arts & Humanities Council
City & Borough of Juneau
Municipality of Anchorage
Atwood Foundation
Rasmuson Foundation
Shubert Foundation

Special Thanks

Tim Dang, The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, and the Sealaska Heritage Institute

Artistic Director's Note

Welcome to Perseverance Theatre’s 42nd Season!

We continue to be delighted you are joining us virtually this season, and now for

White Rabbit Red Rabbit by Nassim Soleimanpour!

This unique theatrical experience, translated to 25 languages and performed over 1000 times, is now adapted for zoom for live performance!

This mysterious play was introduced to Perseverance by Joseph Biagini, our Associate Producer:

“I learned about this show five years ago when Bostin Christopher asked me if I had heard of White Rabbit Red Rabbit. I hadn’t but I was very intrigued - I’d never before come across a show with this totally original setup. We now find ourselves years later, in a pandemic, producing digital work, and I wanted to challenge myself and my colleagues to produce something outside the box, not our usual. How can I help open us up to new and innovative ways of producing and experiencing theatre? Business is not usual during these times, so how can we embrace this, and at the same time give our audiences a memorable experience? What a blessing that Nassim has adapted the show to be performed over a digital platform. No matter the stage, physical or virtual, the deep love of the playwright-performer-audience connection is part of what makes White Rabbit Red Rabbit special. We’re so glad that you’re a part of that equation.”

This show is the most talked about show that we can’t talk about. As an audience we are challenged to keep the experience amongst other attendees so that other artists who have not read or seen the show are eligible and have the opportunity to perform it. It’s the best kept secret in theatre and around the world!

Our artists are brave to take on this challenge, where they reveal who they are in moments of the unknown while sharing their vulnerability. We have the opportunity to experience them and their artistry in new ways under these conditions. We thank each and every artist who has taken this journey and we thank our artists for their courage to say yes to share this unique moment with our communities.

We think you, our audiences, are also brave to embark on this adventure with your cameras on, ready to chat when summoned, and leaning in to engage into the unknown.

Our deepest gratitude for your patronage during these on-going pandemics. Your support keeps us going and we are persevering to come through these difficult times stronger, smarter, more compassionate, and therefore, even more resilient.

Now journey with us into the unknown that is...White Rabbit Red Rabbit….

The Perseverance Theatre Team

About the Playwright

Nassim Soleimanpour is an Iranian playwright, theatre maker and the Artistic Director of the Berlin Based Theatre company Nassim Soleimanpour Productions. His plays have been translated into more than 30 languages and performed globally in over 50 countries. Best known for his play White Rabbit Red Rabbit, written to travel the world when he couldn’t, his work has been awarded the Dublin Fringe Festival Best New Performance, Summerworks Outstanding New Performance Text Award and The Arches Brick Award (Edinburgh Fringe) as well as picking up nominations for a Total Theatre and Brighton Fringe Pick of Edinburgh Award. White Rabbit Red Rabbit had a 9 month Off-Broadway run casting celebrated actors like Whoopi Goldberg, Nathan Lane, Martin Short, Bobby Cannavale, Wayne Brady, F. Murray Abraham, Cynthia Nixon and etc.

By the time Nassim was permitted to travel for the first time in early 2013, his play White Rabbit Red Rabbit had already been performed hundreds of times in more than a dozen languages. Since then Nassim has facilitated workshops and panels in different events including World Theatre Festival (Brisbane), Tolhuistuin (Amsterdam), SESC Vila Mariana (Sao Paulo), Schauspielhaus (Vienna), DPAC (Kuala Lampur), Theatertreffen (Berlin), Grob Theatre (Copenhagen), British Council London and The Bush Theatre (London), University of Bremen (Germany), ISPA (Edinburgh), TATA Litreture (India), FAE (Lima), Borak [Oz Asia] (Adelaide) and etc.

Performers

Martin Sensmeier is part of the Tingit and Koyukon/Athabaskan tribe of Alaska. He was raised in a Tlingit Coastal Community in Southeast Alaska and grew up learning and participating in the traditions of his people, while carrying on the native subsistence lifestyle that has been sustained for thousands of years. He is an Ambassador for both the Native Wellness Institute, where he advocates for wellness amongst Native people of all Nations, as well as The Boys and Girls Club of America.

While attending high school, he qualified as a welder, and when he turned 21 he was hired as a roughneck on the Doyon Rig, drilling the North Slope in Alaska. Martin also attended the University of Alaska for two years before coming to Los Angeles to pursue his passion.

His credits include feature films, The Last Man Hunt with Jason Momoa, “The Chickasaw Rancher, as well as Netflix’ miniseries The Liberator. He did multi-episode arcs on both Yellowstone and Westworld. He can also be seen in Wind River, directed by Academy-Award nominated Taylor Sheridan, and stars opposite Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt in the western Magnificent Seven.

He recently shot the action thriller The Ice Road opposite Liam Neeson and Laurence Fishburne.

Martin is also attached to star in and produce the remake of the Jim Thorpe story, which is currently in development with Escape Pictures and Angelina Jolie.

Martin does numerous speaking engagements around the country sharing his experience as a Native American actor.

Frank Henry Katasse, whose Tlingit name is Kaash, is Alaska Native from the Tsaagweidí Tlingit clan . Frank is an actor, author, director, producer, improviser, author, educator, screenwriter, and playwright. Frank received his Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Hawaii: Mānoa. Frank is passionate about developing new Alaskan plays for the stage. Frank now lives and works in Douglas, Alaska with his wife, and two children.

Allison Holtkamp has lived in Southeast Alaska on and off for nearly 20 years. She performs with many groups and venues in Alaska, and is a Secretary for the Senate Finance Committee in the Alaska State Legislature. Allison has appeared in and directed several Perseverance Theatre productions, including as Velma Kelly in “Chicago” and Sarah Brown in “Guys and Dolls.” She is a voice teacher and a professional singer with the Juneau Cabaret, Queens, Gamble & the High Costa Living, and many others. In 2018, she produced a night of stories about gender-based violence titled, “Same”, which raised money for AWARE. She is also a stand-up comedian, and opened for Tig Notaro in Juneau. She is currently the vice president of the Perseverance Theatre Board. She lives in Douglas with her husband, Jake Waid, who is also a long-time Perseverance Theatre company member.

Enrique Bravo has had the pleasure of performing in Juneau, Alaska since 2006. He is a founding member of both Theater Alaska and Generator Theater and has worked with Perseverance Theatre in over 30 productions. He was the Actor-In-Residence at Perseverance Theatre from 2013-2019 where he also received the Bishop Michael Kenny Award in recognition of long-term commitment to great artistry in the Theatre. Regionally he has worked at Harlequin Theatre, Seattle Repertory, New York Theatre Festival, ENACT Theatre, Colonial Theatre, Bridgework Theatre, Mcleod Summer Playhouse, Austin Shakespeare, Blue Theatre, and FronteraFest. He received his BFA in Regional Theatre from Webster Conservatory in St. Louis, MO and his MFA in Theatre from the University of Texas in Austin.

Ellen D. Williams is a multi-hyphenated artist who grew up in Los Angeles, Ca. She is most known as an actor for her recurring work as Patrice on the hit CBS comedy How I Met Your Mother and Nicole Baskets playing opposite Zach Galifianakis on the FX dramedy, Baskets.
Other credits include: Bless This Mess, Superstore, I’m Sorry, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Life in Pieces, The Mindy Project, Criminal Minds, The Real O’Neals, Pitch, Kevin From Work.
A theatre graduate of California State University, Long Beach, Ellen has also performed
regionally in theatres in Los Angeles, the Northwest, and most recently for The Ashland New Plays Conference and Ojai Playwrights Conference. She is an ABC Talent Showcase Alum from the Los Angeles cast of 2008. Years later she joined as a director from 2012-2014. After a four year hiatus she returned in 2019 and in 2020 was one of three directors who directed in an all virtual platform.

Currently, Ellen is working on selling a pilot she wrote about her unique bi-racial, Filipino-American experience.

She is a proud member of SAG/AFTRA and Actors Equity.
Ellen is represented by Entertainment Lab in LA/NY and Brickhouse Talent.
Twitter: ellendwilliams
IG: theellendwilliams

Rebecca George most recently participated in the staged reading of Titus Andronicus and performed in Annapurna, and Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England at Perseverance Theatre. This winter she voiced many characters for Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre’s A Christmas Carol radio play, other favorite roles for FST include Prospera in The Tempest, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth and Adrianna in The Comedy of Errors. Rebecca has performed with Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, Vermont Stage Company, Hyperion Theatre Company and The Clarence Brown Theatre. Rebecca has directed for Opera Fairbanks, The Winter Bear Project, Hyperion Theatre and Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre. Rebecca is an adjunct faculty member for the Film and Performing Arts Department at University of Alaska, Fairbanks and is currently directing Theatre UAF’s Pride and Prejudice. Rebecca has a BFA from University of Colorado and an MFA in performance from the University of Tennessee. Rebecca is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Ben Brown is a lifelong Alaskan actor who first appeared at Perseverance Theatre in 1996 Death of a Salesman (Bernard). He most recently played Versati in Steve Martin’s The Underpants in Juneau and Anchorage; previous appearances include To Kill a Mockingbird (Cunningham/Taylor), The Odd Couple (Roy), Vanya, Sonia, Masha, and Spike (Vanya), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Baugh), Raisin in the Sun (Lindner), The Importance of Being Earnest (Chasuble), Leading Ladies (Duncan), Mr. Marmalade (Bradley), Tommy (Uncle Ernie), Hamlet (Guildenstern), and The Crucible (Hathorne). Ben rendered solo performances as Crumpet the Elf in the Juneau and statewide touring productions of David Sedaris’s The Santaland Diaries for seven years, and the Librarian in Glen Berger’s Underneath the Lintel on Perseverance’s Phoenix Stage for two years.

Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Tia Carrere is an accomplished actress in motion pictures and television as well as a two time Grammy award-winning musical artist.

Since she was discovered in a grocery store for her first movie role in “Aloha Summer”, she has shown her range of acting talent and versatility starring in numerous blockbusters- Wayne’s World 1 & 2 with Mike Myers and Dana Carvey, True Lies opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rising Sun with Sean Connery and Wesley Snipes. Tia also voiced the character of Nani in Disney’s classic animated film and tv series Lilo & Stitch.

In television, Tia launched her acting career in Los Angeles with a regular role on the daytime drama General Hospital. Since then she has been seen in numerous TV programs including: Nip/Tuck, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Warehouse 13, Hawaii 5-0. Relic Hunter, her own action/adventure television series continues to play in syndication all over the world.

Tia and her long-time friend, artist/producer Daniel Ho share four nominations and two Grammy awards for their acclaimed CDs consisting of all original Hawaiian language compositions. Their record, 'hawaiiana’, reached #10 on Billboard’s World Music Chart. Tia also performed on the double- platinum movie soundtrack for Wayne’s World, had the end title song on Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, as well releasing her Warner Bros. record “Dream.”

Tia continues to seek out projects that showcase her talents and challenge her abilities.

Jesse Alleva started his career at Perseverance Theatre as an intern to the Artistic Director in 2005. He acted and directed in several Perseverance Theatre shows from 2005 to 2008 and can still be seen occasionally on stage in Anchorage.

Ericka Lee is an artist, realtor, and mother of two... and generally speaking a bad mamajama. She is pleased and absolutely honored to be a part of both a Perseverance Theatre Production and working with Theatre Alaska. During this pandemic, Lee has longed for the stage and is thrilled to finally have the opportunity to express herself artistically. If she looks familiar to you, that is no mistake, Lee is exceptionally active in the Juneau arts community. You may have recognized her as the voice of Mix 106, Adelaide in Guys in Dolls or the host of many Juneau events, including Wearable Art and this year's Folk Festival. Lee would like to thank each and every member of the Juneau community for simply being themselves, for hanging in there this past year, and continuing to support the arts. She would also like to thank her 2 little/big boys JJ and Xavier for being her fan club presidents.

Theater Alaska brings vibrant theatrical events directly into community spaces. We are a theater for all and create accessibility to the arts through equity and inclusion.

After completing his MFA in Acting, Frank Delaney worked as an actor and fight choreographer throughout the Midwest before returning to Alaska. Regional acting credits include David Boden in You Are The Blood with Midnight Summit Ensemble, MacDuff in MacBeth and Egeon in The Comedy of Errors both with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, and Carbón & Montfleury in Cyrano De Bergerac with Perseverance Theatre. Fight Direction credits include The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity and Othello for Perseverance Theatre, Romeo et Juliette for Anchorage Opera, and The Three Musketeers and The Boys Next Door for Shawnee Summer Theatre. Frank became the Managing Director for Perseverance Theatre in the summer of 2019.

Perseverance Theatre Staff

Leslie Ishii	Artistic Director
Frank Delaney	Managing Director
Joseph Biagini	Associate Producer
Jennifer Bobiwash (Missisauga First Nation)	Production Manager
Erika Stone	Director of Marketing and Engagement
Benjamin Brown	Development Director
Josh Lowman	Associate Managing Director
Irene Martinko	Literary and Producing Associate
Lewis Chapman	Arts Administration Fellow/Box Office Associate
Caleb Bourgeois	General Manager
Vera Starbard	Playwright-in-Residence
Alexis Sheeder	Anchorage Outreach and Development Associate