SAMUEL SHEM, Producer and Co-author
Samuel Shem, pen-name of Stephen Bergman, is a doctor, novelist, playwright and activist. A Rhodes scholar, he was on the faculty of Harvard Medical School for three decades. Shem has been described in the press as “Easily the finest and most important writer ever to focus on the lives of doctors and the world of medicine”, and “He brings mercy to the practice of medicine.” The Lancet called THE HOUSE OF GOD: ”One of the two most significant medical novels of the 20th century”. Its sequel, MOUNT MISERY, reviewed as “another medical classic,” is about training to be a psychiatrist; FINE is about a psychoanalyst.His 2008 novel, THE SPIRIT OF THE PLACE, about a primary care doctor in a small town, was reviewed as ”The perfect bookend to THE HOUSE OF GOD”. It won the “National Best Book Award 2008 in General Fiction and Literature” from USA Book News, and the “Independent Publishers National Book Award in Literary Fiction 2009.”
As a playwright, with his wife Janet Surrey he wrote the Off Broadway hit play Bill W. and Dr. Bob,about the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous, which won the “Performing Arts Award of the National Council on Alcoholism 2007”, and is being produced all over the country. He was playwright-in-residence at the Boston Shakespeare Company; and has had many othe plays produced, including “The Shem Plays” Off Off Broadway, which were published in THE BEST SHORT PLAYS anthologies.
With Janet Surrey he has also published the nonfiction book: WE HAVE TO TALK: HEALING DIALOGUES BETWEEN WOMEN AND MEN, winner of the Boston Interfaith Council’s Paradigm Shift Award, 1999.
He has given over fifty commencement speeches on “How to Stay Human in Medicine,” including 2009 at his alma mater, Harvard Medical School. Website: www.samuelshem.com
JANET SURREY, Co-author
Janet Surrey is a clinical psychologist, author, Buddhist teacher, and founding scholar of the Jean Baker Miller Training Institute at Wellesley College. She is co-author of WOMEN’S GROWTH IN CONNECTION, and MOTHERING AGAINST THE ODDS, as well as other nonfiction books that deal with women’s relational psychology, addiction, and spirituality. She was a faculty member of Harvard University for many years, and is now a member of the Institute of Meditation and Psychology in Boston. She is co-author with her husband Samuel Shem of Bill W. and Dr. Bob, and WE HAVE TO TALK: HEALING DIALOGUES BETWEEN WOMEN AND MEN, which won the “1999 Paradigm Shift Award of the Boston Interfaith Council,” and also a curriculum, “Making Connections: Building Gender Dialogue and Community in Secondary Schools, 2006.” Known for her writing and speaking all over the world, she recently completed a training program to be a Community Dharma Leader.
SETH GORDON, Director
Seth Gordon is thrilled and honored to become the Associate Artistic Director of the St. Louis Rep this season. Previously, he spent nine seasons in the same capacity at the Cleveland Play House. At the Play House, he produced FusionFest, a performing arts festival, and the Next Stage Festival of New Plays. His Play House directing credits include Dinner with Friends, Proof, Forest City (world premiere), Vincent in Brixton, Tuesdays with Morrie, A Christmas Story, RFK, Of Mice and Men, The Chosen, Doubt, The Lady with All the Answers, Inherit the Wind, Bill W. and Dr. Bob, and A Soldier’s Tale, which featured a rarely produced libretto by Kurt Vonnegut. This season for the Rep he’ll direct Next Fall at the Grandel Theatre and The Fall of Heaven in the main stage season, in addition to directing A Christmas Story at Syracuse Stage. He has also directed in Cleveland for Dobama Theatre, the Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, and the Beck Center for the Arts. He recently directed the Arabic premiere of Our Town in Cairo. Previously, he served as Literary Manager and then as Associate Producer of Primary Stages in New York, where he produced and/or directed countless productions, workshops and readings of new plays by this country’s leading playwrights. He has also directed at many other New York theatres, and has directed and lectured at various universities including The New School and Case Western Reserve University. He received the 2004 and 2006 Northern Ohio Live Award for Excellence in Theatre. He considers himself a lucky man. Seth directed the box-office smash, critically acclaimed production of Bill W. and Dr. Bob at the Cleveland Play House in 2010.
HAZELDEN FOUNDATION, Presenter
Since its 1949 founding in a Minnesota lakeside farmhouse, Hazelden has become one of the world’s largest and most respected private not-for-profit alcohol and drug addiction treatment centers. Thousands in every state and more than 40 countries have turned to Hazelden for quality addiction treatment, recovery support, and expertise on addiction and recovery issues. Hazelden helps restore hope, healing, and health to people affected by addiction.
This production is funded entirely by tax-exempt donations to Hazelden Foundation, with revenues going back to Hazelden for scholarships for young people, and a national college tour to deal with the epidemic of binge drinking on campus. Our vision is that, by working with donations only—without investors–the production will be self-sustaining, fulfilling its vision and service for a long run.
“On behalf of Hazelden Foundation, we could not be more thrilled to present this production Off-Broadway at the SoHo Playhouse, which is the perfect venue for Bill W. & Dr. Bob. At the end of this inspirational and entertaining performance, one leaves the theatre thirsting for more. Our hope is that everyone whose life has been touched by addiction—which means almost anyone at all—has an opportunity to experience this play Off-Broadway.” – Nick Motu, Hazelden Publisher and Vice President
WILSON CHIN, Set Design
Selected design: Broadway, ACT, Ars Nova, Atlantic Theater, Canadian Opera, Central City Opera, Geffen, Guthrie, Hartford Stage, Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Old Globe, Rattlestick, Second Stage Uptown, Shakespeare Theatre, Signature Theatre, Yale Rep. www.wilsonchin.com
TERESA SNEIDER-STEIN, Costumes
Numerous Broadway, Regional, o ff-Broadway & television credits. Founding costume designer Signature Theatre NYC, Bronze Medal Costume 2005 World Stage Design International Exhibition, USA Local 829, M.F.A. Yale School of Drama, Costume Design Professor Brooklyn College, CUNY
ANN WRIGHTSON, Lighting Designer
Broadway: August: Osage County, Souvenir Regional Theatres: Portland Center Stage, St. Louis Rep., Indiana Rep., Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Kennedy Center, The Guthrie among others. Tony nom., Audelco nom., IRNE Award, Backstage West Garland Award.
KORTNEY BARBER (Sound Designer): Most recently designed at Irish Repertory Theater, Horse Trade Theater, Strasburg Institute, and St. Ann’s School. She is a company member of Smoke & Mirrors Collaborative.
JACOB GRIGOLIA-ROSENBAUM (Fight Director). Broadway: Cyrano (Roundabout), Peter and the Starcatcher, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. Off: Starcatcher (Public&NWS), BBAJ, Here Lies Love; Sailor Man (co-creator;winner Outstanding Play, FringeNYC), The Buccaneer. Was a Junior Olympic fencer and Div1 varsity fencer at Yale.
EMMA THORNE (Assistant Director) recently moved to the city from Providence, RI to pursue acting, writing, and directing. She’s spent the last two summers working in theater and television production (Willamstown Theater Festival and The Colbert Report) and hopes to continue through the year!
ELISSA MYERS CASTING, Paul Fouquet, CSA– 7 Broadway shows, including Tony nominated Having Our Say and 26 off-Broadway shows; 3 “Movies of the Week”, 5 pilots, PBS specials including Poisoner’s Handbook, Becoming Helen Keller, The Abolitionists, The Last Mile (Artios Award), Liberty! (Peabody Award), Benjamin Franklin (Emmy Award), Regional casting: Denver Center, Geva Theatre, Cleveland Playhouse, Alabama Shakespeare Festival,
PETER DEAN (Production Manager) is thrilled to be working on this inspirational piece. I will forgo my usual bio to say this: “I am responsible. When anyone, anywhere reaches out for help, I want the hand of A.A. always to be there. And for that: I am responsible.”
DIANE HEALY (Stage Manager), Recent NY credits: Hit The Wall, Tribes (Barrow Street Theatre); Painting Churches (Keen Company). Regional: 5 seasons at Shakespeare & Co.; The Civilians/Arts Emerson; 8 seasons with Oldcastle Theatre Co.
DARREN LEE COLE (General Manager) has Produced and managed plays for the past 30 years. After studying theatre at the University of Southern California, Mr. Cole followed his dream and moved to New York City. Beginning as an actor he eventually worked as stagehand, electrician, set designer, light designer sound designer, box office manager, board operator, production manager, booking agent, director, general manager, and finally producer. All of these positions have allowed Mr. Cole to work at many of New York’s leading Off-Broadway Theatres as well as venues all over the world. Realizing that his true passion was for producing, directing and managing plays in the intimate surroundings of Off-Broadway, Mr. Cole became a full time independent Producer and General Manager in 1988. Some of Mr. Cole’s favorite projects have included: Producing; “The Old Man and The Old Moon” with PigPen Theatre Co. (Gym at Judson NYC), “Killer Joe” by Tracy Letts (Vaudville Theatre, West End, London), Soho Playhouse (NYC) & The Theatre (Chicago), “Killing Real Estate Women” by Gary Bonasorte (The Church St. Theatre Washington D.C.), “Hiding Behind Comets”, “Charlaton”, “O’keeffe”, “Nostalgia Tropical” (all NYC) and “Laticia” at L’espace Marais (Paris). Management credits: “Tango Apasionado” Directed by Graciella Daniele, “The Big Love” starring Marsha Mason, “Parting Gestures” starring John Leguisamo, “Life in a Marital Institution”, “The Aunts” (all NYC) “Miracle on 34th Street” Directed by David Cromer, “Love Letters” starring Chalton Heston, “Over the Tavern” (all Chicago) and “For Colored Girls…” national tour. Mr. Cole has been the Executive Director of the SoHo Playhouse for the past 4 years where he has produced: “Mindgame” Directed by Ken Run Russell & starring Keith Carradine, “Krapp, 39”, “Piaf”, “Room Service”, “Jamaica Farewell”, “Belly of a Drunken Piano”, “Bukowski From Beyond”, “Simon Lovell’s Strange & Unusual Hobbies” and “The Emperor Jones”. He is also bringing this unique style of theatre to Costa Rica. Mr. Cole’s Teatro Jaco in Playa del Jaco, opened in January 2011.
KATE AUGUST (General Manager) is currently the General Manager of SoHo Playhouse. Lives at the Soho Playhouse, and may actually be a figment of everyone’s imagination. Working, at some point, in all facets of theater, mostly within the walls of the Soho Playhouse, occasionally she ventures to the Players Theater to read her own works at Just 10 Minutes on Sunday evenings, to which she will always encourage others to come and share theirs as well, “Hey, what are you doing on Sunday at 8?” Also she has a profound enjoyment of waffles.
JEAN STRONG (Associate Producer) has been part of the dream team providing creative and digital marketing consulting since 2007. www.jeanstrong.com “Sam and Janet, your perseverance through the years inspires me. You made it!”
VICTORIA BERT (PR, Press, Marketing and Digital Media) has worked in the media for over 20 years. She owns a marketing company, Carry the Message Marketing Solutions, specializing in artists and individuals. She joined the production in July of 2013. www.carrythemessage.net, “It is an honor be of service and help carry the message of this inspiring production.”