Created and Performed by Ronnie Burkett

Music and Sound Design by John Alcorn

Stage Managed by Crystal Salverda

Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes:Marionette, Costume and Set Design by Ronnie BurkettProduction Manager / Artistic Associate – Terri GillisDramaturge – Iris TurcottAssociate Producer – John Lambert

Contributing playwrights: Daniel MacIvor, Brad Fraser, Joan MacLeod, Anusree Roy, Damien Atkins, Chris Craddock, Karen Hines, Amy Lee Lavoie, David Yee, Judith Thompson

The Daisy Theatre was co-commissioned by the Luminato Festival (Toronto) and the Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA and produced in association with Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes (Toronto).

The Daisy Theatre is a coproduction of Ronnie Burkett received development support for The Daisy Theatre from the Canada Council for the Arts.

Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes is exclusively represented by John Lambert & Assoc., Montreal, Canada (www.johnlambert.ca)

Marionettes built by Ronnie BurkettCostumes - Kim CrossleyCostuming Assistants: Monica Berg, Evelyn Gascho, Monica Viani, Robin FisherPuppet Builders -Angela Talbot, Gemma James-Smith, Marcus Jamin, with Gil Garratt and Martin HerbertShoes and Accessories – Robin Fisher and Camellia Koo Marionette Controls - Luman CoadMajordomos – Robbie Buttinski and Daisy Padunkles

Tue, Nov 11 - Sat, Nov 15 - 8pm;

Sun, Nov 16 - 7pm

Actor’s Gang at The Ivy Substation

RUNNING TIME: Approximately 2 hours;

No intermission

MEDIA SPONSOR:

Ronnie BurkettTheatre of MarionettesThe Daisy Theatre

U.S. PREMIERE

MESSAGE FROM THE CENTER: Ronnie Burkett is one of those artists who knew very early on what shape his life would take. Or, at least, after watching The Sound of Music “Lonely Goatherd” puppet show segment as a kid he had a powerful image of what he would like to do for the rest of his life.

And we lucky creatures are the beneficiaries of Ronnie’s earliest artistic impulses in puppetry and his ongoing commitment to his craft. Our director, Kristy Edmunds, has often stated a deep desire to make Ronnie a household name in the U.S. theater community. He’s incredibly renowned among puppeteers around the world, but these performances of The Daisy Theatre mark only his second appearance in Los Angeles.

Last season, the Center presented his evening length narrative work Penny Plain, a very darkly comic apocalyptic tale that riveted audiences. This time around is a bit more whimsical and a lot more improvisational. No two performances of The Daisy Theatre are alike and even if you just catch one, you’re experiencing something quite special. Ronnie is fresh off a sold out run of The Daisy Theatre in Edmonton, Canada and last year had a sold-out run in Vancouver.

These six nights here at the Actor’s Gang theater are the only U.S. performances of The Daisy Theatre. Count yourself lucky.

Ronnie is an exceptional performer, and also an exceptional craftsman. If you don’t already follow him on Facebook, you should. In the casual confines of social media he often provides a very unique glimpse into his work, documenting his process through photos and updates that detail the extremely technical craft that goes into the manifestation of a puppet.

“I love jointing marionettes,” he said recently, posting photos of a character-in-progress. Those intricately created joints, so intelligently designed and manipulated with such love and care by the man holding the strings are what help bring these works of sculptural art to vivid performance life.

In human physiology, joints connect bone to bone and are what allow our bodies to articulate movement. Artists like Ronnie serve as a kind of metaphorical joint as well, one that connects human creatures to ideas, delights, and to each other in elaborately conceived ways that serve to articulate movement within our culture at large.

We’re proud to bring Ronnie back, proud to be a co-commissioner of his revival of The Daisy Theatre, which he first debuted 25 years ago, as he began making his name in the art world.

Welcome to The Daisy Theatre.

The Daisy Theatre stage devised and created by Mike Kukucska, Hamilton Scenic Specialty Inc.

“The Max Blümchen Orchestrale” pit band devised and constructed by Eric James Ball, with puppets sculpted by Noreen Young.

The Franz and Schnitzel theme music composed by Cathy Nosaty.

The Daisy Theatre theme song sung by Laura Hubert.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Ronnie BurkettRonnie Burkett has been captivated by puppetry since the age of seven, and began touring his shows around Alberta at the age of fourteen. Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes was formed in 1986, continuously playing on Canada’s major stages, and as a guest company on numerous tours abroad.

Ronnie received the 2009 Siminovitch Prize in Theatre, The Herbert Whittaker Drama Bench Award for Outstanding Contribution to Canadian Theatre, a Village Voice OBIE Award and four Citations of Excellence from the American Center of the Union Internationale de la Marionnette.

The Daisy Theatre is the thirteenth production from Theatre of Marionettes, following the international successes Penny Plain, Billy Twinkle – Requiem for a Golden Boy, 10 Days on Earth, Provenance and the Memory Dress Trilogy of Tinka’s New Dress, Street of Blood and Happy.

John Alcorn Music and Sound DesignLong acknowledged as one of Canada’s premiere jazz vocalists, John Alcorn is also a composer, lyricist, arranger, musical director, producer, and pianist. He has collaborated with numerous significant Canadian theatre artists, including Daniel MacIvor, Deanne Taylor, Sky Gilbert, Theresa Tova, and Tomson Highway. Previous associations with Ronnie Burkett include 10 Days on Earth (2006), Billy Twinkle – Requiem for a Golden Boy (2008) and Penny Plain (2011). John is a recipient of the Jazz Report, Dora Mavor Moore and Harold awards.

Crystal Salverda Stage ManagerCrystal is thrilled to be a part of the Ronnie Burkett team. Over the last few years she has had the opportunity to work locally as well as tour, both nationally and internationally, stage managing some wonderful productions such as Half Life (Necessary Angel), Under Milkwood (Soulpepper Theatre Co.), Raisin in the Sun (Soulpepper Theatre co./ Theatre Calgary), Hamlet (Necessary Angel), This is What Happens Next (Necessary Angel/Canadian Stage), Civil Elegies (Soulpepper Theatre Co.), Tuesdays with Morrie (Harold Green Jewish Theatre), Of the Fields, Lately (Soulpepper Theatre Co.), Billy Bishop (Soulpepper Theatre Co.), Divisadero (Necessary Angel), Are you Ok (Necessary Angel/Peggy Baker Dance Projects), Zero Hour (Harold Green Jewish Theatre), and Andromache (Necessary Angel) to name a few.

DAISY CHARACTERS

Which of the more than 30 Daisy Theatre characters you’ll meet tonight depends on how the evening progresses. But, as Ronnie Burkett recently described in a interview with local theater blog StageandCinema.com, there are a few who always make an appearance:

“There’s a tiny little fairy wannabe, Schnitzel, a complete innocent. Then there’s a very bitter jaded old Hollywood showgirl named Esme Massengill who’s drunken and abusive--I find her quite funny. The third is a little befuddled farm widow named Edna Rural, who sits in her overstuffed arm chair, and prattles whatever comes into her mind; some nights she just gives out recipes.

“These cornerstone characters are equal parts of me: The innocent wishful part I don’t normally reveal; the “I’ve been on the road my whole life” bitter old theater hag; and the befuddled Canadian who tries to be nice all the time but is really confused about the state of the world.”

Sussan Deyhim:The House is BlackFri, Jan 23Royce Hall

Gabriel KahaneThe AmbassadorFri-Sat, Feb 27-28Freud Playhouse at Macgowan Hall

COMING UP AT CAP UCLA

Frank Warren: PostSecret LiveWed, Jan 28Royce Hall

GUARDIANBaret Fink

CHAMPIONThe Feintech FamilyDr. Audree FowlerFariba GhaffariDeborah IrmasDiane KesslerRenee & Meyer LuskinGinny ManciniKathleen & John QuisenberryMaxine & Gene RosenfeldDr. Richard RossShirley & Ralph ShapiroDr. Allan Swartz & Roslyn Holt-SwartzDiane Levine & Robert WassRon WatsonMimi & Werner Wolfen

BENEFACTORAnonymousGail & James AndrewsBarry BakerDr. Peter & Helen BingMary Farrell & Stuart BloombergValerie & Brad CohenDr. Ellen Smith Graff & Fred CowanJohn LiebesEdie & Robert ParkerJaclyn B. RosenbergAlan M. Schwartz Anne-Marie & Alex SpataruDeedee Dorskind & Bradley Tabach-BankJoyce Craig & Beryl WeinerPatty & Richard WilsonKaryn Orgell WynneMarcie & Howard Zelikow

PATRONAnonymousBarbara AbellDrs. Helen & Alexander AstinAnna Wong Barth & Donald BarthNancy Berman & Alan BlochNadege & Jay CongerDr. Lee & Ann CooperBeth Rudin DeWoodyDr. Bruce & Barbara DobkinLaura DonnelleyMary & Robert EstrinBillie & Steven FischerPatricia & William FlumenbaumDr. Irene Goldenberg

The boards of CAP UCLA and Design for Sharing would like to thank all the members who have made a choice to join them in supporting arts education and the art of performance at UCLA.

This listing represents memberships from July 1, 2013-OCtober 31, 2014. If you have questions or would like further information on how you can support CAP UCLA please contact Yvonne Wehrmann at membership@cap.ucla.edu or (310) 794-4033.

Judy Abel & Eric GordonDr. Jerry Markovitz & Cameron JobeDr. Lewis & Sandra KanengiserThe Karsten FamilyJoseph KaufmanMilly & Robert KayyemJoanne KnopoffDr. Sheelagh Boyd & Larry LayneRonald Johnston & Joan LesserLeslie White & Al LimonSusan & Leonard NimoySarah & William OdenkirkClaude PetiteRonnie RubinSuzie & Michael ScottAbby SherSrila & Man Jit SinghCarolyn & Lester SteinCarol & Joseph SullivanDr. Elwin & Ann SvensonSue & Doug UpshawMichael Sopher & Debra VilinskyCarla Breitner & Gary Woolard

SUSTAINERAnonymous Robert AndersonKathleen Flanagan & Keenan BehrleJacquelynn & Roland BeverlyDr. Thomas & Lily BrodRoberta ConroyHelene & Prof. Edwin CooperDr. Fereshteh & Khossrow DibaJennifer & Royce DienerLinnea DuvallWendy-Sue Rosen & Thomas FreemanCarol GeeLinda & Stanley GoodmanLori & Robert GoodmanPattikay & Meyer GottliebAnn & William HarmsenLois HaytinLisa & Steven HiltonDaniel Lukas & Anne JarmainFiona & Michael KarlinTamara Turoff KeoughSusan LevichBea & Leonard MandelMargalit & Mel MarshallSandra Klein & Donald McCallum

Linda McDonough & Bradley RossJoanne & Gil SegelMuriel & Neil Sherman Laurie & Rick ShumanJennifer SimchowitzDonna Dees & Timothy TobinAlice & Norman TulchinWilliam TurnerStephanie Snyder & Michael WarrenJoan & Joe WertzBonnie & Paul YaegerDr. Albert & Marilouise ZagerCarol & Stuart Zimring

PARTNERAnonymousDr. Yoshio & Natsuko AkiyamaLeslee Hackenson & Roger AllersSylvia & Joseph BalbonaRosanna BogartRonald & JoAnn BusuttilCity National BankOlga Garay & Kerry EnglishSherry & Matthew FrankCaryn Espo & David GoldJackie & Stan GottliebCarol & Irving GreinesLinda Essakow & Stephen GuntherDr. Robin Garrell & Dr. Kendall HoukMarti KoplinMorelle Lasky LevineBernard & Peggy LewakMerle & Gerald MeaserLeslie MitchnerPhylis NicolayevskyLynda & Stewart ResnickBernard “Bud” Heumann & Patricia RosenburgRita RothmanMartha Kaufman & Michael SkloffAndrea Weiss & Jerry WhitmanSamantha & John WilliamsJan & Steve WinstonArline Zuckerman

ADVOCATEAnonymousDiane & Noel ApplebaumSusann & Stephen BaumanDr. Scott Beasley & Digna BeasleyLinda Engel & Alan Benjamin

Bunny Wasser & Howard Bernstein Marjorie BlattStephanie & Harold BronsonRene CruzStephen DavisDr. Glorya DixonLorenzo DoumaniSue & David EisnerDr. Paul & Patti EisenbergLinda & David EllisWilliam EscaleraSandra & Neil GafneyEliane Gans-OrgellDeborah GluskerDavid GrayHanna HeitingLinda JangerKerry KorfAliza & Michael LesserHon. Sherrill LukeLaura & James MaslonLaurie McCrayPaulette & Ronald NessimAnne OsbergLinda PetersonNancy & Brad RosenbergCaron & Colin SapireJohn SchwartzAnne & Dan SimonMary Lou & William SteinmetzRobert SuiterRobert UhlNancy & Alan VoorheesHarold Williams

BECOME A MEMBER OF CAP UCLA!

There’s no better way to experience the art of performance.