Honor Killing

April 4, 2018 - May 25, 2018 | Gompertz Theatre

WORLD PREMIERE. Allisyn Davis, an American reporter for The New York Times, heads to Pakistan to cover the honor killing of a young woman. Through a series of cultural collisions, candid interviews, and dangerous encounters, she learns the details of this event, and faces her own demons and judgments. One culture mirrors the other, asking questions about forgiveness, self-worth, and justice.

Honor Killing by Sarah Bierstock contains use of explicit language, sexual content, frank discussion of violence against women, and current worldview political discourse. Suitable for mature audiences.

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CAST

* Denotes member Actors’ Equity Association. The Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

RACHEL MOULTON (Allisyn Davis) Honor Killing marks Rachel’s seventh production with FST and her first collaboration with Producing Artistic Director Richard Hopkins. She was seen earlier this season in Heisenberg. Also at FST: Grounded, Alabama Story, The God of Isaac, The Columnist (regional premiere) and Jericho (National New Play Network’s Rolling World Premiere). Off-Broadway/New York: In a Tilted Place (IRT), Sex Tips For Straight Women from a Gay Man (777 Theatre), Philip Goes Forth (The Mint) and as Zelda Fitzgerald in This Side of Paradise (St.Clements). Regional: The Book Club Play (Virginia Stage Co.), One Slight Hitch (Florida Rep.), Black Comedy and RENT (Pioneer Theatre Company), My Fair Lady (JW Engeman Theatre), Midsummer (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival), Finding Nemo: The Musical (WDW). Several commercials, most notably as the spokesperson for Office Depot. Training: Graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and Syracuse University, B.F.A. www.rachelmoulton.com

MICHAEL SWEENEY HAMMOND (Ben Adams) Honored to make his FST debut. Off Broadway/New York: The Rivals (NY Classical Theatre); Hamlet. A Version (Roust Theatre Co/Red Lab). Regional/Tour: In The Heat of the Night (LA Theatre Works); Julius Caesar, All’s Well That Ends Well (Shakespeare Theatre); His Girl Friday, Car Plays: San Diego (La Jolla Playhouse); Torchbearers (Williamstown Theatre Festival); Solid Gold Cadillac (Studio Theatre). Training: MFA from UC San Diego and BA from Brown University.

DEVON AHMED is excited to make her FST debut! Favorite credits include Disconnect (San Jose Repertory Theatre), Ful Nabit (New Jersey Repertory Company), Henry IV, Part 1 (Hip to Hip Theatre Company), Merchant of Venice (Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company). Film: Stolen Moments of September, Dating Ellie. TV: Wit’s End (pilot). Proud graduation of UC San Diego.

J. PAUL NICHOLAS (Abbas/Ijaaz and Zasar/Khan) is excited to make his FST debut, and to make it with the world premiere of Sarah’s wonderful play. He was recently in The Invisible Hand at Cleveland Play House. Before that he was on a national tour with the Broadway phenomenon, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time. He has performed at regional theaters all over the country, and Off-Broadway. Paul has also appeared in several TV series, and for 10 seasons he was Attorney Linden Delroy on Law & Order: SVU. He has an MFA from the Academy for Classical Acting at GWU.

MARIA COUCH (Melissa Davis) is delighted to return to FST and to have the opportunity to help create this stunning new piece. She most recently originated the role of Kelly in the world premiere of Multiple Family Dwelling at NJ Rep. Other new works include On the Levee (LCT3), Unlock’d and Iron Curtain (Prospect Theater Company), The Cottage (The Engeman), The Little Hours (NJ Rep), Right Next to Me (The Human Race Theatre), Lord Tom (The York) and Illyria (Shakespeare Theatre of NJ). Other favorite credits: Little Shop of Horrors (Stages St. Louis), Les Miserables (Arkansas Rep), Singin’ in the Rain (Merry Go Round Playhouse), Side Show (The Gorilla Theater) and Sweeney Todd (Baltimore Center Stage).

WILLIAM LANGAN (Edward Evans) Oregon Shakespeare Festival (partial list): Titus Andronicus, Julius Caesar, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Winter's Tale, Twelfth Night, Richard II, Troilus & Cressida, Henry VI,1-3, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Oedipus Complex, Trojan Women, Three Sisters. Other theatres include: The Shakespeare Theatre (D.C.), Studio Arena, The Huntington Theatre, Cleveland PlayHouse, Pioneer Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, McCarter Theatre, Yale Rep, three years at the Guthrie Theatre. New York: The Public Theatre, Vineyard Theatre, Abingdon Theatre Company. TV: Criminal Minds (CBS), CSI:CYBER (CBS), NCIS (CBS), Numb3rs (CBS), Law& Order, Law & Order CI (NBC), The Prosecutor (NBC), Sweet Nothing In My Ear (CBS). He is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama.

RICHARD HOPKINS (Director) is the Producing Artistic Director of Florida Studio Theatre. Mr. Hopkins has fostered the development of FST’s Mainstage and Cabaret productions. His many directing Mainstage credits include: Inspired Lunacy, The Best of Enemies, Next to Normal, Race, Ruined, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Boleros for the Disenchanted, Permanent Collection, and Metamorphoses, among numerous other plays. Mr. Hopkins led the development of FST’s Cabaret productions of Piano Men, The Prima Donnettes, Too Darn Hot, and By Gershwin. Mr. Hopkins also serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Florida Studio Theatre. This includes overseeing the creation and implementation of all FST programming, including Mainstage, Cabaret, Stage III, New Play Development, Education, and Touring. Since his arrival at FST in 1980, Mr. Hopkins has guided the theatre from a small touring company to a nationally-recognized regional theatre, which impacts over 200,000 adults and children annually. He created the New Play Development Program, The Cabaret Series, FST’s award-winning WRITE A PLAY Program, and has directed the design and renovation of all FST’s theatres. Mr. Hopkins is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Arts Leadership Award from the Sarasota Arts Council, the Richard G. Fallon Award for Artistic Excellence from the Florida Professional Theatres Association, and the 2012 Cultural Champion Award from the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County. In 2016, Mr. Hopkins was awarded the Luminaire Award, honoring excellence in creativity, philanthropy, advocacy, and all elements that are keys to future growth of the arts in Sarasota.

SUSAN ANGERMANN (Costume Designer) began designing for Florida Studio Theatre in 1993 for the WRITE A PLAY production of The Emperor’s New Clothes. She has designed for the Mainstage, Stage III, Cabaret, and other WRITE A Play productions. Among recent productions are Once; The Exonerated; Stalking the Bogeyman; Yesterday; Older Than Dirt; Piano Men; Chapatti; and Robin Hood.

ISABEL & MORIAH CURLEY-CLAY (Scenic Designers) are award-winning scenic designers whose theatrical work can be seen on regional stages across the U.S. Recent credits include: The Magic Negro and other Blackity Blackness as told by an African American Man who also happens to be Black (Alliance Theatre); Lumberjacks in Love (Penobscott Theatre); Constellations (Horizon Theatre); Exit Strategy (Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre). Past designs at FST include Native Gardens; Doublewide; Rich Girl; Clever Little Lies; The God of Isaac; The Fabulous Lipitones; Alabama Story; Outside Mullingar; Butler; Taking Shakespeare; Chapatti; Inspired Lunacy; Dancing Lessons; Hairspray; and One Man, Two Guvnors. Isabel and Moriah’s designs were recently featured in American Theater Magazine’s Roll Call, 7 Theatrical People To Watch and are both members of USA 829.

THOM BEAULIEU (Lighting Designer) is an award-winning lighting and sound designer. His work has been experienced throughout the eastern US including Once, Blue Suede Shoes, Mack the Knife: The Bobby Darin Songbook, Native Gardens, and Burt & Me (Florida Studio Theatre); The Waltz, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, Carrie: the Musical, & The Lord of the Flies (The Winnipesaukee Playhouse); A Chorus Line, Floyd Collins, Sweet Charity, & Singin’ in the Rain (Aurora Theatre). He holds a BFA in Drama from Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, and a MS in Physics.

ROCCO DISANTI (Projection Design). Broadway: The Snow Geese, The Columnist, Wit, Collected Stories, Time Stands Still. Off Broadway: Incident at Vichy (Signature), Desire, Lift, Inner Voices, Wide Awake Hearts (59E59) Completeness (Playwrights Horizons); A Second Chance (The Public) and more. Regional: Fly (Florida Studio Theatre), The Threepenny Opera, Spin, Company, A Second Chance (Signature Theatre). Kansas City Swing, Lift, The Adventure of Fishy Waters In Bed With The Blues (Crossroads). AWARDS: Nominated for a 2012 Henry Hewes Design Award for Completeness

THOMAS KORP (Sound/Projections Designer) a former FST intern, is excited to be in his second season as staff. Previous projection work includes Grounded and The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey. Sound design credits include: Native Gardens, How to Use a Knife, Once, The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, The Columnist, Talley’s Folley, A Chorus Line, Spamalot, and The West Side Waltz. Mixing Credits: Next to Normal, Das Barbecü, Smokey Joe’s Café, The World Goes Round, Tango: Buenos Aires, We Will Rock You. Sound engineer with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines 2014 – 2016.