by Molière
Translated by Richard Wilbur
Directed by Lucie Tiberghien
Co-Presented by
In Partnership with
Technology by
We thank our major supporters: The de Groot Foundation, Samira Wiley, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Elizabeth and Jonathan Weiswasser, Caroline and Paul Cronson, and The Cultural Services of The French Embassy in New York.
We also thank everyone — donors, volunteers, artists, staff, patrons, and press — who has contributed to MIP's success.
About the Show
A Statement from Lucie Tiberghien and Garth Belcon
The School For Wives, at its core, is about gender power dynamics. We are looking forward to telling this classic 17th century French tale through the lens of a contemporary aesthetic and with this extraordinary group of primarily Black actresses. We feel that it is vital to center Black women and the role they play in bringing forth justice and equality over racism and sexism. Furthermore, by casting Tonya Pinkins in the the central role of ARNOLPHE - a white man of power and privilege, who is forced to realize that he cannot control or snuff out ANYONE's humanity - we hope to shine a light on the danger and ultimate absurdity of such systems of oppression.
Synopsis
When the obsessive Arnolphe realizes that his ward, 17 year-old Agnès, actually has a mind of her own, he is flabbergasted. Intent on saving face and maintaining control, he doubles down on his decision to marry her.
Agnès, despite having been raised to remain completely ignorant, is saved by her own innate intelligence, Arnolphe's utter failure to see what is right in front of him, and the one thing he cannot steal from her; her humanity.
Creative Team
Director — Lucie Tiberghien (she/her): A Franco-American Brooklynite, Lucie was raised in France and Switzerland and moved to New York in 1995. It is through her work as associate to acclaimed French director Jacques Lassalle that Lucie developed her passion for Molière’s plays and her belief in his work’s ability to speak to who we are today. Lucie is the Founding Artistic Director of MIP.
Producer — Garth Belcon (he/him): An independent feature film Writer and Producer, and a theater Producer and Production Manager, Garth was raised in the Bronx but has called Brooklyn home for more than 15 years. Garth is honored to be a part of bringing Molière and the funny, biting, brilliant social commentary of his work, to Brooklyn and all of NYC annually. Garth is the Co-Founding Executive Producer of MIP.
Production Manager — Thyra Hartshorn (she/her): Thyra is a Portland, Oregon-based production manager, stage manager and technical director. She is the Production Manager at Portland Playhouse and has toured and worked with companies around the world including San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and the Bolshoi Ballet.
Video Engineer — Andy Carluccio (he/him): As a computer scientist and freelance artist, Andy is passionate about the intersections of art and technology. He develops and deploys applications for use in live performing arts, particularly in the realms of theatrical entertainment and video live streaming. His research is currently focused on automation and visualization for live performance design.
Set Designer — Lina Younes (she/her): Lina is a Palestinian Lebanese visual designer based in New York. She is on a constant quest for story-centered collaborations, and exploring narratives while showcasing process. Her work is about freezing moments, replaying them, changing scenarios, playing out consequences, and then repeating. Impossible things happen in an instant; objects vanish, come to life, and are set off again. In motion.
Costume Designer — Ari Fulton (she/her): Ari is a New York based costume designer for stage and film. Theater design credits include: A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical (Miami New Drama), Novenas For a Lost Hospital (Rattlestick Theatre), Little Girl Blue, The Life of Nina Simone (George Street Playhouse), Skeleton Crew (Huntington Theatre), Film Credits include: Nigerian Prince (Tribeca Film Festival), Black Girl in Paris (HBO Special Selection).
Composer — Paul Brill (he/him): Paul has received three Emmy Award nominations for his film scores. He collaborated with Rock legends U2 on the HBO film, Burma Soldier, composing a new string arrangement for an acoustic version of their classic song, “Walk On.” He recently made his Off-Broadway debut, composing the score for Gabriel Jason Dean’s Terminus, which featured stage legend Deirdre O’Connell and premiered to great acclaim at The New York Theatre Workshop.
Sound Designer — Daniel Williams (he/him): Daniel is an audio engineer, podcaster, and general Sound WizardTM.
He’s mixed plays and short films. He’s recorded in hotel rooms, dive bars, and the Orpheum Theater in Chicago, and is also very humble.
Animator — Emily Rawson (she/her): Emily is a motion designer specializing in multimedia animation and After Effects. She is also an emerging independent filmmaker and researcher, studying the legacy of Lotte Reiniger and her innovation amongst independent German artists in the interwar period.
Assistant Video Engineer — Jonathan Kokotajlo (he/him): With a background in both live entertainment and film production, Jonathan has a passion for technological integrations and workflows that cross industries. The tools and workflows developed at Liminal draw from multiple areas of expertise, maximizing video quality, visual potential, and professional precision.
Production Stage Manager — Madison Lane (she/her): is thrilled to be working with Molière in the Park again! Previous shows with MIP include: Tartuffe; The Misanthrope (2020); The Misanthrope (2019). Other virtual projects: A Doll’s House Pt. 2 [Stella Adler Studio]; I, My Ruination by Kevin Artigue, Bust by Zora Howard, The Hystericals by Edith Freni, Moses by Michele Lowe [Cape Cod Theater Project]; King Lear [New York Classical]. Thank you for watching and for supporting artists!
Press Representative —David Gibbs (he/him): David is the founder of DARR Publicity, a boutique press agency specializing in theater, dance, music-driven shows and unique theatrical experiences. Clients include The Amoralists, Company XIV, Ice Factory Festival, La MaMa, Molière in the Park, New Ohio Theatre and PTP/NYC. David has publicized shows at many Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway venues throughout NYC. His clients have won Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Obie and Off Broadway Alliance Awards. www.DarrPublicity.com
Liminal Entertainment Technologies, LLC: Bringing together a team with experience in film, theater, and broadcast, Liminal Entertainment Technologies develops innovative software and systems for a range of entertainment mediums. Constantly working to pioneer the next evolution of entertainment, the Liminal Team is excited to bring early-access to its upcoming StreamWeaver software ecosystem to The School for Wives. www.liminalet.com
Cast and Characters
*Tonya Pinkins (she/her) — ARNOLPHE: Tonya is a multi-award winning actress, author, and educator. She is a 2019-2022 Fulbright Specialist. Her short “WHAT CAME AFTER which she produced, directed and adapted with Christopher Oscar Pena’s from his play by the same name at the 2016 at Eclectic Festival. She directed LIGHTHOUSE LILI for RipFEST. Her socio-political horror film stars Catherine Curtin, Kathryne Erbe Colby Minifie, Luba Mason , Adesola Osakalumi, Jake O’Flaherty and Rubén Blades.The title is RED PILL.
*Mirirai Sithole (she/they) — AGNES: New York Theatre Credits: If Pretty Hurts... (Playwrights Horizons), School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play (MCC) (Lortel Award, Drama Desk Ensemble Award), The Homecoming Queen (AUDELCO nomination, Atlantic Theatre Company), Suzan-Lori Parks' The Death of the Last Black Man... (Signature Theatre Company), Mother Courage and Her Children (CSC) (Rosemarie Tichler Award), Founder of Inclusive Production Company & Consulting Agency AYE DEFY.
*Kaliswa Brewster (she/her) — HORACE: Kaliswa has recurred on Showtime’s BILLIONS, ABC’s series TIME AFTER TIME, and Topic's RELEASE. She will next be seen in the feature film, PAINT, directed by Michael Walker, which recently won the grand prize at the Dances With Films independent film festival. Other film credits include PATERNO for HBO Films starring Al Pacino, and THE BIT PLAYER for PBS. Kaliswa is the Creative Director & Producer for the podcast Black Voices Past and Present which can be found wherever you listen to podcasts.
*Cristina Pitter (she/they) — CHRYSALDE: Cristina is a queer afro-latinx fat babe artist who wants to burn it down and plant new seeds in the fertile soil comprised of the ashes of her oppressors . Founder of The Ashe Collective - an ancestral storytelling and community outreach group, Community Director of Pipeline Theatre Company, and company member of Ensemble Studio Theatre. BFA Acting Brooklyn College. Feel free to follow her antics at cristinapitter.com, including her solo show, “decolonizing my vagina”.
*Carolyn Michelle Smith (she/her) — NOTARY/ORONTE: Broadway: “Romeo and Juliet” directed by David Leveaux. Off-Broadway: “Soldier X” directed by Lucie Tiberghien. Williamstown Theatre Featival: “Whaddabloodclottt!!!” by Katori Hall. Regional: Long Wharf Theatre- “Paradise Blue” directed by Awoye Timpo. Television: “House of Cards”, “Law and Order: SVU”, “Luke Cage”, “Colony”, “Cherish the Day”, “Notorious”. Film: “Proof of Loss”, “Reboot Camp” (2020), “Tankhouse” (2020).
Tamara Sevunts (she/her) — GEORGETTE: Tamara is a multilingual actress from Montreal, QC currently based in NYC. Tamara works internationally: she premiered "Black Garden", a new play about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in Paris, at the Théâtre de l'Opprimé, and toured "Your Alice" as the piano-playing Cheshire Cat at the International Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and as a reading at The Arcola Theatre in London, UK. Off-Broadway credits include: "Daybreak" (Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row), "Your Alice" (BAM), "The Good Girl" (59E59 Theatres).
*Corey Tazmania (she/her) — ALAIN: Corey grew up in Brooklyn and is honored to return to Moliere in the Park, reprising the role of Alain in The School for Wives. Acting credits include: improv at the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival; Corionalus, Pericles and Oliver Twist (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey); Housewives of Mannheim (59E59 and Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara); Villainous Company, The Realization of Emily Linder and Jericho (NJREP). Corey currently lives in Toronto.
*Denotes member of the Actors’ Equity Association
We wish to express our gratitude to the Performers’ Unions:
ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION
AMERICAN GUILD OF MUSICAL ARTISTS
AMERICAN GUILD OF VARIETY ARTISTS
SAG-AFTRA
through Theatre Authority, Inc. for their cooperation in permitting the Artists to appear on this program.
Who We Are
MIP's Mission
We believe provocative and high caliber theater performed in public spaces and available to all, has the power to unite communities. It affords everyone who wishes to participate, an opportunity to reflect, rejoice, see each other, and share. Moliere in the Park was born out of the desire to meet Brooklynites in their backyard and offer a space, within an already wonderfully rich park, where all would feel invited to take part.
Molière in the Park was created in Fall 2018 and is dedicated to being an inclusive and antiracist theater organization. Our goal is to bring high-caliber English language productions of Molière’s timely masterpieces, as well as carefully chosen contemporary plays that focus on language and question today's world through the lens of history, to Brooklyn’s Prospect Park annually, and the online theatergoing community, free of charge.
The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF).
New York’s premier French cultural and language center. FIAF’s mission is to create and offer New Yorkers innovative and unique programs in education and the arts that explore the evolving diversity and richness of French cultures. FIAF seeks to generate new ideas and promote cross cultural dialogue through partnerships and new platforms of expression.
LeFrak Center at Lakeside
The Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Center at Lakeside is the largest and most ambitious project in Prospect Park since its creation nearly 150 years ago. Spanning 26 acres, this $74 million restoration by the Prospect Park Alliance transformed the southeast corner of the Park into a popular scenic and recreational destination. Since opening in 2013, the LeFrak Center has become a year-round community destination welcoming more than 200,000 visitors each year.
Prospect Park Alliance
Prospect Park Alliance is the non-profit organization that sustains "Brooklyn's Backyard," working in partnership with the City of New York. The Alliance was founded in 1987 to help restore Prospect Park after a long period of deterioration and decline. Today, the Alliance provides critical staff and resources that keep the park green and vibrant for the diverse communities that call Brooklyn home. The Alliance cares for the woodlands and natural areas, restores the park's buildings and landscapes, creates innovative park destinations, and provides free or low-cost volunteer, education and recreation programs.
Theatre for a New Audience
Founded in 1979 by Jeffrey Horowitz, Theatre for a New Audience is a modern classical theatre that produces Shakespeare alongside major classic and contemporary plays with some of today’s most exciting artists. The mission of Theatre for a New Audience is to develop and vitalize the performance and study of Shakespeare and classic drama.
Liminal Entertainment Technologies, LLC
Liminal is founded on the principle that the distinctions between technology and art are arbitrary, and that creativity lives in their intersection. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Liminal has created systems designed to help move events and performances online. Grounded in its motto of “Adapt to the Present, Build for the Future,” the Liminal team works to pioneer the next evolution of entertainment through a fusion of film, live performance, and immersive experience