Playbill
October 28 – November 15
Clyde’s is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Dramatists Play Service. www.concordtheatricals.com
World Premiere by the Guthrie Theater; Originally commissioned by Joe Dowling and produced by Joseph Haj, Artistic Directors
Broadway Premiere produced by Second Stage Theater, New York, 2021 (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Khady Kamara, Executive Director)
Run Time: 100 minutes with no intermission
Content Advisory: Clyde’s contains strong language, mature themes, such as discussions of incarceration and past trauma, sexual references, and depictions of workplace conflict. Audience discretion is advised.
ARTISTS
Director – Katie Lupica
Scenic Designer – Kristen Martino ‡
Costume Designer – Tori Niemiec
Lighting Designer – Miguel J. Santiago
Sound Designer – Joe Payne ‡
Movement and Intimacy Director – Jeb Burris
Hair and Make-up Designer – Riya Golden
Dialect Coach – Dr. Teddy Alexis Rodriguez
Sous Chef – Ryan Bolton
Stage Manager – Ada Hermoso
Artistic Director – Kenneth Martin
Managing Director – Tom Cervone
Production Manager – Susan L. McMillan
‡ Represented by United Scenic Artists, local USA-829 of the IATSE.
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When conducting pre-production research for this play, the vastness of the American carceral system was a daunting topic to enter. It is a system that directly impacts millions and indirectly impacts us all. Each of us in this theatre is statistically more likely to know and love someone who has experienced incarceration than not. I knew that a nuanced understanding of that system would be necessary for working on the play, but I did not want to end up researching the plays Lynn Nottage didn’t write. Because Clyde’s is as notable for what it isn’t as for what it is.
It is not a drama. It is not a story of innocence and guilt. It is not an explicit exposing of the cruelty of the prison industrial complex. It is not an “issue play” or “think piece.” It is a comedy. It is time together in one room with multi-dimensional people worthy of our attention and love.
Clyde’s follows disconnected individuals finding purpose as they become a community. Each of these characters has lost parts of themselves to incarceration, but Nottage does not debase her characters by fetishizing suffering. Rather, she ennobles them: with humor, nuance, and artistry. This is a liberation story.
So, I went looking for the mechanisms of that liberation. Yes, there is love, friendship, kindness, and mentorship. But there is also an unlikely hero (so to speak): sandwich-making. It is through this creative outlet that our characters find their way to carving out a space, doing more than breaking even, and finding meaning despite systems that have failed them and the real and internalized voices that tell them they don’t matter, or even deserve to exist. And when I turned my research to the art of currently and formerly incarcerated folks, the world of the play opened itself wide.
Art is a rare venue where system-impacted individuals define their own agency, their own world view, and crucially, their own identity. In Clyde’s, we see creative expression as an assertion of self-worth – a pathway away from shame. Curiously, Nottage has included a character in this play directly from another of her plays, Sweat. In that play, Jason (who you will meet tonight) is trying to express his grief, desperation, and anger to his parole officer, Evan. Evan replies, “Most folks think it’s the guilt or rage that destroys us in the end, but I know from experience that it’s the shame that eats us away until we disappear,” and asks Jason what he’s going to do about “where you’re at right now?” I believe Nottage wrote Clyde’s at least in part to answer that question.
There is work to be done, but none of it can start until we show shame the door. Please be boisterous with us. Laugh, shout, celebrate with these characters. And thank you for coming to the theatre.
For more about art by currently and formerly incarcerated artists, the work of Nicole R. Fleetwood at NYU is an excellent starting place.
Lynn Nottage is the first woman in history to win two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. Her plays have been produced widely in the United States and throughout the world. Recent work includes the libretto for This House at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, co-written with Ruby Aiyo Gerber and composed by Ricky Ian Gordon (Finalist for 2025 International Opera Award), libretto for the opera Intimate Apparel (LCT), the book for the musical MJ (Broadway), the play Clyde’s (Broadway, 2ST) and the book for The Secret Life of Bees (Atlantic). Other credits include co-curating the performance installation The Watering Hole (Signature Theatre) and the plays Mlima’s Tale; Sweat (Pulitzer Prize, Obie, Evening Standard Award, Susan Smith Blackburn Prize); By the Way, Meet Vera Stark (Lilly Award); Ruined (Pulitzer Prize, Obie, Lortel, NY Drama Critics’ Circle, AUDELCO, Drama Desk and OCC awards); and Intimate Apparel (American Theatre Critics and NY Drama Critics’ Circle). TV: Writer/Producer of She’s Gotta Have It (Netflix) and Consulting Producer on Dickinson (Apple TV+). Awards: PEN/Laura Pels Master Dramatist Award, Doris Duke Artist Award, American Academy of Arts and Letters Award, MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellowship. She is a Professor at Columbia University School of the Arts and is a member of the Theater Hall of Fame and the Dramatists Guild.
When did you first get into acting?
I first got into acting in kindergarten. We did a production of The Gingerbread Man, and I played the titular character. During that show, I got my first kiss; and I was hooked!
What made you say yes to being a part of this production?I came to Knoxville for the first time in my life earlier this year to perform in The Royale. I was received extremely warmly by the faculty, staff, students, and my peers; I was treated so kindly by everyone, from patrons to parking lot attendants; the students and faculty are magnificently talented and generous as scene partners; and the Theatre Department is incredibly well-run and professional. These are the reasons why I said yes to being a part of this production.
What has it been like working on Clyde’s?
Returning to work on Clyde’s feels like a family reunion, which has been beneficial to our preparation process.
What does your process to get in character look like?
The process of getting into character is different for every show because every character is different. Early in the rehearsal process, I like to incorporate something tangible from the character and use it consistently throughout the rehearsal schedule. In The Royale, I used a licorice root chew stick; for Clyde’s, I’m wearing a knitted beanie and patchouli oil. One thing that is constant for every show is I prepare a playlist of songs that either my character would enjoy or put me in moods that my character experiences throughout the show.
Have you had any aha moments during rehearsals?
Yes, I have had plenty of aha moments during rehearsals. That’s what rehearsal is for… DISCOVERY.
What are you most excited for audiences to experience?
I am most excited for audiences to experience the opportunity to see these characters as full human beings who are worthy of society’s embrace.
Why does theatre matter?
Theatre matters for 2 reasons:
a) It gives artists a place to be professional practitioners of their craft. Imagine if there were no hospitals. Where would Doctors, Nurses, and associated staff be able to work??
b) It brings people from all walks of life together under one roof; it fosters conversations; it reunites families; it heals relationships and societies; it fosters a better tomorrow.
Katie Lupica (Director) is the Associate Artistic Director of Clarence Brown Theatre, where she has previously directed Anon(ymous) and Inherit the Wind. She is in awe of the extraordinary Clyde’s team and is deeply grateful to have collaborated with them to bring you this performance! Regional directing credits include Great River Shakespeare, Cleveland Play House (New Ground Festival), Hangar Theatre, Dobama Theatre (DEAP Ensemble), and Kane Repertory Theatre. As an assistant, Katie has worked on Broadway (with the 2011 revival of Godspell), Off-Broadway, with Chicago’s Lookingglass and Shakespeare theatres, and regionally. She has also worked in artistic and literary management with Samuel French play publishers and Signature Theatre Company (NY). She is a Drama League Directing Fellow, Sir John Gielgud Fellow, and Associate Member of SDC. At UT, Katie teaches Directing and Play Analysis, and she has been honored as an Accessibility Champion by Student Disability Services. She earned her MFA in Directing from Northwestern University and her BA in History and Theatre from Columbia. More at katielupica.com.
Kristen Martino (Scenic Designer) is a company member of the Clarence Brown Theatre and Assistant Professor of Scenic Design with the Department of Theatre at University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She is thrilled to once again design in The Jenny Boyd Theatre after designing the inaugural production of Cabaret. Kristen’s work as a scenic designer has been seen on stages across the country, including productions at Drury Lane Theatre, Gulfshore Playhouse, ACT of CT, The Cape Playhouse, and Indiana University, where she completed her MFA in Scenic Design. Kristen began her career in Chicago, where she worked as a freelance and associate scenic designer. That chapter of her career provided opportunities to collaborate on a wide range of projects, from museum exhibitions to circus productions, as well as international theatre, including serving as an associate designer for the 2020 West End production of The Prince of Egypt. Kristen was part of the team selected to represent the United States by designing the Emerging Artist Exhibit for the 2019 Prague Quadrennial and the recipient of the 2022 USITT Rising Star Award. Kristen is a proud member of United Scenic Artist Local 829. www.kristenmartino.com @kristenmartino.design
Tori Niemiec (Costume Designer) Originally from Arizona, Tori is a third-year Costume Designer in the MFA program. They have previously designed such shows as The Royale, Sense and Sensibility and How to Defend Yourself at the Clarence Brown Theatre, Daddy Long Legs with Cortland Repertory, A Midsummers Night Dream with DC Shakespeare in the Park, Dance^2 in partnership with the University of Maryland, The Waffle House Musical at Andy’s Summer Playhouse, in addition to assisting at The Folger Shakespeare Theatre, Signature Theatre VA, Disney Theatrical Cruise line and most recently at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. @tori_niemiec
Miguel J. Santiago (Lighting Designer) is a Lighting and Media Designer based in Knoxville, TN. He currently is pursuing an MFA in Design with concentrations in Lighting and Media at the University of Tennessee. Miguel has worked in numerous theatres across the Eastern U.S., some of which include Cincinnati Playhouse In The Park, the Clarence Brown Theatre, North Carolina Stage Company, Clayton Performing Arts Center, and Gretna Theatre. You can view more of his work at migueljsantiago.com
Joe Payne (Sound Designer) is the Head of Design and runs the Sound and Media Design MFA program for the Department of Theatre. He has designed sound, projections, and/or composed music for more than 250 professional productions throughout the United States, including twenty-two seasons at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Gulfshore Playhouse, Riverside Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Syracuse Stage, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Pioneer Theatre Company, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, and others. Favorites at the CBT include Knoxville, Cabaret, Hamlet, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, A Christmas Carol, Candide, and King Charles III. Joe is a member of United Scenic Artists Local USA 829 and the Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association.
Jeb Burris (Movement & Intimacy Director) is an Assistant Professor of Movement and Company member of the Clarence Brown Theatre Company. Professionally, Jeb is an Actor, Fight Director, Intimacy Director, Movement Director, and Director who has worked on over 100 professional productions. When not teaching, he is the Director of Movement at American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin. His work has been seen around the country in places like Portland Center Stage, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, American Players Theatre, Sacramento Theatre Company, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Great Lakes Theatre, and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Company, to name a few. Jeb holds an MFA from Illinois State University and trained with Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and The Royal Shakespeare Company in the U.K.
Riya Golden (Hair and Make-up Designer) is a fifth-year senior at UTK. Her double major in Political Science and Theatre has lended well in her journey towards Entertainment Law. Previous accolades include being Assistant Wardrobe Supervisor for over ten CBT shows. She is excited to be a part of this story because “the hair is part of the journey”. She’s also involved in All Campus Theatre and serves as its Vice President. She is a Founding Member of the Reactivated Theta Delta Chapter of Alpha Psi Omega on campus and serves as its Vice President as well. She wants to thank her family for supporting her dreams and CBT for supporting her career. Instagram handles: @actutk @utkapo @riyagoldie
Dr. Teddy Alexis Rodriguez (Dialect Coach) Dr. Teddy Alexis Rodriguez was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and holds a doctorate in Theatre with an emphasis in Acting and Directing. He is a practicing artist and scholar. Most recently, he directed Craigslisted and Anon(ymous) at Fullerton College and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at La Mirada Theatre. His full-length play, How Did Edward Lose His Accent?, was featured in the AZÚCAR! New Play Reading Festival in New Orleans. Most notably, he has participated in the Long Beach Shakespeare Company’s New Works Theatre Festival with SUN IN YA HANDS…, appeared on CBS’s NCIS, and had his short film Purple Heels Diary screened at Outfest 2023. Additionally, he can be seen in Bad Bunny’s music videos “Vete” and “Ignorantes” and has filmed with the acclaimed actress Rita Moreno. This year, he will direct for CASA 0101’s Brown and Out Festival at the Renberg Theater and for the Frida Kahlo Theatre Festival. He is also co-editing The Routledge Companion of Modern Latine and Caribbean Musical Theatre.
Ryan Bolton (Sous Chef) This is his first Clarence Brown Theatre collaboration. Sous Chef at Osteria Stella, he has been working in the culinary world for over 15 years from sandwich shops to fine dining and private events. “Food is meant to be shared”. MTSU graduate 2007. Godzilla and physical media advocate.
Ada Hermoso ( Stage Manager) Ada Hermoso is a senior Psychology major attending the University of Tennessee, Knoxville from Clarksville, Tennessee. Ada is ecstatic about becoming the ultimate Sandwich Meister (SM) for her third production at the CBT and first show in the JBT since its opening; following productions How to Defend Yourself and The Harvest. Over her time, she has been able to experience several roles backstage: running projections for Murder on the Orient Express, shining spotlights for Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, assistant stage-managing Cabaret, and making props and tables down in the prop shop. She would like to thank all her family, friends, and mentors that have continued to support her journey and growth as a stage manager and hope they will continue to do so in the future.
Kenneth Martin (Artistic Director/Department Head) comes from the University of Missouri, at Kansas City, where he was the Patricia Mcllrath Endowed Professor and Chair of the Theatre Division. His career in academia also included nearly 18 years serving as chair of the theat departments across the USA. Ken is also a scenic designer and member of United Scenic Artists, his designs have been seen at theatres across the country including Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Florida Repertory Theatre, Skylight Music Theatre, The New Theatre, Ohio Light Opera, Cleveland Ensemble Theatre, Ocean State Theatre and many others. He has also designed shows for many colleges and universities including Marquette University, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Coastal Carolina University, Cuyahoga Community College, and The Ohio State University. Martin has actively served his profession as a respondent for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, as a consultant for several regional theaters and through active participation in organizations like the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Educational Theatre Association and the Southeastern Theatre Conference.
Tom Cervone (Managing Director) Tom is grateful and honored to serve the Clarence Brown Theatre as Managing Director. Cervone has also served as executive director for both Dogwood Arts and the Historic Tennessee Theatre Foundation, but the CBT/UTK Theatre Department is Tom’s administrative and artistic home. Cervone is a long-time board member of the WordPlayers and continues to evangelize on behalf of the art and culture community locally and nationally. Tom received the Chancellor’s Citation for Outstanding Service to the University in 2010. Cervone holds his undergraduate degree in Theatre from West Liberty University in West Virginia and a Master of Fine Arts and an MBA from UT. He is a graduate of and was selected as the Class Representative of the Leadership Knoxville class of 2011. Cervone was inducted into his undergraduate alma mater’s class of 2015 Wall of Honor and was appointed by the Governor of WV in 2021 to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees of WLU.
Susan L. McMillan (Production Manager) is in her thirteenth year at the CBT and UT Department of Theatre. In addition, she teaches Stage Management. Prior, Susan was the Production Manager and Stage Management Instructor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Susan is a member of Actors’ Equity Association, and was a Stage Manager at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for 18 years. Additionally, she has stage managed at the Guthrie Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Portland Center Stage, PCPA, Rogue Valley Opera, Portland Civic Theatre, and the Kennedy Center. Susan graduated from Oregon State University with 2 Bachelor of Science Degrees (Biochemistry/Biophysics and Biology), and a Minor in Theatre Arts. She is incredibly grateful for all the opportunities and adventures along the way, her amazing colleagues, the love and support of her family and friends, and for Molly (woof)! Her work continues to be dedicated to her forever missed and beloved mother. And as Jim Edmondson always said – love is the bridge.
The Cast
Clyde – Shinnerrie Jackson*
Montrellous – Kerwin Thompson*
Rafael – Izaiah Ramirez
Letitia – Anquanizia Hall
Jason – Bryce Hagen
UNDERSTUDIES
Rafael – Jacob Leon
Letitia – Jasmine Handy
Jason – Theodore Chase Raynor
* Members of Actor’s Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
Bryce Hagen (Jason) is a second-year member of the UTK MFA Acting cohort, and is honored to be performing in Clyde’s at The Jenny Boyd Theatre. His previous CBT credits include Cliff Bradshaw in Cabaret and Young Scrooge and Topper in A Christmas Carol. Bryce also recently finished a summer in residence at Scranton Shakespeare Festival, starring as King Henry V in Shakespeare’s Henry V. Other regional credits: Hippodrome State Theatre, Florida Repertory Theatre. Bryce received his BFA in Acting from the University of Florida. Love to family and friends! brycehagen.com
Anquanizia Hall (Letitia) is a native of Meridian, MS. She is an award-winning director and actor. Hall attended college in Los Angeles at AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts where she graduated with honors and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting. You can find Hall in projects on Amazon Prime and Tubi. Her first supporting role in a film was acting alongside GRAMMY winner Cedric Burnside. Hall has been seen onstage here as Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol and Nina in The Royale. On other stages, she’s been in Chicken & Biscuits, The Mountaintop, A Wrinkle in Time, and more. Hall is excited to announce she filmed a movie in Brazil this past summer and can’t wait to share more details.
Jasmine Handy (U/S Letitia) is immensely grateful to be back at the Clarence Brown Theatre. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, she earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theatre with an Acting Concentration from the University of Tennessee. Previous training includes attending the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts and Kennesaw State University’s College of the Arts. Previous credits include CBT’s Blood at the Root (Raylynn); Adaptive Radiation (Olivia); Men on Boats (John Wesley Powell); The Moors (Marjory/Mallory); and The Giver (Jonas). She would like to extend special thanks to her wife and family for their unwavering support; to the cast and crew for their collaborative artistry; and to Katie Lupica for a wonderful opportunity.
Shinnerrie Jackson (Clyde) is an actress and Assistant Professor of Theatre at the University of Tennessee. She can be seen in 30 Rock and Whit Stillman’s Damsels in Distress. Previous theater productions include Trouble in Mind (Pittsburgh Public Theatre), A Night with Janis Joplin (Arena Stage), Lady Day at Emersons Bar and Grill (Weathervane Theatre/River&Rail Theatre), and Ain’t I A Woman: a one woman show about the heroines of African American history. Shinnerrie is a proud company member of the Clarence Brown Theatre Company and The Weathervane Theatre in New Hampshire.
Jacob Leon (U/S Rafael) is excited to be back at the Clarence Brown since having recently graduated from the UTK Theatre department. He is a Knoxville based actor recently seen in River and Rail’s Eurydice and the CBT’s Sense and Sensibility.
Izaiah Ramirez (Rafael) is thrilled to be part of Clyde’s and to step into the role of Rafael. A Wisconsin native, Izaiah earned his BFA in Performance from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and is currently in his second year of the MFA Acting program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Most recently, he appeared as Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol at the Clarence Brown Theatre. Clyde’s marks his first production on The Jenny Boyd Theatre stage.
Theodore Chase Raynor (U/S Jason) in his Jenny Boyd Theatre debut, Chase is a second timer to the UTK Theatre department. You may have seen him as Josh in The Harvest in the Lab Theatre. Currently a senior English major, he is dedicated to the artistic craft. Acting since high school, he has played such roles as Sam in Mamma Mia, The Duke in A Comedy of Errors and Lee in Radium Girls. He would like to take some space to thank his loving parents Ted and Carla Raynor, along with his appreciation to his director Katie Lupica for the opportunity.
Kerwin Thompson (Montrellous), aka The Leading Man, is an Emmy Award-winning Actor from Atlanta, GA. He is thankful and honored to return to The Jenny Boyd Theatre after performing in the epic run of The Royale earlier this year. His early acting training was at the Alliance Theatre, but he received his most substantive training at the feet of Tony Award Winner (and 3X nominee) Freddie Hendricks while performing with the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta (YEA). Kerwin has starred in and/or produced two films that premiered at Cannes. He is motivated to use his gifts not just to entertain, but to touch people’s lives. Kerwin gives thanks to The Divine, The Ancestors, his family, and his friends for their unyielding protection, love, and support.
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