Director
Roberta RaymondROBERTA RAYMOND has worked at Edward R Murrow High School from 2007, after enjoying a fifteen-year career as a musical entertainer and studio owner in NYC. At Murrow, she choreographed Candide, The Producers, Fiddler on the Roof, Hairspray, Sweet Charity, and Les Mis. In the Anzalone, she directed Crazy for You, Ragtime, Camelot, The Wizard of Oz, My Fair Lady, and directed and choreographed The Ballet and West Side Story. In the Papp Theater, she directed Mother Courage and Her Children, The Laramie Project, A Few Good Men, A View from the Bridge, and Vanya, Sonya, Masha, and Spike. Roberta celebrates the work of Christopher Durang; she sees it as genuine and relevant within contemporary society. She hopes you will enjoy tonight’s performance of Beyond Therapy.
Technical Director
John LavigneJohn Lavigne has been involved in theatre, both on and off stage since his High School days, many, many years ago. He graduated from NYU with a Masters in Educational Theatre and started working at Edward R Murrow HS in the fall 2015. Since that time he has worked on 18 shows with the amazing students of the Theatre Program, designing and building sets, lights, and sound with the dedicated Tech Crew team. Prior to working at Murrow, John has been a designer, TD and Carpenter for Off-B'way and Off-Off B'way productions. He is also the Tech Director for Wombat Theatre Co, which he founded with a group of friends and colleagues from NYU. John is so proud of the outstanding cast and crew! Break Legs, everyone!
Assistant Director
Connor HerskowitzCONNOR HERSKOWITZ (ASSISTANT DIRECTOR) is a Senior at Murrow. He is a member of Murrow’s Screened Theater Program and has performed in previous productions of “As You Like It”, “Legally Blonde”, and “Agatha Christie Made Me Do It”, as well as the English Speaking Union’s yearly Shakespeare Competitions. This is his first time Assistant Directing. Outside of school, he participates in community service organizations and helps organize various social justice projects. When not undertaking larger academic or social activities, Connor spends his time reading and learning new instruments. He hopes that you enjoy Beyond Therapy!
Assistant Director
Cora ClumCORA CLUM is a Senior and is a member of The Screened Theater Program. This is her first Murrow production. Outside of school, they have interned at an Art gallery and assisted with writing and directing a musical alongside the Brooklyn Children's Theater.
Production Assistant
Ben ForniBEN FORNI is a senior in the screened theatre program at Murrow. He has performed as Pickering in “My Fair lady” and was in the ensemble for both “South Pacific” and “Legally Blonde”. He has also been a part of “Sing” since he was a freshman. He has also been part of senior choirs and was part of the “Acafellas”. Outside of Murrow he has done performances and concerts in his middle school. He also has done dance shows with his dance studio “Dance Force Academy”. He hopes that he can continue his love for the performing arts in college next year.
Original Creative Team
“Beyond Therapy” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com.
Christopher Durang (Author)
Christopher Durang's plays include The Idiots Karamazov (coauthored with Albert Innaurato), A History of the American Film (Tony nom.), Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You (Obie Award), Beyond Therapy (off and on Broadway), Baby with the Bathwater, The Marriage of Bette and Boo (Obie's for playwriting, Jerry Zaks' directing, ensemble acting; Dramatists Guild Hull Warriner Award), Laughing Wild, For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls, Betty's Summer Vacation (Obie's for playwriting, Nicholas Martin's directing, Kristine Nielsen), Miss Witherspoon (2005 Pulitzer finalist), Why Torture is Wrong and the People Who Love Them and Vonya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (2013 Tony Award for Best Play). Cabaret: Das Lusitania Songspiel, coauthored and performed by Sigourney Weaver and Durang (Drama Desk nominations for both performers); Chris Durang and Dawne (Bistro Award for Durang and cohorts John Augustine and Sherry Anderson). He won the Harvard Arts Medal, the PEN/Laura Pels Award for a Master American Dramatist; recently inducted in the Theatre Hall of Fame. For 18 years he and Marsha Norman have been co-chairs of the Juilliard Playwriting Program. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild Council.
