THIS PRODUCTION IS

DEDICATED IN MEMORY OF
Benjamin Colquett Reddick
Feb 3, 1965 - Sept 4, 2022

Brother of Caroline Reddick Lawson

 STAFF / BOARD
STAFF BOARD
Artistic Director President/Founder
Caroline Reddick Lawson Caroline Reddick Lawson

Managing Director Vice-President/Founder

Rebecca Lovett Emily J. Richard

Assoc. Artistic Director Vice-President

Amy S. Green Amy S. Green

Literary Curator Treasurer

Jacqueline Trimble Lil Martin

Literary Curator Secretary

Sharon Friedman Rebecca Lovett

Business Manager Jacqueline Trimble

Lil Martin
ADVISORY BOARD
Camilla Armstrong
Alexandra Bonesho Kathleen Chalfant
Phadra Foster Veronica Claypool
Annie Gunter Marsha Guthrie Folsom
Leisa Johnson Fredda Harris
Chelsei Martin Deb Margolin
Leigh Owen Catherine McLemore
Susie Paul Laura McLemore
Annie Ramsey James C. Nicola
Mariah Reilly William Russo
Susan Samuel Robin Lawson Scheuer
Barbara Drum Sullivan
Jacqueline Viskup
Kwan White
 ABOUT THE COMPANY
Named for the heroine of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, Nora’s
Playhouse is a 501(c)3 women’s theatre collective with an
all-volunteer staff. Founded in New York City in 2009, the company
now has a committed presence in Montgomery, Alabama.

We are devoted to developing and producing women-

centered stories, while increasing professional opportunities for our
fellow women theatre artists both on and off-stage. Women
continue to be under-represented in the positions of director,
playwright, manager, designer and technical staff in theatre. We
want to change that! Nora’s Playhouse dedicates itself to creating
opportunities for women theatre artists of all generations to
collaborate.

“ I had the great good fortune to be part of their

production of Rose. It was one of the most satisfying
experiences of my theatrical life. Nora’s Playhouse is a
company with heart and soul and a mission to
illuminate the lives of women.”
—Kathleen Chalfant
(Broadway: Angels in America; TV: The Blacklist, The Affair)
 SOME OF
NORA’S PLAYHOUSE’S
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Nora’s Playhouse’s Off-Broadway, world premiere production
of ROSE (starring Kathleen Chalfant and directed by Caroline
Reddick Lawson) was nominated for a Drama Desk Award, an
Outer Critics Circle Award and a United Solo Special Award.

• Nora’s Playhouse’s critically acclaimed, world premiere

production of Catherine Filloux’s whatdoesfreemean? (starring
Lisa Strum - Regional: Sweat, Pipeline, Skeleton Crew; TV: Law &
Order: SVU - and directed by Amy S. Green) was nominated for
a 2019 New York Innovative Theatre Award.

• Nora’s Playhouse’s collaborated with The Cloverdale Playhouse

in Montgomery, AL for a production of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.

• The Nora Project has had two very successful sessions at Lanier
High School in Montgomery, AL, bringing together elder women
and teenage girls to bridge generational and racial divides
through the arts of storytelling and playwriting.

• The Nora Salon, an informal reading series, has thrived for years
in both NYC and Montgomery, showcasing new scripts by
women playwrights and allowing our supporters to take part in
the development process.

• Nora's Playhouse has been fortunate to receive funding from

The Puffin Foundation, the Anna L. Weissberger Foundation, the
Leonore Foundation, and the Alabama State Council on the
Arts in support of our programming for women theatre artists.

follow us

www.norasplayhouse.org

@norasplayhouse
 A NOTE FROM
THE PLAYWRIGHT
You've come to see my play. Thank you. This is personal.
A mix of experience and imagination drove me to begin
writing this play nearly 10 years ago. Addiction and
alcoholism affect me and my family every day, though
thankfully in more little ways than big, most of the time.
We are not alone in this struggle. And we continue to
learn how to live our best lives. Hiding our heartache doesn't
lessen the pain. Punishing those who are ill results in nothing
but shame.

I have had committed and heartfelt support from Nora's

Playhouse in getting this play off the page and onto the
stage, from Caroline Reddick Lawson in particular. And I am
beyond grateful to these five actors for bringing my
characters alive for the first time, and to all those who've
helped to make this production possible. Wow. Thank you.

Martha Pichey
Playwright
 PRESENTS

ASHES & INK Written By

Martha Pichey
Directed By

Caroline Reddick Lawson

with
Michael Buchanan, Meghan Yapana Ducote,
Chason Marvin, Marian Reilly, Austin Wendell

Scenic Designer
Rita Pearson-Dailey

Costume/Props Designer
Katie Pearson

Lighting Designer
Emily Aveldanez

Sound Designer
Robert Shimp

Asst. Sound Designer

Kate Harrington

Ashes & Ink is produced by special arrangement with the Playwright. Ashes & Ink was
developed with the support of Nora’s Playhouse. Nora’s Playhouse, Inc. is a not-for-profit,
tax-exempt,501(c)(3) organization. For more information about Nora’s Playhouse, please visit
www.norasplayhouse.org.

This production of Ashes & Ink is made possible in part by a grant

from the Alabama State Council on the arts.
 CAST
Molly...................................................................Mariah Reilly
Quinn..............................................................Chason Marvin
Leo...........................................................Michael Buchanan
Bree..............................................Meghan Yapana Ducote
Felix.................................................................Austin Wendell

SETTING
The play takes place in Molly’s city apartment and
Leo’s country house.

There will be a 10 minute intermission

 PLAYWRIGHT
Martha Pichey is a playwright who began her
career in journalism, writing for publications
such as Travel & Leisure and Vanity Fair. She is
a member of the Playwrights/Directors
Workshop at The Actors Studio, and women’s
writing collective, The Beehive. Ashes & Ink is
her first play, a semi-finalist for The O’Neill
Conference. Its development has had
support from the John Drew Theater Lab at
Guild Hall in East Hampton, and a residency
at SPACE on Ryder Farm.

DIRECTOR
Caroline Reddick Lawson is a Founder and
Artistic Director of Nora’s Playhouse. After
teaching high school theatre for years in
Alabama and in NYC, she retired from teach-
ing at the Booker T. Washington Magnet
School for the Arts in Montgomery, Alabama.
From 2008-2010, she worked as the Director of
Education for New York Theatre Workshop,
where she created the Mind the Gap Program.
After moving back to her home state of
Alabama, she implemented an intergenera-
tional playwrighting program in Montgomery
similar to Mind the Gap, called The Nora
Project: Women Write.

Her New York directing credits include ROSE, starring Kathleen Chalfant
Off-Broadway at The Clurman Theatre, which received nominations for a
Drama Desk Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award and a United Solo
Special Award. She directed Yasmine Rana’s The Fallen at NYU Gallatin’s
Labowitz Theatre, Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House at Wing’s Theatre, Rana’s
The War Zone Is My Bed at the Looking Glass Theatre and Vol de Nuit. In
Montgomery she directed, in collaboration between Cloverdale
Playhouse and Nora’s Playhouse, A Doll’s House at CPH.
 A NOTE FROM
THE DIRECTOR
I knew I wanted to direct Martha Pichey’s Ashes & Ink
from the first time I read an early version of the script almost
seven years ago. I recognized the story’s authenticity and
knew I wanted Nora’s Playhouse to produce the play. As the
theatre process goes with new plays, especially when you
throw in two years of a pandemic, it’s taken us until 2022 to
bring it to the stage. But as providence would have it, the
play is more timely now than ever.

Coming out of the pandemic, we are facing issues about

mental health and addiction front and center in the news
and in many of our families. On Sept. 4, only days ago, my
beloved 57-year-old brother Ben Reddick died from liver
failure brought on by alcoholism. He was high-functioning
and quiet in his drinking, so we, his family, didn’t realize he
was in trouble until it was too late. What I have learned
through the years is that every family is touched at some
point, in some way, by addiction.

It is a privilege to be bringing this beautiful and honest

play to the stage for the first time and to be doing it in
Montgomery. I am so grateful to Martha for trusting me with
her story and to our wonderful cast for giving their all to
bringing Molly, Quinn, Leo, Felix and Bree to life.

I also give a big thanks to Trudy Mass, our General

Manager, who has been invaluable in every way and to the
designers and production team for their many creative
contributions to telling this story. Stage Managers, Leigh and
Cathy, I am so grateful that you make everything run
smoothly!

I look forward to the conversations this play will spark.

They are important.

Caroline Reddick Lawson

Artistic Director/Founder
 WHO'S WHO
MARIAH REILLY (Molly) is thrilled to be a part of this world
premiere production. She studied theatre at
Huntingdon College and has been acting for many
years. Her favorite roles have been Elvira in Blithe Spirit
and Maggie in dancing at Lughnasa. She would like to
thank her friends and family for their generosity of time
and support.

CHASON MARVIN (Quinn) I began acting in freshman

year and haven’t stopped since. I attended Southern
Union for training and am enrolled in AUM to train more
in my craft. I plan to make acting my career. Recently I
performed in A Lesson Before Dying at Cloverdale
Playhouse. I’m honored to be a part of this production!

MICHAEL BUCHANAN (Leo) is honored to be a part of

Nora’s Playhouse and the premiere of this honest and
heartfelt play. He first worked with Caroline Reddick
Lawson and Mariah Reilly in a production of A Doll’s
House at Cloverdale Playhouse. His favorite roles
include Max, the faithful lover to a married homicide
suspect in  Dial M for Murder, Seymour, the
disadvantaged florist’s assistant whose ambitions lead
him to murder in Little Shop of Horrors, and perhaps his favorite as the ruthless
blackmailer Nils Krogstad in A Doll’s House. Michael’s first appearance in
community theater was a production of Biloxi Blues portraying the ever
complaining Arnold Epstein. He currently works as Event Coordinator at the
Alabama Shakespeare Festival.
 WHO'S WHO
MEGHAN YAPANA DUCOTE (Bree) is a Theatre
graduate from Alabama State University. Has
appeared in various productions across the River
Region. A few of her memorable roles are
Desdemona in Othello, Fairy May in The Curious
Savage, and Tituba in The Crucible. Thankful for
the support of my husband, daughter, and family
for encouraging me to return to the stage. And a
BIG thank you to Caroline, Martha, and Nora’s Playhouse for the
opportunity to bring Bree to life on stage for the first time.

AUSTIN WENDELL (Felix) is a naturally inquisitive

youngster, which makes this part his perfect debut
on the professional stage. He’s ten and in the fifth
grade at St. Bede Elementary School. This past
summer he attended camp at the Alabama
Shakespeare Festival, which sparked his love for
theater. He can’t wait to share his talent and
excitement for this play with you from the stage!

ADDITIONAL BIOS CAN BE FOUND

ON THE NORA'S PLAYHOUSE WEBSITE AT:
NorasPlayhouse.org/ashes-and-ink/the-team
 PRODUCTION TEAM
DIRECTOR...........................................................................Caroline Reddick Lawson

PLAYWRIGHT.........................................................................................Martha Pichey

DRAMATURGS...........................................................Amy Green and Jackie Trimble

SCENIC DESIGNER........................................................................Rita Pearson-Dailey

LIGHTING DESIGNER..........................................................................Emily Aveldanez

SOUND DESIGNER...................................................................................Robert Shimp

ASST. SOUND DESIGNER.....................................................................Kate Harrington

COSTUME/PROPS DESIGNER.................................................................Katie Pearson

SCENIC ARTISTS...................................................................................Kate Harrington

Rebecca Dail
Kai Pozgay
Jacob Tidwell
Kathryn Peason

CARPENTERS...........................................................................................Jacob Tidwell
Jason Mass
Ken Shaw

GENERAL MANAGER.....................................................................Trudy Paxton-Mass

STAGE MANAGER.....................................................................................Leigh Owen

ASST. STAGE MANAGER.........................................................................Cathy Ranieri

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR...........................................................................Nana Waldrip

LIGHT BOARD OP................................................................................Kate Harrington

SOUND BOARD OP.............................................................................Kate Harrington

PHOTOGRAPHER.....................................................................................Emily Thomas

TREASURER.......................................................................................................Lil Martin

GRAPHIC DESIGNER..........................................................................Chelsea Joffrion

PUBLICIST................................................................................................Katie Pearson

SOCIAL MEDIA REP................................................................................Chelsei Martin

 SPECIAL THANKS
1206 Designs

Alabama Shakespeare Festival

Alabama Council on the Arts

Brittany Batten

Blurr Ink

BTW High School Technical Theatre Students

Cloverdale Playhouse

Josh Davenport

J. Scott Grinstead

Thomas Lawson, Jr.

Rose, Robin and Tom Lawson and families

Mike Mann

Montgomery Performing Arts Center

Ogre

The Readettes

Sarah Spratling

Special Event Lighting

St. John’s Episcopal Church

Theatre Auburn University in Montgomery

John Tompkins
 PAST PERFORMANCES
October 2018: May 2010/June 2011/July 2012:
Ashes & Ink by Martha Pichey (stage The Fallen by Yasmine Beverly Rana
reading – debut of Nora’s Salon South) (stage reading/world premiere produc-
April 2016/November 2016/July 2018: tion at Jerry H. Labowitz Theatre, NYC)
whatdoesfreemean? by Catherine May 2012:
Filloux (developmental reading/edu- Refrigerator Mother by Alessandra
cational reading/world premiere Hirsch (stage reading)
production at The Tank, NYC) May 2011:
February 2018: Blood Sky, Paradise, and Returning by
A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen (co-pro- Yasmine Beverly Rana (stage reading)
duction with Cloverdale Playhouse, October 2010:
Montgomery, AL) Naturalized Woman by Dominica
August 2016: Radulescu (stage reading)
Rehearsing Desire by Suzanne Trauth January 2010/May 2010:
(stage reading) From Trinity to Trinity original story by
May 2014/November-December 2015: Kyoko Hayashi, English translation by
Rose by Laurence Leamer (stage Eiko Otake, dramatic adaptation by
reading/world premiere production at Nora’s Playhouse (developmental
Theatre Row, NYC) reading/stage reading)
May 2015: March 2010:
Wash, Dry, Fold by Nedra Pezold Winter Flowers by Lily Rusek (stage
Roberts (stage reading) reading)
February 2015: March 2010:
Françoise by Suzanne Trauth (stage The Game by Natalie Bates (stage
reading) reading)
June 2013: October 2009:
The Girl Who Would Be King by Jan Leonard’s Car by Isabella Ides (stage
O’Connor (stage reading) reading)

DONATE
To donate by credit card via PayPal, visit:
NorasPlayhouse.org/donate
To donate by check, make your payable to Nora’s Playhouse and mail to:
P.O. Box 21597, Brooklyn, NY 11202

Every donation helps us to create opportunities for women theatre artists of all
generations to tell women’s stories in a collaborative process that focuses on
human rights, female empowerment, and breaking restrictive or negative
stereotypes of women. Thank you for your support!

Nora’s Playhouse is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) theatre company. Contributions made to

Nora’s Playhouse are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
 G R A P HNI EC R
DESIG
[email protected]
Chelsea Joffrion| 205.427.1748|
EATI VI TY YO U HAVE BE EN LOOKING FOR
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THE CR

The mission of the Alabama State

Council on the Arts is to enhance the
quality of life and economic vitality for
all Alabamians by providing support
for the state’s diverse and rich artistic
resources.

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