Hope and Gravity by Michael Hollinger
Season 19
About the Play
Nine lives entangle in delightfully surprising and comical ways when an elevator crashes in a major American city. Michael Hollinger’s comedy is a reminder that there are only a few degrees of separation between all of us.
“Hope and Gravity” is a puzzle play that touches on love, sex and the tenderness that lies just beneath the surface of our interconnected relationships.
“Some of the scenes are laugh-out-loud funny; others are tenderly poignant.” — Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
“There’s a thrill in chasing this plot — it’s always tantalizingly ahead of you. The thrill extends to witnessing five actors, some in dual roles, as they lay out this story that happens in the past, or sometimes in the future, yet also in the present.” — WHYY Philadelphia
Venues
The Savoy Denver
The Nomad Playhouse, Boulder
Schedule
The Savoy Denver
Thursday, Jan. 23, 7:30 pm (Preview)
Friday, Jan. 24, 7:30 pm (Preview)
Saturday, Jan. 25, 7:30 pm (Opening)
Sunday, Jan. 26, 2:00 pm
Thursday, Jan. 30, 7:30 pm
Friday, Jan. 31, 7:30 pm
Saturday, Feb. 1, 7:30 pm
Sunday, Feb. 2, 2:00pm
Thursday, Feb. 6, 7:30 pm
Friday, Feb 7, 7:30 pm
Saturday, Feb 8, 7:30 pm
Sunday, Feb. 9, 2:00 pm
Thursday, Feb. 13, 7:30 pm
Friday, Feb 14, 7:30 pm
Saturday, Feb 15, 7:30 pm
Sunday, Feb. 16, 2:00 pm
The Nomad Playhouse, Boulder
Thursday, Feb. 20, 7:30pm — recently added
Friday, Feb. 21, 7:30 pm (Opening)
Saturday, Feb. 22, 2:00 pm
Saturday, Feb. 22, 7:30 pm
Sunday, Feb. 23, 2:00 pm
CAST
Bekah-Lynn Broas (she/her) (JILL/BARB) has been a San Francisco based actor for the last four years and is excited to be back in Denver for this very special show! She completed intensive training at American Conservatory Theater and has since been working at various companies in the Bay Area. Her recent production credits include Something Rotten (Hillbarn Theater); Being Alive (Theatreworks); As You Like It (San Francisco Playhouse); She Loves Me (42nd Street Moon); and The Pennsylvanian (3Girls Theater). Some of her favorite local CO credits include Sound of Music (Fine Arts Center); Sister Act (Pace Center); The Blackout (Littleton Museum); and now, Hope and Gravity! All the love to Daniel, Addie and her SF/CO community. Hope is alive.
Jason Maxwell (PETER/HAL) is pleased to be returning to the BETC stage having last been seen in his BETC debut as Tommy Davis in the regional premiere of the critically acclaimed Coal Country. He is excited for Hope and Gravity to finally hit the stage after much anticipation. He is a proud company member of The Catamounts, and last appeared with them in The Last Night of Red Barker, where he played the title role. Most recently he appeared in A Christmas Carol at Miners Alley Performing Arts Center.
Emma Messenger (NAN/TANYA) last appeared in the Catamounts production of The Last Night of Red Barker. Other regional credits include two seasons at The Arvada Center; Bite Sized (DCPA); Misery (Miners Alley); The Glass Menagerie (Vintage); Hurricane Diane (The Aurora Fox); The Roommate and The Half-Life of Marie Curie (Theatre Silco); The Secretary and The Cake (Curious Theatre); Flame Broiled (Local Theater); Romeo and Juliet and Twelfth Night (The Colorado Shakespeare Festival); Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, I’ll Eat You Last, and The Beauty Queen of Leenane (The Edge). Emma has won the CTG Henry Award for outstanding acting four times and received eight nominations. She is a four-time True West Award-winner and has been honored multiple times by Westword including being awarded Best Season for an Actress.
Michael Morgan (MARTY/DOUGLAS) was most recently seen at Curious Theatre as Breeding in The Minutes. Previous credits include Tim in The Cake and James in Time Stands Still (Curious); Tartuffe in Tartuffe (Arvada Center); Edward in 10 Myths on the Proper Application of Beauty Products (Buntport Theatre); Shag in Equivocation (Colorado Shakespeare Festival); and Midas in Metamorphoses (Aurora Fox). Awards include Denver Post’s 2011 Ovation Award for Best Supporting Actor as Quango Twistleton in Curious’ Homebody/Kabul; Best Year For an Actor, 2018, Westword; and the 2018 True West award for his performance in Benchmark’s The Arsonists.
Matt Zambrano (STEVE) has most recently appeared as Bug Patrón in The King Penny Radio Show, and was the co-writer and director of Holly, Alaska! Other credits include The Santaland Diaries, The Play You Want (virtual reading) (BETC); Pablo in Native Gardens and Friar Tuck in Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood (Creede Rep); The Santaland Diaries, The Liar (DCPA Theatre Company); Sancho in Man of La Mancha (Orlando Rep.); Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare Theater of D.C.); Charlie in The Foreigner (Milwaukee Rep.); Broken Box Mime Theater (Ensemble); Smitty on The Story Pirates: Podcast!. Training: National Theatre Conservatory. www.MattZambrano.com
ARTISTIC TEAM
Tina Anderson (SET DESIGN) Tina’s last designs for BETC are Hope and Gravity, Little Women, What the Constitution Means to Me, Coal Country (True West Award), Eden Prairie,1971, (nominated for a Henry Award) & The Royale. Other credits include Sweeney Todd (Off Square Theatre); Dracula and The Laramie Project (Arvada Center); POTUS and Cullud Wattah (Curious Theatre Company); Heartbeat of the Sun, Headliners, Moon for the Misbegotten (Cherry Creek Theatre); POTUS and Hurricane Diane (Thunder River Theatre Company); The Road to Lethe (Benchmark).
Alexandria Cox (WARDROBE CREW) is in her final Semester at the University of Colorado in Boulder, studying theater. Having worked as a seamstress in the college’s costume shop for 2 years, she has been able to work on multiple shows with varying clothing styles, including Elizabethan and contemporary. Her first time working as a member of a wardrobe crew was for the play Anon(ymous) by Naomi Lizuka presented by CU Boulder. Alexandria is ecstatic to put her skills to the test and be a part of the crew for this play.
Josh Hartwell (DIRECTOR) is an Artistic Company Member at Curious Theatre Company, and an Ensemble Member at Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company (BETC). Directing credits include HIR and 39 Steps (Miners Alley); Grounded and Ghost-Writer (BETC); and Casa Valentina, I’ll Eat You Last, and The Motherf*cker With the Hat (Edge Theater Company). He also wrote and directed the immersive play The Estate Sale (Catamounts). An award-winning and internationally produced playwright, Hartwell earned feature film and Off-Broadway contracts with Starry Night Entertainment with his play Contrived Ending (Ovation Award and Henry Award nominees). His The DEVOlution Revolution, is a wild jukebox musical/sci-fi/comedy honoring songs and philosophies of the beloved 1980s new wave band, DEVO. Hartwell was Colorado’s first Regional Representative for the Dramatists Guild, and a two-time finalist for The O’Neill Festival’s New Play Conference.
Katie Hopwood (PROPERTIES DESIGN) is excited to be working with BETC again! Her prop work was most recently featured in BETC performances Enemy of the People, Holly, Alaska!, The Children, The Royale, Eden Prairie, 1971, and the touring truck shows- Amelia’s Big Idea and Dorothy’s Dictionary. She graduated from Salisbury University with a degree in Theatre Production and loves showing her creative side through prop design. She looks forward to working on more productions in the community!
Hannah Iverson (ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER), is a recent CU Theatre & Dance graduate with a BFA in Stage Management. This is her first show with BETC and she is thrilled to join the team! Select credits include Play That Goes Wrong, Red, The Winter's Tale, and Heathers, along with a season at the Aspen Music Festival. Her proudest achievement is working as the Production Manager for Sandbox, CU’s resident student series. Hannah would like to thank her friends, family, and the BETC team for being so wonderful.
Alexandra Ligh (COSTUME DESIGN) is pleased to return for her fourth show with BETC! She previously designed the costumes for The Ballot of Paola Aguilar and served as an ASM for The Royale and Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson, Apt 2B. Her costume design credits also include Miss Holmes (Phamaly Theatre Company); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Mary Moody Northen Theatre); and Pipeline (Spectrum Theatre Company). Alexandra would like to thank her boyfriend, Gilberto, and her 4-legged design assistant, Cleo, for their continued support.
Rowan Livengood (SOUND DESIGN) is a local sound designer, proud to be rejoining BETC, after their work on Enemy of The People, ASMing for Coal Country, Eden Prairie, 1971, Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson, Apt. 2B, The Royale, and The Children and working as an audio engineer for King Penny Golden Radio Show. Rowan has just finished his second season at Colorado Shakespeare Festival as their sound engineer. A music lover and all around creative individual, Rowan is constantly raising the bar for himself and his craft.
Jon Olson (LIGHTING DESIGN) Hope & Gravity marks Jon’s first collaboration with BETC. Jon has been a regular fixture at the Arvada Center for twenty years where he serves as the Lighting Director. He has previously received Henry Award Nominations for his work on The Drowning Girls and Educating Rita (Arvada Center). Other design credits include Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really; The Laramie Project, Animal Farm, Sylvia, Plaza Suite, Blithe Spirit, All My Sons, The Moors, the world premier of I’ll be Home for Christmas, and the regional premier of Trav’lin The 1930’s Harlem Musical (Arvada Center).
Wessie Simmons (STAGE MANAGER) is a Denver based Stage Manager. Her credits include: Special Projects Stage Manager (Aspen Summer Music Festival and School 2024); What the Constitution Means to Me, Love Letters, Holly Alaska (World Premiere), Coal Country (Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company); FEED: Dry, Impossible Things (The Catamounts); Suessical (Performance Now); King Lear, Much Ado About Nothing, Book of Will, Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Alchemist (Colorado Shakespeare Festival). Training: B.F.A in Stage Management from the University of Colorado Boulder.
