presents

November 13 - December 12, 2010

Theatre of NOTE1517 N. Cahuenga Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 90028

Written byLuis Arturo Reyes

Directed by

David Watkins, Jr.

EXECUTIVE Produced by Luis Reyes

lighting designerMatt Richter

SOUND DESIGNerCricket Myers

Production/set DESIGNERDavid Mauer

PROJECTION DESIGNERSteven Calcote

ORIGINAL MUSIC Russell Wiener

Off-Chance Productions presents

the limitations of genetic

technology

STAGE MANAGER Kristen Hammack

COSTUME Designer Lauren Thomas

www.geneticlimitations.comwww.offchanceproductions.info

PHOTOGRAPHER Amy Calcote

Featuring...Ben Fuller, Harmony Goodman*, Sarah Lilly*, Kyle Nudo*, Bruno Oliver, Nancy Dobbs Owen*, Skip Pipo, Cathy Diane Tomlin*,

and Jeffrey Wylie. *these Actors are appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association

a note from the playwright

SIGN LANGUAGE CONSULTANT Jody Stevenson

Video Productions Butcher Birds Studios

Associate producers Kristen Hammack, Victoria Watson, Jennifer Weaver

In association with Off-Chance Productions

Producers Steven Calcote, Reena Dutt

This play started out for me as a farce meant to target the Bush Administration’s reactionary policies on stem cell research. But as I wrote more, I found the more interesting subject for me was how, as a society, we all might respond to incredible advances in genetic technology. Sure there are the obvious benefits to medicine - being able to re-create damaged cells in the body. But when offered the possibility to reverse past mistakes, to recapture youth, to design ourselves to look, act and feel specific ways - essentially to become different people - will we do it? Part of what makes us human is the daily struggle to exist, but if we can manipulate that, live carelessly, or deliberately, how will we define ourselves? Look at how something as simple as the cell phone has created a kind of carelessness about remembering the numbers of friends, or writing down directions somewhere. How is your penmanship now that you barely ever use a pen? How has your scheduled changed now that you don’t have to worry about being home for your favorite TV shows? These are simple things, but they do illustrate how technology in our lives creates a kind of careless freedom. What will happen when that careless freedom is applied to the substance of our bodies?

Artist Jiye Shin (Poster Artist) “Starving Child of Africa” (oil on canvas) Courtesy of Charles Dailey, Ribet Academy

castBen Fuller (Ensemble) This is Ben’s second production with Off Chance, first getting the opportunity to work with the group as tormented actor Jason in the inaugural production of Anatomy of a Slap in 2008. Since then, Ben has played in shows as a member of the Edgemar Theater Group, including the original piece You’re on the Air, and as the eccentric Roland Maule in Noel Coward’s Present Laughter. Ben’s work can be seen on the web as well, having worked on the upcoming web series I Hate You So Much, as well as season 2 of Workshop. He’d like to thank the Off Chance team for their continued efforts in bringing original work to the LA stages, and his beautiful girlfriend Sara for her unending support and love.

Harmony Goodman (Haley) has received critical acclaim for her work in Sweeney Todd (Beggar Woman), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Helena Landless), The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (Helen Muir), Angels in America (the Angel – ADA Award nominated, Best Actress), Desdemona: a play about a handkerchief (Desdemona), Chess (Florence), Company (Sarah), and Assassins (Emma Goldman – both of the latter LA Weekly Award nominated). Other credits include Hamlet (Ophelia), The Rover (Florinda), and Mother Courage and Her Children (Yvette). Recently, a short film she produced and acted in, Our Secret, based on a story by Isabel Allende, has been making festival rounds. For Masha and Mom. (AEA/SAG/AFTRA)

Sarah Lilly (Janna) has performed everything from musicals to experimental. She is very proud to have originated the L.A. premieres of Mrs. Potentate in Larry Kramer’s JUST SAY NO and Kitty in Charles Busch’s THE LADY IN QUESTION. This year she was delighted to Margrethe Bohr in COPENHAGEN at the Chandler Stage and in Shakespeare’s TITUS ANDRONICUS as Tamora, the evil Queen of the Goth at NOTEs. She has worked with directors Garry Marshall, Joe Dante, Allan Arkush, Gordon Hunt and Kris Tabori among others. Big screen stuff includes the soon to be released SMASH, and on DVD, VALENTINE’S DAY, GEORGIA RULE, FAILURE TO LAUCH as well as small screen BROTHERS AND SISTERS. Check her out in the cult faves – AMAZON WOMEN ON THE MOON, EATING OUT 2: SLOPPY SECONDS and THE MANGLER REBORN.

Kyle Nudo (York/Tempspring) hails originally from the St. Louis area, and has the serendipity to have performed plays and musicals in nearly all 50 states, and in many of the nation’s most beautiful and famous theatres throughout his touring travels. American

audiences have seen some of Kyle’s favorite performances in past theatre productions such as the just-out-of-reach and charming Steve in the hit original musical Internet Dating – The Musical and of course “the ultimate Rock n’ Roll icon and ambassador to the beyond Father Time in the hugely successful Evel Knievel the Rock Opera, El Gallo in The Fantasticks, Scapin in Moliere’s Scapin (The Scams of Scapin), Mark in A Chorus Line, Tom Sawyer in Big River, Jack in Into the Woods, and Robert in Sondheim’s Company, a performance that prompted musical theatre legend, Robert Morse to remark: “I’ve finally seen it done right”. Never to be pigeon-holed, Kyle recently served the Kaiser by leading a heroic, yet ill-fated assault in the George Clooney-helmed feature, Leatherheads. Kyle also starred in and co-wrote and co-developed the independent feature, The Wicksboro Incident – ask for it at a video store near you, or put it in your Netflix cue! Kyle has been seen lately in various national commercials, Jimmy Kimmel’s Emmy Pre-Show: Big Night of Stars with Salma Hayek, and chewing the scenery on the NBC soap opera, Passions! you might still be able to watch Kyle nimbly maneuvering a giant hamster-ball in Petco’s “Kritter Krawler” spot. Additionally, Kyle holds a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from Millikin University, and is a founder of The Culver City Public Theatre. During his stint with The Culver City Public Theatre, Kyle’s wide interests found him producing six full seasons of mainstage productions featuring classical theatre ranging from Shakespeare to Goldoni and from Gogol to Moliere. He served multiple terms on the Culver City Public Theatre Board of Directors, and multiple terms as Chairman of the Executive Board. He recently developed The Public’s Children’s Popcorn Theatre series, and directed the wildly successful inaugural production of the Brothers Grimm classic Rumplestiltskin. Visit Kyle on the web at www.kylenudo.com.

Bruno Oliver (Lips) is thrilled to work with Off-Chance again after Guest Starring as “Big” in the web series “Real Girls Guide to Everything Else”. Theatre In L.A.: With Sacred Fools: Poona, the Fuckdog: Dracula, A Musical Nightmare; Grimm (LA Weekly Award Best Actor); Timon of Athens; Slow & Tight 2; and numerous Serial Killers, Crime Scene, and Fast and Loose. With Zoo District: The Taming of the Shrew; The Master and Margarita. At I.C.T.: A Servant to Two Masters (Garland Award). Regional Theater: Seasons with the Utah and Wisconsin Shakespeare Festivals.; The Salvation of Iggy Scrooge (Empty Space-Seattle) & various productions in (hometown) Chicago. TV: The Office; Modern Family; House, MD; Party Down, Mad Men, Brothers and Sisters….and more. Film: Various indies and too many shorts. Bruno is also a teacher, coach and acting career consultant. Need more? Then visit www.BrunoOliver.com .

Nancy Dobbs Owen (Ensemble) is an all around performer and dancer. She has danced both nationally and regionally with ballet and modern companies and as Meg in the National Tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera. Regional theater includes American Musical Theatre of San Jose, The Magic Theater, 42nd St. Moon, and Berkeley Opera. LA theater includes appearances at The Alex Theater, The Hudson Theater and as Lucy in the Production Company’s critically acclaimed Sweeney Todd. LA choreography includes Skeleton Stories at Theatre of Note, Assassins with Sight Unseen Theatre, M. Butterfly and Sweeney Todd at the Production Company and additional choreography for I’d Rather Be Right at the Hudson Theater. She also works with many schools on their musicals and show choirs. Nancy has appeared in numerous independent films and several national commercials. She is looking forward to that first TV appearance! She holds a BA from UC Irvine and is a sought after dance teacher, on the faculty at the Performing Arts Center in Van Nuys, Gabriela Charter School, and Centre Stage Dance LA. Nancy recently completed the Teacher Artist Training Program through the Music Center and is looking forward to bringing dance into even more public schools in Southern California. A proud member of AEA, SAG and AFTRA. www.nancydobbsowen.com

Skip Pipo (Ensemble) Skip’s stage credits include the physicist Werner Heisenberg in “Copenhagen” (StagesceneLA winner), “How I Learned to Drive”, “Mrs. Warren’s Profession” (LA Weekly nominee), LADCC award winning “Equus”, and the critically

acclaimed “Bug”. Film/TV work includes the show “Reasonable Doubt”, the new film “Poker Run” and numerous commercials. Thanks to all involved with “Limitations of Genetic Technology” for this great opportunity.

Cathy Diane Tomlin (Ensemble) recently moved to Los Angeles from NYC and is a new company member of Theatre 40 (Beverly Hills). Selected credits include – Theater: The Encounter (The TRE Stage & Luna Playhouse/Los Angeles), Sapphire’s Kiss (Algonquin Theatre/NYC), Savage/Love (NADA Theatre/NYC), Manhattan Zip (Miranda Theatre/NYC), The Lunch (Inner-Space Theatre/NYC), Flesh Tone (Here Theatre/NYC), Funny Girl (Carousel Dinner Theatre/Akron, OH); Film: Michael Clayton (principal, opposite George Clooney), It’s A Girl (lead – Janie), Celestial Navigation (lead – Celeste); TV: As The World Turns, All My Children, One Life To Live. AEA, SAG, AFTRA. www.cathydianetomlin.net

Jeffrey Wylie (Joseph Keener) Enjoying his fortieth year on the stage, some of Jeffrey’s favorite shows include Look Homeward, Angel (Eugene), Talley & Son (Timmy), Little Black Veil (Happy), The Fantasticks (Matt), Beyond Therapy (Andrew), Go Aks Alice (Marcie), I’m Your Girl (Mantello), Hotel Paradisio (Emilio), and of course the five years he played Skip Tumehlou in the improv sit-com The Plush Life, at Mr. Dan’s legendary Cavern Club Celebrity Theater. Screen appearances include Terror of the Bermuda Triangle, Bloodlust of the Violated, and Homewrecker Houseboy (series). He has also produced & directed half a dozen short films, including Krazy Girls! (Outfest Best Short), and greatly enjoys producing (Tulips, Sledge) and DP-ing (Homewrecker Houseboy, Superfag) for other directors. Outside of the theater and production worlds, Jeffrey has managed Akbar in Silver Lake for over a decade, and was the founding owner of The Kitchen restaurant next door.

Luis Arturo Reyes (Playwright/Executive Producer) - Writer/Producer Luis Reyes has been involved with narrative media for 15 years. After graduating from UCLA with a BA in Theater Arts, Luis worked extensively with Lost Dog Productions, The Coop Theater Company and several independent theater outlets before becoming one of the co-founders of Off-Chance Productions in 2008. He has spent 6 years as a Senior Editor for graphic novels at Tokyopop, as well as 2 years as an Associate Producer for video games with Nexon America, Inc. For over ten years, Luis has been a theater contributor to the LA Weekly as well as a producer for their annual small theater awards show. Most recently he has been invited to be the head writer on the web series Action Figures, which will premiere sometime early next year. Limitations marks Luis’ first full-length solo playwrighting effort in ten years.

David Watkins, Jr. (Director) is a Los Angeles-based director and writer. He graduated from the theater program at University of Iowa before studying acting at William Esper Studio and dircting at Circle Rep Lab. David has directed plays in Los Angeles at CalArts, The Ark, Celebration Theatre, The Black Box and The Complex. His work can be seen on stage this September in Meditations: Eva Hesse at Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica. David is a founding member at Fierce Backbone, a company dedicated to developing new dramatic works for the stage. He serves there as Head of the Directors Unit. David enjoys teaching acting and writing to students of all ages. When not doing things theater, David practices his love for video in his day job as a Digital Media Analyst at the RAND Corporation.

Steven Calcote (Projection Designer/Producer) specializes in the use of new technologies for innovative storytelling. Based in Los Angeles, he divides time between projects for filmmakers’ collaborative Butcher Bird Studios (www.butcherbirdstudios.com) and Off-Chance Productions. His past work includes an award-winning interactive online mini-series for Adidas in Asia, a popular series of animated shorts for Myspace TV, and a series of viral spots for Sega.

DIRECTING/Producing Team

Reena Dutt (Assistant Director/Producer) Producing: 2010 Hollywood Fringe Festival NOTE Theatre Panel Discussions, NYC International Fringe Festival production of White Cotton (1999), That Takes Ovaries! Ovaries and Coffee(LA), Asian Pacific Women’s Center fundraising event @ Disney Concert Hall, Uterock Night @ The Gig-Hollywood; Disha Theatre @ The Lark (NYC), Theatre of NOTE(Ovation, LA Weekly and GLAAD Award nominated), Off-Chance Productions, Shetani Films, Red Dirt Productions; Acting: Theatre NYC: SlamDance, MCC, Ars Nova, The National Asian American Theatre Company, HERE Arts Center, Miller Theatre, New York Fringe Festival; Theatre LA: Furious Theatre Company, Mark Taper Forum’s New Works Festival, East West Players, Will and Company, The Cherry Orchard (S/R) @ The Matrix Theatre, Suburbia @ Company of Angels, Eyemouth Graffiti Bodyshop, The Holy Mother of Hadley, NY, Titus Andronicus, and Holy Ghost @ Theatre of NOTE. Film: Troublemaker, Fillumstar: The Peter Patel Story ,Looking For Comedy In The Muslim World, Ways Of The Flesh. Television: Medium (NBC), Out Of Practice (CBS), Criminal Minds (CBS); Web: The Real Girl’s Guide to Everything Else;Training: William Esper Studio (NYC); Membership: SAG, Theatre of NOTE. Reena is a Co-Founder of Off-Chance Productions, Associate Producer on the award winning web-series, The Real Girls Guide to Everything Else. www.ReenaDutt.com.

Victoria Watson (Associate Producer) began life as an actor…and then she grew up. She has Produced, managed, or simply swept floors on about a hundred productions at this point, and learned something from all of them. She is currently the Operations Manager at Pasadena Playhouse, and is thrilled to be working with the Off-Chance team again. On occasion, she still gets to work on the odd film or webseries, but really is just excited to prove to her beloved Adam that yes, theater can occasionally create a paycheck.

Jennifer Weaver (Associate Producer) Jennifer Weaver is a founder of Off-Chance Productions, acts around town in films, television, and commercials and loves peanut butter. She plays “Liz” in Off-Chance’s “The Real Girl’s Guide to Everything Else” web series, is on it’s producing team, and is also a proud member of Theatre of NOTE. Recently, she has had the pleasure of doing back-up singing for the amazing Doña Oxford and her fabulous band. Jen is a believer in this play and Luis Reyes’ astounding ability to use S.A.T. words in regular conversation.

Kristen Hammack (Stage Manager/Associate Producer)A recent graduate from California State University - San Bernardino, Kristen is taking over the stage management world here in LA one production at a time.Kristen would like to thank Off-Chance productions for the opportunity to work with an amazing cast, design and production team. She would also like to thank her family and friends for their undying support over the years. To the Dash!

David Mauer (Production and Set Designer) David Mauer is the Technical Director of Rogue Machine Theatre and a freelance designer/TD. Recent design work includes “Orpheus Descending” at Theatre/Theater, “The Philadelphia Story” at Actors’ Co-op and the special effects for “Yard Sale Signs.” He is thrilled to be working with such a fantastic group. Love to his wife, Amanda.

Cricket Myers (Sound Designer) Off-Broadway: Marvelous Wonderettes (Westside Arts Upstairs). Regional Theater: The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Ovation Nomination), Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, The Subject was Roses, School of Night, Nightingale (Mark Taper Forum); The Wake, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (Ovation Nomination), The Little Dog Laughed (Ovation Nomination), Two Unrelated Plays, Come Back Little Sheba (Kirk Douglas Theater); In The Wake, (Berkeley Rep); Wrecks, Some Girl(s) and Emergency (Ovation Nomination, NAACP Nomination) (Geffen Playhouse);

Crowns, Orson’s Shadow (Pasadena Playhouse); Life Could be a Dream, Marvelous Wonderettes, Winter Wonderettes (Laguna Playhouse); Dinner with Friends (La Mirada Theater). Selected LA designs include: Cousin Bette (Ovation Nomination) (Antaeus Theater Company); Life Could be a Dream (Hudson Theater); dark play or stories for boys (Garland Award, Ovation Nomination) (Boston Court); Norman’s Ark (Ovation Nomination) (Ford Amphitheater); Battle Hymn (Ovation Nomination) (Circle X); Home Siege Home (Ghost Road); bobrauchenbergamerica (Spy Ants); Bacchae (Ovation Nomination), Stupid Kids (Celebration Theater); Grace and Glorie (Ovation Nomination), Free Man of Color, Better Angels, Mary’s Wedding (Ovation Nomination), Master Harold and the boys (NAACP Nomination), Trying (Ovation Nomination) (Colony Theater); Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Ovation Nomination) (Rubicon Theater); Hunter Gatherers, Impending Rupture of the Belly, Back of the Throat (Furious Theater). Cricket was a finalist for the TCG/NEA Career Development Grant, and was named a “Young Designer to Watch” by Live Design magazine, April ‘07, and an “Artist to Watch” by LA Stage Magazine, Sept ‘07. www.cricketsmyers.com

Matt Richter (Lighting Designer) is an award nominated lighting designer based in Los Angeles. Recent productions include “Skeleton Stories” for Theatre of NOTE, “Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse 5” for Action! Theatre Company, “The Forbidden Zone: Live in the 6th Dimension” and “Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom”, both for Sacred Fools, and “Lenny’s Back (And Boy is He Pissed)” for Theatre 68. He previously designed “Grand Guignol: Absinthe, Opium and Magic”, both at Art/Works theatre and The Actor’s Gang, “Kill Me, Deadly” for NOTE, and “The Happy End” at Highways Performance Space. Matt also was honored to design the world premiere production of “The Devil Has A Sister” for TheatRevelation at the Melkweg Theatre in Amsterdam. Matt additionally serves as half of the ambient experimental folk duo, Lanfair Field. Love and thanks to RSS.

Lauren Thomas (Costumer Designer) studied apparel design at the University of North Carolina and abroad in London where she developed a fascination with costume design and theater. Since graduating, Lauren has worked with a wide variety of theatrical and independent film productions. Lauren is also part-owner of a new fashion line named F.R.E.E. for which she reuses fabrics to create new designs. She is excited to work again with Theatre of Note. Her most recent production with the company was Skeleton Stories. Lauren would like to thank her family back in North Carolina for their unending support.Design team

About Off-Chance ProductionsOff-Chance Productions is a creative media collective committed to guiding, developing and

producing the work of artists. Our aim is to encourage, inspire and challenge individuals to form thought-provocative, innovative, and dynamic talents.

The collective is dedicated to breaking new ground in the processes of writing, designing, performing and storytelling, offering audiences intellectually and emotionally stimulating pieces

that will have them coming back for more.

*** www.offchanceproductions.info ***

See Off-Chance’s upcoming projects:

A Reading Series, on off-nights during the run of THE LIMITATIONS OF GENETIC TECHNOLOGY @Theatre of NOTE

(pay what you can - full details at www.geneticlimitations.com)

SATI, a short film - in pre-production www.satithefilm.com

The Real Girls Guide to Everything Else - in pre-production for Season 2www.therealgirlsguide.com

THANK YOUClaire de Dobay Rifelj

Theatre of NOTE Pasadena PlayhouseKarisma Properties

Dr. Vlad KustanovichLaurel Martin-Harris

Dr. Shlomo SherDr. Tanvir HussainJody Stevenson

Matthew McCraySon of SemeleShauna BloomDavid BickfordTara TomicevicRussell Wiener

Carmen Elena MitchellCarrie LaFerle

Enci Box and Bitter LemonsDavid LebarronSuperior Glass

Butcher Bird Studios The Production Truck

Kady AlatristeKevin BellanteAmy Calcote

Ben ChanThe Hadley

Rui KyoJason MilliganSteve Moreno,Anita Reyes

Michael ShlainTravis StevensAaron Toney

Nicholas VenerosoLauren Dobbins Webb

Rob WebbAlysha Wheeler

Chelsea WindlingerJoseph WoodleJennifer WeaverChris Gorno

Rosalind Helfand

Present this program to Chan Darae on any Sunday,

and get 10% off your meal! Valid Sundays only.

Expires December 12, 2010.Chan Darae validates parking.

The sincerest of thank yous to all the folks who made this production possible and supported our team along the way.