We are on sacred ground. Northwestern University is on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires—the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa—as well as the Menominee, Miami, and Ho-Chunk nations. Before it was stolen from them through colonization and forced removal, this land was a site of trade, travel, gathering, and healing for more than a dozen other native tribes. The state of Illinois is still home to more than 100,000 tribal members. In the spirit of healing and making amends for the harm that was done, we acknowledge the native and indigenous peoples who called this land home. We pledge ourselves as members of the Northwestern School of Communication to turn our statements into action and build better relationships with native and indigenous communities in Evanston, in Chicago, and throughout the region.
A Lunar Rhapsody began its journey about a decade ago when I was living in the East Village, New York and I heard there was going to be a visible lunar eclipse over the city. On a beautiful, warm summer night, I sat in the basketball court in Tompkins Square Park and watched the eclipse with my fellow East Villagers. I remember the moon was huge that night. It felt mythic and mysterious. Like something interesting was in the air. It was a night of fast-moving clouds, and the moon was often obscured. People around me – all ages and ethnicities — reacted with cheers when the clouds allowed us to see the eclipse and with good old New York curses when their views were obscured. It felt like the seventh game of the World Series! I didn’t know any of my neighbors and was curious about them and I really wanted to overhear their conversations. I wanted to know why the eclipse was so important to them, what it meant and why. But since I couldn’t get closer to eavesdrop (because that would have been, well, creepy), I had to imagine what they talked about. What made them laugh or feel awe. What their individual histories were and where they were going in life. My curiosity about them grew with the passing years and eventually became a short scene. When I realized that the basketball court that night could also be populated with ghosts or zombies or vampires or interplanetary aliens – that I didn’t need to be restricted to the expectations of “realism” – I knew that I had a story worth exploring further. When I realized I could also play with time – that I could bend it, manipulate it – that time could be a character in the drama – I knew I had a play. I owe enormous thanks to co-director, choreographer, and cast member Sara Koviak who gave me valuable feedback on every draft of the play. She also gifted the characters in the play movements full of charm and energy and brought the 2 Dimensional to life. Many thanks, also, to Tanya Palmer, Henry Godinez, the Wirtz Center, and Michael Constantino who invited us to Northwestern and gave us all the warm support we could possibly need. And finally, to the wonderful cast, so full of skill and passion, who put their time and trust in our hands, and who brilliantly illuminate the play like a radiant full moon.
Laura Fajardo-Riascos — Stage Directions
Iris Luz Hernandez — Clara
Danielle Valdespino — Lola
Agustin Maglione — Abel
Mario Montes — Aaren
Alexa Codamon — Isla
Luz Espinoza — Catalina
Krystal Ortiz — Paloma
Cindy Gold — Felicity
Dexter Zollicoffer — Ray
Theo Gyra — 1 Dimensional
Sara Koviak — 2 Dimensional
José Rivera — Playwright/Director
Sara Koviak — Director/Choreographer
Morgan Frost — Stage Manager
José Rivera’s (Playwright/Director, he/him) Obie Award-winning plays Marisol and References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot, have been produced around the country and translated into a dozen languages. Chicago audiences have seen Cloud Tectonics, Massacre (Sing to Your Children), Boleros for the Disenchanted, and Another Word for Beauty at the Goodman Theatre. Other plays include Sueño, Sonnets for an Old Century, School of the Americas, Brainpeople, Adoration of the Old Woman, The House of Ramon Iglesia, Each Day Dies with Sleep, Lovesong (Imperfect), Your Name Means Dream, and The Hours are Feminine. His “The Motorcycle Diaries” screenplay was nominated for 2005 Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar, a BAFTA and Writers Guild Award, and took top screenwriting prizes in Argentina and Spain (Goya Award). His film “On the Road” premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and “Trade” was the first film to premiere at the United Nations. Other films include “The 33” and “Letters to Juliet.” Rivera wrote and directed the award-winning short films “The Fall of a Sparrow” and “The Civet.” Rivera co-created and produced “Eerie, Indiana,” (NBC) and was a consultant and staff writer on “Penny Dreadful: City of Angels” (Showtime) 2019. He was the head writer of the Netflix series based on One Hundred Years of Solitude, which the London Telegraph called “a spellbinding adaptation of an unfilmable novel.”
Sara Koviak (Director/Choreographer, she/her) currently stars in Your Name Means Dream, as Stacy, the role written for her by José Rivera (CATF (World Premiere), NJ Rep; upcoming: Theater J, TheaterWorks, Luna Stages). Chicago audiences will remember Sara playing opposite 2-time Tony nominee Amy Morton in the workshop of Dream at the Goodman Theatre. She recently played Mirella in Rivera’s The Hours Are Feminine, World Premiere Off-Broadway. She plays ‘the girl in the music video’, dancing in Steve Conte’s “Flying”; producer/performer in award-winning films “The Civet” and “The Fall of a Sparrow” (by Rivera) and “Reverie: a Dream” (dance film). Other projects: Signature Theatre with Theatre For One; McCarter Theatre and Paula Vogel’s Bard At The Gate; “A Possession” (horror film); Red Bull Theater; lead in Rivera’s Lovesong (Imperfect); Actors Studio with Chazz Palminteri; HBO’s “The Undoing” with Nicole Kidman. At The Metropolitan Opera — where she performed as a classical dancer in multiple world premieres– she worked with directors Bart Sher, Mary Zimmerman, and Robert LePage. She worked with Steven Schwartz as the aerial soloist in Goodspeed’s tour of Pippin and danced at Lincoln Center in Peter And The Wolf and Cinderella. Her dance film directorial debut, “IX”, is currently in post. Sara is an accomplished film and theatre choreographer, and dance educator for students all over the world, including Duke University, Northwestern University, DePauw University, HB Studio, NYCDA, Boston Conservatory, UNH, Tokyo University, and Phillips Exeter Academy. www.SaraKoviak.com
We thank our donors who make it possible to develop and sustain the quality of productions at Northwestern University. The following individuals and institutions have made gifts to one or more of the following areas: the Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts, American Music Theatre Project and the Music Theatre Funds. All gifts were made between September 1, 2024 and January 15, 2025.
Donate online at giving.northwestern.edu.
Thank you for supporting Northwestern University Theatre and Dance!
E. Patrick Johnson, Dean of the School of Communication and Annenberg University Professor
Lori Barcliff Baptista, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Advising
Roderick Hawkins, Associate Dean of External Affairs and Chief of Staff
Molly Losh, Associate Dean for Research
Bonnie Martin-Harris, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
Rick Morris, Associate Dean for Finance and Administration
Rayvon Fouche’, Associate Dean for Graduate Education
Tanya Palmer, Assistant Dean & Executive Artistic Director
Thomas Bradshaw, Radio/Television/Film
Leslie DeChurch, Communication Studies
Joshua Chambers-Letson, Performance Studies
Henry Godinez, Theatre
Bharath Chandrasekaran, Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Melissa Blanco Borelli, Head of Dance
Tommy Rappley, Associate Chair of Theatre
James Schwoch, Associate Chair of Communication Studies
Erin Courtney, Associate Chair of Radio/Television/ Film
Jorge Silva — Managing Director
Michael Constantino — Associate Managing Director
Pete Brace — Marketing & Development Manager
Heather Basarab — Production Manager
Valerie Tu — Production Manager, Chicago
Gianna Carter — Production Coordinator
Aziza Macklin — Audience Experience Manager
Jamie L. Mayhew — Box Office Manager
Lynn Kelso — Imagine U Artistic Mentor
Ryan T. Nelson — Music Supervisor
Dylan Reyno — Technical Coordinator
Shannon Perry — Technical Supervisor
Emily Baker — Assistant Technical Supervisor
Dylan Jost — Scenic Carpenter
Micah Hofferth — Scenic Carpenter
James Weber — Scenic Artist
Eileen Rozycki — Assistant Scenic Artist
Chris Wych — Properties Supervisor
Kathy Beach Parsons — Properties Assistant
Eileen Clancy — Costume Shop Supervisor
Jessica Donaldson — Assistant Costume Shop Supervisor
Kristy White — Cutter/Draper
Pamela Brailey — Cutter/Draper
Renee Werth — Stitcher/Crafts Supervisor
Eli Hunstad — First Hand
Peter Anderson — Lighting & Sound Supervisor
Michael Trudeau — Associate Lighting & Sound Supervisor
Stephen J. Lewis — OGMC Arts and Media Producer
Stephanie Kulke — OGMC Fine Arts Editor
Alexander Gemignani — AMTP Artistic Director
Denise McGillicuddy — AMTP Program Assistant
Arawen Alberg, Crom Amaya, Maya Avery, Sarah Bock, Alex Branka, Josaphina Brinkerhoff, Aydn Calhoun, Sydney Chan, Daniel Cho, Gemma Cohen, Ryan Cooke, Olivia Czyz, Roie Dahan, Annie Edwards, Ciara Farris, Nora Fox, Yui Ginther, Zoryah Gray, Jessica Guo, Tvesha Gupta, Alena Haney, Kiara Hill, Baz Holifield, Nicholas Hollenbeck, Katherine Horton, Patrick Howard, Miracle Idowu, Yelim Kim, Mahanash Kumar, Ghino Lee, Sarah Lewis, Katherine Li, Morgan Marin, Kapila Marsh, Owen Meehan-Egan, Sophia Mitton-Fry, Mario Montes, Alexander Myres, Ezra Osburn, Yooha Park, Alaina Parr, Michael Peterson, Seidy Pichardo, Elle Pierre, Haley Randall, Ayla Richardson, Henry Rohrback, Ava Romero, Jack Shadden, Anah Shaikh, Louise Sims, Poseybelle Stoeffler, Amelia Sullivan, Amanda Swickle, Yumi Tallud, Millie Rose Taub, Walter Todd, Allyson Vasquez, Mariah Waters, Alex Yang, Gavin Yi, Yehuda Zilberstein
