October 9–November 11, 2012
Written by Adriana Sevahn Nichols
Directed by Lisa Portes
Spanning from the Ottoman Empire to New York City, and across three generations of an Armenian and Dominican family, Adriana Sevahn Nichols' Night Over Erzinga explores how a man can lose everything but his heart, and how a grandmother can reach through time, unearth an untold story, and bring her children “home.” From collective tragedy to personal triumph, ancestors reunite with the living in a breathtakingly beautiful journey toward making peace with the past and reclaiming one’s heritage.
Adriana Sevahn Nichols' Night Over Erzinga was originally commissioned and developed by Middle East America: A National New Plays Initiative created by Golden Thread Productions (San Francisco), The Lark Play Development Center (NYC), and Silk Road Rising (Chicago).
Silk Road Rising’s production of Night Over Erzinga was part of a two-city rolling world premiere that began at Golden Thread Productions in San Francisco (September 2011) and concluded in Chicago (October/November 2012).
Doctor, Ardavazt's father, Older Ardavazt Oghidanian | Rom Barkhordar*
Young Alice Oghidanian, Aghavni “Ava” Oghidanian | Sandra Delgado*
Ardavazt Oghidanian | Levi Holloway*
Alice’s mother, Ardavazt’s Grandmama, Older Alice Oghidanian | Diana Simonzadeh*
Khalil, Ardavazt’s Grandpapa, Bienvenido Raymundo | Nicolas Gamboa
Older Estrella, Nurse, Ardavazt’s mother, Beauty on SS France, Sahiba, Bambi, Soprano, and Understudy for Diana Simonzadeh | Carolyn Hoerdemann
Cop, Attendant, Turkish Soldier, Alberto the Italian Immigrant, Johnny Jewels, and Understudy for Nicolas Gamboa | Michael Salinas
Young Aghavni, Anoushig, Garine, Estrella | Allison Torf
Young Aghavni, Anoushig, Garine, Estrella | Maliha A. Yousuf
Understudy for Michael Salinas | Mark Jacob Chaitin
Understudy for Sandra Delgado | Catherine Dildilian
Understudy for Rom Barkhordar| Marc Rita
Understudy for Carolyn Hoerdemann | Andrea Salloum
*Member of Actor's Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.
Producer | Malik Gillani
Producer | Jamil Khoury
Playwright | Adriana Sevahn Nichols
Director | Lisa Portes †
Choreographer | Lara Kalayjian
Production Manager | Caitlin Duerinck
Stage Manager | Matt McMullen*
Scenic Designer | Lee Keenan
Costume Designer | Elsa Hiltner
Lighting Designer | Sarah Hughey
Sound Designer And Composer | Peter Storms
Composer | Penka Kouneva
Props Designer | Jesse Gaffney
Dialect Coach | Eva Breneman
Dramaturg | Neal Ryan Shaw
Casting Director | Becca McCracken
Technical Director | Kyle Gettelman
Assistant Director | Azar Kazemi
Assistant Stage Manager | Hillary Gibson
Assistant Costume Designer | Kristen P. Aherns
Wardrobe Supervisor | Rebecca Cagney
Child Wrangler | Melissa Rose
Box Office Manager | Al Gillani
House Manager | Corey Pond
Program Editor | Sarah Ibis
Press and Archive Photographer | Michael Brosilow
Videographer | Deann Baker
*Member of Actor's Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.
† Member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation, which exists to foster, promote and develop the creativity and craft of stage directors and choreographers.
Feature "‘Night over Erzinga’: A Play about Acceptance and Healing," The Armenian Weekly, October 23, 2012
Review "Chicago Theater Review: NIGHT OVER ERZINGA (Silk Road Rising)," Stage and Cinema, October 14, 2012
Review "Night Over Erzinga/Silk Road Rising," New City Stage, October 14, 2012
Review "In ‘Erzinga,’ forgetting and remembering the past," Chicago Tribune, October 17, 2012
