In the wake of her recent divorce, world-renowned origami artist Ilana has barricaded herself in her studio — surrounded by paper cranes and takeout boxes. When she opens her studio to a teenage prodigy and his schoolteacher, her paper-thin seclusion is interrupted as she discovers that life and love are not as simple as finding the perfect fold. Animals Out of Paper is a funny, poignant play about the collision of mismatched people and the complicated ways we hurt, heal, and love those around us. 

Cast 

Ilana: Breezy Leigh* 

Andy: Luis Vega* 

Suresh: Seth Gunawardena 

Creative Team 

Directed by: Lamar Perry 

Written by: Rajiv Joseph 

Assistant Director: Scout Davis 

Scenic Design: Nicholas Ponting

Costume Design: Dominique Fawn Hill 

Lighting Design: Mextly Couzin** 

Sound Design: Andrew Vargas 

Dramaturg: Madison Mae Williams 

Production Team 

Stage Manager: Sam Allen* 

Assistant Stage Manager: Julie Gottfried 

Sound Supervisorz: John Kolbinski 

Audio Engineer/Board Operator: Kevin Champion 

Sound Asst./Board Operator: Lily Oyen 

Lighting Supervisor: Jack Sears 

Associate Lighting Supervisor: Noemi Barerra 

Lighting Tech/Programmer/Board Op: Sadie Judd 

Props Supervisor: Hyla Sue Stellhorn 

Assistant Props Supervisor: Becky Barse-Nye 

Props Artisan: Mer Platt 

Costume Shop Supervisor: Cece Hill 

Wardrobe Supervisor: Marcy LB Fitzpatrick 

Asst. Costume Shop Supervisor/Draper: Cole Wilkowski 

Costume/Wardrobe Assistant: Sophie Millar 

Run Crew: Amelia Kovach 

Scenic Fellow: Donnie Woodard 

Lighting Fellow: Adrienne Miikelle 

Sound Fellow: Theresa Ramos 

Costume Fellow: Sean David Castro 

  *The noted Actors & Stage Manager are members of the Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States. 

Actors’ Equity Association, founded in 1913, is more than 49,000 actors and stage managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote, and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. 

Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. The Equity emblem is our mark of excellence. www.actorsequity.org. 

**The noted designers are represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 of the IATSE. 

Leadership & Staff 

Artistic Director: Andrew Borba 

General Manager: Emily Glinick 

Arts Marketing Specialist:  Makayla Santiago-Froebel  

Director of New Work:  Olga Sanchez Saltveit 

Artistic Assistant: Rachel Sharp 

Company Manager: Sam Wong 

Assistant Company Manager/COVID Safety Specialist: Matthew B. Cullen 

Production & Facilities Manager: Holly Ahlborn 

Assistant Production & Facilities Manager: Dylan Janish  

House Manager: Sarah Brown-Millspaw 

Arts Marketing Associate: Danny Sanchez 

Assistant House Manager & Community Engagement Associate: Daniel Wilde 

Hey, y’all!!  

My name is Lamar Perry. Welcome back to the theater! I am so happy to be back at Chautauqua this summer directing Animals Out of Paper by Rajiv Joseph. This play, to me, is an exploration of the journey one takes towards healing. Both the beauty and the ugliness of that process and, more specifically, what are the things we take from others as we heal. Do we always have permission to take those things, or do we just act? We live in a world that often romanticizes “the work” and when that is not the case that space is rarely afforded to Black folx, to Black women. In this space, it is and will continue to be.  

Speaking of Blackness, you will notice in this iteration of the play that there is an entirely BIPOC cast and that is done with intention. To me, it adds a rich layer to the play which models the nuanced differences between cultural appreciation vs. appropriation. Take note of it, sit with it. It is time to disrupt who we think of when we think of a lead and what bodies those folx should show up in. And most importantly I believe we all need to witness and commit ourselves to the understanding that a woman’s life is not the sum of her relationships to the men in proximity to her. Ilana, you will find, is complete on her own and this is not a story about her finding her way to a man. It is, however, a story about her finding her way back to herself. Do enjoy, laugh, shout, and exclaim. Theater is participatory.

Friends of the Theater 

Founded in 1994, Friends of Chautauqua Theater is dedicated to ensuring that theater remains a powerful pillar of the arts community at Chautauqua by working to enhance appreciation and engagement with the theater and the institution. Your membership supports new theater initiatives and helps us to enhance the experience of our company members through various event connections. Benefits include invitations to members-only live and virtual programming to enhance your theater experience prior to performances, and our annual “Meet the Company” event. Visit our website to learn more!