1. Playwright Sarah Ruhl points out in her essay
“Mothers on Stage” that from Medea to Mama Rose the mater-
nal experience in theatre has “been told from the point of view
of sons, written by sons.” While theatre history has given us
plenty of charming matriarchs, she notes that it has not given us
much of the mother’s perspective on stage.
Why is this the case? The most persuasive explanation
Sarah offers is that theatre “lags behind the other literary arts
in terms of what can be told, because its medium is embodied,
subject to all kinds of material concerns that make it slower
to change.”
Another explanation may be that while writing fiction
might require a room of one’s own, making a play requires being
in the room during rehearsals. For Berkeley Rep to produce
works like For Peter Pan on her 70th birthday, a play inspired by
a mother and artist written by a mother and artist, we must
help theatremakers set aside some of their material concerns to
create magic on our stages.
This is where the company management department
comes in. Once the artistic department selects scripts, assem-
bles creative teams, and casts actors, the company manage-
ment department tries to make it possible for artists from all
over the world and at various moments in their personal lives
to come to Berkeley Rep and create. As Jean-Paul Gressieux,
Berkeley Rep’s company manager, says, “We tend to hire people
who reflect our values.” Because Berkeley Rep values represent-
ing a diversity of experiences for our audiences, the needs of
our artists shift and change from production to production.
A company manager encompasses the jobs of personal
assistant, medical advisor, landlord, FedEx worker, interior
decorator, party planner, and hotel concierge. That said, the title
encapsulates the job description—to help a group of actors and
artists feel at home in our community, to become a part of the
Berkeley Rep company. Enabling artists to reach a place of com-
fort in their personal lives so that they may be vulnerable and
daring in their artistic work can be as simple as locating a new
blender, recommending a good Thai restaurant, or providing a
ride to a doctor’s appointment. It’s often more complicated, and
quite often the most important duty of a company manager is
listening. Jean-Paul says, “Being a company manager is a people
job. It’s all conversations, all interactions.”
In my time as Berkeley Rep’s company management fellow
I have memorized the aisles of Ikea, learned how to draft Actors’
Equity Association contracts, and successfully operated a fax
REPORT
Home away from home
Welcoming artists to Berkeley Rep
B Y E M I L I E PA S S
CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
Berkeley Rep’s Company Manager Jean-Paul Gressieux
and Company Management Fellow Emilie Pass
PHOTO BY ITZEL ORTUÑO
A company manager encompasses
the jobs of personal assistant,
medical advisor, landlord, FedEx
worker, interior decorator, party
planner, and hotel concierge.
10 · THE BERKELEY REP MAGAZINE · 2015–16 · ISSUE 7

3. GRUBBCO.COM
GThe GRUBB Co.R E A L T O R S
HOME
machine. But the task that has given
me the most joy has been working with
artists who might have been thwarted by
prejudice and logistics in the past. I have
returned to Sarah’s thoughts on mother-
hood and theatre frequently this season.
I have had the joy of seeing the mothers
of very young children produce some
of the most powerful art on Berkeley
Rep’s stages, including Jane Cox’s lighting
in Amélie, Nisi Sturgis’ performance
in Disgraced, and Julia Cho’s writing in
Aubergine. Watching these artists and
mothers work feels like the opening of a
new chapter in theatre history.
Working with these artists and their
families presents unique challenges and
rewards. The first time I picked up one of
this season’s artists and her family from
the Oakland Airport, it seemed to take
an eternity to win the Tetris game of pil-
ing suitcases and strollers into Berkeley
Rep’s 2004 Dodge Ram. Patience was
running out for the kids; the stakes were
high. “How can I help? What can I do?” I
asked as I tucked carry-ons into available
corners of the van, unsure if I was help-
ing or hurting the cause. Later, as we sat
on the highway immobilized by traffic,
her daughter sighed, “Are we going in
circles?” You can imagine my surprise
when the next time I met the family at
baggage claim the same girl greeted me
with a hug. “Emilie!” she said. “Let’s go
find the big blue van!” Apparently the
car had made a big impression, and had
stood out as a highlight of her visit to
Berkeley. This time, we loaded every-
thing up with comfort and ease.
Sarah Ruhl writes, “for my sanity,
these two practices, of motherhood and
making things, so primary, need to feel
as though they are compatriots.” Our
Theatre is made richer when artists bring
their full, complex selves to their work.
We strive to help our artists do just that.
Our Theatre is made
richer when artists
bring their full,
complex selves to
their work.
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12 · THE BERKELEY REP MAGAZINE · 2015–16 · ISSUE 7
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