2. CREATIVE SUMMARY
The Bench – Journeyinto Lovewas inspired
by the iconic photo"Couple onBench”.
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An impassioned theatrical experience conceived by
Kiesha Lalama, The Bench – Journey into
Love cleverly weaves together innovative story-
driven dance and a gripping jazz musical score into a
timeless tale of love and family.
Two mystical storytellers orchestrate a serendipitous
love-at-first-sight encounter for Antonio and Eva in a
grand outdoor park. Emotions run wild as the new
couple begins life together, experiencing relatable
family moments that strike a chord and ignite the
heart’s fire. The storytellers parallel Antonio and Eva,
becoming their distinct voice of discovery and
emotion. In the end, both couples evolve toward a
bigger, better, stronger and fuller life.
Pictureby–MichaelDickins
3. n 4
Co-Producer
Dayton Contemporary Dance Company
(DCDC)
Mission: Rooted in the African-American
experience, the Dayton Contemporary Dance
Company is a culturally diverse contemporary
dance company committed to reaching the
broadest audience through exceptional
performance and arts-integrated education.
Artistic Director: Debbie Blunden-Diggs
Executive Director: Ro Nita Hawes-Saunders
Co-Producer
Titus Theatricals
Titus Theatricals is a commercial theatre
producing entity with a focus on creating and
developing new dynamic works within the
performing arts to entertain, to stimulate, and to
promote change within communities around the
world.
4. Choreographer, Kiesha Lalama has created more than 50
works to date. Kiesha choreographed feature film, The Perks of
Being a Wallflower, Sorority Row, hit television documentary
Broadway or Bust (PBS) and newly released television series
Outsiders (WGN). Theatrical credits include National High
School Musical Theater Awards (Broadway), All Shook Up
(North Shore Music Theatre), Jesus Christ Superstar (Kansas
City Starlight Theatre), Into the Woods (Arsht Performing Arts
Center) and Judge Jackie Justice, Ruthless! The Musical, and
A Grand Night for Singing (Pittsburgh CLO). Concert dance
highlights include Shed (DCDC), Alegria (Giordano Dance
Chicago), and Torque (August Wilson Center Dance
Ensemble).
Lalama has choreographed works for diverse companies such
as Ballet Arkansas, Dance Kaleidoscope, Eisenhower Dance
Ensemble, Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, Missouri
Contemporary Ballet, TEDx, and the Youth American Grand
Prix.
In 2009, Kiesha Lalama was named one of Dance Magazine’s
“25 to Watch” and has been awarded a Leo’s Award for
choreography at the Jazz Dance World Congress.
As an educator, Kiesha serves as an Associate Professor in the
Point Park University Dance Department and as the Education
Director for the Pittsburgh CLO. She has taught master classes
and workshops for Cirque Du Soleil, Houston Metropolitan
Dance Company, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, Oakland
University, Carnegie Mellon University, Wright State University,
Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet, Booker T. Washington H.S.
for the Performing and Visual Arts, and Dance Educators of
America.
Kiesha Lalama graduated with an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts
from Goddard College and has her BA in Dance from Point
Park University.
Creator & Choreographer
Kiesha Lalama
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“25 to Watch”
-Dance Magazine
5. David Lalama is a professor of music at Hofstra
University and on the Manhattan School of Music
faculty. He received his doctorate in music composition
from New York University and is active as a clinician
and performer throughout the United States.
Dr. Lalama has performed and recorded with Woody
Herman, Buddy Rich, Mel Lewis, and numerous other
jazz artists and continues actively to compose, arrange,
and perform in the New York City metropolitan area. He
is the director of the new Long Island Jazz Orchestra
and has been featured in Hofstra University's Frank
Sinatra Conference as a performer and conductor along
with numerous jazz education programs for Carnegie
Hall (JazzEd) and Friends Of The Arts (JazzLink). His
most recent CD as a member of the Joe Ascione Trio,
Post No Bills, is on the Arbors Record Label. He has
also been a featured guest on Marian McPartland's
Piano Jazz series on National Public Radio.
Along with performing, Dr. Lalama has also published
big band jazz arrangements and articles about MIDI
techniques and software. He has received composition
grants from the Society of Composers, Meet-the-
Composers, New York State Council of the Arts, and
several American universities and has recently been
cited in The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz,
published by Oxford University Press in 1999.
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Co-Composer
David Lalama
6. Doug Oberhamer’s credits range from Broadway and
Off Broadway to National and International Tours. He
also works as a Composer, Arranger, Orchestrator,
Music Producer, and Vocal Coach in New York and
abroad.
Original featured cast member and Associate
Conductor/AMD of the Broadway Musical: Swing!
Music Directing/Supervising Credits include: Swing!,
Thoroughly Modern Millie, Saturday Night Fever, We
Will Rock You, Crazy for You, We Will Rock You, The
Man of La Mancha, Frankenstein, Nunsense, What Do
Critics Know?, Dracula, Reel to Real, My Vaudeville
Man, Wanda’s World, Flight of the Lawnchair Man, I Got
Fired, Women on the Verge, Seeing Stars, Rings, and
Gemini.
Doug is the Music Supervisor and Vocal Director for
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Productions.
He can be heard as the featured trumpet soloist on the
Sony Classics Grammy nominated recording of Swing!
as well as MCA Records Vanessa Daou “Slow to Burn”
and is collaborating with Nile Rodgers on DoubleTime.
He was nominated for a JeffersonAward for his work on
Swing! in Chicago and won a BistroAward for
excellence in Musical Direction andArranging and
Orchestrating for Little Death. Love to his wife Christine
and daughters Scarlett and Natalie for their love and
support.
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Co-Composer
Doug Oberhamer
7. Joel Mason was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina in
1960. After a tour of duty in the United States Navy,
spent in South East Asia, he returned home and studied
acting at the University of South Carolina. He finished
his BFA eight years later at the University of Rhode
Island. Joel moved around the United States for
several years as an actor, dancer and theatrical fight
choreographer before starting his graduate studies in
Interdisciplinary Theater at Towson University in
Baltimore, Maryland. He traveled to Edinburgh in 2003
as a performer with Squonk Opera, met his wife while
dancing Argentine tango and moved to Scotland
permanently in 2004 where he has had success as a
playwright and poet. Joel lives in Dalgety Bay, Fife with
his wife and son.
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Lyricist
Joel Mason
8. 10
From TONY nominated Broadway shows and
America's favorite TV parades, to award winning
theme park spectaculars and cruise line musicals,
Chase believes that creativity and experience count
when the goal is to stand above the competition.
Throughout his career as a stage director and
creative development expert, Chase has been
focused on innovation of new entertainment formats
and show concepts.
As Senior Show Director for Walt Disney
Entertainment, Chase is experienced in developing
and transforming creative ideas from the page to
the stage in global scale productions. His work has
taken him from Europe, to Latin America, Asia, and
throughout the United States.
Creative Consultant
Chase Senge
9. ABOUT THE SHOW
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Creator Kiesha Lalama
“What separates The Bench from everything else is I want the audience to walk away with a universal
experience.”
Composer David Lalama
“Musically, we will definitely break the fourth wall. Something different is going to happen on stage on
any given night, and the musicians are going to react to it through pure, emotion-based jazz
improvisation.”
LyricistJoel Mason
“Traditionally, storytelling in dance theater used to have a beginning, middle, and end. The Bench is a
return to that tradition in telling a complete story through dance.”
20. General Partner Producers
For more information, please contact:
Eric McCree
(646) 944-8303
emccree@titustheatricals.com
Executive Producer
Sharon Fallon
Practicing the Art
of Producing the Arts
General Management
Jeffrey Chrzczon
(212) 382-3410
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