Actors Co-op presents first show in its 26th Season: The 39 Steps adapted by Patrick Barlow
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Nora Feldman
818.760.1240
THE OVATION AWARD-WINNING ACTORS CO-OP THEATRE COMPANY OPENS its 26th SEASON with THE 39 STEPS
September 19, 2017…Hollywood, CA…Actors Co-0p Theatre Company (Ovation Award-Winner 2014 Best Intimate Theatre Musical for 110 in the Shade) presents the first show in its 26th Season with THE 39 STEPS, adapted by Patrick Barlow from the novel by John Buchan and film by Alfred Hitchcock, directed by Kevin Chesley, produced by Jorie Janeway. THE 39 STEPS will preview on Thursday, September 21 at 8pm and will open Friday, September 22 at 8pm and run through Sunday, October 29 at the Actors Co-op Crossley Theatre, 1760 N. Gower St. 90028 (on the campus of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood) in Hollywood.
Winner of the Drama Desk Award and the Laurence Olivier Award, this crazy, over-the-top spy novel-type mystery comes to life with flashes of Hitchcock movies, sprinkles of Monty Python humor and a good dose of romance to boot. This thrilling and humorous noir adventure is set in the world of an ordinary man forced on the run after aiding a mysterious woman. From the shadowy streets of 1930s London to the wild moors of Scotland and beyond, The 39 Steps traces the man’s madcap quest to keep government secrets out of the wrong hands.
The cast features the talent of Lauren Thompson, Kevin Shewey*, Carly Lopez and Townsend Coleman*.
The design team includes Stephen Gifford* (Scenic Design), Andrew Schmedake (Lighting Design), Vicki Conrad (Costume Design/Hair & Make-up), and Warren Davis (Sound Design).
The 39 Steps production team includes Selah Victor * (Production Manager), Lori Berg (Props Master), and Adam Michael Rose (Dialect Coach), Derek R. Copenhaver (Stage Manager), Tintin Nguyen (Stage Manager) and Matthew Gilmore (PR Manager).
About Show Times and Tickets: The 39 Steps will preview Thursday, September 21 at 8:00 pm and will open on Friday, September 22 at 8 pm and run through October 29, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 2:30 pm. Saturday Matinees are September 30 and October 7 at 2:30 pm. Tickets: $30.00. Seniors (60+): $25.00. Students: $20.00. Group rates available for parties of 6 or more. To buy tickets or make reservations please visit www.ActorsCo-op.org or call (323) 462-8460. Actors Co-op Crossley Theatre. 1760 N. Gower St. 90028 (on the campus of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood) in Hollywood.
About the Playwright
PATRICK BARLOW (Playwright) is renowned for his four-person adaptation of The 39 Steps which has played in more than forty countries world-wide. The play has won Olivier, Helpmann, Moliere and Tony Awards and made Patrick the most performed playwright in America for 2012. Patrick is celebrated in the UK for his two-man theatre company National Theatre of Brent, whose comedy epics include Wagner’s Ring Cycle, The Charles and Diana Story, The Messiah, The Wonder of Sex, The Arts and How They Was Done, The Black Hole of Calcutta, The Life and Times of the Dalai Lama and Zulu! Barlow has won have won two Sony Gold Awards, a Premier Ondas Award for Best European Comedy and the New York Festival Gold Award for Best Comedy. Other screenwriting includes Van Gogh (Prix Futura Berlin Film Festival), Revolution!! (Best Comedy Jerusalem Film Festival) and the BAFTA-winning Young Visiters. Publications include Shakespeare: The Truth! and The Complete History of the Whole World. Patrick has also appeared in “Absolutely Fabulous,” “Shakespeare in Love,” “Notting Hill,” “Nanny McPhee” and “Bridget Jones’ Diary.” On stage he has appeared as Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Truscott in Joe Orton’s Loot, Humphry in Simon Gray’s The Common Pursuit and Toad in the Royal National Theatre’s The Wind in the Willows. He is currently writing more four person epics, A Christmas Carol, Ben-Hur and The Hound of the Baskervilles.
About the Production Team and Cast
KEVIN CHESLEY (Director) has directed, written and performed sketch comedy for stages like Upright Citizens Brigade (LA and NYC), The iO (Chicago and West), and the Vancouver Comedy Festival. He is a cofounder of TROOP! and The Riot Act, troupes that have performed in venues like The Comedy Central Stage, The HBO Workspace, and The Chicago Improv Festival. For ten years he has directed The Apple Sisters, a staged 1943 radio show that very much helped prepare him to dive into the 1935 world of The 39 Steps. He was also a director for The Hampstead Players Theater Company. A screenwriter, Kevin has written for The Onion, National Lampoon, and MTV’s “The Hard Times of RJ Berger,” as well as screenplays for Warner Brothers, Paramount, Bad Robot, Happy Madison, and 20th Century Fox. He has Executive Produced pilots for both NBC and Cartoon Network. Training: Act One – Hollywood, BFA – Emerson College. He would not be able to do any of this without the amazing love and Wonder Woman-level support of his wife, Heather, and his daughter, Lucy, who make his life more thrilling and full of adventure than anything Hitchcock ever came up with.
JORIE JANEWAY (Producer) is a proud Actors Co-op member and is thrilled to be producing this laugh-a-minute riot. She is choreographer and program director to ENCORE, a fabulous educational theatre in the South Bay. Jorie was last seen on the Co-op stage as Charlotte in Pride and Prejudice and Honor in The Voysee Inheritance. She has had the opportunity to tour nationally and internationally with Hairspray and The Merry Wives of Windsor. Other favorite regional roles include the Chaperone in The Drowsy Chaperone, Maggie Jones in 42nd Street, and Cindy Lou in The Marvelous Wonderettes. Check her out at www.joriejaneway.com.
About the CAST
TOWNSEND COLEMAN* (Clown 1) is a veteran Hollywood voice-actor, known for his work in animation and network TV promos. As the voice of Michelangelo on the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the title character on The Tick, to 16 years voicing NBC’s “Must See TV” and “Tonight Show” promos, Townsend currently voices the daily promos for LIVE! WITH KELLY AND RYAN and comedy promos for FOX. Recently seen as Mr. Voysey in this summer’s Co-op, Too! production of The Voysey Inheritance, Townsend is thrilled and honored to be part of the madcap mayhem in this, his fifth Actors Co-op production!
CARLY LOPEZ (Clown) recently joined the Co-op in December of 2016, and is absolutely thrilled to make her main stage debut in The 39 Steps! Carly is a Connecticut native and a graduate of Palm Beach Atlantic University with a BA in Theatre Arts. Carly and her husband, Chris, moved to Pasadena from South Florida two years ago. Some favorite theatre credits include Harriet in Jane Austen’s Emma, Sally in You’re…Charlie Brown, and Phebe in As You Like It. Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival: Ophelia in Hamlet, Peaseblossom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. When not at the Co-op, Carly is #bosslady at Pasadena Princess & Co. pasadenaprincessco.com. www. carlylopez.com IG: @carly.lopez
KEVIN SHEWEY* (Richard Hannay) is a brand new Actor’s Co-op member making his debut on the Co-op stage. He is very happy to be back in California after a stint in New York City where he performed Off-Broadway in New York Classical Theatre Company’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Other favorite projects include Henry V and Our Town at Chautauqua Theatre Company, The Odd Couple and Present Laughter at Summer Repertory Theater, and Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol at Sierra Repertory Theater. Kevin has an MFA from UC Irvine and a BA from Azusa Pacific University.
LAUREN THOMPSON (Annabella/Margaret/Pamela/Radio Announcer) is a graduate from Azusa Pacific University with a degree in Theatre Arts. She was last seen on the Co-op stage in Dancing at Lughnasa, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and Cat’s Paw. She can be seen playing soccer moms, cops, quirky girlfriends, and villains in various TV/Film projects, commercials, and sketches. You can also catch her serving sass opposite Denzel Washington in the upcoming film, Roman Israel, Esq. directed by Dan Gilroy, or traveling as a lead singer with JP Hunten Music. www.laurenellenthompson.com
STEPHEN GIFFORD* (Scenic Design) Stephen’s designs for The Actor’s Co-op include: 110 In The Shade, The Match Maker, Merrily We Roll Along, Big River, Makin Hay, Leading Ladies, and 1776. His design work has been featured at numerous theatres in the LA area including: La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts/McCoy Rigby, 3D Theatricals, The Colony Theatre, Celebration Theatre, A Noise Within, The Theatre @ Boston Court, The Antaeus Company, International City Theatre, and many more. He has garnered many awards and nominations for his work and was awarded The Bob Z Award for career achievement in set design by the LADCC.www. stephengifforddesign.com
ANDREW SCHMEDAKE (Lighting Design) is a Los Angeles-based lighting designer for theater, dance and live events. Recent credits include designs for After Hours Theatre, UCSB Dance Company, Actors Co-op, Sacred Fools, fancyplayground, Ebony Repertory Theater, Pico Playhouse, Loft Ensemble, BAE Theater, Malibu Playhouse, Massive Aggressive, and The Radio Adventure Players. Andrew holds an MFA from the School of Drama at Carnegie Mellon University and teaches as a guest lecturer in lighting design at UC Santa Barbara.
VICKI CONRAD (Costume Design) is thrilled to collaborate with Kevin Chesley! She received the 2015 Ovation Award for Best Costume Design for The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Previous Co-op credits: 33 Variations, Our Town, Summer and Smoke, 110 In the Shade (Ovation Award – Best Production Musical), The Learned Ladies (LA Weekly Award, Ovation Nomination) and Big River (Ovation nomination). Other credits: Other Desert Cities, Animal Farm and The Imaginary Invalid (Theatricum Botanicum –Ovation Nomination), Asterion (Ghost Road), Next to Normal (Triage Productions) & A Wrinkle In Time, Bee Luther Hatchee, (Sierra Madre Playhouse). Her designs & creations were in Season 15’s Project Runway commercial! Thanks Kevin, Jori and the Co-op team! www.vickiconraddesign.com
WARREN DAVIS (Sound Design) Actors Co-op: Lucky Stiff, My Children! My Africa! (winner 2016 NAACP Theatre Award for Sound Design), The Baker’s Wife, Pride And Prejudice, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Lend Me A Tenor, Going To St. Ives and And Then There Were None. Blank Theatre: The Tragedy of JFK, Something Truly Monstrous, The Book of Liz, Dusk Rings A Bell (Scenie Award), The Temperamentals (Scenie Award), The Santaland Diaries and their annual Young Playwrights Festival. Touring: Dr. Keeling’s Curve with Mike Farrell. Other: Confessions of a Catholic Child, Gail Can See For Three Days, Tape, Barbara’s Wedding and Demon Slaying Drag Queens. Also an actor and director, Warren has designed sound for shows he’s directed including Angel City, The Misanthrope, Waiting For Lefty, The Mousetrap and The Monkey Jar.
SELAH VICTOR* (Production Manager) is proud to be serving as Production Manager and is a veteran member of Actors Co-op, onstage in many shows including Lucky Stiff, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Lend Me A Tenor, The World Goes ‘Round, Merrily We Roll Along. As a producer, Selah was at the helm of The Last Five Years, Pride And Prejudice, Ah, Wilderness!, The Miracle Worker, and Miss Vulcan. Selah also just co-produced her first feature film starring Sharon Stone and Tony Goldwyn, “A Little Something For Your Birthday”. Selah is co-founder of the theater production company Standing Room Only, which produced Next To Normal at the Pico Playhouse. www.selahvictor.com
DEREK R. COPENHAVER (Stage Manager) He has previously stage managed Ruthie and Me, and assisted on Lucky Stiff. Derek graduated from Doane University with a BA in Theatre in 2015. He has years of experience in stage management, lighting design, set design, and directing, working on shows such as: August: Osage County, The Glass Menagerie, Mother Courage and Her Children, Jerusalem, Around the World in 80 Days, American Idiot, and many others. Derek would like to thank his family and friends for all their support. Top Credits: American Idiot (Doane University, 2015), The Glass Menagerie (Sierra Madre Playhouse, 2016)
TINTIN NGUYEN (Assistant Stage Manager) is so happy to work with the Actor’s Co-op again on another amazing show. Tintin studied Theatre Arts at CalState LA with a BA in Theatre Arts and he studied Piano for since he was 5 years old. He recently was the stage manager for Apocalypse Play by Cory Hinkle with Moving Arts and Hamlet with Inner Circle Theatre. With the Actor’s Co-op, he SM for Dancing at Lughnasa with Heather Chesley as director. Tintin is very proud to work with his wonderfully talented actors and thanks his friends and family profusely for their support.
LORI BERG (Props Master) has been with Actors Co-op for over twenty-five years. She was last seen in the role of NAOMI in Ruthie and Me. Hosting a YouTube program called Recycling Hope that recycles trash into treasures, Lori is passionate about props! Lori teaches performance arts to small children through Greater L.A. and she also runs a local NGO nonprofit that serves women and their families. Her center was just featured on Dr. Lisa and the Mobile Mom Squad. For the past two years, Lori has been awarded by the Los Angeles County Commission on Women. Thanks to all of you for your support of Actors Co-op and theatrical excellence!
ADAM MICHAEL ROSE (Dialect Coach) is a Los Angeles-based dialect coach known for his work as production dialect coach of ABC’s Emmy award winning American Crime season 3. Recently his clients have appeared in Game of Thrones, Orange Is the New Black, La La Land, Big Little Lies, and Quantico. On stage, Adam has coached productions of Blueprint For Paradise, All American Girl, Inherit the Wind, and the LA premier of Pure Confidence. The 39 Stepsmarks Adam’s fourth production with The Actor’s Co-Op (previous productions include The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Summer and Smoke, and Dancing At Lughnasa). Adam is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and a member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, VASTA, and EdTA.
About ACTORS CO-OP THEATRE COMPANY
Actors Co-op operates two 99-seat Equity-approved theatres on the campus of First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood. Actors Co-op began in 1987 with a dozen actors. Currently, its membership exceeds 50 professionals. Called “a 99-seat miracle” by Daily Variety, Actors Co-op’s numerous awards for theatre excellence include the Los Angeles Drama Critics Polly Warfield Award for “Outstanding Season” (2013) in a small to mid-sized theatre, the Margaret Harford Award for “Sustained Achievement” in smaller theatre from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, the Charlie Award for “Excellence in the Arts” by the Hollywood Arts Council, as well as numerous Ovation Award nominations and wins including a nomination for “Best Season” (2013-2014) and win for Best Musical (2014). Since the Crossley Theatre opened its doors in April of 1989 and its second theatre, the David Schall Theatre opened February of 1995, Actors Co-op has produced over 100 main stage productions, over 40 Second Stage productions, staged readings of original works, and has received 23 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards (seven wins), 34 LA Weekly Award nominations (six wins), 38 Ovation Award nominations (five wins), five Garland Awards and 125 Drama-Logue Awards. Actors Co-op is located at 1760 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, CA 90028, on the campus of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, one block north of Hollywood Boulevard, just off the Gower Street exit of the 101 Hollywood Freeway. Free, well-lit parking is available on Carlos Street (1/2 block east of Gower). Entrance to the theatre is on Carlos Avenue.
Calendar Listing
THE 39 STEPS Adapted by Patrick Barlow from theJohn Buchan novel and film by Alfred Hitchcock
Directed by Kevin Chesley
Previews: Thursday, September 21 at 8pm Opens: Friday, September 22 at 8pm Runs: September 22 – October 29, 2017 Friday and Saturdays at 8:00 pm Sundays at 2:30pm Special Saturday Matinees: September 30 and October 7 at 2:30 pm Tickets: $30. Seniors (60+): $25. Students: $20. Group rates available parties of 6 or more Buy Tickets/Reservations/Information: www.ActorsCo-op.org or call (323) 462-8460
Where: Actors Co-op Crossley Theatre, 1760 N. Gower St. 90028 (on the campus of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood) in Hollywood.
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For more information please contact Nora Feldman/pr norafeldman@prodigy.net