Dan Hodapp and Nate Smith Complete TAIL! SPIN! Cast for NYC Fringe

Casting is now complete for the world premiere of TAIL! SPIN!, a "hilarious and heartbreaking verbatim reenactment of the preposterous sex scandals that brought down Former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, Former U.S. Congressman Anthony Wiener of New York, Former U.S. Congressman Mark Foley of Florida, and Former U.S. Senator Larry Craig of Idaho."

Dan Hodapp and Nate Smith join a cast that includes Rachel Dratch (“Saturday Night Live”), Sean Dugan (NBC’s “Smash”) and Mo Rocca (“CBS Sunday Morning,” “The Daily Show”) for this production, part of the 2012 New York International Fringe Festival. Featuring only the words spoken, emailed, tweeted and penned by the politicians themselves, TAIL! SPIN! is “typed” by Mario Correa (contributor to NPR’s “Weekend Edition” and co-host of WNYC’s “RelationShow”) and directed by Tony-nominee Dan Knechtges. It will play five performances ONLY during the first week of the 2012 New York International Fringe Festival at the Kraine Theatre (85 East 4th Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues) as follows:

Saturday, August 11 @ 12pm
Sunday, August 12 @ 7pm
Monday, August 13 @ 8pm
Wednesday, August 15 @ 7pm
Thursday, August 16 @ 10:30pm

Politics is dirty--but politicians are dirtier. That truth is laid bare in TAIL! SPIN!, a hysterical, verbatim mash-up of the documented interviews, secret e-mails, raunchy texts and Twitter gaffes that brought down politicians Anthony Weiner, Larry Craig, Mark Foley and Mark Sanford. Using only the actual words of the disgraced politicians, their paramours, and the media they tried to spin, TAIL! SPIN! weaves an intricate, overlapping narrative of the power of sex--and the sex lives of the powerful. Created by NPR contributor Mario Correa and directed by Tony-nominee Dan Kenechtges (Lysistrata Jones), TAIL! SPIN! features a cast of five including former SNL star Rachel Dratch, Broadway vet and recent star of “Smash” Sean Dugan, host of “The Scene” Dan Hodapp, Upright Citizens Brigade’s Nate Smith and news personality & current correspondent on “CBS Sunday Morning” Mo Rocca, playing a whopping thirty under- and over-sexed roles. This production features set and projection designs by Caite Hevner, costume designs by Jennifer Caprio, sound design by John Emmett O’Brien and lighting design by Jimmy Lawlor. From Larry Craig's 'wide stance' to Mark Foley's underage pages, Anthony Weiner's immortalized nether regions to Mark Sanford's beloved Appalachian Trail, in TAIL! SPIN!, we meet our erected leaders.

TAIL! SPIN! is presented by Zav Productions and Marianne Mills, in association with Clifford Lee Johnson, III.

RACHEL DRACTH* (Wives, Tails, Beards & Barbara Walters) was a celebrated cast member on “Saturday Night Live” for seven years. Before that she was on the Mainstage of Second City in Chicago for four years. Other TV appearances include “30 Rock,” “Ugly Betty,” “Monk” and “King of Queens.” Film credits include Just Go With It, Click, My Life in Ruins and Spring Breakdown. Her book, "Girl Walks into a Bar," came out in March.

Sean Dugan (Sen Larry Craig, et al.). Broadway: Next Fall (Drama Desk Nomination). Off-Broadway: The Illusion, Next Fall, The English Channel, Perfect Harmony, BFF, Nerds, Valhalla, Corpus Christi, Flesh & Blood, Shakespeare’s R & J. Regional: Two River Theater Company, Roundhouse Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, The Old Globe, American Repertory Theatre, California Shakespeare Festival, Theatre J. Film/TV: On The Slope, Gigantic, Trust the Man, Company Man, Overnight Sensation, "Smash," "I Just Want My Pants Back," "Eden," “The Good Wife,” “Fringe,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “The Beat,” “Oz.”

DAN HODAPP (Rep Mark Foley, et al.) hosts & performs in The Scene, a weekly showcase of improvised one act plays featuring guests from “SNL,” “The Colbert Report” and “The Daily Show.” He also performs with Someday The Cake at The People’s Improv Theater. Dan has appeared on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” and in web videos on Funny or Die, College Humor and UCBComedy.com, and been featured in web videos from the folks at Ninja Sex Party, Teen Wheels, and LandlineTV. Dan has performed at festivals all over North America including the Chicago Improv Festival, The Del Close Marathon, and The Toronto International Improv Festival.

Mo Rocca (Gov Mark Sanford, et al.). Stage: Vice Principal Panch in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on Broadway; Professor in South Pacific at Paper Mill; Doody in Southeast Asia tour of Grease. TV/Radio: Currently Correspondent for “CBS Sunday Morning;” Host/Creator of “My Grandmother’s Ravioli” on Cooking Channel; panelist on NPR’s Wait, Wait...Don’t Tell Me; four seasons as correspondent on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” Writer/Producer for PBS’s “Wishbone.”Film: Host of newly released documentary Electoral Dysfunction. Print: Author of “All The Presidents’ Pets,”consulting editor for “Perfect 10,” co-editor with Mario Correa of “Insight,” Pyle Jr. High’s premier tabloid.

NATE SMITH (Rep Anthony Wiener, et al.). Notable credits include the Comedy Central pilot “Black Jack”;ABC’s “Happy Endings”; and NBC's “30 Rock,” as a “writer who never talks.” He had lead roles in the independent features Hello Lonesome and the forthcoming Ready or Not. Nate can be found acting like a brilliant idiot in sketches for funnyordie, collegehumor & loads of other spots online and is a regular improv and sketch performer at the UCB Theater. He wrote and directed lots of comedy online and at the UCB and has worked extensively as a documentary film editor and producer.

MARIO CORREA (Playwright) is a Chilean-born, DC-raised, New York City-based writer and journalist. He is the co-creator and co-host of WNYC’s “RelationShow,” public radio’s take on love and relationships, and regularly contributes to NPR’s “Weekend Edition Sunday.” Mario was a staff writer on the television program, “Whoa! Sunday” with Mo Rocca; the Washington Correspondent for PRI’s “Fair Game with Faith Salie”; and the co-creator and host of “PowerHouse,” a political lifestyles pilot for Washington, DC’s NBC-4. Mario began his career in politics, where at the age of 18 he became an aide to U.S. Congresswoman Constance A Morella. He later worked as a lobbyist for the U.S. high tech industry. Mario graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University and holds a Master’s degree with distinction from the London School of Economics & Political Science. TAIL! SPIN! is his first play.

Dan Knechtges (Director) is a Tony Nominated choreographer and director working in theater, opera, concert dance, television, film and music videos. Dan’s Broadway credits include Lysistrata Jones (Direction & Choreography), Xanadu (directed by Chris Ashley, Tony nomination, Drama Desk nomination), Sondheim on Sondheim (directed by James Lapine), 110 in The Shade (starring Audra McDonald) and The 25th Annual Putnum County Spelling Bee (directed by James Lapine.) Off-Broadway credits include Merrily We Roll Along for Encores! at City Center (directed by James Lapine), Vanities at Second Stage and directing and choreographing Lysistrata Jones for the Transport Group. Other credits include Der Schuh Das Manitu (Berlin, Germany), Vanities (Theatreworks Palo Alto), Give It Up! (Dallas Theatre Center), Girl In The Frame (Goodspeed), Boys From Syracuse (Centerstage Baltimore), Godspell (Papermill Playhouse), Oklahoma!, Cats, Chalk Circle, Joseph (Hangar Theatre), Mame, Angel Street, …Forum (Surflight Theatre), Don Giovanni (Indianapolis Opera), Carousel, The Merry Widow, (Opera Illinois). He has worked on many Gilbert & Sullivan works with the Blue Hill Troupe in NYC.

Caite Hevner (Scenic/Projection design). Recent design credits include: Triassic Parq, off-Broadway at Soho Playhouse; Jukebox Jackie, La MaMa Ellen Stewart Theatre; Tales from My Parents’ Divorce, The Civilians; La Scala di Seta and Il Cambiale di Matrimonio, The Juilliard School; Miss Lilly Gets Boned,Billy Witch and My Base and Scurvy Heart, Studio 42; March, Red Fern; The Myths We Need, Purple Rep; Refrain, The Wild Project; RENT, Yale Dramat; Greenwich Music Festival’s 2011 season; Carmen, Allentown Symphony; Rx and The Further Adventures of Suzanne and Monica, Chautauqua Theater Company. Graduate: NYU/Tisch (MFA), Yale School of Drama, Florida State University. Member: Wingspace Theatrical Design.www.caitehevnerdesign.com

Jennifer Caprio (Costume design). Broadway: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. NYC includes:In Transit (Lortel Nomination), Masked (DR2), Striking 12 (Daryl Roth), Girl’s Room (QTIP), Wanda’s World (Amas), Serendib (EST), The Atheist (Center Stages), Broadway Bares (BC/EFA), Out of Iceland (Culture Project). International: The Collected Works of Billy the Kid (Edinburgh Festival). Regional: Florida Grand Opera, Minnesota Opera, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Williamstown Theater Festival, Geva, Humana Festival, George Street, Virginia Stage, George St. Playhouse, Playmakers Repertory, Vineyard Theatre, North Shore Music Theater, The Hangar Theater, Cleveland Playhouse, Barrington Stage Company, among others. Originating company member of The Mill City Summer Opera.

John EmmetT O’BRIEN (Sound design). Upcoming: Levels of the Game (dir. Tom Butler/Studio Tisch), Release Point (dir. Joel Stone/NJ Rep). Others include: Two Sisters/Two Brothers (TFNC/Dirs. Mark Schneider and Valentina Fratti), Poetic License (59E59/The Directors Company). Workshops: The Blonde Streak (directed by Jack Cummings III), The Rhythm Club and Tuck Everlasting (both directed by Casey Nicholaw) Jericho (dir. Evan Bergman/NJ Rep), Next Thing You Know (CAP21/dir. Terry Berliner), Locker 4173b (NY Neo Futurists), Lesbian Love Octagon (dir. Kim Kressal), The Upstart (Rising Phoenix Rep.), Character Assassins (NJ Rep), The Lover (dir. Mark Schneider). Select assistant credits: Anything Goes (Drama Desk, Tony Nom.), Fela! (Tony Award).

Jimmy Lawlor (Lighting design) is thrilled to be a part of Tail! Spin! Originally from the metro DC area, Jimmy moved to NYC and received his MFA in Lighting Design at New York University. Jimmy's New York work as been seen at St. Clement's Theatre, Theatre Row, HERE Arts Center, Dixon Place, NYU, Columbia University, among others. Regional work includes The Kennedy Center, Arena Stage, The Shakespeare Theatre, and Spoleto Festival USA. Upcoming projects include lighting shows for The Tango Zone in Edmonton, Canada. Thanks to Caite and the whole cast and creative team! www.lawlordesign.com

For more information, please visit www.TailSpinShow.com or www.FringeNYC.org.