TheaterWorks announced final casting today for RAGING SKILLET by Jacques Lamarre the 5th show of TheaterWorks 31st Season.
Directed by John Simpkins, RAGING SKILLET is an irreverent buT Loving comedy about rebellion and searching for identity. At its heart it is a compelling story about a mother and a daughter and the commitment to family.
The three actor play is based on the memoir-with-recipes of Chef Rossi. The play is adapted by Jacques Lamarre whose food-centric I LOVED, I LOST, I MADE SPAGHETTI was a hit for the theater several years ago and has since played at theaters across the country.
Rebel caterer Rossi is celebrating the launch of her new book THE RAGING SKILLET: The True Life Story of Chef Rossi with a party - and you're invited! Zany food, rocking music and funny stories are all on the menu. When her Orthodox Jewish mother arrives unannounced, a less-than-kosher Rossi finds herself out of the frying pan and into the fire in this hilarious and heartfelt new comedy.
TheaterWorks Producing Artistic Director Rob Ruggiero said "Jacques is part of our TheaterWorksfamily. He's been hard at work cooking up this newest production. Chef Rossi's punk personality provides the perfect set up for a theatrical experience that is altogether fresh and loads of fun. We're thrilled he wrote this piece for us. Its got all the ingredients we love: fun in the kitchen, good laughs, great music and a whole lot of heart."
Dana Smith-Croll makes her TheaterWorks debut in the role of the "Jewish lesbian punk-rock caterer" Chef Rossi. Marilyn Sokol makes her TheaterWorks debut as Mom while George E. Salazarjoins the cast as DJ Skillit.
The creative team includes Michael Schweikardt (Set Design), Blair Gulledge (Costume Design), John Lasiter (Lighting Design), and Julian Evans (Sound Design).
IF YOU GO:
RAGING SKILLET
By Jacques Lamarre
Directed by John Simpkins
Previews: Thursday, July 20 - Wednesday, July 26, 2017
PRESS: Thursday July 27, 2017
Run Dates: July 20 - August 27, 2017
PERFORMANCES:
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 7:30 pm
Friday and Saturday 8:00 pm
Weekend Matinees 2:30 pm
WHERE:
TheaterWorks
City Arts on Pearl - 233 Pearl Street, Hartford, CT 06103
ADMISSION:
All seating is assigned $50-$65
Student Rush w/ID $15 (subject to availability)
Seniors 60+ Saturday Matinee $35
Group Rates Call
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Press Night Thursday July 27 at 7:30 pm
PWYC July 20 and 26 at 7:30 pm
ALL FREE Student Matinee Saturday, August 5 at 2:30 pm
Talk Back Tuesdays August 1, 8, 15, 22 at 7:30 pm
For tickets call 860.527.7838
*Please Note: Signed books will be for sale online and at the theater.
CAST:
Dana Smith-Croll as Rossi
George E. Salazar as DJ Skillit
Marilyn Sokol as Mom
ARTISTIC & DESIGN:
Director John Simpkins
Set Design Michael Schweikardt
Costume Design Blair Gulledge
Lighting Design John Lasiter
Sound Design Julian Evans
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Stage Manager
Kate J. Cudworth
Production Manager
Bridget Sullivan
Casting
McCorkle CastingABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Dana Smith-Croll (Rossi) is making her TheaterWorks debut. New York theatre includes new plays at 59 E 59; Walker Space; Ohio Theatre; and Urban Stages. Regional: Yale Rep; Pittsburgh Public; Berkshire Theatre Festival; and Portland Stage. Classical work has taken her to many of the nation's Shakespeare Festivals including New York, New Jersey, Utah and Colorado. Television includes: Law and Order (all of them) and many times on Comedy Central including, most recently, Broad City. Training: Yale School of Drama.
GEORGE E. SALAZAR (DJ Skillit) is making his TheaterWorks debut. Broadway: Godspell (Circle in the Square). Nat'l tour: Spring Awakening (Second National). Off-Broadway: The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical (Drama Desk nom.); tick, tick... BOOM! (Keen Company) Here Lies Love (Public Theater); F#%king Up Everything(Elektra Theatre). Regional: Broadway BounTy Hunter (Barrington Stage Company); The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Bucks County Playhouse); Be More Chill (Two River Theater). TV: BULL (CBS); Divorce (HBO). Cast recordings: Godspell; Be More Chill; Brooklyn Crush; Moment by Moment. Love and thanks to this team, his team, and his family! For more info, visit www.thegeorgesalazar.com. @georgesalazar
Marilyn Sokol (Mom) is making her TheaterWorks debut. She is an Emmy, Obie, Bistro-Award-Winner, and also won Best Actress in a Short Film in The 2015 Madrid International Film Festival (Unplugging Aunt Vera), and Best Actress in The 2016 One Reeler Short Film Competition (A Conversational Place). Her credits include, Broadway: Conversations with My Father, Grease, Don Juan, The Great God Brown. FILM: The Producers, Foul Play, Can't Stop the Music, The Last Married Couple in America; Off Broadway: Old Jews Telling Jokes, In Bed with Roy Cohn, Shlemiel the First, The Rise of David Levinsky, The Beggar's Opera (Obie), The Joys of Being Yiddish (a reading); TV: Broad City, The Slap, Sex and The City, Sneak Peek (Emmy), Emmett Otter's Jugband Xmas (Muppets),
Sesame Street; Regional: Gypsy, Candide, Fiddler on The Roof. Web Series: Submissions Only. Cabaret & Concerts: Avery Fisher & Town Halls,
Carnegie Hall, The Ballroom (Bistro),
Rainbow & Stars. Marilyn's Dial-a-Jokesare in The Smithsonian Institution.
John Simpkins (Director) is making his TheaterWorks debut. John directed the three-time Drama Desk nominated Bloodsong of Love: The Rock and Roll Spaghetti Western (
Joe Iconis) at
Ars Nova and Iconis' The Black Suits in LA (
Kirk Douglas Theatre - starring
Annie Golden,
Will Roland,
Veronica Dunne). Other credits: Off-Broadway's The Bus (59E59 Theatre); ReWrite (Urban Stages); The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks (
Lucille Lortel); Things to Ruin (co-conceived and directed at
Ars Nova,
Second Stage). International: World Premiere of Legendale at Fredericia Teater in Denmark. Regional: Quartet (starring
Elizabeth Franz); The Black Suits (Barrington Stage - starring
Ben Platt); Damn Yankees (Engeman Theatre - starring
Andre De Sheilds,
Felicia Finley); Hairspray (NC Theatre); A Wonderful Life (Engeman Theatre); Annie & Cabaret (Sacramento Music Circus); Evita (Lyric Theatre Oklahoma). John is the former Artistic Director at Sharon Playhouse - where he directed Georgie (written by/ starring
Ed Dixon); Judge Jackie (starring
KLea Blackhurst); Merrily We Roll Along (starring
Jason Tam,
A.J. Shively); Big River; Falsettos. John is Head of Musical Theatre at Penn State University. Upcoming projects include the American premiere of the new musical Legendale (Human Race Theatre) and the World Premiere of Love in Hate Nation (Iconis) - which he commissioned for Penn State.
www.john-simpkins.com
JACQUES LAMARRE (Playwright) is an award-winning playwright living in Manchester, CT. His play I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti premiered at TheaterWorks in 2012. The comedy went on to have subsequent productions at
George Street Playhouse, Asolo Repertory,
Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Seven Angels, Florida Repertory, Half Moon, Hangar Theatre. Stoneham Theatre and Penobscott Playhouse. He is one of eight playwrights that wrote Christmas on the Rocks for TheaterWorks, with subsequent productions at Richmond Triangle Players (VA) and Warehouse Theatre (SC). Born Fat, another comedy, was workshopped at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival and premiered at Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury, CT. It was subsequently remounted for the Midtown International Theatre Festival in New York, garnering an award for Outstanding Solo Show. Other MITF productions include writing the book for Save the Robots - A Sci-Fi Musical Comedy and Emerson Theatre Collaborative's production of Gray Matters (nominated for Outstanding Playwriting). His newest comedy My Vhite House Christmas Spashial vith Melania (Live from Trump Tower) received a readings at HartBeat Ensemble and a workshop at Seattle's Jewel Box Theatre. He was commissioned in 2014 by the Edward C. and Ann
T. Roberts Foundation to celebrate their 50th anniversary with Ned and Sunny, which starred
Jill Eikenberry and
Michael Tucker. Other productions and readings include: Jacques Lamarre Has Gone Too Far (Hole in the Wall Theatre), Stool (New York 15 Minute Play Festival, Top Ten Finalist), The Rub (Floating Theatre), Pierce (Herstory Theatre Company), Colonel Sellers: Reanimator (
Mark Twain House & Museum, Little Theatre of Manchester), among others. Jacques has co-written thirteen comedy-cabaret shows for drag superstar
Varla Jean Merman (including 2017's Bad Heroine), as well as the screenplay for Varla Jean & The Mushroomheads. Jacques works for BuzzEngine Marketing & Events with prior stints at The
Mark Twain House & Museum, Hartford Stage,
American Stage Festival,
Yale Repertory Theatre, and TheaterWorks Hartford.
www.jacqueslamarreplaywright.com
Rob Ruggiero (Producing Artistic Director)
Rob Ruggiero has been the Producing Artistic Director of TheaterWorks since 2012 and part of the theater's artistic leadership for 24 years. He has directed over 50 shows, most recently Next to Normal, Relativity and the fourth annual production of Christmas on the Rocks. Rob has earned national recognition for his work on plays and musicals. His Broadway credits include Looped (starring
Valerie Harper in a Tony-nominated performance) and High (starring
Kathleen Turner). Off-Broadway, he conceived and directed the original musical revue entitled Make Me a Song: The Music of
William Finn (Nominated for the Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle Awards). Rob conceived and directed the world premiere musical portrait of
Ella Fitzgerald entitled Ella, which has been seen on more than 24 regional theater stages from 2005-2010 before beginning a National Tour. His work has received multiple awards and recognition in Connecticut, as well as in other cities around the United States. In 2015, Rob had the opportunity to direct a Greek production of Fiddler on the Roof in Athens. Rob has directed numerous shows at
Goodspeed Musicals including 2015's production of La Cage aux Folles, and productions of Fiddler on the Roof (Connecticut Critic's Circle Award for Best Direction), The Most Happy Fella (Connecticut Critic's Circle Award for Best Direction Carousel (Broadway World Award), Annie Get Your Gun, Camelot, Big River, 1776 and a new adaptation of Show Boat (Connecticut Critic's Circle Award for Best Direction). This new version is now being licensed by the
Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization.
www.robruggiero.com
Celebrating its 31st season, TheaterWorks produces high quality, contemporary theater that is relevant to our audiences, engages a diverse community, and provides insight into the human experience.
Founded in 1985 by Steve Campo, TheaterWorks has produced over 130 plays and presents approximately 225 performances per season.
TheaterWorks also owns and manages the historic 1927-built property at 233 Pearl Street, known as City Arts on Pearl. City Arts also provides an affordable home and services to a diverse family of non-profit arts organizations.
