Wendie Malick to Lead Berkshire Playwrights Lab's Staged Reading of THE HANDYMAN, 8/7

Berkshire Playwrights Lab will present a staged reading of Richard Dresser's The Handyman, directed by Joe Cacaci, on Wednesday, August 7 at 7:30pm at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center (14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, Mass.). The cast will include Wendie Malick, currently co-starring in TV Land's Hot in Cleveland, Berkshire Playwrights Lab Co-Artistic Director Jim Frangione, and two other actors TBA. There is no charge for admission, however, Berkshire Playwrights Lab suggests a $10.00 donation to help offset its programming costs. For reservations, call 413.528.0100 or visit the Mahaiwe box office in person.

In The Handyman, Peter and Jane venture to the Caribbean island where their 18-year-old daughter Haley disappeared six months ago. Jane refuses to leave the island until they find out what happened to Haley. Peter is a little too eager to move on. The marriage hangs in the balance as Jane risks everything to solve the mystery of what happened to her family. "The Handyman is one of the most unusual plays I've ever come across, in that Richard Dresser has brilliantly written it as a complex mystery, a taut thriller, a sharp-edged comedy, and a deeply moving psychological family portrait. I'm extremely happy to be collaborating with him again and flattered that he's entrusted us to develop and present this powerful and funny world premiere reading. Our goal is to produce it next season," said Berkshire Playwrights Lab Co-Artistic Director Joe Cacaci.

Richard Dresser's 17 published plays have been produced in New York, regional theater, and Europe. They include the widely produced Rounding Third about two mismatched Little League coaches. Also Below the Belt and Gun-Shy, both of which started at the Humana Festival at Actors Theatre of Louisville before moving Off Broadway. His trilogy of plays about happiness in America includes Augusta (working class), The Pursuit of Happiness (middle class), and A View of the Harbor(upper class). Other plays are Something in the Air, The Downside, Alone at the Beach, Wonderful World, and Better Days, plus many short plays, including the recent Halftime starring Treat Williams, which was originally written as a short play for the Berkshire Playwrights Lab 2012 Gala Benefit and was produced as a film by John Whalan's Black Ice entertainment, in association with Berkshire Playwrights Lab. His wrote the book for the musical Johnny Baseball, which started at A.R.T. in Cambridge and is currently running at the Williamstown Theatre Festival (through August 3). Recent plays include The Last Days of Mickey & Jean about a notorious South Boston gangster in early retirement, which premiered at the Merrimack Repertory Theater in Lowell, Massachusetts and The Hand of God, which was part of the Denver Theater Center?s New Play Series.

In addition to being co-artistic director of Berkshire Playwrights Lab, Joe Cacaci is the founding director of East Coast Arts, where he produced 20 world premiere plays over seven seasons, and he was the producing director, with Dan Lauria, of The Playwrights Kitchen Ensemble in Los Angeles, where over 500 new plays were given staged readings. This summer, he directed Berkshire Playwrights Lab's first full workshop production of Anna Ziegler's Life Science. He co-produced David Mamet's OBIE-winning play Edmond at the Provincetown Playhouse. His own plays have been produced at The Public Theater, The Coconut Grove Theatre, The Long Wharf Theater, and The Alley Theatre in Houston. He has directed at The Westport Playhouse and commercially in Los Angeles. He co-created the CBS prime time series The Trials of Rosie O'Neill and was executive producer of two prime time series: Showtime's The Hoop Life and CBS' The Education of Max Bickford, which starred Richard Dreyfuss and Marcia Gay Harden. He directed the PBS pilot Cop Shop, which starred Richard Dreyfuss and Blair Brown. Currently, Cacaci teaches television writing in the graduate program of the Film School at Columbia University.

For seven seasons on Just Shoot Me, Wendie Malick starred as Nina Van Horn, the outrageous ex-model and fashion editor (one Emmy and two Golden Globe nominations). She then joined the cast of Frasier for their final season as Ronnie Lawrence. Currently, Malick plays a five-time divorced, former soap opera star, in TV Land's hit sitcom, Hot in Cleveland, alongside Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, and Betty White. Other series favorites: Big Day, Good Company, and HBO's groundbreaking comedy, Dream On (four Cable Ace Awards). She has been a guest on CSI, The X-Files, LA Law, NYPD Blue, Seinfeld, Cybil, and of course, Law and Order, to name just a few. She starred in many movies for television: Take My Advice (playing both Ann Landers and Abby Van Buren), Hello Sister, Goodbye Life, Will You Merry Me?, Apollo 11, Dynasty: The Miniseries, Paper Dolls, and North Shore Fish, in a role she originated on stage. Her feature film credits includeAdventureland, Confessions Of A Shopaholic, Racing Stripes, The American President, The Emperor's New Groove, Jerome, On Edge, Trojan Wars, Bugsy, A Little Sex, Funny About Love, and the cult classic, Mr. Mike's Mondo Video. Her upcoming films include The Goods, Alvin and the Chipmunks: (The Squeakqual), Fifty-Nothing, and I Was a 7th Grade Dragon Slayer. Malick's theatrical credits include Off Broadway: North Shore Fish, Burleigh Grimes; Los Angeles: Victor Bumbalo's Questa , Oliver Hailey's Round Trip, Vagina Monologues, Santaland Diaries, and Steve Martin's The Underpants; and regional: The Guys (Studio Arena), Don't Blame Me, I Voted For Helen Gahagan Douglas (Wooly Mammoth), and Blithe Spirit (Williamstown).

Jim Frangione most recently performed at Actors Theatre of Louisville in the Humana Festival 2013 production of The Delling Shore, followed by Scrambled Eggs at the Beckett Theater Off Broadway (directed by Berkshire Playwrights Lab Co-Artistic Director Matthew Penn). He has performed in the New York premiere of several of David Mamet's plays, including The Old Neighborhood, Oleanna, and Romance. His performances with Atlantic Theater Company include The Night Heron,Hobson's Choice, Edmond, and Hellhound on My Trail, and other regional credits include appearances at Long Wharf Theatre, Merrimack Repertory Theater, Berkshire Theater Festival, Geva Theatre, Alley Theater, Mark Taper Forum and in the national tour of Oleanna. He was the founder of The Stage Company of Boston, where he acted in and directed many productions. His television credits include Brotherhood, The Unit, Law & Order (original, SVU, & CI) and his film appearances include Transamerica, Spartan, Heist, State and Main, The Spanish Prisoner, Homicide, Suits, Claire Dolan, Maryam, and Frozen Impact.

Founded in 2007 by theatre professionals Joe Cacaci, Jim Frangione, Bob Jaffe, and Matthew Penn, the Berkshire Playwrights Lab is the area's only theater dedicated exclusively to encouraging, developing, and presenting new plays. Through readings-and this season, a full workshop production of Anna Ziegler's Life Science -the Lab provides emerging and established writers with a professional and creative environment, while offering audiences the engaging and provocative opportunity to share in the dramatic evolution of premiere works. The Lab has staged readings of more than 50 new plays, many of which have gone on to full productions, including Kelly Masterson's Against the Rising Sea at Queens Theatre in the Park, Chris Newbound's The Birthday Boy at Berkshire Theatre Festival, Kate Wenner's Make Sure It's Me at Stage Left Theatre, and Kelly Masterson's Edith at Berkshire Theatre Group. Also, Jonathan Caren's The Recommendation went on to The Old Globe, Andrew Dolan's The Many Mistresses of Martin Luther King received rave reviews at Ensemble Studio Theatre Los Angeles, Matt Hoverman's The Glint was optioned for Broadway, and Matthew Penn recently directed the New York premiere of Scrambled Eggs by Robin Amos Kahn and Gary Richards. For more information, see www.berkshireplaywrightslab.org.

Credit Image: © Nancy Kaszerman/ZUMAPRESS.com

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