Amphibian Stage Productions Announces Cast for The Trap, a Hilarious New Comedy About Money

Amphibian Stage Productions announces the cast and creative team for its second main stage play of the 2017 season, The Trap by Kieran Lynn. Starring Justin Lemieux (Tom) and Sarah Rutan (Clem), the play runs Friday, April 28 through Sunday, May 21 at the Berlene T. and Jarrell R. Milburn Theatre at Amphibian Stage Productions. Supporting cast includes Bob Hess (Alan) and Cara Serber (Meryl).

In this hilarious new comedy about money, Tom and Clem find themselves knee-deep in financial struggles. When they decide that the only way out is to rob the safe at Tom's work, a payday loan company called The Debt Duck, they wind up in a wacky scenario.

In an era where many people are dealing with some kind of debt-whether it's a mortgage, a college loan, or credit card bills-the play is timely and gives us a way to cope with a good dose of humor. The Trap's characters are reminiscent of popular Netflix series such as Love and Flaked, no longer featuring people with glamorous lifestyles, but rather flawed people with every day life struggles that we can't help identifying with and finding funny.

"Playwright Kieran Lynn has a gift for making us laugh and think at the same time. Whether his characters are embroiled in an international border crisis or being taken advantage of by a usurious payday lending company, they're always laugh-out-loud funny, vulnerable, and completely relatable," said Kathleen Culebro, Artistic Director of Amphibian Stage Productions.

Kieran received the Artists' International Development Fund grant, awarded by the Arts Council England, to bring The Trap to Fort Worth as a world premiere. He is also the author of Crossing the Line, which was produced last season at Amphibian and received positive reviews in the local media, including the Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Weekly, and Theater Jones.

The cast features seasoned actors who have performed locally and regionally. Justin has appeared at Amphibian, Circle Theatre, Dallas Theater Center, and Trinity Shakespeare Festival; Sarah has appeared at Dallas Theater Center, Trinity Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Pasadena Playhouse Hothouse Series. Bob, a DFW Critics' Forum Award winner, has appeared at Amphibian, Casa Mañana, Circle Theater, Dallas Children's Theatre, Kitchen Dog Theater, Second Thought Theatre, Stage West, Theatre Three, and WaterTower Theatre, and is in the recurring role of Michael Taylor in the ABC drama American Crime. Cara, named Best Musical Theatre Actress by the Dallas Observer, has appeared at Dallas Theater Center, Casa Mañana, Lyric Stage, Uptown Players, WaterTower Theatre, and Dallas Children's Theatre. For artist bios and headshots visit: www.amphibianstage.com/the-trap-press-kit

Mary Catherine Burke will direct, having previously directed Fiction, Time Stands Still, Isaac's Eye, An Unproduced Screenplay Based on the Life and Death of Walt Disney and Music City, USA at Amphibian Stage Productions. Her production of Austentatious at NYMF was described as the next off-Broadway hit by The New York Times. The Trap also features scenic design by Seancolin Hankins, lighting design by Dawn Wittke, sound design by David Lanza, props design by Christina McCormick, and costume design by Brittny Mahan.

About the Play

In the hilarious new comedy by the author of Crossing the Line, Tom and Clem find themselves knee-deep in financial struggles. The only solution is to clean out the safe at Tom's work, a payday loan company called The Debt Duck. When his gambling-addicted boss arrives with the same idea, they end up in a wacky scenario involving a gang of Estonians, a selfish supervisor with a huge mortgage, and an overly vigilant alarm system.

"Kieran Lynn built a reputation as a sharp, funny writer with an affinity for dark and absurd comedy."

- Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Ticket Information

Tickets to The Trap are $33, with discounts available for seniors, students, members of the theatre community, and groups of 10 or more. To purchase tickets, call 817-923-3012, email boxoffice@amphibianstage.com, or visit www.amphibianstage.com. The theater is located at 120 S. Main Street, Fort Worth, TX 76104.

The Trap opens Friday, April 28 and runs through Sunday, May 21 at Amphibian Stage Productions' Milburn Theatre. Performances Thursday through Saturday will be at 8pm with 2pm Sunday matinees. Friday, April 28 is a private opening night for Amphibian's Devonian members and press and is available by invitation or with the purchase of a $100 ticket. Saturday, April 29 is the members' cast party night and is available to non-members with the purchase of a $50 ticket.

Pay-what-you-wish tickets are available at the door for the final dress rehearsals on Wednesday, April 26 and Thursday, April 27. Dress rehearsals are open to the public; seating is limited and will be first come, first served.

About Amphibian Stage Productions

Amphibian Stage Productions is a non-profit theatre company founded in 2000 by three alumni of TCU's Department of Theatre who strive to produce innovative and engaging theatre that inspires new ideas, opens new doors, and increases our understanding of the vast world around us. Now in its eighteenth season, Amphibian has produced numerous groundbreaking and challenging plays (some regional premieres, others U.S. or world premieres) that foster a deeper understanding of ourselves as members of the global community. The company is widely recognized for its stylistically and thematically varied scripts.

Committed to nurturing young and diverse audiences, Amphibian has developed a strong internship program, a summer acting workshop for teens, and a dynamic outreach project, Tad-Poles, that is steadily increasing the company's visibility and following. The group travels to schools and community centers, performing and spreading a message of multicultural collaboration and tolerance.

Amphibian is generously funded by the Amon G. Carter Foundation, Ann L. and Carol Greene Rhodes Charitable Trust, Arts Council of Fort Worth and Tarrant County, Fifth Avenue Foundation, Mary Potishman Lard Trust, Pangburn Foundation, Thomas M., Helen McKee & John P. Ryan Foundation, Sid W. Richardson Foundation, Shubert Foundation, Southwest Bank, Texas Commission on the Arts, Wells Fargo Bank, William E. Scott Foundation, North Texas Giving Day and the Devonian Society, a group of Amphibian's devoted donors who are proud to be the force behind nurturing the next generation of artists and audiences.

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