Georgia Clinton Stars in Amphibian Stage's DEATH TAX, Now thru 11/10

Amphibian Stage Productions presents its final main stage production of the 2013 season, Death Tax by Lucas Hnath. Georgia Clinton, Stormi Demerson, John Forkner, and Laurel Whitsett will star in this dark comedy, running tonight, October 17 through Sunday, November 10 at Amphibian's theater at 120 S. Main Street. René Moreno will direct the production.

Laurel Whitsett last appeared on Amphibian's stage in the 2011 main stage production of Animals Out of Paper by Rajiv Joseph. Director René Moreno has directed numerous productions at Amphibian, including the 2012 production of The Understudy by Theresa Rebeck and the 2010 production of No Child... by Nilaja Sun. Georgia Clinton, Stormi Demerson, and John Forkner will make their Amphibian debuts in this production.

Additionally, Death Tax will feature set design by Bob Lavallee, lighting design by Adam Chamberlin, sound design by David Lanza, costume design by Kathleen Anderson Culebro, and props design by Cosmo Jones.

It's 2010. December. Infirm Maxine thinks her daughter is paying nurse Tina to gently nudge her into the grave before the new year. Maxine thinks her daughter is doing this so she doesn't have to pay hefty estate taxes, taxes that take effect on January 1. Nurse Tina claims she is doing no such thing, but when Maxine offers Tina a portion of her sizable estate on the condition that she lives until the 1st, Tina changes her tune. But of course, nothing goes according to plan. Death Tax is a darkly comic play about death and taxes and how we live with both.

Death Tax will run from Thursday, October 17 through Sunday, November 10 at Amphibian Stage Productions. Thursday, October 17 is a private opening night for Amphibian's Devonian members and press and is available by invitation only. A "pay-what-you-can" invited dress rehearsal will be available on Wednesday, October 16 that is open to the public.

Tickets for Death Tax are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors, and $15 for students. Group discounts are also available for parties of six or more. For tickets and more information, theatergoers may call 817-923-3012, email boxoffice@amphibianproductions.org, or visit www.amphibianproductions.org. The theater is located at 120 S. Main Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76104.

About the Cast and Crew:

Lucas Hnath (Playwright) has written numerous plays, including Red Speedo, A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney, nightnight, Isaac's Eye, Death Tax, and The Courtship of Anna Nicole Smith. He has been a resident playwright at New Dramatists since 2011. He is also a proud member of Ensemble Studio Theatre and has enjoyed residencies with The Royal Court Theatre and 24Seven Lab. Lucas is a winner of the 2012 Whitfield Cook Award for Isaac's Eye, 2013 Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award Citation for Death Tax, and a two-time winner of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Grant for screenwriting. He received both his B.F.A. and M.F.A. from NYU's Department of Dramatic Writing and is a lecturer in NYU's Expository Writing Program.

René Moreno (Director) previously directed Amphibian Stage Productions' 2012 production of The Understudy by Theresa Rebeck and the 2010 production of No Child... by Nilaja Sun, as well as the company's 2009 staged reading of A Room of One's Own starring Concetta Tomei. Other area directing credits include Hamlet at Shakespeare Dallas, The Night of the Iguana at Contemporary Theatre of Dallas, and August: Osage County at WaterTower Theatre. As an actor he appeared on Broadway in the Tony-Award winning play Amadeus, as well as Joseph Papp's Shakespeare on Broadway. He holds an M.F.A. in Directing and a B.F.A. in Theatre and Dance from Southern Methodist University and is an Artistic Associate with Shakespeare Dallas and Contemporary Theatre of Dallas.

Georgia Clinton (Maxine) is making her Amphibian Stage Productions debut in Death Tax by Lucas Hnath. She has most recently performed as Molly Ivins in Red Hot Patriot at Stage West and Water Tower Theatre. Other area credits include Children with WingSpan Theatre and La Bete with Theatre Three. She received her B.F.A. in acting from the University of Texas at Austin.

Stormi Demerson (Tina) makes her Amphibian Stage Productions debut in Death Tax by Lucas Hnath. Recent DFW area credits include Wit with Theatre Arlington, Diamond Dick: Tulsa Riots of 1921 with Project X Theatre, Intimate Apparel with WaterTower Theatre, and Crumbs from the Table of Joy with Jubilee Theatre. She holds a B.F.A. in Theater from Texas Christian University.

John Forkner (Todd) makes his Amphibian Stage Productions debut in Death Tax by Lucas Hnath. His New York credits include Hamlet, Henry V, Richard II, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Brecht's Baal, The Rape of the Lock, The Great Divorce, and Sex! Drugs! And Ukuleles! The Musical! In the DFW area he has performed with Shakespeare Dallas, Undermain Theatre, Dallas Children's Theater, and Theatre Three. He received a B.F.A from Baylor University where he studied acting.

Laurel Whitsett (Daughter) previously appeared on Amphibian's stage in the 2011 production of Animals Out of Paper, garnering a 2011 Fort Worth Weekly "Best of" Critic's Choice nod for Female Actor. Other local stage work includes The Mousetrap at Theatre Three, The Kiss at City Hall at Circle Theatre, and The Sweetest Swing in Baseball at Stage West. Her film work includes Super with Rainn Wilson, Premonition, The Overbrook Brothers, and Splinter. Also a certified American Sign Language interpreter, Laurel recently collaborated with Dallas Theater Center on Clybourne Park and with Contemporary Theater of Dallas on Children of a Lesser God as a Sign Language Coach. She earned her M.A. in Drama Text and Performance Studies from the University of London King's College and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Laurel is an adjunct faculty member in the Theatre Arts department at UT Arlington.

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 works of theatre that challenge the way we see the world around us. Now in its fourteenth season, Amphibian has produced numerous groundbreaking and challenging plays (some regional premieres, others US 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.

Pictured: Georgia Clinton. Photo by Daylon Walton.

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