Second Thought Theatre Presents COCK, Now thru 2/22

Following a critically acclaimed reading at 2013's Pride Performing Arts Festival, Second Thought Theatre Associate Artist Alex Organ will direct the first play in STT's 10th anniversary season, Cock, by Mike Bartlett. Cock, a wildly comic exploration of identity and sexuality, will begin with previews today, January 29 and will run through February 22 at Bryant Hall on the Kalita Humphreys Campus. Tickets to c*ckare on sale now.

"Mike Bartlett challenges us to view human sexuality as it truly is: complicated, intricate, and multi-dimensional; not the tidy clean-cut version we've been fed," says Organ. "In c*ckthe playing space is stripped of scenery and props, and the stakes are extremely high, making it an especially exciting piece for actors. The drama is messy, truthful, and at times painful to watch, but always hysterically funny."

Set in London, c*cktells the story of John, a gay man recently out of a long term romance, who falls in love with a woman. It's a complicated love triangle that has the audience wondering, "Which 'alternative lifestyle' will John Choose?" STT's c*ckfeatures Justin Locklear as John, caught between love interests played by Danielle Pickard and Blake Hackler. Robert Ousley rounds out the cast as John's father.

In true STT fashion, the performance hall will be arranged in another brand new configuration. Patrons will look down onto the bare playing area from observation deck-style seating. Bold lighting design by STT regular Aaron Johansen and costumes, by Korey Kent, will echo this simplicity, allowing audiences to focus entirely on the drama of the scene.

"Bartlett is very clear", says Organ. "He doesn't want the traditional trappings of the theater (props, furniture, scenic elements) to do the storytelling here. Instead he demands the medium be stripped of the inanimate, so that all we have left is the actor's voice and body to tell the story. It's a great challenge for the actor, asking them to rely only on their own voice and physicality. Figuring out how to work within those restrictions is a thrilling challenge."

Cock opens with previews on Wednesday, January 29 at 7:30pm. Opening and press night is Friday, January 31 at 8:00pm. The PWYC performances of c*ckwill take place Wednesday, January 29; Thursday, January 30; Monday, February 3; Monday, February 10 and Monday, February 17. PWYC tickets are available at the box office the day of the performance only and are subject to availability. Tickets to the PWYC performance can be reserved at the regular ticket price online at 2TT.co. c*ckruns through February 22. Tickets for c*ckare on sale now and are available online at 2TT.co or by phone at (866) 811-4111.

Hackler (M) has appeared in productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway and in regional theatres throughout the country, as well as in TV and film. In Dallas, Blake has appeared with the Dallas Theater Center, Trinity Shakespeare Festival, the Undermain Theatre and Theatre Three. Blake has held faculty positions at Yale University, Roosevelt University, AMDA, and is currently on the faculty of SMU and Yale University. He is a member of the esteemed BMI/Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Writing Program, and is the recipient of the Harrington Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre Writing as well as a Dramatist Guild Intensive grant. He is a company member of the Undermain Theatre. Education: MFA, Yale School of Drama.

Locklear (John) is honored to be a part of STT's 2014 season. Justin is a graduate of Baylor University with a BFA in Theater Performance. His recent regional credits include Dreams of Slaughtered Sheep, and Best Seat In Town with the Ochre House Theater, and T.N.B. with the Dead White Zombies. In addition to performing, Justin designs puppets, costumes, and directs music for theaters across Dallas. Last year, Justin performed across the country as part of the performance installation Pizzicato Porno, which was also exhibited at the 2013 Texas Biennial.

Ousley (F) solved crime on film in The Challenger; witnessed murder in Serial; con-man in Taken for Ransom; lovable beggar in Listen to Your Heart. Television: Salem, One Life to Live, As the World Turns and Too Good To Be True. In forty years on stage, a variety of Broadway productions, their National Tours, International performances, regional theatre, seven Shakespearean Festivals; working with such luminaries as Richard Harris, Angela Lansbury, James Earl Jones, Christopher Plummer, Sting, Richard Kiley, Bernadette Peters, Chaz Palminteri, Scott Bakula and Michael Clark Duncan, to name a few. Mr. Ousley is also a published poet and novelist.

Pickard (W) is making her main stage debut with Second Thought, having previously appeared in the STT reading of Our Father. Danielle has appeared on a variety of stages in Dallas. Notable productions include The Farnsworth Invention (Pem, et al), Amy's View (Amy), Pygmalion (Eliza Doolittle), Alice in Wonderland (Alice), Measure for Measure (Isabella), Taming of the Shrew (Bianca), Othello (Desdemona), Much Ado About Nothing (Hero), Port Twilight (Juliette), Slaughterhouse 5 (Barbara Pilgrim), Ladies of the Camellias (Girl), and Cheaters (Michelle). Danielle was voted the Dallas Observer's Readers' Pick for Best Local Actress 2010.

To post a comment, you must register and login.