Dirt Dogs Theatre Co. to Present World Premiere of FRENZY

Dirt Dogs UNLEASHED will present FRENZY, a new play by John Hawthorne Smith, directed by Trevor B. Cone.

ABOUT THE PLAY

Rebecca has everything prepared for the multimillion-dollar acquisition of her sister's tech firm. She's done this so many times before and there's nothing to worry about except where to celebrate. But when a mysterious crowd begins to gather outside the building and a cellphone video quickly goes viral, the deal, and Rebecca's very life, are suddenly in jeopardy. In an age where everything is available online, can one person protect themself from an internet mob?

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT

John Hawthorne Smith is proud to present his first play as an Artist in Residence with Dirt Dogs Theatre Co. Smith's first playwriting credit was as a member of the Houston Young Playwright Exchange in 2003 at The Alley Theatre. Since then, he has graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, University of St. Thomas (BA), and Northwestern University (MS). He has written, directed, and produced multiple feature films, including Indigo, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2014 Amsterdam Film Festival, and for which he took home numerous Best Screenplay and Best Director awards. Smith is currently producing the off-Broadway play Half Me/Half You.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Director and Sound Designer, Trevor B. Cone, describes FRENZY as “so very relevant for our place and time. Each day, we see new stories of individuals whose lives have been ruined by self-appointed online judges, juries, and executioners. As one who has studied the power of misinformation on the internet, John has created a play that serves as a cautionary tale of what happens when perception is more highly valued than proof.”

Cone has directed several Houston productions including The Eight: Reindeer Monologues, Life x 3, and Five by TENN (DDTCo.), The Break of Noon (Queensbury Theatre), Below the Belt (Country Playhouse), Death and the Maiden, Superior Donuts, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and The Wayside Motor Inn (Theatre Southwest). Additional sound designs include The Birds, Coyote on a Fence, The Revolutionists, Twilight Los Angeles: 1992, White Guy on the Bus, Life x 3, and The Boundary (DDTCo.), Extremities, The Columnist, The Philadelphia Story (Theatre Southwest) and Desdemona/Waiting for Othello (Trebuchet Players).

The cast of FRENZY features Dirt Dogs veterans Malinda L. Beckham as Rebecca, Melissa J. Marek as Anne, Adina Opalek as Julie, Bill Giffen as Franklin, and Todd Thigpen as Marcus.

The creative team consists of Mark Lewis (scenic design), Malinda L. Beckham (costume and properties design), Kris Phelps (lighting design), Ian Evans (projection design), Kyle Clark (fight director), John Baker (production manager) and Barbara Alicea-Aponte (production stage manager).

To post a comment, you must register and login.