LOBBY HERO to Make Houston Premiere at 4th Wall Theatre

Join 4th Wall Theatre for the Houston premiere of Lobby Hero, written by acclaimed playwright and Manchester by the Sea's Academy Award-winning director/screenwriter, Kenneth Lonergan.

The strong ensemble cast features beloved Houston actor Drake Simpson and three talented local actors-Adam Gibbs, Chelsea Ryan McCurdy, and Joseph 'Joe P' Palmore-all making their 4th Wall Theatre debut.

Jointly directed by Kim Tobin-Lehl and Jennifer Dean, Lobby Hero runs May 11th - June 3rd at STUDIO 101.

Lonergan's mesmerizing 'dramedy' was nominated for a Drama Desk Award, Olivier Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award for best play. As the story unfolds and the tensions rise in the lobby of a Manhattan apartment building, we learn how Jeff-a hapless young security guard, his supervisor, an overbearing police officer and his young female partner are all drawn into a murder investigation. When Jeff's tightly wound supervisor is called to bear witness against his troubled brother, and the attractive rookie cop finds she must stand up to her seasoned partner, loyalties are strained to the breaking point. Truth becomes elusive and justice proves costly.

Don't miss 4th Wall Theatre's production of Lobby Hero, written by Manchester by the Sea's Academy Award-winning director/screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan. Previewing on May 11th, Lobby Hero opens on May 12th, and runs through Saturday, June 3rd, 2017. Performances will be held at 4th Wall's STUDIO 101, located at Spring Street Studios, 1824 Spring Street, Houston, Texas, 77007. Regular show times are as follows: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3:00 pm, and a special "Pay What You Can" performance on Monday, May 29th at 7:30 pm.

Individual tickets (priced at $29 for adults, $23 for seniors and $15 for students) and $49 Premier Reserved tickets are available for all performances. To purchase tickets for Lobby Hero, please visit 4th Wall Theatre Company's (formerly Stark Naked Theatre Company) website at 4thwalltheatreco.com or call 832.866.6514. "LOBBY HERO" is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service.

ABOUT THE CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM*:

Adam Gibbs (Jeff) is thrilled to be making his debut with 4th Wall. He was most recently seen at Theatre Under the Stars in Into the Woods, Sweet Potato Queens (World Premiere), Oliver, A Christmas Story, Bonnie and Clyde, First Date, and Hello, Dolly. Other credits include the title roles in Classical Theatre Company's Dr. Faustus and Theater LaB's My Name is Asher Lev, the World Premiere of Ether Dome at the Alley Theatre where he was also seen in Our Town, The Man Who Came to Dinner, and over 300 performances of A Christmas Carol. Other favorite roles include: Life Could Be A Dream, Yankee Tavern, and Amy's View at Stages Repertory Theatre, Forever Plaid at Unity Theatre, and Thoroughly Modern Millie and Little Women at Hits Theatre. Voiceover credits include Grave of the Fireflies, Parasyte, Captain Harlock, among many others. Adam is a proud member of Actor's Equity Association, and his greatest blessing is and always will be his lovely wife, Rebekah.

Chelsea Ryan McCurdy (Dawn) You have previously seen Chelsea at Stages Repertory Theatre in Big Fish (Jenny Hill), Honky Tonk Angels series (Angela), The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical (Darlene), The Marvelous Wonderettes series (Missy), Panto Cinderella (Cinderella), Peter and the Wolf (Katrina), Panto Sleeping Beauty (Snow White); The Alley Theatre: All My Sons (Lydia Lubey); Black Lab Theatre: Really Really (Haley); Unity Theatre: Boeing Boeing (Gretchen); as well as Main Street Theatre and Theatre Lab productions. She is also a voice actor for Sentai Filmworks, as well as the Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Rogue Productions. Chelsea would like to thank 4th Wall, especially Kim, for this incredible opportunity!

Joseph "Joe P" Palmore (William) has had the creative pleasure of exploring and establishing himself as a Poet, Stage Actor, Consultant, Playwright, Youth Mentor and Educator in Houston for over 10 years. He has worked alongside many innovative organizations impacting the lives of youth, creating platforms for adult artists, and transforming life into art for the stage. With Ensemble Theatre, Joe P has created roles for Fly, Jitney, Lotto: Experience the Dream, The Man Who Saved New Orleans, Livin' Fat, Cuttin' Up, Sanctified, Broke-ology, Ashes to Africa, and The Ballad of Emmett Till (reprising this title role at the 2013 National Black Theatre Festival). Cast with Stages Repertory Theatre, Joe P has performed in the award winning production of The Whipping Man and Stupid f-ing Bird. At the Alley Theatre, Joe P was Assistant Director on The Mountaintop, Marketing Consultant and Assistant Director for SYNCing Ink, and played an ensemble role in One Man Two Guvnors. Joe P has directed, produced, and/or written stage plays through the Black Box Theatre, of which he is co-founder, including The Wager and TopDog/UnderDog, and his original works of Love Pain Passion Progress: A Poe-A-Trical Life Story, Family, and The Road To A Dream. For the past four years, Joe P has worked as Founding and Executive Director of ACTing Up Studios (AUS), working within multiple school districts, non-profit organizations, ministries, and community groups throughout the region. AUS offers poetic and theatre arts professional development programming for students of the arts to begin to shape themselves into true performance artists and life leaders. Acting is his first love, Poetry is his passion, and Teaching is his Purpose. Learn more about Joe P at www.iamjoep.com or through ACTing Up Studios at www.actingupstudios.com.

Drake Simpson (Bill) has previously appeared in 4th Wall Theatre productions of Midsummer Night's Dream, God of Carnage, Body Awareness, Dinner with Friends, and most recently, True West. Other Houston credits include: Red Light Winter, Fault Lines, Among The Thugs, The Aliens and The Spaghetti Code with Horse Head Theatre (for which he is also a founding member); Hotel Fuck, Tamalalia 2000, and Roberto Zucco with Catastrophic Theatre; The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Diety, The Laramie Project, Shakespeare's R&J, and Heart of A Woman with Stages; American Buffalo with The Landing Theatre Company; The Man Who Had Three Arms and This is Our Youth with Atomic Café; and Measure for Measure, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Much Ado About Nothing with the Houston Shakespeare Festival. Los Angeles credits include Recent Tragic Events, Kith and Kin, The Baby Dance and Zastrozzi. Film/Television credits include: Notes From The Underbelly/ABC, Todd's Coma/Happy Madison Productions, Canooks/Those Damn Canadians and the independent films The Riot Act, Dirty Mary, Worms, and Palps.

Kim Tobin-Lehl (Co-Director) is co-Founder and co-Artistic Director of 4th Wall Theatre Company. In addition to directing credits in both NYC and LA, 4th Wall Theatre/Stark Naked Theatre productions directed by Kim include: Small Mouth Sounds, Ho Ho Humbug 2.0, A Midsummer Night's Dream & A Winter's Tale. Kim has acted in 4th Wall's productions of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Small Mouth Sounds, Stage Kiss, Ho Ho Humbug, The God Game, Faith Healer, Macbeth, All Girls, God of Carnage, Body Awareness, Dinner with Friends, and Debt Collectors. A Houston native, Kim has a BA in acting and directing from the University of Houston (including training with Jose' Quintero, Edward Albee & Sidney Berger). In addition to appearing in numerous regional productions, she won the "Actress Excellence" award at the Texas College Play Festival for her portrayal of Sarah in Children of a Lesser God. After relocating to New York she trained with/at a number of elite teachers and conservatories, including: Stella Adler & The Stella Adler Conservatory, Gene Frankel, Circle In The Square, The Shakespeare Lab at The Public Theatre and Seth Barrish & Lee Brock at The Barrow Group. In New York, Kim was an officer with the New Mercury Theatre Company, where (among other roles), she produced and starred (as Sally) in the 1995 revival of Sam Shepard's A Lie of the Mind. Kim later became the Artistic Director of the Blue Sphere East theatre company (the New York sister company to the acclaimed Blue Sphere ALLIANCE THEATRE company based in Los Angeles). Her favorite Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway credits include: Talk to Me Like the Rain..., A Streetcar Named Desire, The Fifth of July, Fool for Love, Savage in Limbo, The Smell of the Crowd, Bed, Bawd & Beyond, Impassioned Embraces (Emotional Recall), Ctrl, Alt, Delete and Trust and the Barrow Group's production of Short Stuff Two and their production of her original one-woman show, Inside Out. Kim spent over three years in Los Angeles studying with SAndy Marshall and Larry Moss, and highlights of her LA theatre productions include: the world premiere of Children of Shame, The Interrogation, Masseur, Baby with the Bathwater, Check to Check, and The Foreigner. Kim's film credits include roles in The Big Lebowski, The Alarmist, Ash, and Sex Maniac, as well as the television series Sunset Beach. In addition to her extensive body of work, Kim is a highly sought-after acting teacher, and her studio (based on the teaching principles of Meisner, Adler and The Barrow Group) offers an array of courses (from beginner to advanced levels) in acting technique, improvisation, script analysis and scene study. More details about Kim's background and her current class offerings can be found at her studio website: www.kimtobinactingstudio.com.

Jennifer Dean (Co-Director) Jennifer is thrilled to be returning to 4th Wall Theater and to be working alongside Kim Tobin-Lehl directing Lobby Hero. This is Jennifer's fourth project with 4th Wall, having previously directed The God Game in 2014, Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf in 2016, and the recent reading of Shakespeare In Vegas. Living in Houston since 2000 (after graduating from Baylor University with a BFA in Theatre), Jennifer has worked around town as an actress and director for the last 17 years and loves being a part of the Houston theatre community. Additional directing credits include 12 Angry Men, Leaving Iowa, The First Church of Texaco, and Charley's Aunt at A.D. Players. Jennifer works full time at West U Baptist & Crosspoint Church as the Communications and Marketing director, but her favorite role is wife to Kevin and mom to Lilian Vera.

* 4th Wall Theatre Company productions are funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance.

Photo credit: Gabriella Nissen.

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