CAROLE COOK DIED FOR MY SINS Comes to Skylight Theatre This Fall

Insecure alum Mason McCulley has announced a stage production Carole Cook Died For My Sins will have its world premiere at the Skylight Theatre in Los Angeles this fall. Performances for the three-week engagement are set to begin on Sunday, October 20, and run through Sunday, November 10.

The solo show, written and performed by Mason McCulley (Insecure, Mom, Young Sheldon), is directed by acclaimed LA theatre director and film writer, director, producer Cameron Watson (Break a Hip, Our Very Own). Carole Cook Died For My Sins explores the visceral and figurative downward spiral McCulley faced following the death of his beloved mentor and longtime confidant Carole Cook, the protégé of Lucille Ball, who passed away at the age of 98 in January 2023.

The late actress was known for her roles in classic films such as Sixteen Candles, American Gigolo, and The Incredible Mr. Limpet, as well as hit television series including CBS' The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy. Cook is also acclaimed for her work on Broadway in the original productions of 42nd Street and Romantic Comedy, and she returned to the stage in 2018 with sold out audiences in New York City for her one-woman show at 54 Below.

McCulley's autobiographical storytelling in Carole Cook Died For My Sins is a gay son's love letter to both his late mother, Sheard McCulley, who also passed away in 2023, and to an unlikely soulmate in Cook. In the forthcoming show, McCulley ushers the audience into the depths of darkness where he faces magic and mystery, eventually transforming grief into grace, while celebrating sex, sobriety, and salvation with humility and humor.

Previews begin October 20 at the Skylight Theatre in Los Angeles and will run through November 10. For tickets, visit www.carolecookdiedformysins.com.

About Mason McCulley:

A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Mason McCulley made his way to California in 2002 to study Theatre at Pepperdine University. It was just one year earlier that he first encountered the prolific Carole Cook who would soon become his forever fairy godmother. Best known for playing Ken on HBO's hit show Insecure from Issa Rae, other TV credits include Grey's Anatomy, Westworld, Mom, Young Sheldon, Castle, and Lifetime's The Holiday Dating Guide. Mason served as both an actor and producer on the Emmy Award winning web-series Break a Hip, a raucous comedy written and directed by Cameron Watson starring Emmy winner Christina Pickles. From 2008 to 2021 Mason served as Industry Liaison for the Theatre Program at Pepperdine University, curating a Master Class Series for the acting majors. Guest Artists included Sir Anthony Hopkins, Alfred Molina, Annaleigh Ashford, Fortune Feimster, Yvonne Orji, Faith Prince, Betty Buckley, Jason Alexander as well as top casting directors, agents and directors.

 

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