DEATH, WITH BENEFITS Opens January 27 At Theatre 40

Theatre 40 presents Death, with Benefits. This world premiere engagement of a dark comedy, by John Strysik is directed by Jeff G. Rack.

Theatre 40, in the Reuben Cordova Theatre, 241 S. Moreno Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212. The venue is on the campus of Beverly Hills High School. Free parking is available in the parking lot beneath the theatre. To access parking, enter through the driveway at the intersection of Durant and Moreno Drives. Running January 27- February 20, 2022.

For more information visit www.theatre40.org

Death, with Benefits is a dark comedy "inspired" by the terribly true story of the infamous "Killer Grannies of Santa Monica," also known as the "Black Widows."

Two mature ladies bond over the awful emotional and financial situations their deceased husbands have left them. To fix their predicaments, they concoct a pernicious get rich plan: Take in sickly men, get them to sign lavish life insurance policies with the women as beneficiaries, and care for them until they pass away. The only problem is that their guests are not passing away quickly enough, so the ladies decide to speed up the process.

John Strysik is the playwright. He is known for his work in film and television, including the screenplay for the award-winning movie Stuck, directed by Stuart Gordon and starring Mena Suvari and Stephen Rea. Strysik was a director and writer on the tv series Tales From the Darkside and Monsters. He also directed the reboot of the ABC series Land of the Lost. He also co-authored the book Lurker in the Lobby: A Guide to the Cinema of H.P. Lovecraft. His previous plays include Villainy; Power and Light; and The Tragicall Historie of Doctor Dee.

Death, with Benefits is directed by Jeff G. Rack, whose work as an Art Director for films and commercials, and as an EFX artist, can be seen in many films, including:Armageddon, Con- Air, Flubber, Mighty JoeYoung, Kundun, and Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes. Probably best known to Los Angeles theater patrons for his award-winning set designs, Jeff has designed and built over 300 productions from Santa Barbara to Edinburgh, Scotland. He is a multiple Ovation Award winner and received an L.A. Weekly Award for his work on Frank Zappa's Joe's Garage. Shows he has adapted and/or directed for Unbound Production's Wicked Lit include: H. P. Lovecraft's The Unnamable, and The Lurking Fear, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Damned Thing, The Dead Smile, The Yellow Wallpaper, Dracula's Guest and Robert E. Howard's Pigeons From Hell. Other shows Jeff has directed are Martians: An Evening with Ray Bradbury. The Birds, and Villainy. At Theatre 40, he has directed The Mystery Plays, Pen, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, It Is Done, and Rod Serling's Tales from the Zone. Jeff is Theatre 40's resident set designer.

The cast for Death, with Benefits includes Susan Damante, Cheryl David, Kevin Dulude, Larry Eisenberg and Philip Sokoloff.

Stage manager: Don Solosan. Set design: Jeff G. Rack. Lighting design: Derrick McDaniel. Sound design: Nick Foran. Costume design: Michèle Young. Wigs/hair/make- up:design: Judi Lewin. Fight choreographer: Marc Antonio Pritchett.

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, but in Death, with Benefits, fiction is funnier. Don't miss this killer of a comedy.

Covid safety protocols in effect on performance dates will be observed. As of this writing, that means audience members will be masked and vaccinated (with vax card or digital record).

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