Rubicon Theatre Company Presents World Premiere of CRAZY MAMA Starring Linda Purl

Rubicon Theatre will continue its 2024/2025 Dare to Dream Season with the World Premiere of CRAZY MAMA: A TRUE STORY OF LOVE & MADNESS, written by Ojai resident Sharon Scott Williams.

This deeply personal, darkly funny solo play will run March 26 – April 6, 2025, at Rubicon’s intimate Karyn Jackson Theatre, 1006 E. Main Street, located in Ventura’s Downtown Cultural District.

The production is directed by Golden Globe nominee Anson Williams (“Happy Days” and “Melrose Place”/”Beverly Hills 90210” as director), and stars celebrated stage and screen actress Linda Purl (“Happy Days”, “Matlock,” “The Office,” “Homeland,” “True Blood”). Purl returns to Rubicon for her ninth production with the company, calling the theatre her “West Coast artistic home.”

This one-woman, 16-character, tour-de-force is about a daughter’s decades-long dream of saving her mother from the soul-crushing grip of mental illness. A testament to the steely resilience of the human heart and the enduring nature of hope, Crazy Mama will leave audiences breathless, moved, and inspired.                               

Performances for Crazy Mama at Rubicon begin with low-priced previews March 26-28, 2025, leading up to the Gala Opening Night on March 29, which includes a post-show reception with star Purl, creative team, and special guests. Regular performances take place on Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 7:00 p.m., Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Ticket prices range from $25 to $84.50 (including a $5 processing fee), with discounted student tickets available. Special discounts are also available for seniors, military members, and Equity performers. To purchase tickets, visit www.rubicontheatre.org or call 805.667.2900.

Crazy Mama is a true story inspired by Sharon Scott Williams’ award-winning memoir. "The statistics on sanity are that one out of four people is suffering from some kind of mental illness,” according to the script.  “Look at your three best friends. If they're okay, it's you...” 

This exquisitely crafted, emotionally riveting tale begins with young Sharon racing home a few days after her 8th birthday for the last piece of cake. But when she enters the kitchen, she finds her mother wielding a knife and lost in a frenzy. As the Sheriff escorts her mother away, the deputy tells Sharon that her mama “is not right in the head.” As Sharon’s mother becomes more delusional and lost in the soul-crushing grip of mental illness, Sharon, her father, and teenage brother Spikey hope and pray for a cure. As Mama continues to be committed to mental institutions, convinced she’s working for the FBI, her father blurs his pain with Kentucky bourbon and her brother struggles with his faith. For 46 years, Sharon lives shackled to her Mama’s pain and her own suffering. Crazy Mama offers an unflinching yet tender exploration of the impact of mental illness on a family, navigating the heartbreak and humor of loving someone who exists in an alternate reality.

Says Director Anson Williams, “Laced with humor and pathos, this powerful play is a testament to the steely resilience of the human heart and the enduring nature of hope. Crazy Mama is more than a play; it’s a poetic journey through the labyrinth of love, despair, and redemption that will leave audiences breathless, moved, and profoundly inspired.”

Crazy Mama marks the highly anticipated reunion of Purl and Director Anson Williams, who became lifelong friends while working together on the iconic television series “Happy Days.” Purl played Ashley Pfister, a single mother and love interest to Henry Winkler’S character Fonzie, while Williams starred as the beloved Potsie Weber. This World Premiere marks their first creative collaboration in decades — a heartfelt and full-circle moment for two lifelong friends. Their shared history brings a unique warmth and authenticity to this deeply personal story. 

“There’s always been a magical thread connecting all of us “Happy Days” alumni,” says Director Williams. “It’s such a thrill sparking that magic again directing the brilliant Linda Purl as she plays 16 parts in Crazy Mama. Our collaboration is powerful because of the trust and camaraderie we share going back to "Happy Days." Linda brings a real authenticity and depth to the role that helps amplify the emotional core of the show."

The production also marks Purl’s return to Rubicon, where she has starred in numerous productions, starting with Love Letters opposite Stacey Keach, and continuing with The Little Foxes, A Streetcar Named Desire, Love, Loss and What I Wore, Copenhagen, Women Beyond Borders, Samuel Beckett’s Footfalls, The Diary of Anne Frank, and many others. Purl has also shared her vocal talents with Rubicon audiences through cabaret performances and special events. 

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