Ruskin Group Theatre to Stage Los Angeles Premiere of A GAMBLER'S GUIDE TO DYING

Ruskin Group Theatre presents the Los Angeles Premiere of A GAMBLER'S GUIDE TO DYING, written by Gary McNair and directed by Paul Linke, opening March 4, 2016, and running Fridays-Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm through April 29, 2016 3000 Airport Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90405

What are the odds of living an extraordinary life? This is the story of one boy's granddad who won a fortune betting on the 1966 World Cup and, when diagnosed with cancer, gambled it all on living to see the year 2000. An intergenerational tale of what we live for and what we leave behind.

"There I was, happily retired, working on my golf handicap, when out of the blue my dear friend Ellen Bry called and said she had a marvelous play for me. After one read I knew this play was a gem and that I needed to bring this Scottish tale of love, loss, and the preciousness of life to life" - Paul Linke; Director

Gary McNair (Playwright) was featured on the BBC's best solo shows of the Fringe and was the recipient of a Fringe First and the Holden Street Theatre awards. Additional works include Donald Robertson Is Not A Standup Comedian, Born To Run and Crunch. Of Donald Robertson Is Not A Stand Up Comedian, the Scotsman said "it's difficult to imagine these vital questions about comedy, masculinity, hierarchy and cruelty being handled more skillfully, in such a short span, or with such a sense of self-questioning irony."

Paul Linke (Director) earned a Drama Desk and Outer Critic's Circle Award nomination for Save It For The Stage - The Life of Reilly starring comic legend Charles Nelson Reilly at the Irish Rep, in NYC, which he co-authored and directed. Additionally, he directed Ben Gazzara in Nobody Don't Like Yogi, Off-Broadway at the Lamb's Theatre. Paul is credited with developing and directed numerous solo shows including The Four Man Plan, Caterpillar Soup, The Back Road Home, as well as @HEART and the acclaimed That May Well Be True. At Pacific Resident Theatre, Paul staged the world premiere of The 60's. Other directing credits include The Law of Return (w/ Shelly Berman), Swing'n Wild, ...and Baby Makes Two, Wild and Wonderful (two Ovation award nominations), ...But First, Sammy Shore for which he won the ADA for Best Direction of an Original Play. A former member of the Company Theatre, Paul co-created The Garden Theatre Festival and co-founded The Powerhouse Theatre in Santa Monica where he launched his first solo show, Time Flies When You're Alive, which was later produced as an HBO Showcase production and nominated for a Cable Ace Award. As an actor he played Joe Keller in the critically acclaimed All My Sons at RGT. Paul is probably best known for his role as Artie Grossman, the comic relief on NBC's show CHiPs and for his co-starring role in the film Parenthood with Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Jason Robards, and Dianne Wiest.

Maury Sterling (Narrator) plays the role of "Max" on Showtime's Homeland (2011 - present) and is familiar to audiences at Ruskin Group Theatre for his leading roles in All My Sons, Mutiny at Port Chicago, and The Unbeatable Harold. At ICT he was seen in Judgement at Nuremberg, at the Odyssey Theatre in Fedunn, and in Measure for Measure at A Noise Within. Maury is a founding member of Buffalo Nights Theater Company where he has performed in Crazy Drunk, J.B., The Madman and The Nun, Modigliani, Out at Sea, Incident at Vichy, and Meat. Additional Film and TV credits include, Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce, Masters of Sex, Extant, Coherence, Veronica Mars, In Plain Sight, A-Team, and Smokin Aces.

John Ruskin (Artistic Director/Producer) founded the professional company in 2001. He helmed their critically acclaimed production of Strange Snow and teaches a Master's Class in acting at RGT. John's years of experience include studies at the Yale School of Drama, British American Drama Academy in Oxford, England, and the University of Colorado in Boulder. In New York, Ruskin joined the acting faculty of The Neighborhood Playhouse at the request of Sanford Meisner (who he then apprenticed with) before moving to Los Angeles where he founded his own school of acting in addition to the professional theatre company. He provides outreach through RGT with their "Healing Through the Arts" project. Presently, this includes taking RGT actors into Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA to work with and entertain the patients.

Ruskin Group Theatre launched the World Premiere of Rex Pickett's Sideways The Play, picked up by La Jolla Playhouse and now slated for Broadway, as well as their recent project Paradise, A Bluegrass Musical Comedy. Ruskin's Healing Through The Arts program brings their actors into Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA to work with and entertain the children. The CAFÉ PLAYS, created by RGT are produced and when celebrating their 10th anniversary, RGT supporters Dylan McDermott, Ed Asner, Chris Mulkey, Olivia d'Abo, and other industry celebrities joined to produce the Best of Café Plays (both shows sold out within hours). Anthony Hopkins, David Mamet, Tony Franciosa, and Ed O'Neill are just some of the noted guests to have taught master classes at the Ruskin.

Our Production Team: Mike Reilly (Production Manager/Lighting Designer), Sarah Figoten Wilson (Set and Costume Design), and Chip Bolcik (Sound Design)

A GAMBLER'S GUIDE TO DYING opens Friday, March 4th and runs at 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2pm on Sundays through April 29, 2016 (no performances March 25 - 27). Ruskin Group Theatre is located at 3000 Airport Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90405. Tickets are $25 ($20 for students, seniors, and guild members) and can be purchased in advance by calling (310) 397-3244 or online at www.ruskingrouptheatre.com Ample free parking available.

To post a comment, you must register and login.