SEA OF TERROR By Emmy Award-winner Sam Catlin To Premiere At The Hudson Theatre

Short Drive Entertainment and Filmsocial will present SEA OF TERROR, a new play written and directed by Emmy Award-winner Sam Catlin (AMC's Breaking Bad, Apple TV+'s Sugar). The world premiere stars John Ales (HBO's Euphoria, Neflix's Painkiller), Julie Dretzin (Broadway's The Sisters Rosensweig, Hulu's The Handmaids Tale), Paul Schulze (HBO's The Sopranos, Showtime's Nurse Jackie), and Amy Scribner (London Calling, The Musical at the Hudson Backstage Theatre; Suburban Blight at the McCadden Place Theatre). Produced by Joanna Colbert and Dretzin, the limited engagement begins performances September 29 and runs through October 29, 2023, with the official press opening on Saturday, September 30. SEA OF TERROR will play at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre (6539 Santa Monica Blvd.) in Hollywood. Tickets are now on sale at Onstage411.com/SeaOfTerror.

Life is a relentless sea of terror and peril. And nothing is scarier than impending social plans. When a couple is faced with an evening hosting friends for a casual get-together, their anxious unraveling around this routine socialization takes us on a gut-busting ride we can all identify with. SEA OF TERROR is a dark comedy for anyone who has made plans they wish they could cancel.

"Twenty years ago, I was fortunate enough to see the workshop performance of SEA OF TERROR, which has stayed with me all this time," said producer Joanna Colbert of Filmsocial. "Sam Catlin had presciently tapped into something which has finally caught up with the zeitgeist. With today's looming guild strikes, the timing seemed right to bring back the play and present Sam's newly revised SEA OF TERROR as a full production. My company Filmsocial joined forces with Short Drive Entertainment, and we were fortunate that the stars aligned to reunite original cast members of the workshop - Julie Dretzin, Paul Schulze, and Amy Scribner - and to cast the incomparable John Ales. We are excited for Los Angeles audiences to see the world premiere of SEA OF TERROR."

"The practical opportunity presented with the ongoing actor and writer strikes made returning to the theater that much more exciting and necessary for feeling part of something communal and creative," said playwright and director Sam Catlin. "I think SEA OF TERROR is more relevant now than it was when we workshopped the play in 2003, largely due to COVID. My sense is that many of my own personal social anxieties 20 years ago have now become more overt and widespread. The reticence and anxiety for outside world experiences... the reflexive response for 'having a nice quiet evening in' etc. seems more relatable now than two decades ago. My guess is now, in 2023, people will leave their cozy Los Angeles homes with a deep reluctance, come watch SEA OF TERROR with our immensely talented cast and feel a great relief and recognition laughing in a theater filled with their fellow forgotten human beings... either that or they will go home, lock the door and not come out for a long time."

In addition to playwright and director Sam Catlin, the creative team for SEA OF TERROR also includes producers Joanna Colbert and Julie Dretzin and sound design by Alysha Grace Bermudez. SEA OF TERROR is produced by Short Drive Entertainment and Filmsocial.

SEA OF TERROR will play at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood. The limited engagement will begin performances on September 29, 2023 and run through October 29, with the official press opening on Saturday, September 30 at 8 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00 pm; and Sunday matinees at 3:00 pm. Schedule note: There will be no performances on October 12, 13, 14, and 15. Tickets prices start at $45. For tickets and information visit the website Onstage411.com/SeaOfTerror or call (323) 856-4249.

PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES

Sam Catlin (Writer, Director) is an Emmy Award winning writer and television producer whose credits include Breaking Bad, Preacher and the upcoming Apple + series Sugar starring Colin Farrell. He is a graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and a Bostonian. Sam is thrilled to be working with these incredible human artists away from the gaze of the algorithm. Thanks to Joanna for getting the band back together and love to Julie for starting the band in the first place. Sam would like to mention that he also has two sons who are human and two dogs that are not.

JOANNA COLBERT (Producer) was born and raised in New York City where she was trained by the legendary casting director Juliet Taylor before moving to Los Angeles to be the Head of Casting at Universal Pictures. Joanna has cast over 50 feature films and is one of the Producers of the Emmy-nominated HBO documentary Casting By, the feature film Adopting Audrey starring Jena Malone and is the host of the podcast The Casting Session. She is thrilled to be working with Sam, Julie, John, Paul, Amy and crew on this incredible play.

Julie Dretzin (Producer, Alice) Broadway credits include The Sisters Rosensweig and Off-Broadway Joe Fearless (The Atlantic), A Flea In Her Ear (The Roundabout), Uncommon Women and Others (Second Stage), Tomorrowland (Soho Rep). Regional theatre includes The Three Sisters (The Intiman), The Seagull (Dallas Theatre Center), Nora (Portland Stage), Dead End (Williamstown), Rocket to the Moon (Williamstown), A Dybbuk (Hartford Stage). Local theatre in Los Angeles includes Babe (The Echo), The Found Dog Ribbon Dance (The Echo). Television credits include recurring parts on The Handmaid's Tale, Preacher, How To Get Away with Murder, Breaking Bad and Six Feet Under among others. Guest appearances on Mom, Revenge, Vegas, Grey's Anatomy, ER, 30 Rock, Modern Family and CSI Miami among others. Most meaningful credit: wife to Sam, mother to Ben and Eli.

ALYSHA GRACE BERMUDEZ (Sound Designer) is a Los Angeles-based Sound Designer and Dialogue Editor. Their most recent theatre credits include: The Thin Place (Echo), Babe (Echo), and Remembering the Future (Odyssey). Their design and editorial projects have spanned diverse mediums, which recently includes EA's The Sims 4. For more information, please visit alyshabermudez.com

SHORT DRIVE ENTERTAINMENT is a production company founded by Sam Catlin and Tiffany Prasifka which is dedicated to producing new work in theater, television and movies with an emphasis on giving opportunity and support to emerging artists.

FILMSOCIAL is an entertainment company founded by Joanna Colbert who brings her 30 years of casting experience to the diverse slate of film, TV, podcast and theater projects.

CAST BIOGRAPHIES

JOHN ALES (Ben) is a Meisner-trained actor based in Los Angeles. He is best known for his role as Rehab on Denis Leary's Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, David Vaughn on HBO's Euphoria and can currently be seen as Gregory Fitzgibbons on Painkiller on Netflix.

Julie Dretzin (Alice) See bio under Production Biographies.

Paul Schulze (Danny) has been crazy fortunate to work with so many incredible people. Folks that made The Sopranos, Nurse Jackie, 24 and Suits to name a few. He is more than happy to work with his (closest) friend Sam and to share the stage with these awesome actors. Must say publicly, I love my "reasons for living", Stacey, Lena, Z and Moose!,

AMY SCRIBNER (Doris) is an actor/writer/director. Sketch comedy and improv credits include: Groundlings East and Gotham City Improv (company member, teacher, director), The Jay & Amy Show, Around the World in Amy Days, and Slap & Tickle, among others. Some favorite theater credits include London Calling, The Clash Musical(Hudson), Arctic Circle (Studio/Stage), Suburban Blight (McCadden Place Theatre), Cheyenne (Lillian & Hudson Theatres), and the wicked Saliva in Cereal! (New York and Los Angeles).

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