THE KING & I, AND PAUL Opens June 3rd, 2023, at the Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre

THE KING & I, AND PAUL opens June 3rd, 2023, at the Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre. The play follows Susan and Paul, a seemingly average couple, who are moving in together for the first time. While knee-deep in boxes and packing paper, Paul makes what may be his most regretful mistake. The couple dives into comedic chaos as they try to hide the damage from an unexpected guest.

"These people very much exist in our daily lives. While funny, their experiences are grounded in a realism that is so inherently human. Life can be bleak, but even in the darkness, humor exists and that's a beautiful thing," says Angelique Fustukjian, co-writer of the play and co-founder of Sunny Gingham. The King & I, and Paul is a story we've all lived in one way or another, and audiences everywhere will certainly see themselves in Susan and Paul (for better or for worse).

The King & I, and Paul's playwrights double as leading actors in the play. Matthew Namik (co-writer & co-founder) plays the titular character, Paul, and Angelique Fustukjian appears as his bold and everything-but-mild girlfriend, Susan. They are joined onstage by Emilio Rodríguez, starring as Germano (Pai) who really turns the play on its head. Rodríguez is making his Los Angeles theatrical debut at the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

Namik and Fustukjian, both very familiar with the comedic side of life, write an outlandish yet relatable farce. "This is a bit of an ode to Lucille Ball and her ability to convince us to reason with the unreasonable and believe the unbelievable," Namik said. "I wanted to create something that would give audiences what I Love Lucy gave to me growing up."

Wayne Remington is debuting as a director but is no stranger to the theatre. A native Angeleno, Remington has been acting in LA since his youth. Having performed with Matthew and Angelique for some time now, Remington was ready to jump into this new role head first. His careful exploration of each moment in the script brings out the heart and nuance needed to make such a farce so believable and relatable. "I hope the audience leaves thinking about how much they love their best friend. Their quirks. All of their flaws and how it makes them perfect," expresses Remington.

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