Shel Silverstein's THE DEVIL AND BILLY MARKHAM Comes to the Stage in Portland

Action Talks Productions in association with Post Five Theatre Co. present a limited engagement of the shockingly funny, wryly disturbing larger-than-life tale of THE DEVIL AND BILLY MARKHAM for two shows, April 29th and 30th at 7:30pm. Visit www.jonahweston.com for more information.

Weston will again bring Billy back to life for Portland audiences. His portrayal was last seen locally in 2013 and was much-lauded by reviewers and audiences alike.

Shel Silverstein's THE DEVIL AND BILLY MARKHAM, which first appeared as a six-part epic poem in the January 1979 edition of Playboy magazine and subsequently as a one-act play at Lincoln Center in 1989, tells the story of Billy Markham, an unforgettable character who never met a bet he didn't take, including that of his very own soul. Billy journeys from Nashville's Music Row down into the fiery pits of hell and back again as he matches wits with God, the Devil and everyone in between. For Mature Audiences.

"THE DEVIL AND BILLY MARKHAM is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC."

JONAH WESTON - Jonah is thrilled to be returning to Portland after a two year hiatus in New Orleans and Eastern Washington. Portland audiences may recognize him from his performances with Cygnet Productions (The Set Up), Profile Theatre (Fortinbras, The Young Man From Atlanta, Valentine's Day, The Sunshine Boys, Biloxi Blues), Portland Playhouse (The Brother/Sister Plays), Post Five Theatre (Macbeth), NW Children's Theatre (Willy Wonka), Lakewood Theatre (Arcadia), CoHo Productions (Live, Girls!, By The Bog of Cats), Readers Theatre Repertory (O'Flaherty VC, Long Ago And Far Away, Riders To The Sea, The Merchant Of Venice, Pete N' Petey, War Paint, The Penguins Of Ithaca) Classic Greek Theatre (Alcestis, Orestes, Oedipus The King, War Music, and the world premiere of What Mad Pursuit!). Regional theatre credits include A Streetcar Named Desire, Arsenic And Old Lace, Ah, Wilderness!, Wait Until Dark, The Foreigner, The Taming Of The Shrew, and many others. Television credits include local favorites Portlandia, Leverage and Grimm.

In 2010, Jonah founded Action Talks Productions and THEATRE NOW, a 501c3 non-profit organization, and has produced a touring production of Yasmina Reza's ART, which played in six art galleries over six weekends in Portland's Pearl District, in 2012. He is perhaps best known to Portland audiences for his critically acclaimed performances of Shel Silverstein's THE DEVIL AND BILLY MARKHAM, which first played Portland in 2010 at Curious Comedy Theatre. For the last six years Jonah has been touring THE DEVIL AND BILLY MARKHAM from Portland to Seattle, Spokane, Coeur d' Alene, New Orleans, and soon Las Vegas and San Diego.

ACTION TALKS PRODUCTIONS - Action Talks Productions/THEATRE NOW is a 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 2010 by Artistic Director Jonah Weston. Our goal is to nurture emerging Actors, Directors, and Playwrights and to exploring the human condition through the production of new plays and socially relevant and politically provocative works. THE DEVIL AND BILLY MARKHAM is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.

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