Silver Spring Stage Presents RED HERRING, Now thru 7/27

Silver Spring Stage presents Red Herring by Michael Hollinger, directed and produced by Seth Ghitelman, an antic comedy of three love stories, a murder mystery, and a nuclear espionage plot set in 1952. Red Herring will perform weekends today, June 28 to July 27. Please note there will be no performances the holiday weekend of July 5-7.

Silver Spring Stage is located in the Woodmoor Shopping Center, lower level (next to the CVS) at Colesville Road and University Boulevard. Ticket prices are $20 for adults and $18 for seniors and students. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8:00 PM and Sundays July 14 and 21 at 2:00 PM. Tickets can be purchased at www.ssstage.org. Information is also available by calling (301) 593-6036.

[Red Herring] Red Herring started off as an assignment from Michael Hollinger to his students at Villanova University to write a scene around a detective interviewing a cranky landlady who was standing over a bathtub with a hairy leg sticking out of it. "I love weird images," says Hollinger. He thought of cold feet and whether detectives should get married. Herring emerged as he set the play in New England and Red for Joe McCarthy. Though cold war detective murder story was intriguing, he realized that marriage was the true theme of the play. "What does it mean to be married, the whole idea of love versus what society wants to make of it. And the 1950s is the perfect era to look at the icons of marriage...the play is saying we are all inherently broken and we are embracing that and coming together with love. At its heart, it's a kind of Valentine." So, Silver Spring Stage audiences are in for a treat as they experience the many red herrings in Red Herring on the hilarious road to true love.

Red Herring brings us back to 1952 Boston where we first meet Frank (Thomas McGrath), an FBI agent in love with Maggie (Laura Russell), a Boston police detective. He wants to take her on a honeymoon to Cuba, but she resists because of the murder case they are investigating. He's trying to crack a ring of Soviet spies and she's out to get a murderer that intersects with a body of a Russian fisherman. The next love story is James (Greg Lang), a Jewish atheist physicist and Lynn (Lindsay Beecher Lantham), the prim daughter of Senator Joe McCarthy. It turns out he's providing the Soviets with secrets on the H-Bomb and convinces Lynne to help him. The third love story is Mrs. Kravitz (Shelley Rochester), whose tenant is the Russian fisherman Andrei Borchevsky who turns out not to be dead. Mrs. Kravitz and Andrei (Bill Hurlbut) are secret lovers and had her nasty husband murdered. Andrei is linked to the spies that Frank is investigating, but he's doing it to help his wife Olga who is being held hostage by the Soviets. Hilarity ensues as the red herrings fly. Frank discovers that Maggie already has a husband and while drunk at a bar is mistaken by Lynn for the Soviet spy she's handing off microfilm; Maggie and Andrei meet in the bar and discovers who the dead body really is; and James experiences an epiphany while observing a nuclear explosion. All three love stories converge in Red Herring's comic climax.

The cast also features in multiple roles Stuart Fischer and Katie Johnston. The production team includes Jerry Schuchman (Stage Manager), Mary Ghitelman (Assistant Stage Manager), Bob Thompson (Set Design), Jim Robertson (Lighting Design), Jamie Coupar (Sound Design), HArlene Leahy (Costume Design), and Sonya Okin (Props and Set Dressing).

Silver Spring Stage announces its 2013-2014 season with 2013 One Act Festival (Aug 8-25), The Baltimore Waltz (Sept 20-Oct 12), Pillowman (Nov 1-23), A Christmas Carol (Dec 13-22), The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged (Jan 10-Feb 1), Superior Donuts (Feb 21-Mar 15), Other Desert Cities (Apr 4-27), Arabian Nights (May 16-Jun 7) and Good People* (Jun 27-July 20). *Pending rights availability.

Silver Spring Stage has provided quality, affordable theatre for over 40 years. We are an all-volunteer, non- profit organization and appreciate any contribution to enable us to offer excellent and entertaining productions. Thank you for your interest and support of Silver Spring Stage. All programs at Silver Spring Stage are made possible in part by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.

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