LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE ANNOUNCES CAST OF RED HERRING
LAGUNA BEACH, CA – February 1, 2008 – Casting has been announced for the southern California Premiere of Red Herring by Michael Hollinger that runs February 12 through March 16, 2008 at The Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach. The production is directed by Andrew Barnicle.
Take three pairs of lovers, add an unsolved murder, several pinches of espionage and pickle everything in a brine of early Cold War paranoia and you have the ingredients for a side-splitting black comedy enmeshed in tangled romance. Why is Senator Joe McCarthy’s daughter dating a would-be traitor? And what’s that supposedly dead Russian fisherman doing pretending to be feisty landlady Mrs. Kravitz’ deaf husband? Did we mention the pair of dogged gumshoes? Hollinger’s spoof Red Scare drama will keep audiences reeling with laughter and gasping for air.
Red Herring features six southern California-based actors: Traci L. Crouch, Brendan Ford, Kirsten Potter, DeeDee Rescher, Brett Ryback, and Tom Shelton.
Traci L. Crouch (Lynn/Clerk) is thrilled to be returning to The Laguna Playhouse for her second show, Red Herring. She debuted last season as Patricia in the world premiere of The Verdi Girls. Originally from upstate NY, Traci moved to the big apple to receive her BFA in Performance from Hofstra University and has since performed in a variety of theatre, film, television and commercial productions throughout NY, Boston and LA. Currently, you can see her at Universal Studios Hollywood as a host of the Special Effects Stages show and as Kimberly Duncan in the Terminator 2 - 3D show. You can also hear her on XM Satellite Radio in the hit show New Frequency. Traci just finished performing with the Zephyr Theatre in The Last Schwartz. You may have also caught her in “CSI” or as the female lead in the independent film Easy Listening. Other TV and film credits include “General Hospital,” “Surviving Gilligan’s Island,” and “Return to the Batcave.” Some of her favorite regional theatre credits include: Cheryl in The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shelby in Steel Magnolias, Cloe in Arcadia, Betty in Heaven Can Wait and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. Ms. Crouch is a proud member of Actors Equity and thanks her husband, friends and family for their love and support
Brendan Ford (Frank/Priest/Major Hartwell) is happy to be returning to The Laguna Playhouse, where he played Declan in Many Happy Returns in 2005. Other roles include Dominic in Amy’s View at North Coast Rep., Harper in One Slight Hitch at the Falcon Theater and Jamie in Long Day’s Journey at San Diego Rep. He also played Jack in Ernest in Love at the Fremont Theater, Arthur in Camelot at Fullerton CLO, The Captain in Anything Goes for Reprise!, Neville Craven in Secret Garden at South Bay CLO, Vincent Van Gogh in the world premiere of Break of Day at the Lillian Theatre, Torvald in A Doll’s House at L.A. Rep., Marco in the world premiere of Florinda at the Freud Playhouse, and at LATC, he played the roles of Laertes, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern in a 6 actor Hamlet, and Leslie in The Hostage. Brendan grew up in New York City where, among other roles, he played Laertes in Hamlet and Hastings in She Stoops to Conquer for the National Shakespeare Co., Claudio in Measure for Measure at Westbeth Theatre Center, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet at Columbia Shakespeare Festival and Valere in Tartuffe at Westside Rep. Brendan has appeared in the films Clear and Present Danger, The Net, George of the Jungle and If These Walls Could Talk. Brendan appeared recently in episodes of “Numbers” and “Notes from the Underbelly” and in the pilot episode of “Hot Properties” on ABC. Other TV credits include “The District,” “The Pretender,” “V.I.P.,” “Beverly Hills 90210,” “Chicago Hope,” “Babylon 5,” “Silk Stalkings,” and he has had recurring roles on “Weekends at the D.L.” on Comedy Central, “Pauly” and “The Young and the Restless.” Proud member of AEA.
Kirsten Potter (Maggie Pelletier) Previously at The Laguna Playhouse: Martha in The Constant Wife. Other LA credits: Tonight at 8:30 (Anteaus), As You Like It (A Noise Within), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Geffen Playhouse), Sex Parasite (Taper), Honour and Bold Girls (Matrix Theatre), Major Barbara, Top Girls, Ride Down Mt Morgan (LA Theaterworks). Regional credits include: the premiere of Work Song by Jeffrey Hatcher and Eric Simonson; the premieres of Steven Dietz’ Over the Moon, Paragon Springs, and Force of Nature; six years as a company member at Milwaukee Repertory Theater in over 20 productions including, Twelfth Night, Amadeus, The Mai, An Ideal Husband, Inventing Van Gogh, Collected Stories, The Weir, The Glass Menagerie, Rocket Man, Dracula, and Mill on the Floss. Ms. Potter has performed at theaters across the country including, Seattle Repertory Theater, Arizona Theater Company, Huntington Theater, Arena Stage, Geva Theater, American Contemporary Theater, American Conservatory Theater; and The Utah, California, Nebraska, and Santa Fe Shakespeare Festivals. Film/TV: “Medium,” “Judging Amy,” “Bones,” and the newly released film The Eyes Have It. Ms. Potter can be heard as the voice of several audio books as well as a sundry list of bad girls, motherships and goddesses for various anime and video games. She has been recognized by the LA Drama Critics Circle, the Garland Awards, the American Academy of Achievement, and the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, and is a summa cum laude graduate of Boston University. As ever, with love to Charlie & Wyatt. Proud member of AEA.
DeeDee Rescher (Mrs. Kravitz/Mrs. McCarthy/Mrs. Van Nostrand) is pleased to return to The Laguna Playhouse, where she appeared as Annie in the critically acclaimed world premiere of Richard Dresser’s The Pursuit of Happiness, and as Gertrude in Steve Martin’s delightful farce, The Underpants. Other recent stage appearances include the role of Chick in Crimes of the Heart at the Long Beach Playhouse, as well as her celebrated portrayal of the title role in Shirley Valentine at various venues throughout southern California. In New York and Los Angeles, DeeDee starred with Jeff Goldblum and Ron Silver in El Grande de Coca Cola and appeared as Sally Bowles in several productions of Cabaret, for which she won a Best Actress Dramalogue Award. She was a founding member of the comedy dance troupe the LA Knockers. Her numerous television credits include her notoriously daring guest star role on the HBO series “The Comeback,” starring Lisa Kudrow, as well as appearances on “Related,” “JAG,” “Malcolm in the Middle,” “Friends,” “The Jamie Foxx Show,” “Roseanne,” “Cybill,” and “Party of Five,” with recurring roles on “The Nanny” and “The King of Queens.” Film credits include Skin Deep, Summer School, Communion, Once Bitten and the indelible lady bus driver in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. DeeDee has also lent her memorably husky speaking voice to many animated films, cartoons and radio commercials. She is the granddaughter of actor Otto Kruger, and the daughter of Broadway actress Ottilie Kruger and Emmy awarding-winning cinematographer Gayne Rescher.
Brett Ryback (James/Woody/Harry/Bartender) is thrilled to be back with his Laguna family. Last season he was seen in Shear Madness, and the US Premiere of The Master of the House. Most recently, Brett appeared as Scripps in The History Boys at the Ahmanson Theatre. Other credits include: On Your Toes (Reprise!); Over the Tavern, Inspecting Carol (Milwaukee Rep); Hello, Dolly! (Skylight Opera); Television: “Cupid” (ABC). Brett is also an accomplished composer and an award-winning playwright. His play Weïrd won the 2007 Tennessee Williams One-Act Competition, and his play A Roz, By Another Name won the 2007 Henrico Theatre One-Act Competition. Both will receive their premiere later this year. Proud member of AEA.
Tom Shelton (Andrei Borchevsky/Petey/Dr. Kasden/Herbert) last appeared at The Laguna Playhouse as Theo in The Underpants. He made his Playhouse debut in 1993 as Malcolm in Bedroom Farce, and went on to appear here in What The Butler Saw, Inspecting Carol, Company, Don’t Dress For Dinner, Travels With My Aunt, The Woman In Black, Who’s Hot Who’s Not and The Constant Wife. He also toured the country in the Playhouse production of Copenhagen. He appeared earlier this season as Jacob Marley in South Coast Rep’s A Christmas Carol, and over the past several seasons has appeared in a number of their Family Series productions, including The Wind In The Willows, James & The Giant Peach, and The Hoboken Chicken Emergency. Other Southern California appearances include Loot and Twentieth Century at ICT and All My Sons at La Mirada. An accomplished playwright and songwriter, Tom has co-authored a number of musical comedy murder mysteries for The Gourmet Detective in Irvine, including the current Darling, You Slay Me! Proud member of AEA.
The production team includes Bruce Goodrich, scenic design; Julie Keen, costume design; Paulie Jenkins, lighting design; David Edwards, sound design; Vernon Willet, production stage manager; Wally Ziegler, casting director; Jim Ryan, production manager; Jennifer Ellen Butler, assistant stage manager.
