WORLD PREMIERE OF SUICIDE LIVE
Suicide Live
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Producer Pat Creese is excited to announce the world premiere of SUICIDE LIVE at the Dorie Theatre at the Complex: 6476 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90038. This five-character show—written by Rick Creese, directed by Lexi Lee—opens June 4th for a run of six shows at the 2016 Hollywood Fringe Festival.
Contact: Pat Creese, [email protected]
SUICIDE LIVE is a laugh-out-loud dark comedy about an estranged father-son relationship that finds the fun in dysfunctional, the upside of suicide, when they make their unreal lives into a reality show.
The play runs 82 minutes and features: David Fruechting, Geno Creese, Evelyne Tollman, Holly L. Yarmosh, and Christian Liatos. Stephanie Bragdon is the stage manager and artistic director.
Here’s the schedule:
Saturday, June 4 @ 3:30
Friday, June 10 @ 8:30
Thursday, June 16 @ 8:45
Saturday, June 18 @ 8:30
Thursday, June 23 @ 8:30
Saturday, June 25 @ 6:30
The talented cast is anchored by veteran actor David Fruechting. A Southern California native, David has played more than 200 roles on Southland stages. He has had the distinct — though differing — pleasures of performing with both A Noise Within and The Actors’ Gang, and has studied in London under such generous teachers as Albert Finney, Tony Church, and Ben Kingsley.
David had the great joy of playing James Murray in the world première of Moby Pomerance’s wonderful play THE GOOD BOOK OF PEDANTRY AND WONDER at The Theatre @Boston Court. He has had membership in such companies as Pasadena Shakespeare, Unknown Theatre, Eclectic Company Theatre, and Circle X, and has acted in multiple productions for International City Theatre, among others. Recently, Mr. Fruechting created the role of Dr. Heinrich Kraus (The Critic) in a brand new translation and adaptation of THE GUARDSMAN, under the direction of Lillian Groag.
He can be seen as Jack Wyatt, the father of a woman awakening from a 19-year coma, in the film LEAVING LIMBO. For perhaps his favorite character in the canon, David has (thus far) three times donned the “magic garment” of Prospero in THE TEMPEST.
Director Lexi Lee makes her second appearance at Fringe, having directed DORA AND ME/ YO SOY DORA last year.
Award-winning and critically acclaimed playwright Rick Creese, also makes his second appearance at Fringe, having written DORA AND ME/ YO SOY DORA (Directed by Lexi Lee) and BRIGHT SWORDS (directed by Jeffrey Wienckowski), both of which were produced in 2015.
Directors Notes on SUICIDE LIVE
“Man goes to doctor. Says he’s depressed. Says life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in a threatening world where what lies ahead is vague and uncertain. Doctor says ‘treatment is simple. Great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight. Go and see him. That should pick you up.’ Man bursts into tears. Says ‘but, doctor…I am Pagliacci.’ Good joke. Everybody laugh. Roll on snare drum. Curtains.”
~ Alan Moore ‘Watchmen’ (1987)
The most difficult parts of a play to contend with are sometimes the parts that end up being the most rewarding. I found this to be the case with “Suicide Live,” both in the challenge of directing a script still in the editing process and in tackling the issues of depression and dysfunctional relationships in the form of a farce.
It is tempting (and as a director I found that I was even encouraged) to treat these subjects very delicately. In the end, I decided that handling a subject delicately and with respect were not mutually exclusive and opted instead to lean into some of the essential (if less pretty) human truths that “Suicide Live” deals with as a piece of dramatic literature. Namely, that disconnect and miscommunication are at the heart of most interpersonal failures and that human beings are often highly skilled self-saboteurs.
Several times during the rehearsal process I was spontaneously reminded of an acting exercise I had done years ago that taught me how physiologically similar laughter and crying were. I’m sure that wasn’t pure psychological coincidence. After a while, this show starts to remind me of staring into a funhouse mirror. But then, that’s part of the reason it’s a good script.
Like the characters of “Suicide Live,” we are living in a society that thrives on over sharing information, but we have more difficulty making and maintaining genuine human connections than ever before. Stress, depression and loneliness are on the rise in many places in the modern world. Solutions to make all three disappear are on sale everywhere. But what do you do when the advertised side effects are often worse than what you’re trying to cure?
We can open up a dialogue around mental health.
We can accept that everyone wears their pain differently.
We can realize that growing pains aren’t just physical and aren’t just for teens and that’s perfectly okay.
We can learn to laugh so we don’t always have to cry.
But in case that seems like a daunting task at the moment, you can start by sitting back, relaxing (if they let you) and watching this creative team put the “fun” back into “dysfunctional!”
Critical Acclaim for BRIGHT SWORDS by Rick Creese:
“A wonderful play. . . a beautiful and carefully written story which invites us all to a spiritual journey. A great performance combining a first class actor, playwright, director and festival. A must see play by all means"—The Culture News (New York)
“All I can say is WOW when thinking about Ryan Vincent Anderson in the tour de force, one man historical play, BRIGHT SWORDS. A Geffen- or Mark Taper-worthy drama. . . . The most affecting drama at Fringe.”—The Huffington Post
“A Platinum Medal Winner!! . . . BRIGHT SWORDS stands as a sterling example of . . . what can be achieved when the synchronized talents of theatre join on a bare stage.
For there is little on stage at the Complex except for Rick Creese’ tight and expertly written play, Jeffery Wienckowski’s able and intelligent direction, and Ryan Vincent Anderson’s stellar performance, from which is conjured up a world long gone and a life of a man now long dead.
Such is the power of theatre”—The TVolution.com.
“BRIGHT SWORDS has three essential elements that make it one of the most polished, intelligent, and satisfying productions at Fringe: an elegant performance by Ryan Vincent Anderson, a beautifully written, smart, funny, human script by playwright Rick Creese, and stylish, impeccably focused direction by director Jeffrey Wienckowski.
“BRIGHT SWORDS is a hidden jewel; the kind one hopes to find among the many works in progress and other tossed-together Fringe shows, and what a delight. I wholeheartedly recommend you see it”—Shakespeare in L.A and Broadway World.
“BRIGHT SWORDS. . . was the best thing I saw at the 2015 Hollywood Fringe Festival. Written by Rick Creese and starring Ryan Vincent Anderson, the play was riveting from beginning to end, thanks to the crisp writing and directing, and above all to Anderson’s superb performance”—TotalTheatre.com.
Critical Acclaim for SOLEMN MOCKERIES by Rick Creese:
“The story, thanks to a blend of play and actor, is brutally funny and brutally sad”—L.A. Weekly.
“The circumstances of Ireland’s life. . . are so outlandish that it’s tempting to put him in a class by himself. But playwright Rick Creese reminds us how anyone’s life can turn on a dime. Maybe that’s why the play is so funny and so touching. . . . It leads to a delightful evening of theater, rich in incident and vivid characters. . . . A little like enjoying a meal with the best dinner guest ever—The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
