CRIMINAL GENIUS, MAKES ITS WEST COAST PREMIERE

Criminal Genius

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 9, 2022

PRESS CONTACT: JIM GROLLMAN
310-488-1678
JIMMYBEME@AOL.COM

CRIMINAL GENIUS
Makes its West Coast Premiere. “Reservoir Dogs meets the Three Stooges”
Opens June 5 at Stephanie Feury Studio Theater

WHAT: Criminal Genius – a one act play, the third play in George F. Walker’s six part “Suburban Motel Series.”

WHO: Written by George F. Walker, one of Canada’s most prolific playwrights, and also one of the most widely produced Canadian Dramatists both in Canada and internationally.
Produced by: Jim Grollman. Directed by Steve Rankin. Starring: Jim Grollman. Scott Krinsky, Dagney Kerr, Debra Sullivan and Fred Sanders.

WHERE: Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre – 5636 Melrose Avenue, LA, CA 90038

PERFORMANCE DATES:
Preview Sunday, June 5th 5pm
Saturday, June 11th 8:30pm
Monday, June 13th 9:30pm
Friday, June 17th 6pm
Sunday, June 19th 1pm
Friday, June 24th 11pm
Sunday, June 26th 4pm

Running time:75 minutes; Ages 13+

TICKETS: $10.00 – www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/7436

This play follows the excursions of the low life thug Rolly and his son Stevie. Rolly and Stevie have been hired by a Mafioso Boss to burn down a restaurant. Instead of torching the restaurant, the two criminals kidnap the head chef who turns out to be the daughter of the man who hired them and in true three stooges’ fashion, chaos ensues.
“In Criminal Genius, George F. Walker brings characters who are usually presented by writers marginally, if at all, to the full light of center stage,” exclaims Grollman. “Since 1997 Criminal Genius made its off Broadway premiere with me in the role of Stevie. To my surprise it has not been produced on the West Coast and with the playwright’s permission, I decided to do its LA premiere at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Walker is one of the theatre’s most important voices, I think no other playwright pushes the boundaries of comedy as far as he does.”

“Walker has an eye for the ridiculous and an imagination that packs his plays with action.” -NY Times

“Criminal Genius is a gut-busting black comedy in which nothing is beyond ridicule-not even murder, arson or pornography.” Washington Post

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
Jim Grollman (Producer/Co-Director) is thrilled to be playing again in the world of George F. Walker. Jim was in the original Off Broadway production of CRIMINAL GENIUS in 1997. Other credits include: HOMICIDE:LIFE ON THE STREETS, LAW AND ORDER, TWO AND A HALF MEN, , HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, BECKER, WHAT THE DEAF MAN HEARD, RIZZOLI AND ISLES, GREY’S ANATOMY, MASTERS OF SEX, PERCEPTION, NYPD BLUE,, FRESH OFF THE BOAT, and VANISHING SON. Regionally, Jim has worked at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington D.C., The Round House Theatre, The American Theatre Festival, Rattle Stick Theatre Off Broadway, Ford’s theater in Washington D.C and the Ford heater in Los Angeles as well as the Globe theatre in NYC.

Steve Rankin (Fight Director/Co-Director) is a Broadway veteran actor, director, and fight director. Steve won The Drama Desk Award-Outstanding Fight Choreography for Carousel. Recently, Steve was fight director for the Geffen Playhouse production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. And currently fight director for KING LEAR at the Wallis Annenberg center for the performing arts.
He has directed: The Best Warm Beer in Brooklyn, The Very Last Lover of the River Cane, Pump Boys and Dinettes, Genet: the Writing on the Wall, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer’s Night Dream and his original adaptation of Singin’ the Moon Up: The Voice of Jean Ritchie. Et al.

Comps available for members of the press upon request. Please contact jim Grollman at 310-488-1678
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