A DYING OPERA SINGER GAVE HIM HER VOICE. HE’S BUILDING A SHOW AROUND IT.

Versions of Her

LOS ANGELES, Calif., May 13, 2026 — Tonoccus McClain, prolific actor, writer and maker of
all things theatrical is pouring his heart and soul into a deeply personal work in his first
venture as a producer and writer at The Hollywood Fringe Festival. Known for being an open
ended festival with bold experimental performances, Tonoccus aims to expand on this
tradition while adding the depth, poignancy, and social urgency of his new engaging work,
“Versions of Her”.

“I had performed as an actor at the Fringe in the past and thought it was the perfect venue
for this cutting edge work,” noted McClain. “Much main stream theater is commercial and
for pure entertainment. I wanted the ability to entertain AND inform.”

“Versions of Her” is a one person performance that showcases Tonoccus’ natural charm as
he unfolds his journey into the serious issues that evolve from his series of recorded
interviews with Kerry Walsh — a celebrated opera singer and actor in her own right before
illness began to take its toll — who is now negotiating the challenges of living with several
autoimmune diseases and a terminal diagnosis amidst a medical system that marginalized
and ignored her.

In this multimedia experience infused with actual clips from these interviews, McClain bears
witness to her experience through revelations that he deeply relates with, but keeps it
uniquely Her story.

A veteran performer whose voice has been heard on more than 50 film and television
soundtracks — including Avatar, Glee, and The Lion King (2019) — McClain spent over
2,400 performances on the North American tour of Disney’s The Lion King, appeared in LA
Opera’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Omar, and has performed at three Academy Awards
ceremonies. His stage work spans the Hollywood and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals, Helsinki,
Taiwan, and South Korea. Tonoccus doesn’t see “Versions of Her” as a departure from that
experience but a natural progression. McClain’s wide experience informs his ability to create
what he describes as “a deep collaboration that puts the work first but utilizes theater’s
ability to bring attention to vital issues through story, hard conversation, and even disarming
humor.” He adds, “Though I always aim to ask something of my audience beyond their
entertainment, this piece has been the most demanding, but ultimately the most profound
to date.”

Though dramatized by McClain, this piece is the real testimony of his friend Walsh and her
experiences in a system that complicated her health while she simultaneously felt the full
gravity of diagnoses, false diagnoses, experimental treatments in Mexico, and the uncertain
long days of increasing symptoms.

Theater producer and collaborator Jonas Edwin Sills notes, “Tonoccus, in every aspect of
his art, always dives full in. In every aspect of his life he elicits deep thought about things
not often talked about, and ultimately challenges us all to grow — while doing it in a
captivating and engaging way. Why would his theater be any different?”

Speaking to what drives the urgency of the piece, Tonoccus notes, “Kerry is still here. She’s
hoping to be in the audience on opening night. That’s the deadline I’m working against —
and it’s why this piece exists.”

Sills adds, “That’s the whole engine of the show. Tonoccus made something that couldn’t
wait. Audiences are going to feel that the second it starts.”

This is a must-see, can’t-miss experience.

MORE INFORMATION:

“Versions of Her” is playing at Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre as part of the Hollywood
Fringe Festival, June 7–26, 2026:

Sunday, June 7 at 8 PM
Friday, June 12 at 5:30 PM
Sunday, June 14 at 4 PM
Wednesday, June 17 at 8:30 PM
Saturday, June 20 at 5 PM
Thursday, June 25 at 6:30 PM
Friday, June 26 at 5:30 PM

For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/13918

Media Contact: Tonoccus McClain (818) 720-7171

For more about Tonoccus:

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