The criminal defense attorney makes his Fringe debut with a solo show explaining how he escaped the trappings of a Midwestern small town by changing the game.
LOS ANGELES – Wade Skalsky is not an actor, though his story is one that many performing artists can identify with—he was the outsider in his hometown.
“I’m just a dude off the street with some stories to tell, stories that will probably ring true for a lot of artists, especially at a place like Hollywood Fringe,” Skalsky said. “So I got an incredible creative coach, a wonderful director, some financial backing and next thing you know, I’ve got a show that I’m excited to debut here!”
Fish Out of Whiskey: A Lawyer Who Just Wants You Off His Case asks how does a boy survive in a Midwestern farm culture ruled by guns and football when chess is his favorite sport? Simple: By changing the rules of the game so that he can win. Sometimes though, winning is a losing proposition. This debut is a humorous look at a childhood philosophy carried into a legal career and the consequences of that to one’s love life, livelihood and liver.
“Growing up in North Dakota, there is really nothing to do there but drink and fight, so I wasn’t really fitting in,” Skalsky said. “I knew I was different and needed a survival strategy that I then used to propel me into adulthood and all that came with it. Sometimes it worked well, other times, not so much. My show takes a look at some of my funny stories growing up all the way through where I am today.”
A lawyer by day, Skalsky also runs his own radio show called “Wade Beyond the Courtroom,” where he has sometimes shared some of his stories. Through the encouragement of friends and colleagues, he started brainstorming how he could best present these stories collectively. He soon started working with national Fringe vet Alicia Dattner (recent Best of Fringe winner in San Francisco) on developing the show and then got professional actor/director Nicholas Forbes to direct. His hope with this show is to not only make audiences laugh but also have them take a look at their lives and show them, especially the outsiders, that they’re not alone.
“I’m so excited to be a part of Fringe,” he said. “This is a thrill. There are all these resources, workshops, great people who are all so accepting. It’s a great culture here, a great place for someone like me to debut this work. It’s a place where I fit in.”
Calendar Listing Request:
Fish Out of Whiskey
Written and performed by: Wade Skalsky
Directed by: Nicholas Forbes
Creative Consultant: Alicia Dattner
SYNOPSIS:
Fish Out of Whiskey: A Lawyer Who Just Wants You Off His Case asks how does a boy survives in a Midwestern farm culture ruled by guns and football when chess is his favorite sport? Simple: By changing the rules of the game so that he can win. Sometimes though, winning is a losing proposition. This debut is a humorous look at a childhood philosophy carried into a legal career and the consequences of that to one’s love life, livelihood and liver. – https://casenet.us/
DATES AND TIMES:
June 7 – 5:00 p.m.
June 12 – 9:00 p.m.
June 18 – 9:00 p.m.
June 20 – 5:00 p.m.
June 27 – 8:00 p.m.
LOCATION:
Acme Theatre
6470 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Learn More at casenet.us/
