(This is the project that I'm involved with through Cecilia Fannon, in which I will play a long-lost mummy and a Haitian Voodoo Woman! Come watch!!!)
October 26, 2007
Bowers Museum Presents “Things that Go Bump in the Night,” Scary stories
Bowers Museum Presents “Things that Go Bump in the Night” Halloween Special that Premieres on Oct. 26 with Encore on Oct. 27 Scary stories come to life in 1930s-style radio play format
“Things that Go Bump in the Night,” a Halloween special event featuring ghost and mummy stories set in a 1930s-style radio play format, premieres at the Bowers Museum’s Norma Kershaw Auditorium on Friday, Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. with an encore performance on Saturday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. Admission is $22 for adults; $20 for children, seniors over 62 and students; and $18 for Bowers members. This performance is not recommended for small children.
Commissioned by Bowers Museum, Cecilia Fannon, playwright, screenwriter, and director, has adapted three classic horror tales for the stage. Edgar Allan Poe’s iconic “The Tell-Tale Heart” is a story of horror and paranoia about an old man with a clouded eye who terrifies his caretaker to a murderous degree. “The Monkey’s Paw” by W. W. Jacobs tells the tale of a collector of oddments who comes upon an irresistible talisman that brings unexpected wealth and other less pleasant consequences. In “The Ring of Thoth,” by Arthur Conan Doyle, an insignificant museum worker fulfills a life’s dream by traveling to Egypt to make a stupendous archeological discovery – a long-lost mummy.
Fannon has had plays produced at regional theaters across the country, South Coast Repertory, on National Public Radio and abroad. She is winner of the prestigious Lois and Richard Rosenthal award for playwriting. She holds an M.F.A. in film from UCLA and has won the George Burns and Gracie Allen award for comedy screenwriting and the coveted Samuel Goldwyn Award. Fannon has written for film and television, including the Emmy award-winning “Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?” The Guiding Light, and several works for Leonard Nimoy’s production company, Alien Voices. This year, she directed Michele Lowe’s play, “String of Pearls” for Panndora Productions and her own short film, “Red Hot & Bothered.”
“There is a novelty in creating “Bump” for Bowers because theaters tend to perform Christmas plays, not Halloween shows,” says Fannon. “Halloween is a $5-billion dollar industry, getting more popular each year – and that figure doesn’t include horror movies.” “‘Bump’ is an opportunity for adults to step into the past and relive the stories from their youth and for some to remember the hang-on-every-word days of radio drama. It’s for teens and young adults who can temporarily leave the special effects of the movies behind and discover the power and suspense of live theater,” Fannon says.
Seven actors with scripts in hand will perform in front of microphones. An onstage Foley artist will create the sound effects for the audience to “see.”
According to Bowers Museum Director of Education Linda Kahn, who brings a myriad of lectures, films and performances to the museum throughout the year, “I caught the performance of Cecilia's 'Halloween Special' with Leonard Nimoy on television several years ago. What a remarkable, creative endeavor. It was a perfect combination of terrific actors, tantalizing suspense with spectacular sound effects (thanks to the Foley artists!), and brilliant writing. Some years later a colleague at the museum introduced me to Cecilia. When the opportunity arose to collaborate, I approached her with the idea of doing something unique for the Bowers. Her ideas, ingenuity, and scope of experience were a perfect match. 'Bump in the Night' is the result. I've no doubt: they will be a marvelous couple of performances!”
The actors who will appear in this production include Michael Csoppenszky, Ree Johnson, Lovelle Liquigan, Cameron Markham, Pete Taylor, Rebecca Taylor and George J. Woods. Cast is subject to change.
Bowers Museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every fourth Thursday. Exhibitions featured include “GEMS! Colors of Light and Stone,” and “Mummies: Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt…Treasures from The British Museum.” Bowers offers shopping at its two unique gallery stores and a world-class dining experience at Tangata Restaurant of the Patina Group. The museum also features an array of films, lectures, festivals, art, music programs and events throughout the year.
BiographiesCecilia Fannon has had plays produced at regional theaters across the country, South Coast Repertory, on National Public Radio and abroad. She is winner of the prestigious Lois and Richard Rosenthal award for playwriting. She holds an M.F.A. in film from UCLA and has won the George Burns and Gracie Allen award for comedy screenwriting and the coveted Samuel Goldwyn Award. She has written, directed and produced a short film, “Red Hot & Bothered.” Fannon has written for television, including the Emmy award-winning “Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?” “The Guiding Light,” Spock vs. Q,” and “Armageddon,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” “The Canterveille Ghost,” and “The Mark of the Beast” for Leonard Nimoy’s production company, Alien Voices. This year, she directed Michele Lowe’s play, “String of Pearls” for Panndora Productions.
Michael Csoppenszky trained at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco and South Coast Repertory’s Professional Conservatory. Theater credits include Bonifacio (lead) in Cecilia Fannon’s “Time is a Gentleman.” He also appeared in “The Case of the Crushed Petunias” and “Days and Nights of BeeBee Fenstermaker.” Film credits include “Gang of Roses,” Contraption,” and “The Akin.” Csoppenszky wrote and performed with the sketch comedy group “Fries on the Side” in Los Angeles. He fronts the rock group “the Bumbaclad Wicked” and writes/produces all of the music that can be heard nationally on Radio Wazee and Last.FM.
Ree Johnson began his career as a professional singer in Las Vegas and California, opening for greats such as Diahann Carroll. Johnson’s theater credits include “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “I’m Not Rappaport,” “Lov’in Al,” “Raisin in the Sun,” “Big,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Requiem for a Heavyweight,” “Of Mice and Men,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” and “Guys and Dolls.” He also appeared as Frank in “Working,” for which he won a Drama-Logue award, and Jim in “Big River” at the Laguna Playhouse.
Lovelle Liquigan recently finished a short film for Chapman University titled “Bird Got to Fly,” and a run of “Life is a Dream” at South Coast Repertory as part of the ensemble. She was involved in the inaugural season of the Capistrano Shakespeare Festival playing in two of their four productions: Rosalind in “As You Like it” and Princess Estrella in “Life is a Dream.” She was chosen to be in The Kirov Ballet’s production of “Romeo and Juliet” as a maid and a mourner. Some theater credits include Henriette in “The Learned Ladies” (KC/ACTF Irene Ryan nominee), Nena in “The Conduct of Life,” Cordelia and the fool in “King Lear,” Fabian in “Twelfth Night,” and leading roles in Cecilia Fannon’s advanced playwrighting workshop at SCR. Next up for Liquigan is a short film in which she will play a young woman who struggles with the decision she has made about leaving her child at the door of a church. Liquigan has also finished a book of poetry and a cycle of 11 poems, and continues to explore through her painting.
Cameron Markham With over 30 theatre credits to date, Markham has been acting all of his life. Originally from New Mexico, and traveling to New York to study stage, he now lives in Hollywood and has been spending most of his time training at the world famous improvisational troupe, The Groundlings. Some of Markham’s recent television credits include “Talk Show” with Spike Feresten on FOX, “Joey” on NBC, and a starring role in Moby’s most recent video “Spiders,” which reached #2 on Top of The Pops. Markham can also be seen in many National Commercials such as Geico, Sony, and McDonalds. He feels privileged to have been able to come into contact with Cecilia Fannon and many other theater artists while at South Coast Repertory, and feels honored to be a part of this production. Markham is a member of The Screen Actors Guild.
Pete Taylor’s acting credits include leading roles in “K2,” “Our Town,” “Murder at the Howard Johnson,” “Twelve Angry Men,” “Love Letters,” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.” He is also literally hundreds of voices in various video games. His many directing credits include “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” “Arsenic and Old Lace,” “Call Me Back,” the critically acclaimed “the Belle of Amherst,” Panndora Productions hits “I’m Not Rappaport” and the world premiere of Cecilia Fannon’s “Time is a Gentleman.”
Rebecca Taylor expresses her passion for the theater through acting, writing, directing, and set design. She was a resident member of Backstage Theatre & Company ensemble. Taylor has appeared in “Miss Reardon Drinks a Little,” “The Haunting,” “Veronica’s Room,” “Love Letters,” and as Emily Dickinson in “the Belle of Amherst.” For Panndora Productions, she’s appeared in “Tennessee’s Women,” the American premiere of “Thirteen Hands,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and “String of Pearls.”
George J. Woods recently appeared in “Meet Me in St. Louis” at the Gallimaufry Theater. He originated the role of Angelo in Panndora Productions’ “Time is a Gentleman” at the Little Fish Theater. At Laguna Playhouse, he appeared in “The Underpants,” “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” “Painting Churches,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Beyond Reasonable Doubt,” “Noises Off,” “Crucifer of Blood,” “First Monday in October,” and “Dracula.” Woods won a Drama-Logue award as Nat Miller in “Ah, Wilderness.” Other appearances include “Bed and Breakfast” at the Key West Theatre Festival, and “Travels with Charley” at the Western Stage Company. At South Coast Repertory, he appeared in “Galileo,” “Merchant of Venice,” “The Showoff,” and Henry IV, Part I. Woods’ television credits include “The Golden Girls,” “General Hospital,” “Santa Barbara,” “The Invisible Man,” and the feature film “Cataclysm.”
http://www.bowers.org/about_us/about_press.asp?PRID=447Look on page 5 (October 26 & 27):
http://www.bowers.org/passport/pdfs/passport.pdfWow! I can't believe I actually have a bio out there in public somewhere! It's nice to feel that you're movin' on up=)
Show: THE LAST NIGHT OF BALLYHOO by Alfred Uhry
