New Jersey Rep Announces Cast For CHARACTER ASSASSINS, Runs 9/23-10/31

New Jersey Repertory Company has announced the cast of its world premiere production of "Character Assassins" by Charlie Schulman. Directed by Dana Benningfield, this ingenious and relentlessly surprising comedy will run September 23 - October 31, 2010, at NJ Rep, 179 Broadway in Long Branch.

In "Character Assassins," a knowing backstage play that skewers knowing backstage plays, a jaded theater critic and a playwright at the end of his creative rope square off in a deadly and hilarious game of cat and mouse. The cast features Warren Kelley as the critic and Brad Fraizer as the playwright.

Recently praised by the New York Times for his portrayal of George Bernard Shaw in the Abingdon Theatre Company's production of "Engaging Shaw," Warren Kelley is a veteran of more than 200 productions in New York and regional theatres around the country. In New York he has starred in the new concert version of "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" [with Sally Struthers and Brian D'Arcy James], the world premiere of "Strings" [opposite Keir Dullea], and "Elvis and Juliet" [opposite Fred Willard]. Warren was last seen at NJ Rep in "The Little Hours," a musical based on the stories of Dorothy Parker.

Brad Fraizer, making his New Jersey Rep debut, has appeared Off Broadway in the American premiere of "Three on a Couch" at Soho Playhouse. Other New York credits include "Behind the Sticks," NY Fringe Cherry Lane Theatre; Bill C. Davis's "My Expatriate" directed by the playwright at Manhattan Theatre Source; and "The Return of Peter Grimm" at Metropolitan Playhouse. Brad has worked extensively in regional theater (Kennedy Center, Ford's Theatre, Northern Stage, among others) and is a co-founder of the clown collective Logic Limited, Ltd.

Playwright Charlie Schulman was named the 2010 Walton Fellow at The Arena Stage for his play "The Great Man." He co-produced and wrote the book for the musical "The Fartiste" (Best Musical, FringeNYC). His plays include: "Angel of Death," "The Common Enemy," "The Greene House Effect", "The Birthday Present" (The Young Playwrights Festival - Outer Critics Circle Award) and "The Ground Zero Club." Charlie is a recipient of the Charles MacArthur Award for Comedy, the Paulette Goddard Fellowship, and is a three-time winner of the Avery Hopwood Award from the University of Michigan. His play The Kitchen was present at The National Playwrights Conference and is currently being adapted as the musical "My American Family."

Dana Benningfield marked her professional directorial debut at New Jersey Rep with Vincent Sessa's "A Child's Guide to Innocence," a production that received both audience and critical acclaim. As an actress, Dana has worked extensively in New York and regional theater. She received her MFA at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

On stage at New Jersey Rep from July 8 to August 8 is the East Coast premiere of Sharr White's provocative new drama "Sunlight." For information and reservations, call 732-229-3166 or visit www.njrep.org.

New Jersey Repertory Company is a professional, non-profit theater whose mission is to develop and produce new plays and to make a lasting contribution to the American stage. In twelve seasons NJ Rep has produced 75 plays and over 300 readings of new works. The company maintains an open submission policy that attracts nearly 1,000 scripts each year from throughout the world. The theater is a member of the National New Play Network, a consortium of 26 regional theaters around the country committed to nurturing new plays and playwrights. NJ Rep is supported by The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, The Seth Sprague Educational and Charitable Foundation, The Edgerton Foundation, The Baumol Family Foundation, OceanFirst Foundation, and The New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

 

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