Original Dramatic Play FRINGE DEATHS to Debut in Off-Broadway Theater this Spring

Acclaimed Director Rider McDowell will debut his original dramatic play, "Fringe Deaths," on New York's Off-Broadway this spring. Based upon the final hours of the lives of four American 'noir' icons-Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer, George 'Superman' Reeves, Jack Ruby, and Barbara Payton-"Fringe Deaths" will be presented Off-Broadway in four standalone mini acts.

The play, which chronicles the actual circumstances and tragic last moments of four uniquely American luminaries, is just the latest successful production by McDowell, the former journalist-turned-director who lives in Pebble Beach, CA. Throughout the month of December, McDowell's plays packed the house at the historic Carl Cherry Center for the Arts in Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA.

"We did better than anticipated. I'm proud to report that the literary tradition is not dead, at least not in Carmel," McDowell said. "My next act will be bringing 'Fringe Deaths' to Off-Broadway this spring."

In Carmel, standing-room-only crowds enjoyed a three-week literary menu including such classics as "Under Milk Wood," "An Evening with Edgar Allen Poe" and "A Night with Sylvia Plath."

Welsh poet Dylan Thomas's masterpiece drama about a day in the life of a fictional Welsh fishing village, "Under Milk Wood" opened the month-long Carmel event. The second and third weekends at the Cherry Center included "An Evening with Edgar Allen Poe," with readings by actors Jules Hart, Robert Colter, and newcomer Errol McDowell, age 16. The holiday performances culminated in "A Night with Sylvia Plath," which entranced the capacity crowd with the electric and soulful poetry of the young American poet whose melancholy caused her to take her own life at age 30. All proceeds from the three plays went to CancerAGoGo.com, a charity McDowell created with his son.

McDowell, who directed all of the plays, is a veteran of the stage. His credits as a playwright-director include "Nighty Nite San Francisco," "Bud's First Weekend," and the outrageous "Zombie Voodoo Scream Party." He says he was humbled by the record-breaking turnout. "It's always inspiring when you get a receptive audience," McDowell said. "Really, that's all a director can ask for."

Ticket information for "Fringe Deaths" will be published in April. Please visit http://fringedeaths.com for further details.