Two one-act plays by John Guare, Cop-Out and The Talking Dog, will be presented by Red Radar Productions at the Gene Frankel Theatre (24 Bond Street, between Lafayette and Bowery) from October 6th through October 16th.Ronit Muszkatblit will direct both shows, which feature a cast that includes Monica Arazi, Kevin T. Collins, Kevin Dwyer and Emily Rome Mudd. Cop-Out is a "kinetic farce about love and war," according to production notes. "While a straight-arrow policeman falls in love with a war protester at a demonstration, his alter-ego--a hard-boiled detective straight out of 50's-era film noir--mixes with femme fatales, dead presidents and Marilyn Monroe trying to solve his biggest case ever. With two actors portraying over 10 characters, Cop-Out is an energetic satire of wartime politics and classic movies, which premiered on Broadway at the height of the Vietnam War era.""The Talking Dog, adapted from Chekhov's A Joke, explores the highs and lows of a relationship. When a man and a woman take a literal leap of faith together on a hang-gliding trip, adrenaline soars. The woman hears the man shout "I love you" in mid-air, adding to her thrill. Back on the ground, the words don't come out anymore. Seeking the excitement of the original jump, with her longing to hear the words again, they repeat the adventure again and again. The Talking Dog ponders what's routine and what gets a rush, and takes a look at love – through its flight and eventual fall to Earth."
Cop-Out, which opened in April 1969, was Guare's first Broadway show. He is perhaps best known for his play The House of Blue Leaves, for which he won the both an Obie and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for the Best American Play of 1970 and received four Tony Awards during its 1986 revival, and Six Degrees of Separation which received the New York Drama Critics Circle Award in 1990 and an Olivier Best Play Award in 1993. Other plays and musicals (including book revisions) penned by Guare include Muzeeka (1968), Two Gentlemen of Verona (Tony Award – Best Book of a Musical, revived this summer by NYSF), Sophisticated Ladies, Four Baboons Adoring the Sun, Kiss Me Kate (1999 revival), Sweet Smell of Success, and Madagascar (part of MCC's Escape: 6 Ways to Get Away at Circle in the Square). Recent honors include the Gold Metal in Drama by The American Academy of Arts & Letters (2004) and a 2005 Obie Award for "Sustained Excellence in Theater." He also received an Oscar nomination for his screenplay to Atlantic City.
Cop-Put and The Talking Dog feature set design by Shawn Fisher, lighting by Oscar Mendoza, costumes by Aaron P. Mastin and sound by Udi Pladott.Cop Out and The Talking Dog's performance schedule is: Thursday–Saturday at 8:00 PM, Sunday at 3:00 PM. Tickets are $15 and may be arranged through SmartTix at www.smarttix.com or (212) 868-4444. For more information, visit www.RedRadarProductions.com.
