CHEESE FRIES & CHILI DIPS Will Come to Fairfield and Westport

A hilarious and heartfelt new two-person theatrical event, Cheese Fries & Chili Dips, will come to Connecticut audiences this June for two special performances featuring acclaimed actor and beloved Weston drama teacher Gary Betsworth joining writer/performer Chris Fuller onstage.

Directed by Mark S. Graham and Produced by Robert R. Blume and Pat Labez in association with Artists for Mental Wellness, Inc. a 501 c3 charity organization whose mission is to spotlight the mental health issues in our country, the first performance takes place Wednesday, June 10 at 7:30 PM at the Fairfield Theatre Company, 70 Sanford Street, Fairfield, CT 06824. Tickets: $25. Box Office: 203-259-1036. This performance is sponsored by Roger Knick and The Golf Performance Center.

The second performance follows Friday, June 12 at the Westport Woman's Club, 44 Imperial Avenue, Westport, CT 06880. This special cabaret-style evening begins at 5:30 PM with hors d'oeuvres and beverages followed by a 6:30 PM performance. Tickets: $25. Box Office: 203-227-4240.

Following the June 12 performance, there will be a special talkback discussion on mental health and healing featuring Maria Russo-Appel, MD, Medical Director, The Shores Mental Health, Westport, Hartford HealthCare, and Tobias Wasser, MD, MBA, Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Shores Mental Health, Hartford HealthCare.

Part comedy, part emotional roller coaster, Cheese Fries & Chili Dips follows Chris Fuller's pursuit of the PGA Tour while battling bipolar disorder and the relentless chatter of the voice inside his head. That “inner voice” — played live by Gary Betsworth — zips around the stage on a scooter delivering advice that's only right about 60 percent of the time. However, the voice becomes something larger: a funny, touching, and recognizable reflection of all of our inner voices — the ones that encourage us, sabotage us, confuse us, and occasionally get things hilariously wrong.