Santa Monica Playhouse to Stage World Premiere of CLIMAX

Actress Rae Dawn Chong* (Quest for Fire, The Color Purple, The Chosen), in her first foray into Los Angeles theater, leads a cast of stage and screen personalities in the world premiere of Lisa Phillips Visca's suspense thriller Climax. Chong is joined by : George Eddington III* (Fleece, The Gift), Jamie Gallo* (Mickey Blue Eyes, Jerry Mayer's Almost Perfect), Antonia Jones* (Kojak, True Jackson), Mike C. Manning* (Hawaii 5-0, Hallmark Channel's Operation Cupcake), Dennis Michael* (Two Minute Warning, Raid on Entebbe), and Evelyn Rudie* (Backstreet, Love in Bloom, Audition! The Musical) This production marks the third collaboration between Visca and Internationally acclaimed Playhouse directors Chris DeCarlo & Rudie (Moliere's The Fools, Love in Bloom, LA Times Critic's Choice Aspirin & ELEPHANTS).

Max Madison, renowned Malibu restaurateur, finds himself entangled in a haunting love triangle with his devoted wife and the diabolical mistress. After years of unsuccessful attempts and countless fertility treatments, his wife's ever-growing compulsion for motherhood throws Max into the arms of another woman, a modern day femme fatale who seeks revenge on the baby and their twenty-one year old son. A black widow, relentlessly weaving her web, she traps whomever she wants, whenever she wants them, with sensuality, manipulation, a needle pressed to a vein, or a gun flush against a forehead.

Playwright Lisa Visca Philips has been hailed as "a remarkable new talent" by Christopher Knopf, past President, Writers Guild Of America, West. Visca's plays include Raise Me Up ("Timeless as romance itself" LA WEEKLY) and Turning Thirty ("Top Ten!" Stage Raw). Feature films include: adapted screenplay Turning Thirty, suspense thriller Climax and screwball farce Fishin' Musicians. Reality show Love Match is in negotiations with tennis legend Ivan Lendl. The film version of her play Raise Me Up is in development with MRJ Films, directed by Vince Marcello.

Original score is by Brian Becvar, keyboardist/composer/songwriter and producer who has toured, recorded and performed with Celine Dion, Laura Branigan, Air Supply, Englebert Humperdinck, John Mellencamp, Roberta Flack, Kenny Loggins, Richard Marx, Davy Jones (from the group The Monkeys), Phoebe Snow, Dave Mason, Ben E. King, Bobby Caldwell, Wild Cherry, Kitaro, Cheryl Lynn, Alejandro Lerner, Pedro Aznar and David De Maria and currently with Michael Bolton. Brian has produced and scored music for five independent films and two major sports channel station ID logos. His songs have been recorded by John Mellencamp, Roberta Flack, Bobby Caldwell, Cheryl Lynn, Alejandro Lerner and Pedro Aznar. ?

Rounding out the production team: Costume Designer Ashley Hayes (The Clown Prince - LA WEEKLY Award; Dolls: Not Your Usual Love Story - Ovation Award nomination; Ionesco's The Bald Soprano); Lighting Designer James Cooper (Stephen King and Robert B Parker's RAGE; Jerry Mayer's Almost Perfect; Todd Susman's Locked and Loaded); Set Design Chris Beyries (Backstreet; Moonlight and Magnolias, Bay Area Critics Circle Award Best Scenic Designer 2010); Production Stage Manager George J Vennes III (John Pielmeyer's Impassioned Embraces; Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner present Carlie and Doni; A Carlin Home Companion); Co-Producer Lisa Phillips Visca (http://forty2films.com).

CLIMAX plays Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at a 3:00 pm early bird matinee. The show runs through November 1, 2015. Not suitable for the under 15's. For reservations, visit http://SantaMonicaPlayhouse.com or call the Playhouse Box Office at 1-310-394-9779 ext 1. For Group Sales, use ext 2.

Santa Monica Playhouse Main Stage is at 1211 4th Street (between Wilshire and Arizona) in the heart of downtown Santa Monica. Convenient parking is located directly across the street in city lot #1. By public transportation: take the Santa Monica Blue Bus or the LA Metro Rapid #720 and exit at 4th and Wilshire.

Santa Monica Playhouse is supported in part by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, by the City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Arts Commission, and by U.S. Bank.

NOTE: Jamie Gallo performs August 15 through September 20, 2015/Antonia Jones performs September 26 through November 1, 2015

* Member, Actors' Equity Association