William Missouri Downs' edgy, existential comedy examines religion, love, politics and the meaning of life in a hilarious standoff between belief and doubt. Directed by Sirena Irwin, The Exit Interview opens on October 9 at the Lounge Theatres in Hollywood.
The Plot:
Professor Dick Fig (Davey Johnson), a scholar on German playwright
Bertolt Brecht, has been terminated from his position and must undergo an excruciating exit interview with human resources manager and religious zealot, Eunice (Catie LeOrisa). When word gets out that a masked gunman is somewhere on campus, Eunice conducts the interview...all while hiding underneath her desk. Downs' rip-roaring send up ricochets with Brechtian interludes and a cast including a pair of deranged cheerleaders, a pretentious newscaster, soccer moms and German doctors-each addressing universal questions regarding facts, faith and fate in this timely, dark comedy that breaks down all the walls of logic and realism.
Winner of a Rolling Premiere by the National New Play Network, Downs' play has been produced throughout the country since 2012, including Actors Theatre of Charlotte, The Big Idea Theatre in Sacramento, The Flying H Group Stage in Ventura, InterAct in Philadelphia, Orlando Shakespeare, Players' Theatre Group in Cleveland, OH, Salt Lake City
Acting Company and San Diego Rep.
The San Diego Union Tribune described the play as "A gleefully boundary-flouting riff on religion, piety and the limits of belief...William Missouri Downs' bonkers theatrical carnival is to conventional plays what Burning Man is to a weenie roast."
Where and When:
Performances run from Oct. 9 - Nov. 15 on Fridays & Saturdays @ 8 p.m.; Sundays @ 2 p.m. Lounge Theatres, 6201 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90038. Tickets are $25. For reservations please call
(323) 960-7712 or at
www.plays411.net/exitinterview Who's Who
Davey Johnson (Dick Fig) - Film credits include Faults and the upcoming horror anthology Southbound TV credits: Garfunkel & Oates (IFC), Key & Peele (Comedy Central), Adventure Time (Cartoon Network) and numerous commercials.
Catie LeOrisa (Eunice) was born and raised in England. Since living in the US, some of her favorite roles have been: The Bacchae ensemble at the Getty Villa directed by Gulu Monteiro; Nella Larkin in The God Committee by
Mark St Germain; God in Feminine Justice by Basil Dawkins; and Angelique in Paradise Hotel by
Georges Feydeau. Catie has produced fundraisers most notably for Cure Autism Now. She is also a successful hand model and is the proud mom of twins.
Jocelyn O'Keefe (Actress #1) graduated from Webster University's Conservatory of Theatre. She has since trained at various studios, including Upright Citizen's Brigade.
Gina Torrecilla (Actress #2) Film and television credits include: Scandal, Mad Men, Bones, Incredible Crew, Raising the Bar, Twinkies and Donuts and Britney Baby. Stage credits include: Failure: A Love Story; The Magic Finger, The Real Housekeepers Of Studio City, I Love Lucy - Live, The Next Fairy Tale, Assassins, Reckless, Twelfth Night, The Constant Wife, A Little Night Music, and Communicating Doors. She has also provided the voices for many characters including Kitty in The K-9 Five and, in an ironic twist, voiced both the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene for a children's audio bible. Gina has an MFA in Drama and is a graduate of Second City - Chicago.
Yumi Iwama (Actress #3) is from Rumson, NJ. After graduating from Colgate University, she began acting in New York at the Vineyard and Promenade theaters, and regionally at
Syracuse Stage, Kansas City Starlight, and Sacramento Music Circus. TV roles include Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, Diagnosis Murder,
Beverly Hills 90210, and Kickin' It. Voiceover work includes the video games Dead Island, Heroes of Newerth, and Grim Legends: the Forsaken Bride. You can see her in the upcoming films Breakable You (starring
Holly Hunter) and Other People (starring
Molly Shannon).
Ryan Phillips (Actor #1) attended Cal State Long Beach and graduated in 2011 with a BA in Theatre Arts, Performance Major. He has been seen in various commercials (Samsung, Home Smart, Bright Cove), and is the "voice" of PayPal's Braintree. Recent appearances include season two of HBO's True Detective and Netflix's Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp.
Wayne Wilderson (Actor #2) has been seen in previous Buzzworks Theatre Company productions of Only You, Come Back Little Sheba, V.P.E., and The Bad Seed. Television credits: How To Get Away With Murder, A To Z, Mom, Bones, Private Practice, Grey's Anatomy, Cub 5150, The Office, Two And A Half Men, Jessie, Wilfred, and CSI. Film credits include The Cobbler, Sex, Death & Bowling, and Evan Almighty, amongst others.
Rich Hutchman (Actor #3) Rich has performed in Invasion of the Minnesota Normals and Pete's Garage for Buzzworks and serves as a company Board Member. Regionally, he has worked with Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, and Red Orchid among others and was proud to have been a cast member in A Bird Out of Water, a play which received the New City award as "One of the Worst Plays of the Decade." TV credits include: Mad Men, Bones, Studio 60, Monk, and an ill-fated pilot for The Onion magazine. Film credits include Seven Pounds, Deja Vu, The Island, and Disney's Phantom of the Megaplex.
Beth Pennington (Understudy for Actress 1, Actress 2, and Actress 3) directs the web series Sh*t Sayaka Says and writes and stars in Let's Get Earnest, with Elaine Earnest. Every month she appears as numerous original characters in the variety show Rise & Shine with Bette & Juliette, in the basement of a Mexican restaurant and studies with master teacher,
Richard Lawson.
Michael Dempsey (Understudy for all Male Roles) recent TV/Film credits: Castle, The Middle, Big Bang Theory, Mad Men, Extant, Rizzoli and Isles, Alphonso Bow, Poor George, The Changeling, and The Rwanda Blend. Michael has also appeared in over 300 commercials. He has performed at the Road Theater, Theatre NEO,
Kirk Douglas Theater, Lost Studio, Egyptian Arena, and the Santa Monica Playhouse. Michael is the owner of Lakewood Pictures, which has produced six short films that have played in over 25 film festivals around the world with their latest short called Walk by
Theresa Rebeck.
Sirena Irwin (Director) has written, directed, and produced multiple short films that have been broadcast and distributed internationally. She originated the role of Lucy in I Love Lucy Live on Stage for which she received numerous awards and recognitions. Other stage work includes Love's Labour's Lost at the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival and the West Coast premiere of
John Patrick Shanley's Where's My Money. You may have heard her on various animated shows including Nickelodeon's SpongeBob Squarepants (in over 100 episodes since 1999) Warner Bros' Batman: The Brave and the Bold,
Stan Lee's Stripperella, and more.
