Unsavory Fellow at Santa Monica Playhouse

A guest production at Santa Monica Playhouse. Written, directed, and performed by Nick James.

Nick James was originally from Cleveland, but spent his pivotal formative years growing up in Santa Monica, near the beach and the sunshine. In school, he wanted to be one of the cool kids, but the Midwestern transplant sometimes felt like more of a geek. His stepfather had warned him against falling in with the bad boys or, as he termed them, “unsavory fellows.” Guess what happened?

Falling in with the bad crowd, he transforms, and his confidence and charisma expand exponentially. Possessed of an overactive imagination, his geographic proximity to Hollywood leads him to believe that he can become a star. In pursuit of a glamorous career in Hollywood, he then proceeds to make every mistake imaginable.

His handsome looks and abundant charm lead him into side gigs as a gigolo and as a supermodel in Japan. Inclinations towards brawling and substance abuse derail his progress.  He becomes an independent filmmaker. He gets roles on film and television. Along the way, he woos and wins a beautiful wife and they have a son. Will the Unsavory Fellow finally realize his dreams, or will his tendency towards self-sabotage bring his world crashing down?