Chad Allen Replaces Jarrod Emick In LOOPED

In Arena Stage's upcoming pre-Broadway showing of Matthew Lombardo's Looped, actor Jarrod Emick has been replaced by Chad Allen. Allen joins previously announced four-time Emmy Award-winning Valerie Harper (Rhoda in The Mary Tyler Moore Show) who stars as Tallulah Bankhead in this uproarious new comedy. Allen originally created the role of Danny Miller for the world premiere production of Looped at Pasadena Playhouse, and he is presently performing the role with Harper at the Cuillo Center in West Palm Beach Florida. Looped will play May 29-June 28, 2009 at Arena Stage at the Lincoln Theatre.

Created by Matthew Lombardo, writer of the hit play Tea at Five, and directed by Rob Ruggiero, director of Arena Stage's Ella, Looped tells the story of actress Tallulah Bankhead, the original celebrity bad girl, who stumbles into a film studio session to re-record (or "loop") one line of dialogue for her final film, Die, Die My Darling. What ensues is a showdown between an uptight sound editor, Danny Miller, and the outrageous legend. Southern, but by no means a belle, Ms. Bankhead was known for her wild partying that out-shone even today's superstars, including innumerable affairs with both male and female celebrities and outlandish exploits that were even investigated by the British secret service.

Chad Allen (Danny Miller) originated this role in the world premiere production of Looped at the Pasadena Playhouse. Allen began his acting career working on a succession of popular television series including St. Elsewhere, Our House, My Two Dads and Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman. In 1995, he co-founded the Creative Outlet Theatre Company in L.A. and starred in their first production, Biloxi Blues. He appeared in the L.A. stage production of Change at Babylon, Temporary Help in Westport, Conn., Seattle and Off-Broadway at the Revelation Theatre. He produced and starred in the L.A. premiere of Terrence McNally's Corpus Christi. Most recently he starred in The Little Dog Laughed at TheaterWorks in Hartford, Conn. Allen has appeared in the independent films End of Spear, Downtown: A Street Tale, Do You Wanna Know a Secret, Paris, What Matters Most and Getting Out. Allen's production company MythGarden recently produced a critically acclaimed 2007 Sundance Film Festival film, Save Me (in which he co-starred and produced with Judith Light).

Looped is being produced by Tony Cacciotti and David Steiner in association with Arena Stage.

For ticket information, please call (202) 488-3300 or visit www.arenastage.org.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Molly Smith, Washington, D.C.-based Arena Stage has become the largest theater in the country dedicated to American plays and playwrights. Founded in 1950 by Zelda Fichandler, Thomas Fichandler and Edward Mangum, Arena Stage was one of the nation's original resident theaters and has a distinguished record of leadership and innovation in the field. With the opening of the new Mead Center for American Theater in 2010, Arena Stage will be a leading center for the production, development and study of American theater. Now in its sixth decade, Arena Stage serves a diverse annual audience of more than 200,000. For more information please visit www.arenastage.org.

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