ELECTRICITY Comes to Camp Bar 7/12 - 14
By: A.A. Cristi Jul. 06, 2018
ELECTRICITY, the critically-acclaimed, hilarious, sexy and powerful LGBTQ play starring TV's Terry Ray (writer and star of My Sister is So Gay, From Here on Out, and Gaydar) and Indie Film star Mel England (Best Day Ever and Ron and Laura Take Back America) is coming to Minneapolis/St. Paul. Dazzling audiences in Los Angeles and Palm Springs for more than two years, this unique theater experience is hitting the road for the first time at The Cabaret at Camp Bar in St. Paul for three nights only, July 12 - 14! The July 12 show will include a fundraiser for The Aliveness Project, a Minneapolis organization that links people living with HIV to resources for leading healthy, self-directed lives.
ELECTRICITY explores the journey of two gay men who hook up in a motel room after their tenth high school reunion in a small town in Ohio. Gary is so closeted that he hides behind an invented wife, and Brad is so reckless that he kills his pain with sex, drugs and alcohol because he can't see far enough into the future to believe he has one. Despite their differences, they have a connection - an electricity - which draws them back to that same motel room, and to each other, for every successive reunion from 1983 to 2013.
Playwright and veteran actor Terry Ray, who plays Gary, said he wrote this play "to chronicle the journey that so many gay men who came of age in the 1970s and '80s can readily relate to, the journey from a place where silence sometimes equaled death, to one where equality might just be a reality." He added, "You St. Paul / Minneapolis audiences know your stuff, so I'm thrilled that Mel and I get to do our first tour dates outside of California in the Twin Cities with people that are spoiled by good theater. Our goal is to spoil you rotten!"
Off Broadway and award-winning indie-film actor Mel England returns to the stage to play the party-addicted Brad. "It's always great to come home to the stage and this play is one of the most exciting I've ever worked on." England said, adding, "It's so incredibly personal, and it's an honor to be working with Terry so intimately - it really is electric!"Brad and Gary's story manages to be deliciously hilarious, heartbreaking and romantic all at the same time. The best surprise audiences have reported is how much these characters will stick with you, weeks and even months later.
"This is a wonderful play, so brilliantly written and performed, I really couldn't stop smiling through the entire thing, except when I was weeping." - Samantha Simmonds - Ronceros, NOHO ARTS DISTRICT
ELECTRICITY stars Terry Ray (Gary) and Mel England (Brad) and is directed by STEVEN ROSENBAUM and AMY ROWELL.
Contains nudity and adult themes.
For tickets, bios, and more information: ElectricityThePlay.com
Terry Ray
Terry Ray is a veteran actor of over 90 plays along side such stars as Dixie Carter, Elaine Stritch, Patricia Heaton and Matthew Perry. His numerous television and film acting credits include IN LIVING COLOR, ELLEN, 7TH HEAVEN, THE MULLETS, KENAN & KEL, THE AMANDA SHOW, DRAKE & JOSH, A.N.T. FARM, JOE DIRT 2, and the camp classic ELVIRA: MISTRESS OF THE DARK. He has been a series regular for four seasons in Michael Vacccaro's short form, star studded comedy CHILD OF THE 70s. Ray also co-wrote and starred in several original shows including the multi-award winning short film GAYDAR with Charles Nelson Reilly and his new comedy series MY SISTER IS SO GAY with Loni Anderson as his mother. Terry Ray is the creator, writer and star of HERE! TV's sitcom FROM HERE ON OUT which also stars Juliet Mills. He currently writes and co-stars with Dawn Wells (Mary Ann from GILLIGAN'S ISLAND) in a spoof of Dawn's classic sitcom called SHE'S STILL ON THE FREAKIN' ISLAND on MeTV. Ray co-created/produced and wrote the new game show MODD COUPLES now airing on Hulu. He's also the co-writer of the 2017 TV movie THE JONESES: UNPLUGGED starring Mischa Barton, David Ogden Stiers and Markie Post. Terry is very grateful for all the lovely feedback from audiences to ELECTRICITY, his first time as a playwright. For much more info go to www.TerryRay.TV
Mel England (Brad) has starred on Screen and Stage, Off Broadway, internationally and across the USA. In title role of RON AND LAURA TAKE BACK AMERICA, England won Best Acting Ensemble, two Best Actor nominations, and the film which he co-wrote and co-directed, earned 14 other wins and nominations, including Best Comedy & Best Director. He stars in the feature BEST DAY EVER, winner Best LGBT Film (IndieFest), LITTLE BIG TOP (Netflix & Amazon), PERSONA AU GRATIN, Winner Best Comedy (IndieFest), and HIGHLIGHTS, Best Drama Nomination (Moviefone Film Festival). He appears alongside Academy Award Best Actress Nominee and Golden Globe Winner Sally Kirkland in ARCHAEOLOGY OF A WOMAN and signed to co-star with Kirkland in the upcoming film LOVE ANONYMOUS. On Stage, England's solo show SWIMMING WITH THE POLAR BEARS directed by Jill André premiered Off Broadway then toured world-wide, to LA, the UN Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen, and Washington DC's National Mall for the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. Other Off Broadway credits include HECUBA, MARRIAGE & IMAGINARY INVALID. England's solo show NAVAJO MEMOIRS was dubbed "Ingenious" by Backstage. He starred in the NY and LA premieres of Israel Horovitz's one-man 3 WEEKS AFTER PARADISE, and recently appeared in FREDDY (World Premiere) at LA's Fountain Theatre.
ELECTRICITY explores the journey of two gay men who hook up in a motel room after their tenth high school reunion in a small town in Ohio. Gary is so closeted that he hides behind an invented wife, and Brad is so reckless that he kills his pain with sex, drugs and alcohol because he can't see far enough into the future to believe he has one. Despite their differences, they have a connection - an electricity - which draws them back to that same motel room, and to each other, for every successive reunion from 1983 to 2013.
The Cabaret @ Camp Bar
Performance Schedule
July 12, 7:30pm
July 13, 7:30pm
July 14, 7:30pm
Runtime: 90 minutes
Tickets
$25 - General Admission
$35 - Reserved Table Seating
Tickets are available at electricity.brownpapertickets.com.
Videos
