Don Reed's CAN YOU DIG IT? Returns to Marsh Berkeley, 1/4-2/2
The Marsh announces the return of Don Reed's autobiographical journey CAN YOU DIG IT? The '60s - Back Down East 14th, now coming back in the new year, January 4 through February 2, 2014 following wildly successful extended runs at The Marsh San Francisco and The Marsh Berkeley. Reed, an Oakland-born comedian, is currently the opening act/warm-up comedian for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The third installment in Reed's hilarious coming-of-age trilogy, CAN YOU DIG IT?, a view of the 1960s through the eyes of an awkward kid, will play Saturdays at 8:30pm and Sundays at 7pm in the The Marsh Berkeley Theater Stage, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. For tickets, the public may visit www.themarsh.org or call 415-282-3055 between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
Called "Flat out hilarious!" by KQED and "Remarkable. Terrific. Very funny," as well as "Unexpectedly touching" by the San Francisco Chronicle, CAN YOU DIG IT? rewinds to the '60s, going back to young Reed's formative years in Oakland grammar school when the family was whole - that is before his father became a pimp and his mother reluctantly became a Jehovah's Witness. As the plot unfolds, a series of wild, wonderful, scary, amazing, unnecessary, cool, moving, unbelievably true stories are revealed.
The first installment in Reed's trilogy, East 14th, traced the actor-comedian's irregular teen years through the '70s (his stepfather forced him to become a Jehovah's Witness, and his biological father was a pimp). East 14th went on to become one of the Bay Area's longest running solo shows, and also ran Off-Broadway. The second installment, The Kipling Hotel, followed Reed's collegiate years at UCLA through the '80s, as he struggled to supplement a partial scholarship by working as a live-in waiter at an unforgettable retirement hotel.
Reed, a San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Nominee and NAACP Double Nominee for Best Actor and Best Playwright, has performed, written, and directed in film, television, and theatre all over the country. His 1991 segment on HBO's Robert Townsend & His Partners in Crime, which featured a variety of up-and-coming comedians, was well-received and led to many recurring and guest starring roles on various television programs. In addition to performing as the opening act/warm-up comedian for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Reed has opened for Tony Award winner Tommy Tune, and has worked on programs including Spiderman, The Flintstones, ER, Frasier, Friends, Scrubs, Will & Grace, Law & Order, and Saturday Night Live. Reed has written promos for the Golden Globes, the Academy Awards and the Olympics. Additionally, he has written and developed screenplays for Spike Lee's 40 Acres and a Mule and Maverick Filmworks. Reed is currently a board member of the thriving 51Oakland foundation keeping music and the arts alive in Oakland Public Schools.
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