Photo Flash: Epic Closes Out Landmark 7th Season With DADA WOOF PAPA HOT

Epic Theatre Company is finishing up its record-breaking seventh season with a play about marriage, parenting, and what happens after you get everything you thought you always wanted. In Peter Parnell's Dada Woof Papa Hot, Alan finds himself struggling in all aspects of his life. His young daughter prefers her other father, his best friend is having an affair, and a younger gay couple is causing all kinds of unexpected trouble. He has the life he and so many other gay people fought for, but does that mean it's the life he desired for himself?

"From the minute I read this play, I knew it was exactly the sort of thing we should be doing at Epic," says Kevin Broccoli, Artistic Director of Epic, who's returning to the Epic stage for the first time since last June's Wolf Hall, "There have been so many plays written about the fight for gay rights, but this play goes a step further and asks-What happens when you're given those rights? How do we achieve equality without succumbing to heteronormativity? How do we not fall into the same traps so many straight people fall into when it comes to falling in love and having kids? As a gay man myself, it's very important to me that stories like these continue to be told."

Theodore Clement, Artistic Director of Counter Productions Theatre Company, returns to direct at Epic after being at the helm of Passion Play in Epic's first full season and acting in Angels in America. He recently partnered with Broccoli on Hedwig and the Angry Inch at the Academy Players. Joining Broccoli in the cast are Kerry Giorgi (The Motherf**ker with the Hat), Melanie Stone (We Are Proud to Present), Jay Are Adams (Red Speedo), Alvaro Beltran (Homos, or Everyone in America), Nick D'Amico (American Drag), and Terry Shea as Alan.

"As we finish up a season about Conviction, it's so great to take on a play that looks at conviction in our personal lives," says Broccoli, "Why do we love the people we love? How do we make the choices we make? What do we need from others and what should we expect them to ask of us? All season long, we've been looking at really broad and bold issues affecting people all over the world. It feels right to finish up such a remarkable run of shows with a play about conviction of the heart. "

Dada Woof Papa Hot runs from June 7th - June 22nd at Theater 82 located at 82 Rolfe Square in Cranston, Rhode Island. For tickets, go to https://www.artists-exchange.org/events and for more information, e-mail Info@EpicTheatreRI.org.

Photo Credit: Samantha Gaus