46th Season • 444th Production JULIANNE ARGYROS STAGE / APRIL 11 - MAY 2, 2010 David Emmes Martin Benson PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ARTISTIC DIRECTOR presents the world premiere of DOCTOR CERBERUS BY Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa Keith Mitchell Shigeru Yaji Rand Ryan Steven Cahill SCENIC DESIGN COSTUME DESIGN LIGHTING DESIGN ORIGINAL MUSIC/SOUND DESIGN Christopher Ash Kelly L. Miller Jackie S. Hill Kathryn Davies* PROjECTION/vIDEO DESIGN DRAMATURG PRODUCTION MANAGER STAGE MANAGER DIRECTED BY Bart DeLorenzo Laurie Smits Staude HONORARY PRODUCER This production was also made possible by a grant from The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation DOCTOR CERBERUS was commissioned by South Coast Repertory and received a workshop reading in the 2009 Pacific Playwrights Festival. Doctor Cerberus • SOUTH COA S T REPE R TO R Y P1 CAST OF CHARACTERS (In order of appearance) Doctor Cerberus and others .......................................................... Jamison Jones* Franklin Robertson ........................................................................... Brett Ryback* Lydia Robertson ............................................................................ Candy Buckley* Lawrence Robertson ........................................................................... Steven Culp* Rodney Robertson .......................................................................... Jarrett Sleeper* SETTING Suburban Silver Spring, Maryland. The 1980s. LENGTH Approximately two hours with one 15-minute intermission. PRODUCTION STAFF Casting .................................................................................. Joanne DeNaut, CSA Assistant to the Director ......................................................................... Rob Salas Assistant to the Costume Designer ................................................ Ashley Rhodes Assistant to the Lighting Designer ............................................ Christopher Kuhl Production Assistant ................................................................. Jennifer Sherman Stage Management Intern ..................................................... Kathryn Wernsman Light Board Operator ........................................................................... Lois Bryan Dresser ........................................................................................... Heather Bassett Automation ............................................................................... Victor Mouledoux Wig Technician ................................................................................. Gieselle Blair Sound Operator ...................................................................... Fernando Vasquez Additional Costume Staff .................................................................. Iris Marshall Please refrain from unwrapping candy or making other noises that may disturb surrounding patrons. The use of cameras and recorders in the theatre is prohibited. Smoking is not permitted anywhere in the theatre. Cellular phones, beepers and watch alarms should be turned off or set to non-audible mode during the performance. * Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers. Media Partner P2 SOUTH COA S T REPE R TO R Y • Doctor Cerberus and continues to play in parts of Chicago, Milwaukee and Indiana. Television Terror ELVIRA – Los Angeles: The most popular horror Hosts of Late Night Horror hostess of the 1980s and 90s, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (played by Cassandra Peterson and inspired by Vampira), hosted the weekly “Movie Macabre” show on L.A.’s KHJ-TV from We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones. 1981 to 1984. Her show went on to be syndi- cated nationally, and she appeared in many other – Stephen King commercials, TV shows and the feature film Elvira, Mistress of the Dark in 1988. he first TV horror hosts appeared in the 1950s, when stations realized they could boost ratings by having lo- cal “ghost hosts” introduce their late-night horror and Roberto’s Favorite Films of Fright T sci-fi films. More hosts appeared after 1957, when Uni- versal Studios released their first Shock! package of classic We asked playwright Roberto that green dress trumps An- pre-1948 horror films for sale to TV stations. Many hosts Aguirre-Sacasa—our resident thony Perkins in his dress. quickly became regional celebrities, playing vampires, mad horror expert—to name his top scientists and other creatures of fright. In the spirit of Doc- ten horror movies of all time. 6. The Shining. Stephen King tor Cerberus, here are a few of our favorite hosts: Here they are in no particular had problems with Stanley order: Kubrik’s adaptation, but as a VAMPIRA – Los Angeles: Actress Maila Nurmi movie taken on its own mer- played TV’s first horror hostess on KABC in Los 1. Rosemary’s Baby. Ut- its…it chills the blood. Angeles from spring 1954 until fall 1955. She terly believable and amaz- wore a costume famously inspired by the char- ingly creepy, as funny as it is 7. The Others. Nicole Kidman acter of Morticia in Charles Addams’ New York- scary. With Rosemary taking is brilliant (and looks terrific) er cartoons. Nurmi also appeared in Ed Wood’s a research trip to the Strand in this period haunted house cult classic Plan 9 from Outer Space. bookstore, it’s a great New York thriller, with a twist as satisfying movie, too. as the one in The Sixth Sense. ZACHERLEY (aka “The Cool Ghoul” or “Ro- land”) – Philadelphia, New York: Considered 2. The Exorcist. Simply the 8. Night of the Demon. Star- by many to be the quintessential horror host most terrifying movie ever ring Dana Andrews, directed by of all time. As Roland, writer John Zacherle made. (It didn’t help that I mood-master Jacques Tourneur, hosted Philadelphia’s popular “Shock The- went to Georgetown and, as based on a short-story by the ater” (WCAU-TV, 1957), before moving to New an undergraduate, walked by woefully under-known ghost York’s WABC-TV in 1958, where he became Zach- those darn stairs three times a story writer M. R. James. A erley. He launched a “Zacherley for President” cam- day.) classic flick that inspired the paign at WOR-TV in 1960. (He lost to John F. Kennedy.) recent Drag Me to Hell. 3. Alien. Somewhere between COUNT GORE DE VOL (also known as M.T. horror and science-fiction 9. Speaking of Sam Raimi’s Graves) – Washington, D.C.: – Dick Dyszel lies…Ridley Scott’s master- Drag Me to Hell, the best hor- played Count Gore De Vol, the Transylvanian piece. Brilliantly the first (and ror movie to watch with your vampire host (and inspiration for Doctor Cer- last) thirty minutes barely have buddies in eighth grade: The berus) of “Creature Feature” for Washington, any dialogue. Evil Dead. (Did he really make D.C.’s WDCA-TV-20 from 1973 to 1987. He that when he was 21?) continues to host “Creature Feature” as a weekly 4. An American Werewolf web program at countgore.com. in London. Best. Werewolf. 10. Eyes Without a Face. Movie. Ever. A near-perfect mix Director Georges Franju’s SVENGOOLIE – Chicago: The character of Sven- of horror and comedy. Great, phantasmagoria is a waking goolie (a play on Svengali), played originally painful-to-watch transformation nightmare. Bizarre, surreal, by Jerry G. Bishop, debuted on “Screaming scene. haunting, theatrical, and with Yellow Theater” (WFLD-32 in Chicago) from an operation scene that’s so 1970 to 1973. Writer Rich Koz appeared in 5. The Birds. It was between gruesome it’s nearly unwatch- the new series, “Son of Svengoolie,” from 1979 this one and Psycho. Both able—except that you can’t to 1986. The series returned to the air in 1994 favorites, but Tippi Hedren in take your eyes off the screen. Doctor Cerberus • SOUTH COA S T REPE R TO R Y P3 Artist Biographies CANDY BU C KLEY * Ahmanson Theatre; The White Rose at The Old Globe Lydia Robertson in San Diego; Highest Standard of Living at Playwrights Horizons; the premiere of A.R. Gurney, Jr.’s Sweet Sue at is making her SCR debut. Broad- Williamstown Theatre Festival; Coastal Disturbances at way credits include Cabaret, After Circle in the Square; the premiere of Terrence McNally’s the Fall, Thoroughly Modern Millie The Lisbon Traviata at Theatre Off-Park; and Richard III and Ring Round the Moon. She ap- at New York Shakespeare Festival. Film credits include peared Off-Broadway in Shockhead- Thirteen Days (as Bobby Kennedy), The Emperor’s Club, ed Peter, Valhalla, Defying Gravity, Spartan, Firehouse Dog, From Within, Leaving Barstow, The Petrified Prince (Drama Desk nomination), Bernar- The Sisters, Nurse Betty, James and the Giant Peach and da Alba, Communicating Doors, Make Me, Knives and the recently completed The Chicago 8. Television credits Other Sharp Objects, Two Noble Kinsmen, Funny House include series regular roles on “Desperate Housewives” of a Negro, Mimi le Duck, View of the Dome and Wise (two SAG awards for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Guys. Regionally she has appeared in A Delicate Balance Series) and “Traveler”; recurring roles on “Saving Grace,” (Guthrie Theater), The Little Dog Laughed (Theater- “The West Wing,” “JAG,” “ER,” “Star Trek: Enterprise” and Works), Scramble (Westport Country Playhouse), Trav- “Privileged”; the miniseries “Gore Vidal’s Lincoln” and esties (Williamstown Theatre Festival), Tales of the City “Impact”; and many guest appearances, most recently on (The O’Neill), The Lady in Question (Bay St. Theater), “The Mentalist,” “Ghost Whisperer,” “CSI: Miami,” “Cold Much Ado About Nothing (Alliance Theatre), Sweeney Case,” “NCIS,” “Medium,” “Boston Legal,” “The