Written by and Starring Dan Castellaneta* Directed by Stefan
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Falcon Theatre presents a Laugh Then Think, Inc. production of Written by and Starring Dan Castellaneta* Directed by Stefan Novinski Featuring JD Cullum* Deb Lacusta Gail Matthius* Phil Proctor* Jonathan Stark* Music Supervisor David O Scenic Designer Costume Designer Stephen Gifford Kate Bergh Lighting Designer Sound Designer Jean-Yves Tessier Drew Dalzell Props Master Stage Manager Mallory Birkrem Leia Crawford* Production Supervisor Lee Costello * Member of Actor’s Equity Cast (in alphabetical order) Oscar Levant Dan Castellaneta* Charlie, Harpo JD Cullum* June Levant, Barbara Deb Lacusta Shirley, Fanny Brice, Oscar’s Mother Gail Matthius* Sidney, Butler, Oscar’s Father Phil Proctor* Dr. Greenleigh, Jack Paar, George Gershwin Jonathan Stark* PIANIST David O HARPIST Jillian Risigari-Gai Understudies (in alphabetical order) Sidney, Butler, Oscar’s Father, Dr. Greenleigh, Jonathan Arkin* Jack Paar, George Gershwin Oscar Levant, Charlie, Harpo Jeff Blumberg June Levant, Barbara, Shirley, Fanny Brice, Oscar’s Mother Heather L. Tyler Additional Production Staff TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Mike Jespersen ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Marissa Putnick ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Heidi Hostetler PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Trevor Alkazian MAKEUP CONSULTANT Katie Custer DANCE CONSULTANT Richard Parman FIGHT CONSULTANT Mark Ostrander SCENIC CONSTRUCTION Red Colegrove SCENIC ARTIST Orlando de la Paz SOUND OPERATOR Claudio Radocchia The action of the play moves freely between these three time periods: The Jack Paar Show -- 1962 Mt. Sinai psych ward -- 1956 Harpo’s rented mansion -- 1935 There will be one 10-minute intermission. The video and/or audio recording of this performance by any means whatsoever are strictly prohibited. * Member of Actor’s Equity This theatre operates under an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers. The Director of For Piano and Harpo is a members of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. The Set and Costume Designers of For Piano and Harpo are represented by United Scenic Artists - Local USA 829 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. Cast Dan Castellaneta (Playwright & ‘Oscar Levant’) An Emmy- winning actor and writer for The Simpsons and The Tracey Ullman Show, Dan’s plays include: A Purple Dawn, Sons of Mothers, The Banana Tree and Empire Burlesque (both with Deb Lacusta). He co-founded the improv scenario group Instant Theater, Chicago, and the Improv Co-Op in LA. Acting credits: Second City/Chicago, The Underpants (Geffen Theater), Twist Your Dickens and Nighthawks (Kirk Douglas Theater), Moonlight and Magnolias (Old Globe), The Alchemist (Classic Stage/NYC), American Splendor (Theater/Theater/LA), and his one-man show Where Did Vincent Van Gogh? (LA, NYC, Chicago, Edinburgh Theatre Festival, Aspen HBO Comedy Festival). TV: The Office, Parks and Recreation, Desperate Housewives, Entourage, Reno 911, Monk, Friends, NYPD Blue, Everybody Loves Raymond, Stargate SG1. Film: Super 8, The Client, The Pursuit of Happyness, War of the Roses, Nothing in Common, My Giant, Neil Simon’s Laughter on the 23rd Floor (Showtime), Charlie’s Angels: Behind the Camera as ‘Aaron Spelling.’ AEA, SAG-AFTRA, ASCAP, Dramatists Guild. JD Cullum (‘Charlie’/‘Harpo’) A veteran of Southern California stages (and freeways), JD has starred in plays at the Mark Taper Forum, Geffen Playhouse, Kirk Douglas Theatre,and the Pasadena Playhouse. A recipient of multiple Garland Awards and LA Drama Critics Circle Awards for his work, JD’s recent appearances include: All the Way (South Coast Repertory), Hedda Gabler and Cloud 9 (Antaeus Theatre Company). On camera: Aquarius, Code Black, Bones, The Newsroom, The Lone Ranger, and Mad Men. Deb Lacusta (‘June Levant’/‘Barbara’) Deb is a writer/ actor/improvisor. Acting: Immediate Theater, Spolin Players, Second City Alumni Jam, Deb & Dan’s Show. Playwriting: Old Man in a Big Car, Empire Burlesque (Broad Stage/Edye, in development American Blues Theater), The Banana Tree, Earthers and Lock Up the Grass (Organic Theater/Chicago, Theatre 6470), The August and The Statue (Bailiwick Theater/ Chicago). She co-founded the improv scenario group Instant Theater, and Improv Co-Op. TV/Film writing: The Simpsons, Tracey Ullman Show, and she wrote, directed, and starred in her film Starring Marlon Brando. Her performance art has been exhibited in museums and galleries here and abroad. Gail Matthius (‘Shirley’/‘Fanny Brice’/‘Oscar’s Mother’) Gail’s many television credits include: Saturday Night Live, Laugh Trax, and Assaulted Nuts. Currently she plays ‘Officer Peg Pendergrasp’ on Sundance/AMC’s Hap and Leonard. She voiced ‘Martha Generic’ on Bobby’s World, receiving an Annie nomination. Other cartoon credits: Tiny Toons, Animaniacs, The Snorks, Cat/Dog, The Tick, Bump in the Night, and Ren & Stimpy. She has performed with The Spolin Players for 30 years. Regional theater: El Grande de Coca Cola, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Always Patsy Cline, Little Women, Baby, A Man of No Importance, Violet. Proud member of AEA/SAG/AFTRA. Phil Proctor (‘Sidney’/‘Butler’/‘Oscar’s Father’) 15 years with Antaeus; 50 years with Firesign Theatre (thrice-Grammy- nominated, Library of Congress inductee.) Appeared On-and- Off-Broadway, Russia, Canada, at the Falcon in The Psychic, and in countless films, video-games, TV and radio shows. He’s won Theatre World, LA Weekly, LA Free Press, and Drama Critics’ awards. Voiceovers: scores of Disney/Pixar films, the ‘Drunken French Monkey’ in Dr. Dolittle, and ‘Howard’ in Emmy-winning Rugrats, honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He and Samuel Joseph co-authored God Help Us, starring Ed Asner and his psychic life story Where’s My Fortune Cookie, with Brad Schreiber, will be available soon. planetproctor.com Jonathan Stark (‘Dr. Greenleigh’/‘Jack Paar’/‘George Gershwin’) has been seen in the films Fright Night, Project X, and House II. Television work includes Cheers, Bob, Tales from the Crypt, and Ellen. In 1991, he began writing for television on such series as Cheers, Bob, Drew Carey, and Ellen for which he won an Emmy and a George Foster Peabody Award for his work on Ellen DeGeneres’s groundbreaking coming out episode. In 2001, he co-created the hit sitcom According to Jim. He can currently be seen improvising all over town with The Groundling’s GAS Show, Immediate Theater, Instaplay, and the Trans4merZ. David O (Music Supervisor/Pianist) is a music-theatre artist who specializes in contemporary music for the stage and concert hall. Compositions include the Ovation Award-winning score for Ubu Roi (A Noise Within), and the choral piece “A Map of Los Angeles” (LA Master Chorale). Musical Direction: American Idiot (La Mirada Theater), 13 (Mark Taper Forum), The Wild Party and See What I Wanna See (The Blank Theatre). Film scores include “Bronies: the Completely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony.” David was the 2013 recipient of the LADCC Joel Hirschhorn Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre. Jillian Risigari-Gai (Harpist) is a proud native Southern Californian. Jillian started her harp career at the age of three and has been going strong ever since. She holds a MFA from California Institute of the Arts as well as a BM from CSU-Long Beach. She has held principal positions for the Hollywood Fringe Festival, 3D Theatricals, The Industry Opera Company, Long Beach Ballet Company, Long Beach Symphony Orchestra, Opera San Luis Obispo, and San Luis Obispo Symphony. She has also performed with Grammy Award winning and nominated artists, and recorded multiple television tracks for HBO at Capitol Records. Understudies Jonathan Arkin (‘Sidney’/‘Butler’/‘Oscar’s Father’/‘Dr. Greenleigh’/‘Jack Paar’/‘George Gershwin’) New York native Jonathan Arkin is a veteran of hundreds of stage productions spanning the continental U.S. (and in Israel, where he starred in a TV show about a befuddled space alien named ‘Otus’). In addition to graduating from Columbia University, USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and the Annenberg Graduate School of Journalism, Jonathan has studied with Uta Hagen, Herbert Berghof, Victor Garber, and with the Groundlings in LA. He has also worked as a mime, a DJ, a gogo dancer, and currently teaches the fine arts to kids at LAUSD and to teachers at the University of San Diego. Jeff Blumberg (‘Oscar Levant’/‘Charlie’/‘Harpo’) has been performing in LA for over 20 years, and is known most notably for his roles as ‘James Wicker’ in It’s Only A Play, ‘Ernie’ in Rumors, ‘Joel’ in Beau Jest, and multiple roles in Flight: The Rise & Fall of Charles Lindbergh. He has also originated roles in several world premieres, including Love and Other Allergies, A Very Merry Happy Kosher Christmas, and The Mermaid Wars. On TV, Jeff has appeared in numerous national commercials, but diehard fans of The Drew Carey Show will remember him best as the last ‘Johnson’ ever fired by Nigel Wick. FOLLOW & LIKE Falcon Theatre @Falcon_Theatr@FalconTheatree @Falcon_Theatre Heather L. Tyler (‘June Levant’/‘Barbara’/‘Shirley’/‘Fanny Brice’/‘Oscar’s Mother’) After studying theater at Rhodes, a dedication to new and bold work led Heather to Chicago’s vibrant theatre scene where favorite credits include: The Threepenny Opera with the Hypocrites at Steppenwolf, and critically acclaimed Dirty Diamonds at The Factory Theater. In L.A., she has played with Rogue Machine in A Bright New Boise and Wish I had a Sylvia Plath (u.s.), and with Sacred Fools in A Gulag Mouse. She recently directed the Los Angeles premiere of Porno Dido as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Film/TV credits include Johnny Frank Garrett’s Last Word premiering at SXSW and The Bridge (FX). Production Dan Castellaneta (Playwright & ‘Oscar Levant’) See Cast Bios Stefan Novinski (Director) spent a decade directing in southern California before becoming a professor of Drama at the University of Dallas. He has worked at multiple Tony-award winning theatres, including La Jolla Playhouse, Kirk Douglas Theatre, and South Coast Rep. At SCR, he directed eight shows including the world premiere musical An Italian Straw Hat, and a critically acclaimed production of A Little Night Music starring Stephanie Zimbalist.