American Dream II
The American Dream
Starring the Ova Splitting Talents of:
Susan Mirwis & Melvin Hancock
Veronica Charles & Jayson Kerr
& Andrea Oscura
Siamese Production staff:
Directed by: Andrew Dark
Stage Manager: Tom Small
Front of House: Holly & Joey Cocteau
Assistant to the Director: John Whitley
Set & Props Designed by Deborah Blau
Costumes: By Patty Elvis
Sound Design: DJ Jesse
Lighting Design: Daisy Hilton
Graphics: Violet Hilton
Words from the Attic:
(Programme notes)
Dear Attic fans in response to all those politically correct, non-blood drinking vampires and low calorie, sweet as pie witches. We bring you this Halloween something really scary. From the spooky laboratory of our favorite American playwright Edward Albee, we ramp up the voltage and set loose his monstrous play The American Dream. Stitched together by Albee in the turbulence of the early 1960s this flesh searing comedy about the cold war family values of the 1950s has been resurrected by us and re-born into the moonlight of a new century. In a world of warring horror franchises (Freddy Vs Jason), Martha Stewart color charts, body building candidates and a Government who can’t tell WMD’s from wheat. This lethal construct from the past seems just as relevant today. So, sit back and enjoy as we delve into truth, justice and the American Dream in a world too absurd to be fake. It’s OK we don’t bite too much!
Jayson Kerr performing in New York.
Melvin Hancock as the American Dream
This was our second time doing this play. Which we had performed fourteen years ago when we first came together and formed the Nasty Attic players. This was a less avant-garde version of the play than the one I had directed before. This time, I wanted to explore it wholly from the perspective of the playwright and less from my own artistic whims of exploration. Albee would have liked this version LOL! While doing ‘The American Dream’ back then, I had discovered Melvin Hancock. He’d been having trouble breaking into the local theatre scene. Only being asked to perform tiny roles. I wondered why because his talent was off the charts? He became one of our leading actors for many years. Without his talent, courage and willingness to accept challenges. I would not have been able to accomplish so many of the projects we were to take on as the years went by. Back then, he had played the titular ‘American Dream’ and now many years later in this version of the play. He took on the role of ‘Daddy’ playing opposite very able new actors to the company Susan Mirwiss as Mommy, Veronica Charles as Mrs Barker and Jayson Kerr as the American Dream. Susan and Veronica both gave sterling performances as the controlling Mother and bureaucratic busy body who inhabit the script. While Jayson gave his part a delightful infusion of his personal energy. Which lifted the character off the page wonderfully. And I myself ended up as ‘Grandma’ in a wig and a frock. Because I couldn’t find anyone else to play the role! Ah, the things we do for the theatre.