HOUSTON, TX — Dirt Dogs UNLEASHED is excited to present FRENZY, a new play by John Hawthorne Smith, directed by Trevor B. Cone.
ABOUT THE PLAY
Rebecca has everything prepared for the multimillion-dollar acquisition of her sister’s tech firm. She’s done this so many times before and there’s nothing to worry about except where to celebrate. But when a mysterious crowd begins to gather outside the building and a cellphone video quickly goes viral, the deal, and Rebecca’s very life, are suddenly in jeopardy. In an age where everything is available online, can one person protect themself from an internet mob?
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
John Hawthorne Smith is proud to present his first play as an Artist in Residence with Dirt Dogs Theatre Co. Smith’s first playwriting credit was as a member of the Houston Young Playwright Exchange in 2003 at the Alley Theatre. Since then, he has graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, University of St. Thomas (BA), and Northwestern University (MS). He has written, directed, and produced multiple feature films, including Indigo, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2014 Amsterdam Film Festival, and for which he took home numerous Best Screenplay and Best Director awards. Smith is currently producing the off-Broadway play Half Me/Half You.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Director and Sound Designer, Trevor B. Cone, describes FRENZY as “so very relevant for our place and time. Each day, we see new stories of individuals whose lives have been ruined by self-appointed online judges, juries, and executioners. As one who has studied the power of misinformation on the internet, John has created a play that serves as a cautionary tale of what happens when perception is more highly valued than proof.”
Cone has directed several Houston productions including The Eight: Reindeer Monologues, Life x 3, and Five by TENN (DDTCo.), The Break of Noon (Queensbury Theatre), Below the Belt (Country Playhouse), Death and the Maiden, Superior Donuts, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and The Wayside Motor Inn (Theatre Southwest). Additional sound designs include The Birds, Coyote on a Fence, The Revolutionists, Twilight Los Angeles: 1992, White Guy on the Bus, Life x 3, and The Boundary (DDTCo.), Extremities, The Columnist, The Philadelphia Story (Theatre Southwest) and Desdemona/Waiting for Othello (Trebuchet Players).
The cast of FRENZY features Dirt Dogs veterans Malinda L. Beckham as Rebecca, Melissa J. Marek as Anne, Adina Opalek as Julie, Bill Giffen as Franklin, and Todd Thigpen as Marcus.
The creative team consists of Mark Lewis (scenic design), Malinda L. Beckham (costume and properties design), Kris Phelps (lighting design), Ian Evans (projection design), Kyle Clark (fight director), John Baker (production manager) and Barbara Alicea-Aponte (production stage manager).
DETAILS
CALENDAR LISTING
Theatre/Performing Arts
WHAT
FRENZY
WHO
Written by John Hawthorne Smith (78727)
Directed by Trevor B. Cone (77077)
Featuring
Role Actor (ZIP) Previous DDTCo. credits
Rebecca Malinda L. Beckham (77077) Appropriate (Toni), Misery (Annie Wilkes), Clybourne
Park (Bev/Kathy; Winner: Best Actress, Houston
Theatre Awards), The Eight: Reindeer Monologues,
The Revolutionists (Olympe de Gouges), Boston
Marriage (Anna), The Graduate (Mrs. Robinson), Five x
TENN: Something Unspoken (Cornelia Scott), The
Lady of Larkspur Lotion (Mrs. Hardwicke-Moore), and
Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen (Woman)
Anne Melissa J. Marek (77057) The Pillowman (Mother), August: Osage County
(Ivy), The Revolutionists (Marie Antoinette) Twilight:
Los Angeles, 1992 (Judith Tur), Boston Marriage
(Claire),The Exonerated (Sue/Ensemble), Life x 3 (Inez),
Five x TENN: Something Unspoken (Grace), and
The Boundary (Secretary)
Julie Adina Opalek (77009) The Dead Eye Boy (Shirley-Diane) and Talk Radio (Linda)
Franklin Bill Giffen (77429) The Pillowman (Tupolski), August: Osage County
(Steve Heidebrecht), The Dead Eye Boy (Billy)
The Exonerated (Jesse), Talk Radio (Dan), and
Glengarry Glen Ross (Dave Moss)
Marcus Todd Thigpen (77007) The Eight: Reindeer Monologues (Hollywood), The
Exonerated (Robert), Five x TENN: Portrait of a Madonna (The Elevator Boy), and The Long Goodbye (Mover 2)
WHEN
Aug. 16–24, 2024
PERFORMANCES
Opening night
Friday, Aug 16, 2024 (followed by a champagne reception)
Evenings
8pm | Fridays & Saturdays, Aug 16, 17, 23, & 24
7:30pm | Monday & Thursday, Aug 19 & 22
Matinee
2pm | Sunday, Aug 18
Talk back (with playwright, director and cast)
Thursday, Aug 22 | after the performance
Approximate run time
2 hours (one 15-minute intermission)
WHERE
MATCH – Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston
Matchbox 1, The Emily Todd Theater, 3400 Main St., Houston, TX 77002
BOX OFFICE
713.521.4533 | https://matchouston.org/events/2024/frenzy
TICKETS
Single tickets, $30
Matinee and Industry Monday are “Pay What You Can”
ABOUT DIRT DOGS UNLEASHED
UNLEASHED is a non-season series centered on development of new works, staged readings, and other theatrical productions that further the mission of Dirt Dogs Theatre Co. to enrich and entertain audiences, inspire artists, and honor playwrights. www.dirtdogstheatre.org/unleashed.