MARCH 30 - MAY 6, 2017
BELOW THE BELT
by Richard Dresser
Directed by Annette Hillman
Featuring Matthew C. Copley, Steve Wood and Stephen Frankenfield
ABOUT THE PLAY
Three men face off somewhere in an anonymous factory; one bullying and truculent, one ambitious and evasive, and the third a trembling mass of insecurity and arrogance. These characters are irresistibly funny as they maneuver in their pointless quest for status.
"Gloriously funny but also wickedly insightful... is never short of laugh lines... Lurking beneath the almost farcical hilarity is a bundle of 20th century angst... The jokes are beautifully in place, permitting the three gorgeously combative figures to emerge." - The New York Post
Presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.
PERFORMANCES
March 30 - May 6, 2017
Previews: March 30 and 31 at 7:30 PM
Opening Night: Saturday, April 1 at 7:30 PM
Regular Performances:
Thursday, Friday and Saturday Nights at 7:30 PM
Sunday Matinees at 3:00 PM
No show Easter Sunday, April 16
TICKETS
Previews & Thursday Tickets: $15
General Admission: $20
Students, Seniors 62+, & Military: $18
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Richard Dresser's plays have been produced in New York, regional theater, and Europe. They include ROUNDING THIRD, which started in Chicago, appeared off-Broadway and has had hundreds of productions. BELOW THE BELT and GUN-SHY, both started at the Humana Festival at Actors Theatre of Louisville before moving off-Broadway. BELOW THE BELT was made into the film “Human Error” directed by Robert M. Young which appeared at Sundance. His trilogy of plays about happiness in America includes AUGUSTA (working class), THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS (middle class), and A VIEW OF THE HARBOR (upper class). He is a former member of New Dramatists and twice attended the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. He currently teaches at Rutgers and is on the board of the Writers Guild Initiative, which does writing workshops with veterans and caregivers among other groups.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Annette Hillman (Director) received her BA in Theatre at California State University at Long Beach and her MFA in Theatre from Purdue University. She apprenticed at Actors Theater of Louisville. Most recently, she directed ALL IN THE TIMING for UA Studio Series. At LTW, she directed NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY (Mac Nominee, Best Director, Musical), THE GAME'S AFOOT OR, HOLMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS, LOOT(Arizona MAC WInner, Best Director, Comedy) and THE CHOSEN. Annette also directed JEWTOPIA (Arizona MAC Nominee, Best Comedy) and GUTENBERG: THE MUSICAL! (Arizona MAC nominee, Best Director) for Arizona Onstage Productions, and VILNA’S GOT A GOYEM and BEAST ON THE MOON for Borderlands Theatre (Tucson Weekly ‘Best Of’ Winner).
Stephen Frankenfield (Hanrahan) is the Assistant Director of Children’s Programming here at LTW. He was most recently seen on LTW’s mainstage in RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN and LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR. Other notable acting credits include: THE GAME'S AFOOT OR, HOLMES FOR THE HOLIDAY, THE COLUMNIST, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, BAREFOOT IN THE PARK, ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, I HATE HAMLET, DEARLY DEPARTED, FUNNY MONEY, THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP, and TUNA CHRISTMAS. Some of his directing credits include: MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, ONE SLIGHT HITCH, SOUVENIR, MOON OVER BUFFALO and MOVE OVER MRS. MARKHAM. He has written and directed for LTW's Family Theatre, as well as the Education Department. His two most recent plays, AN OUTLAW'S TALE: A STORY ABOUT THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE DOWN-RIGHT LAZY and THE MISADVENTURES OF ROMEO AND JULIET (A REHEARSAL NIGHTMARE) were just published this fall by Heuer Publishing. He has been nominated for 6 Arizona Daily Star Mac Awards, four times for acting and twice for directing. Stephen is a graduate of The American Academy Of Musical and Dramatic Arts in New York City
Matthew C. Copley (Merkin) is a native Tucsonan and a graduate of the University of Arizona with a degree in Theatre Education. Matthew most recently appeared on the LTW stage in the Family Theatre production of CAT-MAN AND KID SPARROW, THE FANTASTIC CRIME-FIGHTING DUO. Matthew's previous work at LTW includes the Mainstage productions of [SIC], OLD JEWS TELLING JOKES, LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR, MOVE OVER MRS. MARKHAM, THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) [REVISED] (2014 Mac Award, Best Actor, Comedy), and PHOTOGRAPH 51, as well as the Etcetera productions of ROMEO AND JULIET and PLAYING WITH FIRE (for which he also designed and created the Special FX Makeup). Some of Matthew's additional acting credits include STONES IN HIS POCKETS with Beowulf Alley; HOT L BALTIMORE with The Nathalia Stage Ensemble; MACBETH, RICHARD III, and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM with Tucson Community Theater; THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED), THE SINS OF SOR JUANA, and multiple appearances in the annual productions of A TUCSON PASTORELA with Borderlands Theater; A MACBETH with METAtheatre; REAL LIVE DEATH with a.k.a. Theatre; and THE WATER with The iDiOM Theater in Bellingham, Washington. Matthew would like to offer up a huge amount of thanks and love to his theatre family here at LTW. You are all absolutely awesome and freakishly brilliant! And to his family at home, in exchange for who they are and for all of what they do, Matthew owes a metric ton of love and gratitude. In this world of suffocating craziness, you are the ones who keep me breathing and sane.
Steve Wood (Dobbitt) previously appeared on the LTW mainstage in productions of CLOUD 9, ALL MY SONS, MAURITIUS, VISITING MR. GREEN, LOOT, MOLLY SWEENEY, THE COLUMNIST, LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR (2015 MAC Award Nomination), NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY, and ONE SLIGHT HITCH. He has appeared in a number of productions throughout Tucson, including THE BOOK OF LIZ, SAY YOU LOVE SATAN, ROBOTS VS. FAKE ROBOTS, KILLER JOE, and KITTY KITTY KITTY, BEYOND THERAPY, DIRTY SECRETS, THE GAYEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER, A HUMAN EQUATION, THE LION IN WINTER, ROW AFTER ROW, BURN THIS, DEATH OF A SALESMAN, UNITED, ROUGH MAGIC, SAINT JOAN, BAREFOOT IN THE PARK, ANGELS IN AMERICA: MILLENNIUM APPROACHES, TICK TICK...BOOM!, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, ALL IN THE TIMING, 42ND STREET, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, and THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. He is a proud member of the Winding Road Theatre Ensemble.
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