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NEWS RELEASES JUNE '03
The Nerd Opens Theatre on the Bay's 37th Summer Season
June 11, 2003
"Unquestionably, one of the funniest plays ever written" describes Larry Shue's The Nerd opening Theatre on the Bay's summer season June 20-23 and 27-30 at 7:30 pm in UW-Marinette's Williams Theatre.
Sponsored by The Print Shop of Marinette and directed by Dr. Doug Larche, this side-splitting comedy centers on the hilarious dilemma of a man coping with a houseguest who quickly wears out his welcome. Willum Cuthbert, played by Doug Townsend, is an architect who acts on his indebtedness to Rick Steadman (Brian Cashen), a nerdy ex-GI who saved his life in Vietnam when he was unconscious and seriously wounded. Writing his unknown hero, Cuthbert makes the tragic mistake of saying "Because you saved my life, I'll always be there for you." To everyone's everlasting chagrin, Rick takes him up on it and shows up in Terre Haute, Indiana, suitcase and tambourine in hand! This guest from hell turns out to be an incredibly inept, hopelessly bumbling "nerd" who drives his hosts close to the brink of insanity. Complete chaos is happily avoided when a secret about the guest is revealed, culminating in a surprise twist ending.
The Nerd was Larry Shue's first full-length play, and had its initial performance in 1981 at the Milwaukee Rep Company while Larry was a member of that theatre's acting core and also its playwright-in-residence. A New York production in 1987 featured Mark Hamill of "Star Wars" fame and was directed by Charles Nelson Reilly of the Carol Burnett Show. "Variety" noted that "the audience almost never stops laughing" at this most unusual of situation comedies.
Other members of the cast include Willum's best friends, theatre critic Axel Hammond, played by Jason Larche and TV-weathergirl and girlfriend Tansy McGinnis, played by Dr. Mindy Peterlin. His boss, and his boss's strange family, include Don Peterlin as Warnock "Ticky" Waldgrave, Anne Garcia as porcelain-smashing Clelia Waldgrave, and Kevin Smith as Thor Waldgrave, the "Monster Child."
Townsend, the Peterlins and Cashen were recently seen in TOB's spring production of The Boys Next Door. Garcia portrayed Alma Rose in Playing for Time last fall, and Smith was in O Christmas Three! Jason Larche, who appeared in last season's Smoke on the Mountain and directed the Shakespeare Summer Youth Theatre, is directing this summer's Hansel and Gretel and Guys and Dolls Jr. as well as appearing in The Nerd and Guys and Dolls.
Tickets for The Nerd are on sale at the box office beginning June 16 from 4 - 6 pm daily and to curtain time on show days. For reservations, call 715-735-4313.
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