Play Dead (show)
Encyclopedia
Play Dead is an Off-Broadway show co-written by magicians Todd Robbins
and Teller, the latter best known as the non-speaking half of the illusionist duo Penn & Teller
. The show also features Charlotte Pines as Margery Crandon, Geri Berman as Eusapia Palladino, Don Meehan as Albert Fish, and Drea Lorraine as Girl.
The opening minutes of the show are performed in complete darkness, and the show itself features carefully crafted tricks and illusions ranging from killing a real audience member, to contact with the dead. The show stars Robbins as the narrator and is directed by Teller. This incarnation of Play Dead began with two weeks of workshop performances at The Calypso Room in Las Vegas
at in September, 2010, at the Rio, the home of Penn and Teller. Teller told the opening night audience that the show marked the first time ever that a show was created in Las Vegas to bring to New York, and was headed directly for an off-broadway venue in New York City
. It opened for previews on October 21, 2010, and opened officially November 10, 2010 at the Players Theatre on MacDougal Street
in Greenwich Village
. The show runs Tuesday to Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 7 and 10pm, and Sunday at 3 and 7pm. Various members of the cast greet the audience as they exit through the lobby.
Todd Robbins
Todd Robbins is an American magician, lecturer, actor, and author.-Biography:He was born in Long Beach, California, the son of soap executive and a schoolteacher. In 1980 he moved to New York City to pursue a career in theater...
and Teller, the latter best known as the non-speaking half of the illusionist duo Penn & Teller
Penn & Teller
Penn & Teller are Las Vegas headliners whose act is an amalgam of illusion and comedy. Penn Jillette is a raconteur; Teller generally uses mime while performing, although his voice can occasionally be heard during their performance...
. The show also features Charlotte Pines as Margery Crandon, Geri Berman as Eusapia Palladino, Don Meehan as Albert Fish, and Drea Lorraine as Girl.
The opening minutes of the show are performed in complete darkness, and the show itself features carefully crafted tricks and illusions ranging from killing a real audience member, to contact with the dead. The show stars Robbins as the narrator and is directed by Teller. This incarnation of Play Dead began with two weeks of workshop performances at The Calypso Room in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
at in September, 2010, at the Rio, the home of Penn and Teller. Teller told the opening night audience that the show marked the first time ever that a show was created in Las Vegas to bring to New York, and was headed directly for an off-broadway venue in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It opened for previews on October 21, 2010, and opened officially November 10, 2010 at the Players Theatre on MacDougal Street
MacDougal Street
MacDougal Street is a one way street in Greenwich Village in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The approximate six-block street is bound by Prince Street and West 8th Street. It has been the subject of many songs, poems, and other forms of artistic expression. MacDougal Street has been...
in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
. The show runs Tuesday to Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 7 and 10pm, and Sunday at 3 and 7pm. Various members of the cast greet the audience as they exit through the lobby.
Reception
The New York Times noted the gruesome nature of the show but added "this wild, wicked show is not just a screamfest after all; it’s a pretty good piece of theater."Production credits
These credits relate to the Off Broadway production- Writers: Teller, Todd Robbins
- Narrator: Todd Robbins
- Margery: Charlotte Pines
- Eusapia: Geri Berman
- Albert Fish: Don Meehan
- Girl: Drea Lorraine
- Scenic design: David Korins
- Lighting design: Thom Weaver
- Sound design: by Leon Rothberg
- Magic Consultant: Johnny Thompson
- Original music: Gary StockdaleGary StockdaleGary Stockdale is an American musical composer and a two-time Daytime Emmy winner. He has composed music for television shows such as Sabrina, the Teenage Witch; They Came from Outer Space; To Tell the Truth; Comedy Central’s Last Laugh; Cowboy U; Hayley Wagner, Star!; A Home for the Holidays , and...
- Associate director: Jim Millan
- Produced by Alan Schuster, Cheryl Wiesenfeld, Frank & Jono Gero, Pat Blake and Ethan SilvermanEthan SilvermanEthan Silverman is a writer, theatre director, filmmaker, and producer who was born on November 25, 1959 in Brooklyn, New York. He was raised in Chicago IL and Albany, New York before attending Oberlin College and The Drama Studio, London....
- Production Stage Manager: Maggie Sinak
- Production Sound Engineer: Reece Nunez
- Assistant Stage Manager: Amanda Sheets