Red Dog Squadron
Encyclopedia
RED DOG SQUADRON is a non-profit theatre
company that was founded in 2002 by Brad Raider
and James Roday
. The two friends met while studying at The Experimental Theatre Wing at New York University
and have been frequent collaborators since. In New York, they produced the 400th year anniversary production of Henry V
which starred Raider as “Henry,” Niamh McCormally as “Katherine,” and a cast of twenty-five. It opened on Saint Crispin's Day
– October 25, 1999 at the Mazer Theatre Off Broadway under the direction of Laurie Wessely. It was performed 400 years after Shakespeare wrote it in 1599.
After moving to Los Angeles
, Raider and Roday officially launched RED DOG with their inaugural production of David Mamet
's Sexual Perversity in Chicago
, a revival in which they both starred. The play also featured Niamh McCormally as “Deborah” and Lilli Birdsell as “Joan.” It premiered in December 2002 at the Stella Adler
Studio Theatre in Hollywood under the direction of Raider. Next came two original one-acts
– Chickens and Assholes and sustenance performed together in 2004. Chickens, written and directed by Aaron Saidman, featured Roday, Mackenzie Astin
, Vivian Bang, and Freeman Michaels. sustenance, written and directed by Roday, featured Raider, Niamh McCormally, Dana Ashbrook
, Jackson Bennett, Renee J. Tan, Todd Harthan, and Amanda Detmer
.
In 2007, they produced the world premiere of Grand Delusion at the Lost Studio Theatre in Los Angeles. Written by David Rock, the black comedy
re-imagined the events leading up to World War I
and starred Kurt Fuller
as Kaiser Wilhelm, Xander Berkeley
as Czar Nicholas
, and Timothy Omundson
as Count Rumpledorf.
In 2009, the sold-out and critically acclaimed Extinction, written by Gabe McKinley and directed by Wayne Kasserman
, had its world premiere at the Elephant Theatre in Hollywood where it ran for four weeks before moving Off Broadway to the Cherry Lane Theatre
February 13 through March 14, 2010. It starred Roday, Michael Weston
, Amanda Detmer
, and Stefanie E. Frame.
Their most recent production - another sold-out run for RED DOG - greedy by Karl Gajdusek ran January 8th through January 29, 2011 at the El Centro Theatre
in Hollywood. Under the direction of Roday, it starred Detmer, Raider, Maggie Lawson
, Kurt Fuller
, Peter Mackenzie
, and Ivana Milicevic
.
Sexual Perversity in Chicago (2002)
Chickens and Assholes (2004)
sustenance (2004)
Grand Delusion (2007)
Extinction (2009/2010)
greedy (2011)
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
company that was founded in 2002 by Brad Raider
Brad Raider
-Theatre:Raider was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1975 and began his early theatrical career at the local arts center when he was just in elementary school...
and James Roday
James Roday
James Roday is an American actor and screenwriter. He currently stars on the USA Network series Psych as hyper-observant consultant detective and fake psychic Shawn Spencer.-Personal life:...
. The two friends met while studying at The Experimental Theatre Wing at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
and have been frequent collaborators since. In New York, they produced the 400th year anniversary production of Henry V
Henry V (play)
Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in approximately 1599. Its full titles are The Cronicle History of Henry the Fifth and The Life of Henry the Fifth...
which starred Raider as “Henry,” Niamh McCormally as “Katherine,” and a cast of twenty-five. It opened on Saint Crispin's Day
Saint Crispin's Day
Saint Crispin's Day falls on 25 October and is the feast day of the Christian saints Crispin and Crispinian , twins who were martyred c. 286...
– October 25, 1999 at the Mazer Theatre Off Broadway under the direction of Laurie Wessely. It was performed 400 years after Shakespeare wrote it in 1599.
After moving to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Raider and Roday officially launched RED DOG with their inaugural production of David Mamet
David Mamet
David Alan Mamet is an American playwright, essayist, screenwriter and film director.Best known as a playwright, Mamet won a Pulitzer Prize and received a Tony nomination for Glengarry Glen Ross . He also received a Tony nomination for Speed-the-Plow . As a screenwriter, he received Oscar...
's Sexual Perversity in Chicago
Sexual Perversity in Chicago
Sexual Perversity in Chicago is a play written by David Mamet that examines the sex lives of two men and two women in the 1970's. The play is filled with profanity and regional jargon that reflects the working-class language of Chicago. The characters' relationships become hindered by the caustic...
, a revival in which they both starred. The play also featured Niamh McCormally as “Deborah” and Lilli Birdsell as “Joan.” It premiered in December 2002 at the Stella Adler
Stella Adler
Stella Adler was an American actress and an acclaimed acting teacher, who founded the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City and the The Stella Adler Academy of Acting in Los Angeles with long-time protege Joanne Linville, who continues to teach and furthers Adler's legacy...
Studio Theatre in Hollywood under the direction of Raider. Next came two original one-acts
One act play
A one-act play is a play that has only one act, as distinct from plays that occur over several acts. One-act plays may consist of one or more scenes. In recent years the 10-minute play known as "flash drama" has emerged as a popular sub-genre of the one-act play, especially in writing competitions...
– Chickens and Assholes and sustenance performed together in 2004. Chickens, written and directed by Aaron Saidman, featured Roday, Mackenzie Astin
Mackenzie Astin
-Biography:Astin was born on May 12, 1973, in Los Angeles, California, the son of actress Patty Duke and actor John Astin. His older half-brother is actor Sean Astin. He attended Ralph Waldo Emerson Middle School and University High School in Los Angeles, California...
, Vivian Bang, and Freeman Michaels. sustenance, written and directed by Roday, featured Raider, Niamh McCormally, Dana Ashbrook
Dana Ashbrook
Dana V. Ashbrook is an American actor, perhaps best known for playing Bobby Briggs on the cult TV series Twin Peaks and its 1992 prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.-Personal life:...
, Jackson Bennett, Renee J. Tan, Todd Harthan, and Amanda Detmer
Amanda Detmer
Amanda Jeannette Detmer is an American actress who has appeared in various films and television shows.-Life and career:...
.
In 2007, they produced the world premiere of Grand Delusion at the Lost Studio Theatre in Los Angeles. Written by David Rock, the black comedy
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
re-imagined the events leading up to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and starred Kurt Fuller
Kurt Fuller
Kurt Fuller is an American character actor. He has appeared in a number of television, film, and stage projects. He graduated from Lincoln High School in Stockton, California in 1971.-Career:...
as Kaiser Wilhelm, Xander Berkeley
Xander Berkeley
Alexander Harper "Xander" Berkeley is an American actor. His roles include George Mason on the television series 24.-Early life:Berkeley was born in Brooklyn, New York, but has lived most of his life in New Jersey...
as Czar Nicholas
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
, and Timothy Omundson
Timothy Omundson
Timothy Michael Omundson is an American actor perhaps most notable for his supporting roles as Sean Potter on the CBS television series Judging Amy, Eli on the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess, and as Carlton Lassiter in the hit USA Network series Psych...
as Count Rumpledorf.
In 2009, the sold-out and critically acclaimed Extinction, written by Gabe McKinley and directed by Wayne Kasserman
Wayne Kasserman
Wayne Kasserman is a New York city based stage and screen actor, most notable for his role in the 2008 remake of Knight Rider as mechanic Dylan Fass...
, had its world premiere at the Elephant Theatre in Hollywood where it ran for four weeks before moving Off Broadway to the Cherry Lane Theatre
Cherry Lane Theatre
The Cherry Lane Theatre , located at 38 Commerce Street in the borough of Manhattan, was New York City's oldest, continuously running off-Broadway theater...
February 13 through March 14, 2010. It starred Roday, Michael Weston
Michael Weston
Michael Weston is an American television and film actor. His best-known roles are the private detective Lucas Douglas on House, the homicidal meth addict Jake in the critically acclaimed HBO drama Six Feet Under and Pvt...
, Amanda Detmer
Amanda Detmer
Amanda Jeannette Detmer is an American actress who has appeared in various films and television shows.-Life and career:...
, and Stefanie E. Frame.
Their most recent production - another sold-out run for RED DOG - greedy by Karl Gajdusek ran January 8th through January 29, 2011 at the El Centro Theatre
El Centro Theatre
El Centro Theatre in Los Angeles, California has two stages: The Circle and The Chaplin . Founded in 1946 and originally named the Circle Theatre, it is located at: Hollywood, California 90038...
in Hollywood. Under the direction of Roday, it starred Detmer, Raider, Maggie Lawson
Maggie Lawson
Margaret "Maggie" Lawson is an American actress who is best known for her role as Juliet O'Hara in the TV show Psych...
, Kurt Fuller
Kurt Fuller
Kurt Fuller is an American character actor. He has appeared in a number of television, film, and stage projects. He graduated from Lincoln High School in Stockton, California in 1971.-Career:...
, Peter Mackenzie
Peter Mackenzie
Peter MacKenzie is an American actor. His first major role was on Herman's Head. He is a character actor. He also played "Mr. Firestein" in the season 3 episode of The Drew Carey Show titled "The Sex Drug", as Mimi Bobeck's counsel in her sex harassment case against Nigel Wick, and co-starred in...
, and Ivana Milicevic
Ivana Milicevic
-Early life:Miličević was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina to a Croatian family, the daughter of Tonka, a homemaker, and Damir Miličević, a slaughterhouse worker and entrepreneur. She emigrated to the United States at the age of five and was raised in Michigan...
.
Production history
Henry V (1999)Sexual Perversity in Chicago (2002)
Chickens and Assholes (2004)
sustenance (2004)
Grand Delusion (2007)
Extinction (2009/2010)
greedy (2011)