BECKY'S NEW CAR Opens at Nort Coast Rep, 9/4-26

BECKY'S NEW CAR will play at North Coast Rep beginning September 4 and running through September 26. The play was written by Steven Dietz and directed by David Ellenstein.

Written by award-winning Steven Dietz, this frothy, poignant and fresh new comedy is a perfect side trip from the daily woes of modern life. Forty-something Becky Foster has a decent job at an auto dealership, a solid husband, and a freeloading psych major son living in her basement. Her life is pleasant enough, but through a twist of fate Becky gets to test drive an exciting new life.

After the Matinee on Sunday, September 5th, there will be a special talkback with Charles and Benita Staadecker, who commissioned the play for his wife's birthday. Please see the excerpts from the American Theatre Magazine (October 2009) article at the end of this press release for more information on Charles and Benita Staadecker and their influence on Philanthropy.

Steven Dietz (Playwright) Steven Dietz's thirty-plus plays have been seen at over one hundred regional theatres in the United States, as well as Off-Broadway.  International productions have been seen in England, Japan, Germany, France, Australia, Sweden, Austria, Russia, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Greece, Argentina, Peru, Korea, Singapore and South Africa.  Mr. Dietz received the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays Award for his plays Fiction (produced Off-Broadway by the Roundabout Theatre Company), and Still Life with Iris; the 2007 Edgar® Award for Best Mystery Play for Sherlock Holmes:  The Final Adventure; the PEN USA West Award in Drama for Lonely Planet; and the 1995 Yomuiri Shimbun Award (the Japanese "Tony") for his adaptation of Shusaku Endo's novel Silence.  His most recent plays - Yankee Tavern (National New Play Network featured play), Becky's New Car (Steinberg Award finalist), and Shooting Star - have been seen at over twenty-five regional theatres in the past two seasons.  Other plays include Last of the Boys (Pulitzer nominee), Inventing van Gogh, God's Country, Private Eyes, The Nina Variations, Trust, Rocket Man, Halcyon Days, and Ten November.  Mr. Dietz's award-winning stage adaptations include Honus and Me (from Dan Gutman), Force of Nature  (from Goethe), Over the Moon  (from P.G. Wodehouse), The Rememberer  (from Joyce Simmons Cheeka), Paragon Springs  (from Ibsen), Dracula (from Bram Stoker), and, with Allison Gregory, Go Dog Go!  (from P.D. Eastman).  Mr. Dietz is currently at work on new plays commissioned by Steppenwolf Theater, Chicago (The Dahner Party) and the Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis (A Year Without Summer).  His adaptation of Dan Gutman's Jackie and Me will premiere this year at Chicago Children's Theatre and also be seen at Seattle Children's Theatre.  A native of Denver, Colorado, Mr. Dietz and his family divide their time between Seattle and Austin, where he teaches playwriting at the University of Texas.
 
David Ellenstein (Director) A nationally recognized director and actor, David served as Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Repertory Company and the Arizona Jewish Theatre before joining North Coast Rep in 2003. Over 200 career productions include directing 22 shows at North Coast Rep, including GHOSTS, TALLEY'S FOLLY, THE DRESSER, OVER THE TAVERN, HALPERN & JOHNSON, THE CHOSEN, and ROMEO AND JULIET.  Elsewhere; SONIA FLEW starring Lucie Arnaz, HALPERN AND JOHNSON starring Hal Linden and Brian Murray, and THE CHOSEN starring Theo Bikel and John Lloyd Young at the Coconut Grove Playhouse. Other venues include the Paper Mill Playhouse, Alabama, California, Nevada, Great Lakes, Southwest, and Kingsmen  Shakespeare Festivals, Laguna Playhouse, Meadow Brook Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Portland Repertory Theatre, and Gaslamp Quarter Theatre Company.
 
Carla Harting* (Becky) Carla has appeared in numerous productions in New York and across the country. Some of her favorites include Dead Man's Cell Phone at Playwrights Horizons and Eurydice at Second Stage, both by playwright Sarah Ruhl.  Regionally, she has performed in plays at Arena Stage, Seattle Rep, The Wilma, South Coast Rep, San Diego Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, and several Humana Festivals.  Her film and television credits include "Never Forever" with Vera Farmiga, Law & Order and Law & Order Criminal Intent. Carla received her BA from the College of William & Mary and her MFA from the University of California, San Diego.
 
Nicolas Glaeser*(Joe Foster) Nick is from NYC and has appeared in over 60 productions spanning 25 years. In Arizona he is a recipient of 5 Best Actor Awards from that region. Favorite roles include: McMurphy in ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO"S NEST/Phoenix Theatre; Jonsey in SIDE MAN/Phoenix Theatre Co.; Eric in Brooklyn Boy/Arizona Jewish Theatre; Jonathan in SIGHT UNSEEN
(2 Prodcutions)/Actor's Theatre of Phoenix. Classical credits include: Benedick in MUCH ADO  ABOUT NOTHING, South West Shakespeare and title roles in MACBETH and RICHARD III. Numerous Film & Television Credits include: Ed, LAW & ORDER SVU and the sadly extinguished GUIDING LIGHT.
 
Kevin Koppman-Gue (Chris Foster) is very excited to be working on Becky's New Car, his NCRT debut. Previous credits: Speech and Debate, Moscow(Diversionary Theatre), Into the Woods (SDSU Theatre), Romeo, Romeo & Juliet(Vox Nova Theatre Company), The History Boys(Cygnet Theatre), A Streetcar Named Desire(ion theatre company), How I Learned to Drive, Everything Will Be Different(Lynx Performance) and The Winslow Boy (Lamb's Players Theatre). Kevin has also performed with 6th @ Penn, Fritz Theatre, Starlight Musical Theatre, and Sledgehammer. Kevin would like to thank his family and friends for their continued love and support.
 
Mark Pinter* (Walter Flood) Making his NCR debut, he has portrayed long-running characters on daytime television including Roger Smythe on All My Children and Grant Harrison in Another World. In addition, he has guest-starred on countless primetime television series including Cold Case, Law and Order, SVU and CI, Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, Hart to Hart and Hunter. Film: Other People's Money, The Eden Myth, Vanilla Sky, Season of Youth, Play. Regional: The Price/Northern Stage, Book of Days/Arena Stage, Hamlet/Old Globe, Charley's Aunt /Carter Center Stage, Equus, Black Comedy and The Shadow Box/Arizona Theatre Company, Victor/Victoria/North Shore Music Theatre, The Sound of Music/Syracuse Stage, Hello, Dolly!/Bucks County Playhouse, Follies/Little Theatre on the Square, Courting the Muse/White Barn Theatre. Off Broadway:  My Sweetheart's the Man in the Moon/Hypothetical Theatre Company, Three on a Couch/Soho Playhouse. Mr. Pinter directed the Off-Broadway world premiere of Jonathan Bell's Portraits, starring Roberta Maxwell and the late Dana Reeve, at the Union Square Theatre, to much critical acclaim. Master of Fine Arts: Hilberry Repertory Theatre/Wayne State University. Proud member of Actor's Equity Association.
 
Stacey Hardke (Kensington Flood) San Diego REP: Penny in Hairspray(dir. Sam Woodhouse), Diversionary: The New Century(dir. Igor Goldin).  Other SD credits include: Songs For A New World(dir. Robert Barry Fleming), First Lady Suite(dir. Carrie Klewin),andAnon(yomous)(dir. Dr. Monica Stufft).  Stacey studied acting at LAMDA and at NTI with the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center's National Playwrights Conference and National Music Theatre Conference.  Stacey holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of San Diego, where she received the Irving Parker Award for Excellence in Theatre and competed at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.  Stacey is also the 2010 recipient of San Diego REP's Carol Corolla Fellowship for Emerging Artists.
 
Mueen Jahan* (Steve)   Theatre: Bombay Dreams: Broadway, Homebody Kabul: The Mark Taper Forum, The Psychic and Snow Queen: The Falcon Theatre, Island of the Blue Dolphins and Sign of the Beaver: The Laguna Playhouse. Much Ado About Nothing: East LA Classic Theatre. King Lear and Loves Labour's Lost: Will and Company, Galileo: Center Stage, Suburbia: The Studio Theatre, Asylum: 2100 Sq. Feet (Nominated for a 1999 LA Ovation Award)Television: Outsourced, Leverage, The Sopranos, Numb3rs, Law & Order, Homicide:Life on the Streets, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Mind of Mencia, Tonight Show w/ Jay Leno, Bull, The Agency. Education: Master of Fine Arts Degree: Acting:1995:University of Cincinnati, Batchelor of Arts Degree: Acting: Shenandoah University:1992. Member of Actors Equity Association
 
Glynn Bedington (Ginger) Recent acting credits include: Mrs. Chauvenet in HARVEY (Lamb's Players Theatre,LPT Associate Artist),, Queen Eleanor in KING JOHN (Intrepid Shakespeare Company), Mrs. Berling in AN INSPECTOR CALLS (Lamb's Players Theatre), Martha in WHO'S AFRAID OF Virginia Woolf (Patte' Award, GLT one of 2009 best actresses) Agripina in BRITANNUCUS (Compass Theatre), Lady Croom in ARCADIA, Birdie in LITTLE FOXES (Robbie and Craig Noel Awards, Cygnet Theatre), Inez in LIFE X THREE, Lady Chiltern in AN IDEAL HUSBAND, Mrs. Voysey in THE VOYSEY INHERITANCE (Lamb's Player's Theatre Phyllis in TWILIGHT OF THE GOLDS (Diversionary Theatre). THE TALE OF THE ALERGIST'S WIFE (6th @Penn) 
Glynn's recent directing credits include THE DIARY OF Anne Frank and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD  for San Diego Junior Theatre and HE SAID (co-director, short stories by Ray Carver) for Laterthanever.  Glynn's most recent writing, TRIALS AND TRIABULATIONS, What Every Witness Needs to Know before Facing a Jury, is now available on Amazon.

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