The Red Suitcase, written by Alex Dremann and directed by Jessica Johnson, is one of the pieces being performed in our next production, Getting Through the HoliDaze!
This virtual showing will feature short films based around holiday themes, selected from submissions by writers around the country. Directed by Jessica Johnson, Katie Jones, and Rodney Smith, and hosted by George Awad. These performances will make you laugh, make you cry, and will most certainly get you into the spirit of the season.
We reached out to the cast and playwright with a few questions about this production and to tell us a little bit about themselves.
Alex Dremann (Playwright)
1. What is your favorite holiday and why?
Christmas. Family time, presents and cookies, enough said.
2. Do you relate to your character? How similar/different are you?
Yes, I relate to the Drew character's comedically existential exhaustion and "I don't know why I'm naughty" crisis.
3. What's your favorite line in the piece you're working on? Why?
"Of course it's a TOY!" because it changes everything and solidifies the alternate reality of this play.
4. What's your favorite holiday season movie or play?
Die Hard.
5. What are the challenges of performing for a filmed show versus a live one?
From a playwright's perspective it's not very different, but how to deal with timing and zoom-delay issues feels like the biggest challenge for the writer in this new world.
6. What makes this experience special for you?
I'm very excited to have my play chosen and it's especially awesome in these Covid-times when so much of theater life has evaporated.
7. What's your favorite winter beverage?
Apple cider but only when paired with Snyder’s sourdough hard pretzels. That specific taste is bio-rhythmically etched into my childhood. Recipe: take a bite of pretzel then a sip of cider, then chew, then swallow. Thank me later.
8. How did you get into theatre?
I was a fiction writer curious about writing a screenplay so I took a class. When all my scenes were 95% dialogue and 10 minutes long, my teacher pointed me in the right direction.
9. How is working with The Magnetic different from working with other theatres?
This is my first experience, but so far a class act all around!
10. Do you have any upcoming projects that we should check out?
I'm working on a new full length, but no readings scheduled yet.
Biography
Alex Dremann (Playwright) - Alex is a Philadelphia based playwright who studied playwriting at the University of Southern California and has had over 400 productions of his short plays. Full lengths include: Split Pea Pod (The Brick Playhouse), Postcoital Variations (Philadelphia Theatre Workshop), The :nv:s:ble Play (PTW, Madlab Theatre, Theatre of NOTE & Cone Man Running), and The Pear-Shaped Man Fights Crime (PlayPenn workshop reading). Evenings of his collected short plays include: Slap Happy (Madlab Theatre), B-Sides, Rarities and Unreleased Tracks (Wilmington City Theatre), Bipolar by Thursday (Theatre Neo) and 13 Lemonade Ave. (Secret Room Theatre). www.alexdremann.com
George Heard (Santa Claus)
1. What is your favorite holiday and why?
Melbourne Cup day. I grew up in Melbourne and for some reason there is a state holiday for a horse race. Awesome!
2. Do you relate to your character? How similar/different are you?
Santa has always amused me. In Australia he is called Father Christmas and is carried around by a bunch of kangaroos (six white boomers), so I had a bit of catching up to do with the elaborate mythology. From what I gather he is a fat old guy who loves children, so I have two things in common with him.
3. What's your favorite line in the piece you're working on? Why?
I don't want to ruin the best joke in the piece, so I will go with "here's your fucking Christmas present". I expect it is something Santas in malls across the country would love to say.
4. What's your favorite holiday season movie or play?
Brazil
5. What are the challenges of performing for a filmed show versus a live one?
Eye position. In a play, in order to connect with the audience you face and make closer eye contact with the audience, but when you are being filmed, looking straight at the camera gives a weird eye effect which might even be appropriate for this piece.
6. What makes this experience special for you?
When the pandemic hit we were in rehearsals for Small Game and Jered and I were really developing a dynamic between our two characters that we never got to finish. Since we are playing characters in a similar age/power dynamic in this piece we can see it through.
7. What's your favorite winter beverage?
Dark Cadillac: 2 parts dark rum, four parts hot chocolate, one part creme de cacao.
8. How did you get into theatre?
My first scripted show was Urinetown at HART Theatre in 2014 at the suggestion of Strother Stingley, who I had done improv with. I have always been an avid theatre-goer, but had not thought I had the confidence or ability to sustain a single character for an entire production. It built my confidence up enough to take some classes and figure out what I was meant to be doing.
9. How is working with The Magnetic different from working with other theatres?
There is a sense of adventure to go with the sense of community. Magnetic productions are daring and encourage you to try something different.
10. Do you have any upcoming projects that we should check out?
I recently joined the board of directors of Montford Park Players and I'm really excited to see how we can engage audiences in 2021, particularly with a locally-written and produced production of Grimm's Fairy Tales.
Biography
George Heard (Santa Claus) - Asheville's foremost aspiring pseudointellectual, George has weathered the pandemic by eating other people's sourdough starters and doom scrolling at a frantic rate while trying to block texts from political parties. In between that he created original video pieces for two Magnetic Theatre Virtual Labs and hosted two rounds of Shakesprov with the Montford Park Players Players. Most recently seen on the stage as Pantalone in Theatre UNCA's A Company of Wayward Saints, George has been a part of the Asheville acting and comedy scene as a writer for The Feral Chihuahuas sketch comedy troupe and in short-form improv with the OxyMorons.
Jered Shults (Drew)
1. What is your favorite holiday and why?
Christmas is my family's favorite holiday and the one that I have the fondest memories of.
2. Do you relate to your character? How similar/different are you?
I would say pretty different from my character, but I enjoy that more. It gives me more of a challenge.
3. What's your favorite line in the piece you're working on? Why?
"Not that naughty." I like that it asks how truly bad is a bad thing?
4. What's your favorite holiday season movie or play?
Elf with Will Ferrell and The Grinch Jim Carey version.
5. What are the challenges of performing for a filmed show versus a live one?
Definitely the lack of immediate audience reaction for better or worse. Working in front of an audience let's you know instantly if the joke lands or the dramatic reveal is shocking enough.
6. What makes this experience special for you?
Well I have only done a few filmed projects in my life so the opportunity to do more is always exciting.
7. What's your favorite winter beverage?
Just a really ostentatious cup of hot chocolate. The fancier and more presentable the better.
8. How did you get into theatre?
In my sophomore year of high school when I took my art credit in drama. I have been hooked ever since.
9. How is working with The Magnetic different from working with other theatres?
One of the best things about being a performer in Asheville is how great it is to work with all the theaters here. Each one is very good. I would say it’s different because The Magnetic is always bringing something new to the area. If The Magnetic does a show it will always be one of a kind.
10. Do you have any upcoming projects that we should check out?
I am involved in an ongoing performance piece for the whole year. I’m hoping it will finish production in early 2021.
Biography
Jered Shults (Drew) - Jered is very excited to be on stage again but even more to be back with The Magnetic Theatre. He has lived in the Asheville area for 8 years now and has been performing for all that time. In addition to working with The Magnetic, he has worked with Parkway Playhouse and Montford Park Players. Jered is also a fight choreographer and stage combatant and is always happy to show off those skills. Thank you for watching and enjoy all the performances.
Christine Caldemeyer (Announcer)
1. What is your favorite holiday and why?
Halloween, because I live for all things spooky!
2. What's your favorite winter beverage?
Whiskey.
Biography
Christine Caldemeyer (Announcer) - Christine has been a prolific local actor and costumer for the past five years. The four recorded lines in this show comprise the entirety of her acting resume for 2020. Please enjoy them!
Getting through the HoliDaze is streaming virtually from The Magnetic Theatre in Asheville, NC December 17th-19th at 7:30pm! Grab your tickets here: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=119167