Dad’s Place – A Farce
Playwright: Jake Lockwood
Director: Joe Deer
Paul briefly steps away from a lucrative writing career in LA to help his father, Karl, go through an apartment that’s overrun with “stuff”. Paul seeks to use this time away from corporate clients to write something more meaningful, but the distractions of Karl’s life prove to be more than Paul’s creative inspiration can overcome. In the end, Paul finds he has just as much “stuff” to work through.
This new work by Jake Lockwood is a two-actor farce that dives into the complex relationships between fathers and sons, the menace of imposter syndrome, and wraps them into love letter to the artistic process.
Recommended in you liked… The 39 Steps, Deadline, Shipwrecked!
Performance Dates and Tickets
Click “BUY TICKETS” to purchase from Dayton Live, our box office and only ticket seller. Please contact the box office for ticket related inquiries at (937) 228-3630.
| Tuesday, September 2 • 7:30PM PAY WHAT YOU CAN | |
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SAWBUCK SUNDAY | BUY TICKETS |
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PARENTS’ DAY OUT • You watch the show, and we’ll entertain the kids (ages 5-12) with a world-class theatre workshop (a $100+ value) that is free with the purchase of your tickets. WHILE WE’RE ON THE SUBJECT • A candid, post-show conversation with cast, thematic experts | BUY TICKETS |
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Tickets$10 - $53
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Runtime2 hours - 1 intermission
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Ratingpg
The Human Race Theatre Company
Executive DirectorKappy Kilburn
Artistic DirectorEmily N. Wells
Present:
Director Joe Deer^
Scenic Design Dick Block
Lighting Design Matthew P. Benjamin+
Costume Design Molly Walz
Sound Design Kaitlin Barnett Proctor
Prop Design Sarah Gomes
Time:
Place:
CAST BIOGRAPHIES
Jason Podplesky*
Actor 1 (Paul)
Jason Podplesky (Actor 1 – Paul) is an actor, director, and playwright. In New York he has worked with The Flea Theatre, The Classical Theatre of Harlem, The NY Public Theater, MCC, The Gallery Players, and was a member of the Lincoln Center Director’s Lab. Regionally, his credits include The Human Race Theatre, The Guthrie Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, CATCO, North Shore Music Theater, The Know Theatre of Cincinnati, and Cincinnati LAB Theatre. His play Led Thespian was produced internationally at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2018. Academically, he has directed productions at Wright State University, CCM, Wittenberg University, Denison University, and at the College of Staten Island. He is thrilled to be back at The Human Race Theatre and would like to thank Jake for this wonderful play and journey.
Bruce Cromer*^
Actor 2 (Terry, Karl, Mortimer and others)
Bruce Cromer (Actor 2 – Terry, Mortimer, Karl and others) has been in over 200 professional stage productions, during 47 years as a proud Actors’ Equity actor. He has appeared at the Cincinnati Playhouse, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, St. Louis Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Clarence Brown Theatre, with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, etc. As a founding Resident Artist at The Human Race, he has appeared in thirty-nine productions: including Prior Walter in ANGELS IN AMERICA, the Ghost of John Barrymore in I HATE HAMLET, Macbeth in MACBETH, Prospero in THE TEMPEST, all the roles in I AM MY OWN WIFE, and Charles Dickens in A CHRISTMAS CAROL. He dedicates his work in DAD’S PLACE to the memory of his father, Roy Franklin Cromer.
CREATIVE TEAM BIOGRAPHIES
Joe Deer Director
Joe Deer (Director) has worked with The Human Race Theatre Company for 28 years, directing many audience favorites, including Seussical, Avenue Q, Lend Me A Tenor, Around the World in 80 Days, Who’s Holiday and many others. He’s proudly a resident artist with this company. Joe was Distinguished Professor of Musical Theatre at Wright State where he variously served as the first head of the Musical Theatre program, Artistic Director, Chair and Director of The Musical Theatre Initiative. Joe has directed and choreographed extensively at national and international theatres from London to Milan, off-Broadway to Oklahoma. In Dayton, he’s proud to work closely with the Muse Machine as a creator of special programs and as director of the annual Muse Winter Musical. Joe’s books include the most widely used book on this subject in the world (now in five languages), Acting in Musical Theatre: a comprehensive course (co-author, Rocco Dal Vera) and Directing in Musical Theatre: an essential guide, both published by Routledge. Being part of the Human Race’s 40-year history is among his most meaningful artistic relationships. Happy Birthday!!
Ruth E. Kramer* Production Stage Manager
Forty-six years of previous behind-the-scenes adventures include twenty seasons and forty productions at Pittsburgh Public Theater, and a gratifying plentitude of dramas, comedies, musicals, classics, new works, dances, readings, and workshops nation-wide. Ms. Kramer lives in Hell’s Kitchen NYC, proudly serves on the National Council of Actors’ Equity Association and is a 2021 Stage Managers’ Association Del Hughes Honoree for Lifetime Achievement in the Art of Stage Management. But clearly her “lifetime” in theatre isn’t over yet!
DICK BLOCK Scenic Design
DICK BLOCK (Scenic Design) is happy to return to The Human Race, having designed here many times, production including A Christmas Story, Around the World in 80 Days, Airness and most recently, Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous. His work has also been seen at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (Metromaniacs. Titus Andronicus, Coriolanus, Amadeus, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder) as well as The Warehouse Theatre, Virginia Stage Company, The Weston Playhouse, Pittsburgh Public Theatre. Dick is on the design faculty and is Associate Head of the School of Drama at Carnegie Mellon University and is the co-author of Scene Design and Stage Lighting, now in its 10th edition. He received his MFA from Northwestern University.
MATTHEW P. BENJAMIN Lighting Design
Matthew P. Benjamin is in his 27th year at Wright State University as a professor of lighting design and head of the Theatre Design and Technology Program. Professional credits include seven seasons as the resident lighting designer for the Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca, Italy, where he also served as the company’s production manager. Other professional designs includes projects with the Interlochen Center for the Arts, Cincinnati Opera, Aspen Music Festival, Dayton Opera, Dayton Ballet, Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati, Tri-Cities Opera, Dayton Performing Arts Alliance, Opera at Florham, Luna Negra Dance Theatre, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, the Human Race Theatre Company, Little Theatre of the Rockies, ballettech Ohio, New Horizon Theatre Company, the Taj Mahal casino, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and many others. An active theatre consultant, he has worked on regional projects such as the Springboro Performing Arts Center, the Theatre at Third in the downtown Dayton Public Library, Dixie High School, and the Alter High School Performing Arts Center, among many others. He is a proud member of United Scenic Artists Local #829 (Lighting Design).
MOLLY WALZ Costume Design
Molly Walz is a costume designer, wardrobe supervisor, and tailor for Broadway Productions, Regional Theater, National/International Tours and TV/Film. Proud member of IATSE local #764, Beavercreek HS and Kent State University Alum. Regional Design: HRTC (Camelot, Shipwrecked!, Oliver!), Ogunquit Playhouse (My Best Friend’s Wedding, Million Dollar Quartet, Sally Struthers in Tootsie and Crazy for You), Cape Playhouse, Papermill Playhouse, Gateway Playhouse, CAPA, Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, Porthouse Theatre, Theatre SilCo, Ohio University, Garden Theatre. Wardrobe Supervision / Associate Costume Design: Broadway: Aladdin, Frozen, Moulin Rouge, Tina, Summer; Pre-Broadway: A Beautiful Noise; Tours: Disney’s The Lion King, Mamma Mia, White Christmas, Rent: 20th Anniversary. Additional Career Highlights: The Metropolitan Opera (Wardrobe Supervisor), The Equalizer Season 2 (Fitting Costumer/2nd Tailor) Upcoming Projects: An Old Fashioned Family Murder by Joe DePietro starring Sally Struthers at George Street Playhouse; White Christmas at Ogunquit Playhouse. Molly became a Midwest-based artist after moving her home base from NYC to Columbus, OH in Fall 2022. Owner: Sanctuary Inclusive Tailoring and Styling. Instagram: @SanctuaryTailoring
Kaitlin Barnett Proctor Sound Design
Kaitlin is a sound designer and audio engineer with an MFA in Sound Design and Technology from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. She has a passion for live experiences and has always sought to bring stories to life through sound. Kaitlin has a degree in audio engineering technology from Belmont University. When not designing, you can find her working concerts, esports events or tour managing. Selected design credits include Camelot (Human Race Theatre Company), Witch (The Carnegie), Hair, Emilia, In The Green, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (University of Cincinnati, CCM), The Lightning Thief, Secret Soldiers (Nashville Children’s Theatre), Little Women, Peter and the Starcatcher, and 42nd Street at (Belmont University). Engineer credits include: A1 for A Wrinkle in Time and Paradise Ballroom at New York Stage and Film. Production Sound Engineer for Frankenstein, Once on This Island (University of Cincinnati, CCM).
THE PRODUCTION TEAM
Interim Production Manager
Elynmarie Kazle
Stage Manager
Ruth E. Kramer*
Assistant Stage Manager
Isabella Myers
Technical Director
Mackenzie Perin
Scenic Artist/Carpenter
Jeff Heater
Carpenter
Adam Davis
Costume Shop Managers
Victoria “Ori” Rancor & Erin Butcher
Production Electrician
Josh Rhodes
Electricians
JR Riechers, Connor Bunts, Kayelyn Hesseling
Wardrobe
Andrew Ian Adams^, Victoria “Ori” Rancor
Sound Engineer
Bailey Olean
Run Crew
Kailie Gould
About The Playwright
JAKE LOCKWOOD Playwright
Jake is a writer, director, educator, and actor based in Callicoon, NY. He began his professional life at Walt Disney World, performing at 27 Equity stages over a 20+ year career. Over the past 15 years, Jake has written and directed for Walt Disney World, Princess Cruises, Universal Studios, SeaWorld, Herschend Entertainment, and Walt Disney Imagineering where he served as the show director for the development phase of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. He has worked with numerous regional theatres, universities and youth groups, and is proud to be a resident artist with The Human Race Theatre Company. Jake is also co-owner of We Bring the Funny, an Orlando based improv and interactive production company. Jake is thrilled that Dad’s Place is premiering in his hometown of Dayton, Ohio and it comes just two weeks after his first full-length musical GLÜ received its world premiere at Timber Lake Playhouse in Illinois.
Special Thanks:
Michael Lippert
Downtown YMCA Dayton
Light Fantastic, Inc.
