Deanna & Paul by Dagney Kerr
LOCATION
The Road on Lankershim – GALLERY
5108 Lankershim Boulevard
North Hollywood, CA 91601
(Street parking or paid lot parking at 5125 Lankershim Blvd)
Deanna & Paul
By Dagney Kerr
Directed by Michael Dempsey
CAST
DEANNA – Deanna Barone*
PAUL- Dirk Etchison
*Appears courtesy of Actor’s Equity Association
SYNOPSIS
Deanna’s a quirky waitress with a strict no tipping policy. Paul’s a surly customer with a tight lid on his heart. Their lonely worlds collide one day in a small-town diner, where one cup of coffee can change everything.
TICKETS
No reservations or advance tickets. Admission is by donation ($15 suggested).
MEET YOUR PLAYWRIGHT
DAGNEY KERR is thrilled to have her play, Deanna and Paul, chosen for the Road’s playwright festival. She is an LA-based actress/playwright who’s guest starred and recurred on countless TV shows, appears in national commercials, and performs regularly on LA stages. Most recently in the Sacred Fools productions, Mr. Burns and Disasteroid! Her piece, Whitefish, was recently produced at Theater of Note and two of her plays, Stay and Dalton, have been featured in several national playwriting festivals and competitions, and recently won Best Original Script, Audience Favorite Awards, and the Excellence in Playwriting Award at the Eastern States One-Act Festival.
MEET YOUR DIRECTOR
MICHAEL DEMPSEY is a proud member of the Road Theater for 20yrs. Grateful for all the opportunities shared/experienced both on stage and backstage. This Summer Playwrights Festival (9th?!!) has been a bonus for the Company. Finding new playwrights, new plays, new actors. Directors, designers, and audiences. Thank You: Dagney Kerr (Writer, actor, friend, sassy). Deana and Dirk (incredible artists and friends). Now……let’s dance!
An Interview with Playwright Dagney Kerr
1: What is the name of your play?
Deanna and Paul
2: What was your first job in the theatre?
I played, Gretl, the youngest Von Trapp child in The Sound of Music at a dinner theater in Cincinnati.
3: Do you ever model characters after real life people?
Totally! People are so funny. I meet great ‘characters’ every day. I love to draw from my own life and other people’s.
4: As an artist, what subjects tend to draw your interest?
Love. Isolation. Loss. Joy. Human connection. I’m also drawn to mysteries, crime and the pursuit of truth. Anything that grabs me emotionally and takes me somewhere.
5: Do you have other passions aside from playwriting?
Dance has always been and will be my first passion. I was a professional dancer for years. It’s my favorite thing to do and favorite way to express myself. I’m also passionate about photography. I love capturing a moment in time. Also..eating. And cats.
6: Are you currently working on any new projects?
Always. I’m in the midst of writing a first person novel. I’m going to NM in a week to shoot a feature film. I’m doing double duty as an actor and choreographer on it. In post production on my short film, Dalton. Based on my play. In pre-production for my short film, Dancer, also based on one of my plays. I try to stay as busy as possible. I don’t do well with idle time.
7: Here’s a fun question! What is your favorite dessert?
Omg! I love any dessert. I’ll literally eat anything except mint chocolate chip ice cream. That’s the only dessert I don’t like. Otherwise it’s on. And I never share! I’m a very selfish eater. I eat like I’m in prison. Very fast and with a protective arm around my food.
8: Any acknowledgements or words of encouragement?
Well encouragement is very important in the arts. We are all sensitive and it’s easy to get defeated. I would say, do what you love. And when you don’t love what you do anymore….find something else that you can put your talents into. And as far as creating things…do it yourself. I think we spend a lot of time as artists looking for permission to do things. You’d be surprised what you can do when you stop looking for others to do it for you. Also learn to take criticism with grace. Be someone people want to work with. Be open. Be willing. Be respectful of others and the process of creating. And my number one thing is….be a professional. Show up. Do your work. Be prepared. And don’t be a jerk. If you do that….you’ll be fine.
9: Describe your play in 3 words!
Quirky. Poetic. Romantic.