Actor’s Asylum Productions
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 
Who:                Actor’s Asylum Productions
What:               Silent Night, Lonely Night
When:              December 5th through January 4th
                        Thursday, Friday, Saturday evenings @ 8pm
                        Sunday matinees @ 2pm
Price:                $18 evening performances
                        $15 Sunday matinee performance
                        $3 discount for Seniors/Students/Actor’s Alliance
Where:             Actor’s Asylum
                        6663 El Cajon Blvd. Suite N
                        San Diego, CA 92115
                        www.actorsasylum.org
Box Office:      619/465-3742
                        tix@actorsasylum.org
Contact:           Lee Lampard
                        619/465-3742 (theater)
                        858/735-3216 (cell)
                        lee@actorsasylum.org
 
Actor’s Asylum Productions proudly present Silent Night, Lonely Night by Robert Anderson.  Featuring John Kenton Shull and Lee Lampard in the lead roles, it is directed by William Lawrence Kerr, Actor’s Asylum’s new Artistic Director.
 
Robert Anderson, who the New York times once described as the dramatist of loneliness, is perhaps America's most successful playwright to chronicle mid 20th century American life. Besides Silent Night Lonely Night (1959), some of Anderson's more famous plays include Tea and Sympathy (1953), All Summer Long (1954), and I Never Sang For My Father (1968). Anderson also wrote extensively for motion pictures, including the academy award nominated Sand Pebbles, The Nuns Story and I Never Sang For My Father, which also was the recipient of the Writers Guild Of America award. Silent Night Lonely Night, which was produced on Broadway starring Henry Fonda, is perhaps the work closest to Anderson's heart. A beautifully crafted drama, it contains quiet truths and reflections on love and loneliness that remain unsurpassed in the American theatre library.
Christmas Eve and chemistry work its magic on two lonely people struggling to get through personal crisis during the holidays.
William Lawrence Kerr, who begins his stint as artistic director of Actor's Asylum with this production is proud to be bringing the acclaimed work of Robert Anderson to San Diego audiences." Silent Night Lonely Night is representative of the kind of forgotten American gems, that I hope to reintroduce to the local playgoers during my tenure at the Asylum" Kerr said. William who is known to Southern California audiences primarily as a well regarded Equity stage actor, having recently turned in critically acclaimed performances locally as FDR in Annie and Spider in the regional premier of Jekyll & Hyde”, brings a vast knowledge of the American theatre library as well as the ability to attract top performers and directors to the new College district theatre.
 
John Kenton Shull, whose varied and successful career has taken him from major star turns opposite Carol Burnett (Company) and Betty Buckley (Gypsy) on the stage, to a recurring role as Molor "the singing Klingon" on Star Trek, The Next Generation, is spending the holidays in the lead role of John Sparrow. Already familiar to San Diego audiences for his critically acclaimed performance of Daddy Warbucks in this summers production of Annie at the Starlight Bowl, John is back to lend his talents to this moving American classic. John whose recent television work includes national commercials for Apple computer and ESPN and an episode of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm is appearing at Actor's Asylum through the courtesy of Actors' Equity Association.
 
Lee Lampard, playing opposite John as Katherine Johnson, most recently performed in Songs for a New World and Lips Together, Teeth Apart at Actor’s Asylum, as well as Annie and Jekyll & Hyde for Starlight Musical Theatre.  She is executive director of Actor’s Asylum Productions and manages the theater space.
 
This is the third production of Actor's Asylum Productions in its home, Actor's Asylum (following Songs for a New World and Lip's Together, Teeth Apart). Nine productions have gone up at Actor’s Asylum’s in its first year of operation. The majority of 2002 being devoted to providing production, audition and rehearsal space to such burgeoning theatre companies as Beacon Theatre, Women's Repertory Theatre, Hormonally inCorrect Productions, Asian American Repertory Theatre and The Muse Theatre.
 
Plans for Actor’s Asylum include combining several American classics with one musical and one new or premier production each season. The 2003 season will be announced shortly.
 
Silent Night, Lonely Night runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm, and Sunday at 2pm at the Actor's Asylum Theatre from December 5th through January 4th.
 
Produced by:               Actor’s Asylum Productions
Written by:                   Robert Anderson
Directed by:                 William Lawrence Kerr
Featuring:                     John Kenton Shull, Lee Lampard   
                                    Julie Scott, Nessa Hill, Spencer Moses, Adam Carver 

Stage Management:      Mildred McMillan
Costume Design:          Brain Schmittberger
Sound Design:              Jeff Jones
Light Design:                Justin Kleiner
Technical/Set Design:   Will Widick