Mad Beat Hip & Gone
Directed by Jess Hutchinson
This newly re-imagined script by Steven Dietz considers 1950s America, when magnificent poets roamed open highways, accompanied by jukebox jazz. The nation’s youth hit the road, high on full tanks of gas and brimming with unattainable dreams. Two magnificently average young men from Nebraska encounter Jack Kerouac and his friends in a bar. They respond by heading west themselves, trailing the Beat poets all the way to the golden land of California. Youthful exuberance is balanced by the untethered floundering of the older generation and their bittersweet knowledge that all dreams are fleeting. MAD BEAT HIP & GONE marries the realism and sharp dialogue for which Dietz is famous, with the achingly brilliant poetry of the Beat Generation. It’s a road trip you won’t want to miss.
“Strong performances and a script that channels Kerouac make this worthy show, definitely recommended to get a flavor of the period and a sense of how the Beat Generation was greeted by middle America.”
Bill Esler
Buzznews.net
“It’s a funny, sweet play and director Hutchinson captures that mid-century spirit of searching and rootlessness with this production. The cast of five does an excellent job.”
Nancy Bishop
Third Coast Review
“Beautifully tooled up by Jess Hutchinson….Dietz has very contagious fun teasing his characters with quests they can’t fulfill while holding out enough hope to keep them on track. The dialogue bubbles over with the romance of the road, the giddy opportunities for self-renewal that beckon from every turn.”
Lawrence Bommer
Stage and Cinema
Performances:
April 27 – June 1, 2019
Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2pm
Press Opening: May 4, 2019
Industry Night: May 13, 2019 at 7:30 pm
Post-show discussion with the playwright:
Saturday, May 18, 2019
The Edge Theater Off Broadway
1133 W Catalpa Ave.
Performances:
April 27 – June 1, 2019
Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2pm
Press Opening: Saturday, May 4, 2019
Industry Night: Monday, May 13, 2019 at 7:30 pm
The Edge Theater Off Broadway
1133 W Catalpa Ave.
Directed by Jess Hutchinson
This newly re-imagined script by Steven Dietz considers 1950s America, when magnificent poets roamed open highways, accompanied by jukebox jazz. The nation’s youth hit the road, high on full tanks of gas and brimming with unattainable dreams. Two magnificently average young men from Nebraska encounter Jack Kerouac and his friends in a bar. They respond by heading west themselves, trailing the Beat poets all the way to the golden land of California. Youthful exuberance is balanced by the untethered floundering of the older generation and their bittersweet knowledge that all dreams are fleeting. MAD BEAT HIP & GONE marries the realism and sharp dialogue for which Dietz is famous, with the achingly brilliant poetry of the Beat Generation. It’s a road trip you won’t want to miss.
Production Staff
Stage Manager: Alexa Berkowitz*
Production Manager: Brian Pastor*
Lighting Director: Benjamin Carne
Set Designer: Bec Willett
Costume Designer: Rachel Sypniewski
Sound Designer: Colin Kovarik
Props Designer: Rachel Watson**
Intimacy Designer: Sarah Scanlon
Technical Director: Charles Martin
Photography: Tom McGrath**
**Indicates PTE Artistic Associate
Cast
Elaine Carlson*
Mrs. Fergus
Michael Vizzi
Rich
Cody Robison
Rich (u/s)
Ted Hoerl
Albert
Hilary Williams
Honey
Nick Stockwell
Danny (u/s)
Pat King
Danny
Annie Cleveland
Honey (u/s)