[ This Just In! ]
For Immediate Release
Date: August 4, 2004
Dan Dietz The Playwright Becomes Dan Dietz the Actor In Salvage Vanguard Theater's Premiere of The Death of A Cat
AUSTIN, TX--Yesterday, Dan Dietz took off his playwriting hat and put on his actor hat for the first time in three years to begin rehearsals for the premiere of The Death of a Cat by local playwright C. Denby Swanson. The play premieres September 10.
The Death of a Cat tells the story of a family struck by a mysterious disease. One by one, each member of the household has succumbed. The play opens with Father on his deathbed, Mother desperate to save him, and the twins quarantined to the nursery. Everyone has a secret desire and something to sacrifice. But is the Doctor the Devil?
Dan Dietz, who has received national attention for his playwriting in recent years, plays the role of the Doctor, his first major acting role in three years.
"I was intrigued by the role of the Doctor," says Dietz. "I found his reserve and opacity of his language gave him an interesting energy that I really wanted to explore."
Dietz won a "Best Actor" award for his very first performance in Austin, the role of Santa Ana in SVT's The Battle of San Jacinto in 1997. Since that time, he acted in numerous productions until he decided to take a break from acting in 2001. The Death of a Cat called him back to the stage.
"I love the world of this play," continues Dietz. "It's like a really lovely chamber piece where there is a quartet that's creating a little world in miniature. I was really drawn to the intensity of emotion contained in this reserved exterior."
Dietz also went to school with C. Denby Swanson, the playwright: "I was very excited to perform in a play written by someone I went to grad school with. I've admired Colin's work since grad school. It's exciting to experience one of her pieces from the inside."
After such a long break from the stage, Dietz isn't nervous at all "because there's such a wonderful group of people involved."
He goes on to say: "The script is solid, the cast is solid, the direction is solid. When all of those elements are so great, it's easy to relax in the process. As a playwright, you're constantly flying solo in the writing process, so if there's a moment you're having a hard time figuring out you can't go to a director and ask for help. But as an actor, I'm working with a team. There are so many people there to help you with your process, I find it refreshing and comforting."
That team consists of a cast of award-winning actors and designers. Jenny Larson and Jeffrey Mills play the twins, and Cyndi Williams plays Mother. The designers include Chase Staggs (tempOdyssey, Know Dog) designing set; Diana Duecker (MotherBone, Tilt Angel) designing lights; Graham Reynolds (MotherBone) composing original music; Buzz Moran (The Intergalactic Nemesis) creating sound; and Laura Cannon (And Nothing Falls) designing the costumes. SVT's Artistic Director Jason Neulander directs the project.
"Dan and I have had an incredible artistic relationship over the past eight years," says Neulander. "I'm really looking forward to rediscovering our actor/director relationship again. Dan's going to be amazing in this show!"
Salvage Vanguard Theater's premiere of C. Denby Swanson's The Death of a Cat runs Thursdays through Sundays, opening Friday September 10 and running through Saturday, October 2. Tickets are $6-$15. All performances are at 8:00 PM at the Off Center, 2211-A Hidalgo St. For tickets and information, call (512) 474-SVT-6 or visit <http://www.salvagevanguard.org>.
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