A Fundraiser for the Scholarship Fund of Idyllwild Arts Academy. November 11 at 7:30pm. Tickets @25.00 GA $50.00 VIP. www.associatesofiaf.org
WHY I AM SUPPORTING THE IDYLLWILD ARTS ACADEMY:
DAN LAURIA: “I’m supporting the Idyllwild School of the ARTS because I want to support the efforts of my Goddaughter. Also, because I wish I could have gone to such a creative school, HELL, I’d be a leading man instead of a character actor, if I went to the Idyllwild School of the ARTS.”
Dan Lauria has appeared as a guest star in over seventy television episodic programs and more than twenty Movie Of The Week productions, plus a score of motion picture credits. Dan is a very familiar face to the off-off, off and regional theatre scene having performed, written or directed over 50 professional stage productions. In 2010/11 Dan was seen on Broadway as the legendary coach Vince Lombardi in the long running production of LOMBARDI, with the beautiful and talented Judith Light, directed by Thomas Kail of Hamilton fame. Dan returned to Broadway in the 2013 & the 2014 productions of the Tony nominated; A CHRISTMAS STORY: The Musical directed by John Rando. However, Dan is most recognized as the Dad on the highly acclaimed Emmy winning, ABC television show, THE WONDER YEARS. Dan and dear friend, the lovely and talented Ms. Wendie Malick have performed the play THE GUYS (about our first responders) for numerous theatre and fire departments, around the country, Wendie and Dan also perform LOVE LETTERS as a fundraiser for numerous charities. Dan was recently on the Fox TV show, PITCH, about the first woman pitcher in major league baseball and before that on the TBS sitcom Sullivan & Son. Two years ago, Dan wrote and starred in the off-Broadway production of DINNER WITH THE BOYS produced by the one and only Pat Addis and the NJ Rep. Dan and his Godson Julian Farnsworth also write children’s book, go on line and check out: The Godfather Tales.
Not too long ago, Dan starred in the Long Wharf theatre production of Willy Holtzman’s controversial play, HEARTS. Before that Dan was in the Coconut Grove production of Arthur Miller’s, THE PRICE, with the great Jack Klugman and directed by the legendary Bob Kalfin. He performed with the one and only Charles Durning in the Westwood Country Playhouse production of Jason Milligan’s, MEN IN SUITS after which Dan toured with his former television co-star, Fred Savage, in the play WENDELL AND BEN, marking Fred’s professional stage debut.
For ten years Dan served as the artistic director of, The Playwright’s Kitchen Ensemble (PKE) of Los Angeles. With partners, Joe Cacaci and Richard Zavaglia, PKE produced over 450 public readings of new plays with the finest actors in the business in order to promote the development of the new American playwright and to seek literary representation for new writers.
WENDIE MALICK: “I’m a great believer in total immersion, and Idyllwild is a place where one can do just that: immerse oneself in their passion AND get to live and learn and play with like-minded people…this is what I have always craved. The thought that a school like Idyllwild exists, makes me both thrilled and envious. It’s like extended summer camp for artists (with homework). And the natural, wild component of this campus can only feed the imagination even more.
Wow!”
Wendie Malick is an award-winning actress whose career has spanned 40 years. Best known for her roles on ‘Dream On”, “Just Shoot Me”, “Frasier” and “Hot in Cleveland”. Films include “American President”, “Jerome”, “Waiting” “Fifty-Nothing” and “The Emporer’s New Groove. Theatre credits: NORTH SHORE FISH, BURLEIGH GRIMES (Off B’way), ROUND TRIP, QUESTA, VAGINA MONOLOGUES, SANTALAND DIARIES, THE UNDERPANTS (Los Angeles), BLITHE SPIRIT, WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF THUNDER (Williamstown), CLOSURE (New Jersey Rep), LOVE LETTERS (Laguna Playhouse), DON’T BLAME ME, I VOTED FOR HELEN GAHAGAN DOUGLAS (Wooly Mammoth), THE GUYS (Studio Arena). Malick is currently starring in Paul Rudnick’s new play, BIG NIGHT at Kirk Douglas Theater in LA.
