From the playwright:
“I was brought up to believe that there are two topics you don’t discuss at the dinner table – politics and religion. The reason of course is they lead to inevitable conflicts, making it more difficult to enjoy the meal. Well, no one is eating dinner onstage during FAITHLESS, so the characters feel free to discuss and argue about one of those topics – their religious differences. Maybe a little too free? I hope this play will provide both laughs and serious thoughts about the things we want to believe and why. And hopefully some animated discussions once the play is over!”
— Jon Klein
From the director:
Much like our signature playwright G.B. Shaw, Jon Klein in FAITHLESS investigates his characters’ beliefs on a very personal subject without advocating any one point of view, leaving the viewers to grapple with the topic themselves after the curtain falls. I am inspired by Jon’s creation of a thorny, heated and often comic family story where each person’s perspective is (re-)awakened, questioned, strengthened and, ultimately, accepted. Jon is an insightful and giving artist, both personally and professionally, and I am thrilled to bring his important and relevant work to our audiences.
— Steve Carpenter
Ben Blackman (Calvin)
Patricia Hurley (Claire)
Ron Litman (Gus Stanton)
Hannah Taylor (Rosie)
CAST
Ben Blackman (Calvin) is an actor/voice actor new to DC. His recent credits include Gravid Water (The Kennedy Center) and “The Story Pirates” Podcast, as well as providing audio description for Harry Potter and The Cursed Child (Broadway), and The Phantom Of The Opera (London’s West End). Ben’s voice can be heard in animation, podcasts, commercials, and video games. He is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan where he studied acting.
Ron Litman (Gus Stanton) was a member of Arena Stage’s Living Stage years ago, but then left for theater adventures in New York for 15 years, the highlight of which was performing globally with the Obie Award-winning New York Street Theater Caravan. He spent 13 years in L.A. with roles on TV (“The Marshall,” “Married with Children”) and film (“Wayne’s World II,” “Maximum Breakout”). Since 1986, he has created several solo shows with performances in New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and throughout Europe, as well as DC’s Capital Fringe Festival, where he performed his critically acclaimed DC Trash, as well as at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage in 2019. Ron has also been a featured performer with SCENA Theater for the past 12 years including Julius Caesar, Shining City, and The Night Alive, to name a few.
Patricia Hurley (Claire) has performed in numerous productions with Olney Theatre Center, including Mary Poppins, A Comedy of Tenors, Misalliance, Camelot, Triumph of Love, Doubt, Elf, Annie, Sweeney Todd, Peter Pan, and The Heiress. At Studio Theatre, she was part of the cast of Love, Love, Love, and at 1st Stage, the cast of Quilters (2024 Helen Hayes Award-nominated ensemble). Her other area credits include Nate the Great, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Seussical: The Musical, One Hundred Dresses (Imagination Stage), Merrily We Roll Along (Signature Theatre), and Lady Windermere’s Fan (Shakespeare Theatre Company). She has a BM in Musical Theatre from The Catholic University’s Benjamin T. Rome School of Music.
Hannah Taylor (Rosie) is a DMV- based actress who has entered into her senior year at Catholic University with a Major in Musical Theatre and a Minor in Dance. Her recent credits include Zoe in The Niceties (Perisphere Theater), Gretchen in Freaky Friday (The Little Theater of Alexandria), Juror 8 in 12 Angry Jurors (Catholic University) and Hildegard von Bingen(Catholic University).
DESIGN & PRODUCTION TEAM
Set Desiger – Gisela Estrada
Costume Designer – Cheyenne Taylor Hill
Lighting Designer – Marianne Meadows
Sound Designer – Marcus Darnley
Production Stage Manager – Shannon Viridian
Assistant Stage Manager – Luca Maggs
