Scott Barry's RISE Plays EXIT Theatre, Now thru 5/23

EXIT Theatre will host the World Premiere of RISE, the newest work by writer/performer Scott Barry, known locally for Solo Gig Squared, the critically lauded solo show about his time as a draft-pick for the San Francisco 49ers. RISE is a provocative new comedy where fantasy bargains with reality as one man desperately tries to regain his lost mojo, find love, and experience the ultimate happy ending. But first he must deal with his petulant penis, bitter ex-girlfriends, Candy the all-nude stripper, poisonous soy beans, a prescription drug phobia, a truck load of self-doubt, and the prospect of losing his virginity-twice. Developed under the direction of Joshua Townshend-Zellner, RISE will play 8pm Fridays and Saturdays today, May 1 - 23, 2015 (Press opening May 1) at EXIT Theatre, 156 Eddy St., San Francisco. For tickets ($20 general admission/$15 students & seniors) the public may visit www.risetheplay.com.

Told with self-effacing humor, RISE is a candid and fast-paced romp in which Barry seeks no less than love and the ultimate happy ending. A life-long committaphobe, Barry originally set out to describe the challenges of dating in his forties, but in the midst of writing that tale, met a woman and fell in love. In RISE the audience learns how his perfect relationship nearly founders before it can take off, as he encounters a health issue that strikes at the heart of his manhood. Instead of opting for a "blue pill" fix (or rather forced by his acute pill phobia), Barry sets out on a frantic quest to uncover the root of the problem, stumbling headlong into a seriocomic web of personal, professional and family issues to be resolved. Says Barry, "Anyone who has ever loved, been in love, longed for love, will see themselves in RISE. And I think that covers just about everybody." The show has been workshopped in Los Angeles and Sacramento, receiving overwhelmingly enthusiastic response, with sold-out houses and glowing praise from audiences, who have called it "Compelling. Endearing. Funny. A must see for anyone suffering from the human condition."

Scott Barry is a playwright, screenwriter, and solo performer. He studied acting at the American Conservatory Theatre, was a member of the Actors Studio in Los Angeles, and holds a degree in engineering from the University of California, Davis, where he was an All-American quarterback and NFL draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers. His debut solo show, Solo Gig Squared, was lauded by audiences and critics and nominated for Solo Performance of the Year by the Bay Area Theater Critics Circle. The Bay Guardian called it, ""Funny and poignant. A brilliant Joycean reverie" and the SF Bay Times declared it, "A beautifully written and constructed jazz riff." The San Francisco Chronicle concurred, noting, "It's got the stop-time power of a perfectly thrown spiral," as did the Oakland Tribune ("Compelling") and the San Jose Mercury News, ("Hilarious"). Since that debut, Mr. Barry has written another solo show (Who's Frank?), as well as numerous ensemble plays (Answer Man, Mag Guy, Fifty Cars, Anonymous M, Curious Yellow, Sermon in the Suicide and others) that have been performed at theatres throughout California. Mr. Barry's film credits include the screenplay for the indie thriller Tunnel Vision, which premiered at the Urban World Film Festival in New York, and his first adapted screenplay, Rollover, which was optioned by acclaimed Oscar-winning actor-producer Michael Douglas, and is currently in-development.

Joshua Townshend-Zellner (Director) has worked as a writer, actor, producer, and director of theatre and film for more than twenty-five years. Mr. Townshend-Zellner has trained with theatre artists around the world including Ron Sossi, Yoshi Oida, George Shandoff, Osentinsky, and Ryszard Cieslak. He directed the award-winning writer/performer Ann Randolph in her play, Loveland, most recently at The Arena Stage in Washington DC, as well as in successful runs in Los Angeles and at The Marsh San Francisco.