Dark & Stormy Productions Announces New Equity Status, SPEED THE PLOW in February

Dark & Stormy Productions today announces its agreement with Actors' Equity Association to become an Equity theater, and announces the three actors and director for its upcoming production of Speed-the-Plow by David Mamet. Previously, Dark & Stormy presented the Equity Showcase, Outside Providence.

Bill McCallum* stars in Speed-the-Plow as Hollywood studio executive Bobby Gould. McCallum has previously appeared in over 35 productions at the Guthrie Theater, including Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (with Patrick Stewart and Mercedes Ruhl), Othello (National Tour), Death of a Salesman (Guthrie Theater and Dublin International Theater Festival), The Glass Menagerie, Peer Gynt, MacBeth, Master Butcher Singing Club, The Winter's Tale, Circle Mirror Transformation, God of Carnage, and Time Stands Still, named a top production of 2012 by Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hounds. McCallum has also performed with American Players Theatre, Goodman Theater, Northlight Theater, History Theater, Minnesota Festival Theater, Theatre L'Homme Dieu, and The Playwrights' Center, among others. His film work includes The Straight Story and Meet Joe Somebody.

Sara Marsh* returns to Dark & Stormy Productions as temporary secretary Karen in Speed-the-Plow. Most recently, Marsh portrayed Marilyn in Gremlin Theatre's A Behanding in Spokane, named one of the top ten productions of 2012 by Star Tribune theater critic Rohan Preston. Earlier in 2012, Marsh was seen in Dark & Stormy Productions' Outside Providence, playing Sandra in Dolores and Debbie in Face Divided. Marsh has also appeared with Park Square Theatre (Steel Magnolias, June Moon), History Theatre (Hiding in the Open), Old Log Theater, Thirst Theater, Theatre L'Homme Dieu, and The Playwrights' Center, among others. A prolific Twin Cities voiceover and on-camera talent, Marsh's film work includes Lumpy, How to Kill a Mockingbird, and the role of Lucy in New Line Cinema's feature film Sugar & Spice.

Kris L. Nelson* makes his debut with Dark & Stormy Productions as Hollywood producer and pitchman Charlie Fox in Speed-the-Plow. Nelson has been seen in over 35 productions at the Guthrie Theater, including Private Lives, A Christmas Carol (12 productions since 1995), Arsenic and Old Lace, The Government Inspector, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Ugly One, The Sex Habits of American Women, and Amadeus. He has also performed with Jungle Theater, Thirst Theater, Utah Classical Greek Theater Company, Salt Lake Acting Company, Creede Rep, and Shakespeare Theatre Company. Named "Best Actor" by City Pages in 2008, Nelson won an Ivey Award for his performance as the title character in Wellstone! (History Theater), and starred in the Ivey Award­-winning production of Doubt (Ten Thousand Things Theater).

Ben McGovern† directs Speed-the-Plow for Dark & Stormy Productions. McGovern was the Associate Director of Studio Programming at the Guthrie Theater until 2011, where he directed The Edge of Our Bodies, Circle Mirror Transformation, The Ugly One, and The Caretaker. He was also the associate director of Brian Friel's Faith Healer, with director Joe Dowling in the role of Frank Harding.
Prior to the Guthrie, McGovern worked with Theatre de la Jeune Lune as an assistant director, actor, stage manager, writer, and more. Jeune Lune productions include Children of Paradise: Shooting a Dream; Crusoe, Friday and the Island of Hope; Scapin; Queen; The Man Who Laughs; Yang Zen Froggs; Cyrano de Bergerac; Tartuffe; 3 Musketeers; The Deception, and Antigone. McGovern also served as Artistic Director of the Bryant-Lake Bowl Theater, where he directed Leonce and Lena and 7 Blowjobs, among others. Other directing credits include Thirty Days in Frogtown, The Dumb Waiter, The Bald Soprano, Skin of Our Teeth, and Flesh and the Desert, named one of the top ten productions of 2012 by Start Tribune theater critic Graydon Royce. Next, McGovern will direct Stephen Yoakam in An Iliad at the Guthrie.

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