Cherry Smoke

Cherry Smoke

Written by Jim McMannus
Directed by Dana Resnick
Son of Semele Theatre

Cast:
Robert Maxhimer
Tro Shaw
Ian Farmer
Rivka Rivera

Photo Credits: Alexandra Nurthen
Scenic Design: Benoit Guerin
Lighting Design: Jordan Groves
Scenic Design: Sarah Krainin
Sound Design: Gregory Cruz
Stage Manager: Benoit Guerin
Video recording by: David Resnick

Cherry Smoke by Jim McMannus, winner of the 2006 Princess Grace Award for Playwriting, is about Fish, a club fighter who has spent most of his life in and out of jail, is a ticking time bomb. Despite his constant struggle to change and lead a decent life, his violent outbursts and hair-trigger temper result in countless confrontations with the law. His girlfriend, Cherry, a runaway fortune teller who has been on her own since the age of ten, longs for a more simple life like the one Fish's brother, Duffy, and Duffy's wife, Bug, lead. When Cherry becomes pregnant, Fish fears he will become the type of father that his dad was to him...unavailable and violent. The all-consuming love Fish and Cherry have for each other is put to the test in this poetic and visceral drama.

This production, co-produced by Dana and Tro Shaw, a fellow Carnegie Mellon Alum, at the Son of Semele Theatre in Hollywood, was the West Coast premiere of the play. The raw and dangerous emotion, poetic metaphor, and intimate relationships, fueled the design and direction. Fencing, a fish tank full of beer cans, and some rickety lawn chairs captured the world of this play.