meteor shower by steve martin

Directed by Resident Director Warren Sherrill

Corky and Norm are excited to host Gerald and Laura at their home in the valley outside Los Angeles to watch a once-in-a-lifetime meteor shower. But as the stars come out and the conversation gets rolling, it becomes clear that Gerald and Laura might not be all that they appear to be. Over the course of a crazy, starlit dinner party, the wildly unexpected occurs. The couples begin to flirt and insanity reigns. Martin, using his trademark absurdist humor, bends the fluid nature of time and reality to create a surprising and unforgettably funny new play.

November 27 - December 18, 2021
Performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm with additional Sunday matinees at 2pm

Industry Night Performance: Monday, Dec. 6th at 8pm

This show is rated PG-13 due to language and adult situations.

METEOR SHOWER

Written by Steve Martin

CAST

Corey Exline as corky

Corey is relatively new to the Colorado theater scene and is excited  to be making her Benchmark debut with such an amazing role, show, and creative team. Corey graduated from Elon University with a BFA in Acting and a BFA in Musical Theater, toured internationally for Missoula Children’s Theater, worked as a Director at Random Farms Kid’s Theater, was the Artistic Director of Broadway Bound Kids, and has been a professional actor for more than 20 years. Some of her credits include: 

New York Credits: Into the Woods; Urinetown!; Making Home (Premier NYC Reading); 

Colorado Credits: Stuff Dreams Are Made Of (Miners Alley); Tomfoolery (Aurora Fox); Meet Me In St. Louis (Town Hall); The Velveteen Rabbit (Arvada Center); Miss You Like Hell (Aurora Fox) 

Other Regional Credits: The Drowsy Chaperone (Pricilla Beach Theatre); Working the Musical (The Umbrella Theatre); Miss Nelson is Missing (Boston Children’s Theatre); Pride & Prejudice (The Footlight Club); Shrek the Musical (Wellesley Players); Homemade Fusion (The Opposite of People); Oliver! (Lakeland Theatre) 

National & International Tours: The Jungle Book; The Princess and the Frog; Rumpelstiltskin; The Little Mermaid – USA, Canada, Guam, Korea, and Japan

Damon Guerrasio as norm

Damon returns to Benchmark Theatre after appearing in Airness; their only production of 2020. Other regional credits include: Before You Go, Once, Queen of Conspiracy, Lost in Yonkers, Dylan Went Electric (Miners Alley Playhouse); Wonderland: Alice’s Rock and Roll Adventure (The Aurora Fox); The Lucky Ones, Reach (Misfits Theatre) Jesus Christ Superstar, Saturday Night Fever (Arvada Center); Water by the Spoonful (Curious Theatre); Almost,Maine, The Music Man, Boeing Boeing, Annie, Completely Hollywood Abridged, Evita, Unsinkable Molly Brown (LTHAC); A Christmas Carol (BETC); The Odd Couple (PACE); A Christmas Carol (Theatreworks); Shakespeare in Love (CSFAC); Bullets Over Broadway, Emma (Vintage Theatre); Beau Jest, Red Hot and Cole, All My Sons (Cherry Creek Theatre); The Fantasticks (Midtown Arts Center); Annie, Spamalot, Shrek the Musical (Breckenridge Backstage Theatre); Love Child, Minimum Wage, Complete World of Sports Abridged (Avenue Theatre); Something's Afoot (American Southwest Theatre Company). Television: Manhattan (Lionsgate); From Dusk till Dawn (Miramax).

Colleen Lee as laura

Colleen is honored to perform at Benchmark Theatre with such a talented and hilarious group of actors. Some of her favorite roles include: Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, Amy in Company, and Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. She was most recently seen in The Crucible at Miners Alley Playhouse. Colleen Lee is also a photographer and youth theater director. She lives in Evergreen with her husband and two daughters.

Jeffrey Parker as gerald

Jeff is thrilled to be making his debut with Benchmark. Some favorite past roles include The Doctor (Tenderly), Jon (tick, tick…boom), Marvin (Falsettos), Aldolpho (The Drowsy Chaperone), George (Sunday in the Park with George) and Jekyll/Hyde (Jekyll & Hyde). His all-time favorite role, however, is the one he plays daily as an Associate Professor of Theatre at MSU Denver. When not performing or teaching, Jeff is an accomplished voice / text / dialect coach; serving many theatres in the Denver area including the DCPA, the Arvada Center, and the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. He is the co-author of the book Experiencing Speech, available for purchase wherever you get your books. Thanks to Warren and the cast and crew for all of their support and thank YOU for supporting live theatre! BA, UCLA. MFA, UC Irvine.

CREATIVE TEAM

Director - Warren Sherrill

Mr. Sherrill has directed, produced and acted in numerous productions in Denver and along the Front Range. In 2000 he co-founded Denver's critically acclaimed Paragon Theatre and served as its Artistic Director until the company closed its doors in 2012. At The Edge Theatre he directed such shows as Jerusalem, Medea, Burn This, A Delicate Balance and Death of a Salesman. He most recently directed Lend Me a Tenor, Lost in Yonkers and Frankie and Johnny in the Claire De Lune for Miners Alley Playhouse in Golden and A Kid Like Jake, What You Will and The Quality of Life for Benchmark Theatre. Mr. Sherrill is proud be a company member of Denver’s Benchmark Theatre.

Scenic Design - Tina Anderson

Tina is originally from Boulder. Her last set for Benchmark was ‘Bull in a China Shop’. Her most recent set designs this year are ‘Steel Magnolias” and ‘Tenderly, The Rosemary Clooney Musical’ for CCT. Past designs include ‘A Christmas Carol’, 'Tiny Beautiful Things,’ and ‘Curious Incident of the Dog at Night Time’ for The Butterfly Effect Theatre Colorado. Tina is always grateful for design opportunities with Benchmark Theatre.

Costume Design - Erika Daun

Erika is excited to join the Benchmark team this season. Most recently Erika has worked with BETC and Local Theatre Company on their summer productions of JQA and Discount Ghost Stories respectively. Erika got her start in the local theatre scene with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival in 2016 and has since worked at The Arvada Center, Theatreworks, Fine Arts Center, and Vintage Theater. She is so happy to be back in rehearsals after hiatus in 2020 and looks forward to many shows to come with Benchmark!

Light Design - Neil Truglio

Neil has been directing and designing locally for over 20 years. Most recently he designed both the set and lights for Benchmark’s Elephant as well as designing lights for Benchmark’s past productions of The Arsonists and video/projections for Wakey Wakey. Recent directing credits include Elephant (Benchmark), 1984 (Benchmark), The Trojan War, Sons & Daughters, and Romeo & Juliet (Modest Arts). As a writer, Neil has seen ten of his original plays and adaptations on the stage and his work has been seen by tens-of-thousands as his original productions, including Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and his feature film We Are the Sea, have been lauded and enjoyed by audiences across the globe. Recently, Neil became the Artistic Director for Benchmark Theatre and his vision is being realized in this inaugural production of the 2021/2022 season. Outside of theatre, Neil is an avid filmmaker and works with youth through film-engagement programs as the Education Director at SeriesFest.

Sound Design - John Hauser

John has been a company member of Benchmark Theatre since 2017. He’s appeared onstage in Airness, Parfumerie & Smokefall as well as sound designed multiple shows for Benchmark over the years. He’s an actor and artistic educator in Denver and is excited to be back at it now that the darkness has lifted. Also, pizza is life.

PRODUCTION TEAM

Stage Manager - Katie Hopwood

Katie is originally from Maryland and recently moved to Aurora, CO in August with her partner and dog. She received her BA in Theatre Production from Salisbury University last winter. Some of her favorite shows she has stage managed include Peter and the Starcatcher, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, Hair, and the Baltimore Waltz. She is very excited and thankful to work at Benchmark Theatre for the first time with such a talented group of people.

Scenic Build - Paul Christian Edris, Andy Ray & Neil Truglio

Master Electrician - Andrew Horn

Production Photography - McLeod9 Creative

Rehearsal Photography - Colleen Lee Photography

Program Design - Marc Stith

Producers - Abby Apple Boes & Haley Johnson

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President: Joseph Black

Secretary: Abby Apple Boes

Member At Large: Rachel Clark

Board Member: Haley Johnson

Board Member: Melanie Mayner

Treasurer: Gloria Shanstrom

BENCHMARK EXECUTIVE TEAM

Executive Director - Haley Johnson

Artistic Director - Neil Truglio

Managing Director - Abby Apple Boes

Strategic & Marketing Director - Marc Stith

SPECIAL THANKS

40West Arts, ABC Framing, Colleen Lee Photography, Colorado Creative Industries, Colorado Theatre Guild, The E Project Board of Directors, Lakewood BID, Redline Contemporary Art Center, The Scientific & Cultural Facilities District, Vintage Theatre; John Ashton, Liz Black, Chantelle Frazier, Scotty Holcomb, Andrew Horn, Andrew MacLean, Bill Marino, Louise Martorano, John McCleaf, Rich Munoz, Joseph & Mary Pirozzoli, Marcus & Mason, Andy Ray, Biz Schaugaard