While soap opera fans are most familiar with James Reynolds in the role of "Abe Carver" on Days of Our Lives, some may not know that he also has a prolific career on stage as both actor and director. Co-starring with Lissa Layng, James will be appearing at Cape May Stage, NJ, in Oliver Hailey's And Where She Stops Nobody Knows on Monday, July 5th.
Stay posted for James Reynolds' Blogtalkradio interview with "OutTakes". Date and time TBA.
Also, check out the Cape May Stage press release below for more details about the play and cast.
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And Where She Stops Nobody Knows
by Oliver Hailey
Cape May, NJ – Cape May Stage, as part of their ongoing commitment to quality theatre, is proud to announce a one-night limited engagement of Oliver Hailey’s unpublished gem And Where She Stops Nobody Knows. Part of Cape May Stage’s inaugural Second Stage Broadway Series, this underperformed treasure stars Cape May Stage favorites, husband and wife team James Reynolds and Lissa Layng, both of Days of Our Lives fame. This seldom-seen offering will be performed Monday, July 5th at 8:00pm at the Robert Shackleton Playhouse at the corner of Bank and Lafayette Streets in downtown Cape May.
And Where She Stops Nobody Knows received its premiere at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles in the summer of 1976, and has been seldom revived since. Billed as “a pas de deux”, Hailey’s two-actor play follows the life of “She” (Layng) from an infant who hates her mother’s milk to an elderly woman reflecting on the triviality of life. Reynolds plays “He”, cycling through a dizzying 27 different characters throughout the piece, matching the rapid fire of Hailey’s language while creating both conflict and resolution for Layng’s character. She says, “One man, one woman – that was [God’s] idea of Paradise – and also mine.”
She is a cynic, disillusioned with life from an early age by interactions with everyone from her adoptive parents to cannibals, including several misdirected dances with love along the way. “People like you are why we have Nevada,” He says, playing a police officer who has pulled her over for speeding just inside the Arizona border. Pleading to be taken to jail, She responds, “There’s so little tolerance out here, anyway.” Her love life leaves her unfulfilled, eventually coming to the determination that “All great romances are terminal.” And Where She Stops Nobody Knows is simultaneously insightful and moving, funny and poignant – the inspection of a life fraught with futility and tempered with humor.
Reynolds and Layng have taken time away from their duties as the artistic directors of the much acclaimed Fremont Centre Theatre in South Pasedena, CA, to appear together in this show. Both agree it has been one of the most rewarding and enjoyable experiences of both their personal and professional lives – a feeling that shines through and embraces the audience during performances. Says Reynolds, “It has been our good fortune to have presented a number of the great Oliver Hailey’s plays and of course those of Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey. Where She Stops Nobody Knows is a whimsical play about a woman who searched all of her life for love and adventure. Performing this with my wife Lissa is ideal because we found love and the search for adventure continues.”
Lissa Layng was last seen at the Robert Shackleton Playhouse in A Woman of Independent Means. Her role as Bess in that show has garnered universal praise, from “Pick of the Fringe” at the 2005 Vancouver Fringe Festival to “Best Production of a One-Person Show” from the Valley Theatre League. Other stage credits include Fog of War and the musical comedy Much Adieux at the Whitmore/Lindly Theatre. Layng was also chosen One of the Top Ten Actresses in LA by ReviewPlays.com and received the DramaLogue Critics Award for her performance in the Los Angeles premiere of Station WVIP. Television credits range from guest starring appearances on Family Law, Unsolved Mysteries and Days Of Our Lives. She is co-artistic director of the Fremont Centre Theatre with her husband James Reynolds, where they received the Red Carpet Award from Women in Theatre, and the Gold Crown Award from the Pasadena Arts Council.
James Reynolds was last seen at the Robert Shackleton Playhouse in his one-man show, I, Too, Am America. He is well known for his portrayal of Commissioner Abe Carver on NBC’s Days of Our Lives. As a two-time Emmy nominee, Reynolds has won admiration from fans and critics alike with his commanding presence and nuanced performances. He has guest starred on such series as Seinfeld, Highway to Heaven and Hart to Hart. In addition to his television career, Reynolds also makes time for his role as co-artistic director of the Fremont Centre Theatre, which he runs with his wife, actress Lissa Layng. Reynolds has also lent his considerable talents to directing and has helmed productions of The Tangled Snarl and Murder Me Once, which was named “Critic’s Choice” by the Los Angeles Times and Backstage West. Aside from his artistic endeavors, Reynolds remains committed to his charity work for such organizations as Ronald McDonald House and the USO and, with Ms. Layng, finds deep fulfillment in giving back to their local and national communities.
Part of Cape May Stage’s inaugural Second Stage Broadway Series, And Where She Stops Nobody Knows will run Monday, July 5th at 8:00pm at the Robert Shackleton Playhouse at the corner of Bank & Lafayette Streets in downtown Cape May. Tickets are $50, and include an after party at the Wine Bar at the Washington Inn, Cape May’s new hip, relaxing, contemporary meeting place at the corner of Washington and Jefferson Streets. There, you’ll have a chance to mingle with the stars of the show, while enjoying delicious complimentary finger foods and a well-stocked cash bar. Call (609) 884-1341 for reservations and information or visit the theatre’s website, http://www.capemaystage.com/.
Cape May Stage’s Second Stage Series is presented through the gracious support of Chris and Dave Clemans.
Can't wait to see this show!
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