2026
May 10 @ 2:00pm
May 17 @ 2:00pm
Performances:
Apr. 30-2, 7-9, 14-16, 21-23
Shows start at 7:30 PM
Matinee:
Sunday, May 10th @ 2:00pm and Sunday, May 17th @ 2:00pm
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The Story:
Under the glare of studio lights, a floundering nobody named Eldon Phelps is thrust into sudden celebrity when a television producer offers him a macabre bargain: one million dollars to spend in a single week, after which he must die. What begins as a carnival of cash and reckless generosity quickly warps into a spectacle of greed, voyeurism, and moral decay, as friends and strangers alike claw for their piece of Eldon’s fleeting fortune. With every indulgence broadcast to a hungry nation, Eldon’s humanity flickers against the relentless machinery of entertainment, until the final day forces both him and his audience to confront the true cost of turning death into prime-time amusement.
Director’s Notes
I HATE “Reality TV”! The first “Reality Show” I ever watched was Season One of “Survivor” back in 2000. It was a unique concept at the time and I would join a group of friends to watch every Wednesday night. The contestants were real people, representing a wide age range (22-72) and various levels of fitness. They weren’t professional models with perfect teeth and ripped physiques, but everyday people with everyday jobs. One of the contestants was an older, local real estate agent in our comparatively small city of Walnut Creek. It was exciting to gather every week to watch them compete to see who could build a primitive shelter the fastest or eat the gnarliest-looking bugs. It was fascinating to watch their interactions as they formed alliances with each other to get others voted out of the competition. A veritable human nature laboratory, every action and word being captured on tape.
I can’t remember if it was the third or fourth week when something started to feel off for me. Though they were trying to present these people as isolated, fighting for survival on a remote island in Borneo, it occurred to me that they weren’t alone, that there were multiple cameras recording the events, along with a soundperson(s), lighting, production assistants, maybe an intimacy coordinator, a doctor and/or nurse/ EMT, and craft services (food) for the entire production crew. They were not alone! And then I started noticing continuity problems, where they’re doing jump cuts back and forth between people in quick fashion, but you never see a camera person in the background. The angles didn’t make sense if the show was truly being filmed live. Being a photographer & videographer, I even tried to set-up a few of the shots to see if I could recreate the shot sequences. I was becoming obsessed with trying to figure out what I was actually watching. I would ask questions during the show, things like, “Have you ever noticed how, every time they spin the roulette wheel, it lands on a bug or critter (that they’d then have to consume) regardless of how many empty spaces are on the wheel?” “Well, they cut out the bad spins so the audience doesn’t get bored!” “I understand that, but if a contestant hits an empty space, shouldn’t that mean they shouldn’t have to eat anything? The producers are manipulating this event so that each contestant has to eat something nasty, laws of probability be damned! It’s not real!!! It’s contrived! It’s not a real game, just entertainment!” I felt scammed and I was pissed that the producers thought that they could fool us that easily. I was also frustrated that it didn’t bother my friends that they were being duped! I would vigorously point out tiny details that nobody else saw, or cared about (fun fact: I hadn’t at that point in my life been diagnosed as a high-masking neurodivergent, so my behavior seemed totally normal… to me).
It was around that time that I stopped getting invited to these gatherings: I was a little hurt from a social perspective, but not sad about missing the show. My thoughts and feelings were eventually corroborated by Newsweek magazine the following year through a series of articles outlining how audiences were being manipulated, how PA’s were creating drama and telling falsehoods behind the scenes to get the contestants more agitated and combative towards each other. Sadly, the trend continued to grow, resulting in shows about people getting married on the first date, surviving naked in the wilderness, marrying millionaires dressed as hobos, ad infinitum, ad nauseum… The last segment I saw in the “Reality” realm was the infamous Bear Grylls leaping majestically over hot lava, advising the home audience to not try this at home (not that running lava flows are present in most peoples’ homes), that only a trained survivalist such as himself should attempt such acts of daredevilry! Whatever… I was, however, extremely impressed with his camera person, who was running alongside him, leaping over the same hot lava, all the while carrying a camera and keeping it aimed at him during the entire take without jump cuts or sneaky edits. That was truly impressive and that person deserves a raise!
My Father was a physicist and from a very young age, I was familiar with something called the “Observer Effect” (often erroneously attributed to Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle), which basically states that a system can be disturbed by the simple act of observing it. Nowhere is this more obvious (unless you work at an accelerator and observe sub-atomic-level collisions on a daily basis!) than when you point a camera at someone. I offer as evidence any photograph taken of me as a child (defined as 5-55+). To my Mother’s chagrin, almost every photo she ever took of me featured me morphing my face into something I thought was hilarious! I couldn’t resist the urge! And so it is with reality programming: having the cameras present make people, whether they realize it or not, act/talk/stand/react differently than they would in actual reality.
Fast forward 25 years: I find myself reading a script titled, “The Dead Guy”, about a reality show in which a young man, given $1,000,000 and seven days to spend it, is subject to the whims of a fickle television audience who gets to choose the method of his demise. This play contains all of the necessary elements of a contemporary reality show, complete with manipulations by the showrunner, family and friends distracted by the cameras and not behaving normally, and even product placements related to the commercials that air during the broadcast! Yes, I thought, this play was written for me!
This play emphasizes the depths to which a person might go in search of what Andy Warhol referred to as their fifteen minutes of fame. I’m hard pressed to assign it the moniker of parody or satire: It’s really a satirical parody of a specific genre. And though presented primarily as a dark comedy, it has very serious undertones which require significant emotional range on the part of the actors. And unlike most reality shows, I am blessed with a cast that exemplifies this perfectly. Only a month into rehearsals, my cast and crew have continued to exceed my expectations in their passion and effort, and I appreciate their patience while I toy with some groundbreaking (for Theatre West) effects that include live video feeds and pre-recorded featurettes and commercials. I am so proud to be part of such a wonderful group, and I am so excited to see the final product!
Brandon Batson
as Eldon Phelps
About Brandon Batson:
Brandon’s previous stint here at Theatre West was in the 2025 production of Moon Over Buffalo, playing the role of Paul. He also recently took part in the live radio show performance of It’s A Wonderful Life at the Lincoln City Cultural Center. Outside of the theatre, Brandon is an aspiring health and wellness coach. He’s passionate about helping others. He would like to thank Theatre West President, Jason Kutchma, for initially luring him into an audition last summer at Beachcrest Brewing Company. Brandon couldn’t say no to a beer and now has found himself entrenched in the theatre community.
Brandon is also passionate about wellness as he’s a certified Health and Wellness Coach. He would like to thank the team here at Theatre West for this opportunity and for all the support that’s been provided by his peers in this lovely town.
Mary Griffith
as Gina
About Mary Griffith:
Mary is thrilled to join the talented cast and crew of The Dead Guy. She was most recently seen onstage as Charlotte in Moon Over Buffalo last summer here at Theatre West, where she can also be occasionally found manning the light and sound booth. Ms. Griffith comes to us originally from San Antonio, TX, where she was the executive director of the Overtime Theater. She has numerous theatrical credits, but one of her favorite roles there was a two-year stint portraying the villainous Lady Isabella in the long running sci-fi stage serial, Captain Cortez and the Tri-Lambda Brigade. Mary wishes to dedicate this performance to the memory of M.M.’s youthful exuberance – RIP.
Chandler Trotter
as Dougie
About Chandler Trotter:
Having just moved to Lincoln City in September of 2025, it has been a wonderful experience to be part of Theater West. Everyone has been so welcoming and kind; it really has made me feel like a member of the community in such a short time. Having been an understudy and helping backstage during Sunshine Boys really made me realize how much I missed being part of the theater. It gives me a chance to express myself while having fun. I am privileged to be working with so many talented and wonderful people as we bring this current production to life (pun intended) and I hope everyone who comes and watches enjoys it.
Jayne Calkins
as Roberta Phelps/Nancy
About Jayne Calkins:
Jayne previously appeared as Ethel in Theatre West’s 2025 Moon Over Buffalo. Other credits include Pearl in The Prisoner of Second Avenue, Penelope in See How They Run, and the teacher in the film Draw, Don’t Speak. She studied acting at Santa Barbara City College, where she played Dorothy in The Shock of Recognition. Jayne was one of the regular stand-up comics appearing at the Second Story in Santa Barbara, where she also dabbled in improv. As she pursues her love of acting, Jayne is grateful for the encouragement of her husband Dan, and their daughters Quinn and Phoebe.
Cody Blake
as Virgil Phelps
About Cody Blake:
Cody Blake is proud to be performing in his second stage production, The Dead Guy. Drawn to storytelling and creative expression, he enjoys the opportunity theater provides to explore new perspectives and connect with audiences. He’s grateful to be part of this production and hopes you enjoy the show.
Theatre West welcomes him, is thrilled to have him join our troop of actors and looks forward to seeing him in many more productions.
Marni Stone
as Christy/Woman #1
About Marni Stone:
Marni is thrilled to be making her Theatre West debut! Receiving her MA in Theatre Performance from the University at Buffalo, Marni has performed on stages in both New York and SoCal. Past credits include: Parade (Ensemble), American Psycho (Jean), Anything Goes (Bonnie), American Idiot (Ensemble), Dreamgirls (Ensemble), The Laramie Project (Romaine Patterson), Julius Caesar (Calpurnia), and The Shape of Things (Evelyn). Marni would like to thank her family and friends for their love and support!
Keith Hutchinson
as Security Guard/Leon
About Keith Hutchinson:
Keith Hutchinson returns to the Theatre West stage after appearing as Lt. Rooney in Arsenic and Old Lace and as the Stage Director’s voice in The Sunshine Boys. Just over a year ago, Keith relocated to Lincoln City from St. Augustine, Florida, in a literal “Coast to Coast” move. Keith and his wife Allison live on a cliff in a 1950’s Fixer-Upper with a view of the Pacific.
Naomi Fast
as Woman #2/Sheila
About Naomi Fast:
You may remember Naomi from such roles as the waffle-making, glass-shattering mom in The Subject Was Roses, and the highly strung but cooperative maid in Angel Street. The Dead Guy is Naomi’s third time onstage at Theatre West. As a lifelong student of theatre, she has enjoyed portraying such a range of characters here in Lincoln City with such talented theatre folks. Naomi would like to thank her husband and Trillium Natural Foods for their support of community theatre. It takes a village to put on a play!
Lewis Smith
Director
About Lewis Smith:
Lewis was last seen on the Theatre West stage as Teddy in Arsenic & Old Lace. Previous Theatre West credits include the inebriated-adjacent priest in Harold & Maude, Benny in Epic Proportions, & Felix in The Odd Couple. Other local endeavors have included directing and performing in the live radio presentation of It’s a Wonderful Life at the Lincoln City Cultural Center and the Travel Oregon 2016 Hidden Gem Award-winning A Tour to Die For. Other favorite credits include Petruccio in both Kiss Me, Kate & Taming of the Shrew, South Pacific (Billis) and Othello (Othello… yes, with lots of makeup!) His other performance experience includes ballets, music, & commercials, along with several 2-second stints as an extra in films such as What Dreams May Come, Rent, & XXX: State of the Union. Lewis was a member of Batucaje, an Afro-Brazilian dance and music ensemble based in San Francisco, Motu’aina, a Tahitian drum & dance group, and a street performer with a Berkeley-based improv and mime troupe. When time allows, he teaches Improv, Tahitian Drumming, and self-defense at OCCC. Lewis is extremely pleased and honored to be working with such a talented and passionate cast and crew! “Scrooge McDuck, man!!!”
Frank Ward
Assistant Director
About Frank Ward:
With a move to Lincoln City in 2021, Frank was immediately drawn to Theatre West. Frank’s recent credits include President Harding in Camping with Henry and Tom, Mr. Witherspoon in Arsenic & Old Lace, and Candy in Of Mice and Men and Legionnaire in What The Constitution Means To Me at Newport’s PAC. Frank loves the beach and taking on his new role as husband to his beautiful and wonderful bride, Janet. He spends much of his time building things like boats and other woodworking projects as well as a mix of hobbies which include rowing, traveling, and playing the ukulele, disc golf, and pickleball (not all at the same time…yet). Frank is looking forward to directing a staged reading of Terra Nova here in June.
Dave Jones
Stage Manager
About Dave Jones:
Dave has been involved in over 35 plays in the last 25 plus years at Theatre West and at the Oakley Valley Arts Council in Idaho. He enjoys the backstage logistics involved with putting on a play almost as much as being onstage. When Lewis called Dave and asked him to be his stage manager/props guy for The Dead Guy, he was happy to help out. He thanks his play widow wife for being a supporter of his theatrics addiction. He is a semi-retired CPA whose tax preparation income supports his ocean fishing addiction. He hopes you enjoy the show. Fish on!