Rob Couhig
&
Roch E. G. Eshleman
in association with
Evangeline Entertainment,
Greenlight Operations
&
The Bayou Playhouse
present
The HALIFAX THEATRE COMPANY production of
The Kingfish
By Larry L. King & Ben Z. Grant
With
John McConnell
Directed by Perry Martin
WHO’S WHO
John McConnell (Huey P. Long) was born and raised in Bayou country and holds a Master’s degree in acting from L.S.U. His career has taken him to Hollywood for three seasons on the ABC’s hit comedy Roseanne. McConnell has over 100 film, television, stand up comedy, voice over and stage performances to his credit. Best known for his theatrical portrayals of Louisiana’s most colorful politicians, his most memorable roles include Huey P. Long in his triumphant Off-Broadway production of The Kingfish and Earl K. Long in the smash hit 3-year Southern tour of Earl Long in Purgatory. Besides being a favorite in Southern-based film and stage productions, John is also a living landmark, honored with a life-sized bronze statue on New Orleans’ historic Canal Street commemorating his portrayal of Ignatius J. Reilly from the stage adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel, A Confederacy of Dunces. But it’s on his weekday radio talk show that Spud really shines. John is the number one Arbitron rated talk host in his time slot and was recently honored by Gambit Weekly and New Orleans Magazine as one of the best talk hosts and shows in New Orleans. John "Spud" McConnell hosts WWL’s Talk Gumbo weekdays from 1pm to 4pm on WWL-AM-FM & WWL.com. John is married to actress Maureen McConnell and together they have 3 children.
Larry L. King (Co-Author) with Ben Z. Grant of The Kingfish, has written 14 books and these additional plays: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, The Night Hank Williams Died, The Golden Shadows Old West Museum, The Dead Presidents’ Club, and a one-act play Christmas 1933. He co-authored the screenplay for the movie The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. The Larry L. King Theater was dedicated in Austin, Texas in 2006. Larry is the only writer to be nominated for a Broadway Tony, a television Emmy and a National Book Award. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife-lawyer-agent Barbara S. Blaine.
Ben Z. Grant (Co-Author) with Larry L. King of The Kingfish has written six additional plays. His most recent novel is The Wolf Has No Pillow. Ben grew up in Vernon Parish, LA. He attended Panola College, Northwestern State University and the University of Texas School of Law. He has served in the Texas Legislature, as District Judge, and on the Texas Court of Appeals. He now resides in Marshall, Texas. His daughter, Brea, is an actress in movies and on television. His son, Zane, writes comic books in New York City.
Perry Martin (Producer / Director) is the President of Evangeline Entertainment, a company that offers development & consulting services for the theatre, concert, television, film, talent & facility management industries. He is the Producing Artistic Director for the Halifax Theatre Co. & the Bayou Playhouse. National television appearances include; CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt, ABC Nightly News & CNN. Mr. Martin was awarded a National Telly Award for Advertising and continues to participate as an annual judge for the Daytime Emmy Awards. New York theatrical credits include: The Kingfish, as well as the world premieres of A Different Woman & Mirrors Of Chartres Street. He was the developmental consultant for the National tour of Smoke & Mirrors, starring Anthony Herrera of As The World Turns. Mr. Martin has directed & produced over 80 theatrical productions including the world premieres of Earl Long in Purgatory, Miz Caraway & the Kingfish, Spiritual Gifts, Tant Que Durera La Terre, A Confederacy of Dunces, Floating Palace and 5 newly discovered Tennessee Williams plays. His award winning regional premieres include; The Beauty Queen of Leenane, A Walk in the Woods, Filumena, Okra, All My Sons, The Great Big Doorstep, Tiger Tail, I Can’t Imagine Tomorrow, Burn This, and The Playboy of the Western World. Perry also directed all 5 productions for the Bayou Playhouse’s premier season including the Pulitzer Prize nominated Rising Water. He is currently writing his first novel, A Blur in the Eye of the Storm, a tragic-comic account of his 10 day adventure which started with his 2005 Off Broadway world premiere of A Different Woman and then continues back in Louisiana while stranded in the French Quarter during the devastating landfall and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Perry Martin is visually impaired, thus the novel’s title.
Karissa Kary (Producer / Company Manager) is an avid writer of fiction and non-fiction, co-founder and management consultant for Greenlight Operations and a Founder and producing managing director for Halifax Theatre Company, a regional touring company which most recently opened the Bayou Playhouse. Ms. Kary has been the production manager of numerous staged productions including five previously unpublished one-acts by Tennessee Williams and for years she worked as the associate director for the celebrated Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival and as an organizer with Saints and Sinners Literary Festival, both of which take place in the French Quarter of New Orleans every spring. She has organized literary scavenger hunts in the New Orleans French Quarter, bluegrass festivals in the Missouri Ozarks, appeared in film and stage productions in China, London, and Argentina, and annually attempts to unite all winged, magical, and mythical creatures as they march in the New Orleans Mardi Gras Krewe du Faye Fairy Parade.
Rob Couhig (Executive Producer) graduated with a Bachelor of Science in International Economic Affairs from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in 1971. He received his Juris Doctorate from Tulane University in 1975. He is a member of the Louisiana, Texas, Colorado and District of Columbia Bars. Mr. Couhig has handled matters before each of Louisiana's five Courts of Appeals and its Supreme Court, the United States Third, Fifth, Sixth and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeals and has had the privilege of arguing before the United States Supreme Court. In 2003, he founded Couhig Partners. Rob Couhig was responsible for moving baseball's Triple A Zephyrs to New Orleans and created the public-private partnership that built the new baseball park. He served as President of the organization from 1993 – 2000. He has successfully invested in Earl Long in Purgatory, All My Sons and A Confederacy of Dunces. He was also the owner of City Art, a privately financed art studio housing nearly 20 commercially viable artists. In 2006, Mr. Couhig ran for Mayor of the City of New Orleans. His performance on a national debate on MSNBC caused moderator and Hardball host Chris Matthews to name Couhig the clear winner of the debate. He frequently appears on WWL 870 as a guest and often as a fill-in host. Mr. Couhig has been honored to be selected as a Role Model by the Young Leadership Counsel of New Orleans, which appeared as the cover story in both "New Orleans Magazine" and "Biz New Orleans". "New Orleans Magazine" selected Mr. Couhig as one of the People to Watch in 1997 and, in 1998, was selected as New Orleanian of the Year by "Gambit Magazine".
Ericca Sadler (Stage Manager) launched her career in Theater performing children’s educational musicals for the Indianapolis Zoo. She also worked at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, developing and performing educational presentations incorporating “live artifacts” such as Charlie the 14 ft. boa constrictor. In New Orleans, Ericca began stage managing with R.J. Tsarov’s Otherwise Harmless at One Eyed Jack's, as well as working with Natasha Ramer and Moscow Nights. With the Tennessee Williams Festival, Ericca has staged managed at Le Petite Theater, and the Artlab with Dramarama. She has studied Theater at Delgado Community College.
Ron Ari Goldberg (Scenic Design) has been designing and building sets for film, TV and theatre for more than 20 years. He enjoys creating miniatures, prosthetics and special FX as he continues to push the boundaries of commercial sculpture. Living now in New Orleans Ron has worked in Philadelphia, NYC, Los Angeles, England and China. www.GrimmIndustries.net
Dan Zimmer (Lighting Design) received his formal training in design at New York’s Studio and Forum of Stage Design. His local designs have been seen at the Beverly Dinner Playhouse, Rivertown Repertory Theatre, Le Petit and the CAC. He has also served as lighting designer and production manager for the New Orleans Ballet Association, the New Orleans Opera, New Orleans Ballet Theatre and the Delta Festival Ballet. Mr. Zimmer is currently a faculty member of the Theatre Arts Department at NOCCA|Riverfront
Marcus Stanley (Audio Design) has been designing and engineering audio in New Orleans for over 7 years. In that time he has designed over 40 productions. Most recently he has designed Stripped at the New Orleans Fringe Festival, Tant Que Durera la Terre & Rising Water at The Bayou Playhouse, and Getting’ Dirty with Guy Camaro at La Nuit. Marcus has also served as a technical director for the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival since 2006 and for the much missed DramaRama. Marcus received a BA in Theater Arts at Loyola University (’06).
Jim Fields (Archival Photographer) is a graduate of Nicholls State University in Business Administration. Jim began his photography career at age 6. Also a life-long musician, he has toured and recording with famed Louisiana artist Doug Kershaw. Jim began working in multi-media in school. Fields, who does freelance video production under his own company, Mind’s Eye Productions, has also worked in various capacities on a number of feature films, such as Because of Winn Dixie, A Lesson Before Dying, and Crazy in Alabama, as well as several documentaries, including an Assistant Director position on the IM d winning AX film Hurricane on the Bayou. Jim Fields is currently Production Supervisor and an award-winning Producer at Charter Media in Thibodaux,
Huey P. Long (1893 – 1935) Born in Winn Parish, the center of the “Populist” movement in Louisiana, Long grew up surrounded by rural poverty and the simmering bitterness of a farm belt depression. He dropped out of high school his senior year to peddle cooking oil and patent medicines within the large expanse of territory between Houston and Memphis, while he learned the necessary political skills of persuasiveness, showmanship and crowd-gathering. After studying law at Tulane University he started a legal practice in Winnfield and Shreveport. In 1918 he won election to a seat on the State Railroad Commission. As its Chairman during the early 1920’s, he championed the interest of utility customers, passengers on common carriers and lowered telephone, gas and electric rates. He lost his first race for Governor in 1924, but won in 1928. His campaign song and platform, “Every Man a King,” brought such "radical” reforms to the people as free schoolbooks, toll-free highways and bridges, public works projects, hospitals and a State University. While still Governor, he ran for the U.S. Senate and was elected in 1932. Although he was an early supporter of FDR, he soon parted ways with the President and offered “Share the Wealth” programs to rival the "New Deal”. His rabble-rousing style and homespun homilies earned him a variety of monikers from friends and foes alike: "Tinpot Napoleon.” "Messiah of the Rednecks," "Rustic Caesar,” but he preferred to be called “The Kingfish”. His extraordinary life came to an end suddenly and violently when he was assassinated in the State Capital on the night of September 8, 1935, by Carl Weiss, a Baton Rouge physician and son-In-law of a local anti-Long judge. The continuing controversies surrounding Long’s assassination and the question of whether or not Dr. Weiss was actually the Kingfish’s assailant stirs heated debate to this day.
