Tolstoy in Suffolk

“Set in Suffolk, England, on a stormy Guy Fawkes Night, Robert Allan Ackerman’s suspenseful two-hander echoes “Sleuth” and “Deathtrap.”
- LA Times 99 Seat Beat

“Writer/director Robert Allan Ackerman has a razor sharp wit and indelible grasp on the harsh nature of the film and theatre industries as well as the exacting toll it can take to create a good and popular work of art.”

“The production is an excellent example of how a good script, placed in the hand of an able director who works with seasoned actors, produces a funny, thought-provoking and entertaining work of art.”

-Tolucan TImes Review by M. Jarrett Christensen

"Though at times grim, Tolstoy manages to convey laughter in good taste. It is funny, when appropriate, and provoking when it needs it. A very good recipe for a wonderful show."

- All About the Stage by Mary E. Montoro

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Studio C Artist and Combined Artform present TOLSTOY IN SUFFOLK, written and directed by Robert Allan Ackerman, featuring Stephen Caffrey & JD Cullum, opening October 20th running through November 19th at Studio C - 6448 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles CA 90038.

Fresh from directing the production of “God Looked Away” at the Pasadena Playhouse, which starred Al Pacino, (which goes to Broadway in 2018), director and writer Robert Allan Ackerman (BLOOD - 5 Stage Raw Nominations), weaves a suspenseful and comical story, based on his real life experience.

Greg Berman, a stage and film director, is seeking the rights to produce and direct a stage version of the classic mystery novel, “Who’s That Knocking At My Door?” It turns out that the rights are owned by Brendhan Wren, an American ex-patriot living in Sussex, England.

Greg travels to Sussex where he finds Wren, himself a failed writer, living in a deserted farm house on the edge of nowhere. He also discovers that the ex-pat is an abusive, bullying drunk who is capable of sudden violent outbursts. Unfortunately, Wren is not happy about signing away his rights to the novel. What ensues, on a stormy Guy Fawkes night in Sussex, is a mental wrestling match (a la SLEUTH and DEATHTRAP) a dangerous cat and mouse game between the two men and the eventual unveiling of a deeply guarded secret involving sex, art, literature, forgery and the painter Francis Bacon.

This is Robert Allan Ackerman’s second outing as a playwright. The first was BLOOD with the Garage Company at the Complex Theater. Music by his son, Nicholas, Blood was a great critical success and received 5 Stage Raw nominations.

TOLSTOY IN SUFFOLK

Presented by Studio C Artists and Combined Artform

Written and directed by Robert Allan Ackerman

Starring Stephen Caffrey & JD Cullum

Produced by John Coppola, Matthew Quinn, Bertha Rodriguez, Diantha Lebenzon and Lyndall Hobbs.

Stage Manager Nick Foran

Production SM Dan O’Reilly
Lighting Design Donny Jackson
Set Decorator Kevin Bailey
Scenic Painter Lacey Anzelc
Sound Designer Joseph "Sloe" Slawinski
Props Janet Fontaine