A Very Nearly True Theatrical Fantasia
Written by P. Seth Bauer
Created by P. Seth Bauer & Joshua Spafford
"Dahlia" is an edge-of-your-seat coming of age story in which a young man grapples with the possibility that his beloved grandfather may also have committed the Black Dahlia murder, a notoriously grisly unsolved case from 1947. A surprising mix of pathos, deeply felt introspection, and black comedy, "Dahlia" is a soul-searching must-see.
Mark Nelson and Sarah H. Bayliss, authors of "Exquisite Corpse: Surrealism and the Black Dahlia Murder"
This is a fantasia of a play about a man, who upon learning some disturbing news about his Grandfather, revisits his past It's a blend of fact and pure fiction. It is a play about legacy and identity. This play is a does not suggest a new theory on who killed Elizabeth Short, aka the Black Dahlia in 1947. Some of the ideas it references might be new to viewer's of the play but certainly not to the millions of readers of Steve Hodel's bestselling book Black Dahlia Avenger.
Dahlia is a unique theatrical event - a multimedia whirlwind that blends fact and fiction in reaction to these real-life events. In this compelling drama/thriller, actor Joshua Hodel Spafford plays himself (the real-life grandson of Dr. George Hodel) searching to find peace with the father figures who (for better or worse) made him who he is today.
What would you do if your Grandfather was accused of being one of he most notorious murderers in American History? What if he made you who you were? Joshua Spafford was told all his life that he exhibited the best qualities of Dr. George Hodel - his charm, his strength - however, after George died, a few grisly possibilities came to light. Black Dahlia Avenger (New York Times Best-Selling Book and worldwide phenomenon) was published - naming Dr. Hodel as Elizabeth Short's notorious killer in one of the most enduring unsolved murder cases in American history- the infamous Black Dahlia Murder.
P. SETH BAUER (Playwright) ~ Seth was recently named one of the “People of the Year” for making an impact on the New York theatre scene. His plays include Early in the Mourning, Over the Line, Iphigenia, The Karma Cookie, The Umbrella Play, The Burglar of Suburbia and The Tip. In New York, his plays have been presented and developed by the New Group, Signature, EST, Epic Theatre Ensemble, TheAtrainplays, 24 Hour Play Co., The Lark, the WorkShop, PSNBC at HERE, Hypothetical, 78th St. Theatre Lab, Drilling Company, and Algonquin, among others. Regional credits include New York Stage and Film, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Sundance, Cleveland Public Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre, Eureka Stage, Hangar Theatre, Iron Wings Theatre Company, frontera@hydepark, 1812, Brat Productions, Capitol City Playhouse and George Street Playhouse. His work has also performed in the U.K., Germany, and Italy. His plays are published by Dramatists Play Service, Smith & Krause, Algon- quin, and New York Theatre Experience and Fisher Verlag. Screenwriting/TV credits: Wet, The Pilot, A.R.C., The Umbrella Story. He holds a B.A. from Oberlin, and an M.F.A. from University of Texas, where he was a James A. Michener fellow. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife Kaelynne and young son Simon and teaches playwriting at Temple University and University of the Arts.
JOSHUA SPAFFORD (Creator/Actor) ~ The New York Times has said of Joshua that he “brings to his roles a mania, merriment and mordancy unseen since the death of Raul Julia.” Josh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and his career has taken him to the Far East and Europe as well as the United States. Roles include Macbeth, Benedick and Oedipus for the British Council. In New York, Josh has played the title roles in Richard III (Gorilla Rep), Tamburlaine (Target Margin), Dear Judas (Verse TheaterManhattan), Othello (The Culture Project) and Pulitzer Prize winner Yusef Komunyakaa’s Gilgamesh. Other works with The Vineyard Theater, Classic Stage Company, Classical Theater of Harlem and Ma-Yo. Josh also starred in the Asian premieres of Angels in America, Les Miserables and An Inspector Calls. Josh has essayed new roles by Glynn Maxwell and Kirk Bromley (with he co-founded Inverse Theater – Best Downtown Theater Company, NY Press) and performed new works by Todd Alcott, Steven Fechter and Mac Wellman. Awards include: NYIT Outstanding Actor nomination, The Creative Guild Award (Best Commercial Actor), and the Philippine Free Press Award (Best Actor). He recently performed at the New Globe Theater Gala on a bill withEthan Hawke, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Michael Cerveris & Allan Cumming. Upcoming films include The Thomas Wilfred Story, playing Lumia inventor Tom Wilfred. He lives with his wife Jill and their two cats, Sailor and Gracie.