Mad Anthony Theatre Company Presents the Regional Premiere of SCOTT AND HEM by Mark St. Germain

HAMILTON, Ohio - April 28, 2016 - PRLog -- The year is 1937, and novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald is holed up in a Hollywood villa, trying to finish a screenplay and stay on the wagon while a raucous July 4th party unfolds beneath his balcony. When Ernest Hemingway enters, the real fireworks begin. Their encounter sparks a rambling conversation that ranges from alcoholism and insanity to death and homosexuality. Their egos are larger than the Hollywoodland sign outside the window. They drop names and one-liners. But for all their swagger and luster, the two writers are haunted by the nagging fear that they are out of words. Scott and Hem is a drama about the cost of love, friendship, and the price of being a writer. Director Adam Drake explains, "SCOTT AND HEM is about the last meeting of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway in Hollywood in 1937.  This play depicts the culmination of a very turbulent friendship.  By this point, Hemingway is at the top of his game, while Fitzgerald is at the end of career… and nearing the end of his life.  Audiences will get to delve deep into these men's lives, their thought processes, and their struggles with their personal demons.  Not only will they see what writing was like for these men, but audiences will get an intimate sense of their deep friendship and their personal obligations and responsibilities.  SCOTT AND HEM will allow audiences into a living room and will give them (literally) a ring side seat into the lives and minds of the two greatest writers of the 20^th Century."

The cast includes Thurman Allen as ERNEST HEMINGWAY, Peter Merten as F. SCOTT FITZGERALD, and Jen Drake as EVE MONTAIGNE.  SCOTT AND HEM is Produced and Directed by Adam Drake.

Thurman Allen portrays Ernest Hemingway and shares, "As an English teacher and an actor, the opportunity to play Ernest Hemingway hits a sweet spot. As an actor, I have rarely had the chance to play an actual person. So it's a challenge to make sure you play him right without simply mimicking him. I hope the character feels like Hemingway more than being a carbon copy of him. As an English teacher, getting to bring this giant of American literature to life reminds me of the connection between writers' lives and their works. It feels like Hemingway himself was often playing the character of "Hemingway," portraying himself in the media as he wanted to be seen. But his life was quite different than his persona - something we probably all know about."

F. Scott Fitzgerald is played by Peter Merten, who says, "My Character, F Scott Fitzgerald, is a name that needs very little introduction as his landmark book "The Great Gatsby" made him a household name, and still is today.  The years since Gatsby was a runaway hit have not been kind to Scott.  He has battled alcoholism and has recently had his wife committed to a mental hospital in Asheville NC.  His book "Tender Is The Night" that followed Gatsby was not a hit and he is earning money by adapting books for the Movie Studios, and writing short stories for Colliers Magazine.  He is at a low point when Hemingway blows into his bungalow with an agenda that will shake them both to their cores.  I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about the complex life of Fitzgerald, and giving a voice to his struggles."

Jen Drake adds, "My character, Miss Eve Montaigne, is a personal assistant to Mr. Mayer at MGM and is holed up with F. Scott Fitzgerald to type up the pages and keep him on track as he's adapting a novel into a screenplay.  She's had great success in recommending scripts that actually get produced which, for a woman in 1937, is no easy feat.  She's very much a power player and would like to keep it that way.  Hemingway's arrival jeopardizes that, so she does as much as she can to make it abundantly clear that Hemingway is not welcome through deadpan humor and not-so-subtle jabs.  It's a fun role to play, sometimes acting as taskmaster, referee, and also showing vulnerability as she reveals more about herself. "

Don't miss this riveting drama about two larger than life literary giants!  SCOTT AND HEM will be performed May 12-15, 2016 at the Fitton Center for Creative Arts, 101 S. Monument Avenue in Hamilton, Ohio.  Tickets are only $10.00 + $1.00 service fee and can be purchased online at http://www.fittoncenter.org.

Series Sponsor: The Michael J. Colligan History Project at Miami University

Event Sponsor - Sara Carruthers

Mad Anthony is the Fitton Center's resident theatre company. It includes a team of semi-professional directors, designers and actors. They provide theatrical productions, which include controversial issues that provide entertainment and provoke thought and feature new writing and emerging talent.

About The Fitton Center for Creative Arts

The Fitton Center for Creative Arts is a not-for-profit community arts center featuring a variety of programs, including: visual and performing arts classes, exhibitions, entertainment and theatre productions for all ages. The Fitton Center's purpose is to provide unique arts experiences and to "build community excellence through arts and culture." The Fitton Center would like to extend its gratitude to ArtsWave, the Hamilton Community Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council for their ongoing support