William Missouri Downs, born in 1955, is an American author, screenwriter, comedian, actor, director and producer. He said he became a writer because he was good at nothing else. Having lost his occasional employment, he moved to Los Angeles. There he graduated from the UCLA with a degree in screenwriting. While still a film school student, he won numerous awards for his screenplays, including the Jack Nicholson Award.
He started out in Hollywood as a production assistant on a film set, and also studied sitcom writing. His body of work includes seventeen plays and comedies. He has won numerous American awards. His plays are often performed in America, as well as in Spain, Canada, Russia, Singapore, the UAE, Switzerland, Austria, Israel, India and South Korea. He was recently shortlisted for the Nick Darke Award at the Royal Court Theatre in London. Cockeyed will be his first play staged in Slovenia.
Cockeyed (2007) is a classically written comedy, combining elements of situational and verbal comedy, comedy of manners, and also of detective story and romantic thriller. Phil is a nice young man holding a degree in philosophy, he works as an assistant to Norman, an accountant in a company. He is madly in love with his boss’s secretary Sophia, who also has a degree in philosophy. He dreams of their future together and a happy life. His infatuation is a source of amusement for the whole company. Sophia, of course, knows nothing about this. She doesn’t know Phil, moreover, she has no idea he exists. She is determined to marry her boss, who, although not as nice as Phil, might apparently be able to give her a happy and easy life. But this doesn’t stop Phil. He wants to prove that he can be a good match for the beautiful Sophia, and that can win her attention, affection and love. But there’s the rub: in spite of his numerous attempts, Sophia doesn't even notice Phil, he is completely invisible to her. In her world, Phil does not exist, they seem to live in parallel realities. In her private world, she is focused on her future with her boss, while Phil is pining for her, and somewhere there is a woman who is pining for Phil's attention, but of course he doesn't have a clue about her existence.
This funny comedy full of twists, turns, coincidences and absurd misunderstandings will appeal to a wide audience.
Sophia doesn't even notice Phil, he’s completely invisible to her, as if they lived in parallel realities.
Translator Tina Mahkota
Director Luka Marcen
Dramaturg Tatjana Doma
Set Designer Sara Slivnik
Costume Designer Ana Janc
Composer Mitja Vrhovnik Smrekar
Stage movement Lara Ekar Grlj
Language Consultant Živa Čebulj
Lighting Designer Andrej Hajdinjak
Assistant to Language Consultant Eva Pori
Cast
Phil Žan Brelih Hatunić
Sophia Lucija Harum
Marley Aljoša Koltak
Norman Lovro Zafred
Employees Đorđe Dimitrijević, as guest, David Vitez, as guest
Opening Night 14 October 2022
Performance duration: 1 hour 10 minutes. No interval.
Cockeyed is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc., www.concordtheatricals.com.
THE VIDEOTAPING OR MAKING OF ELECTRONIC OR OTHER AUDIO AND/OR VISUAL RECORDINGS OF THIS PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTING RECORDINGS OR STREAMS IN ANY MEDIUM, INCLUDING THE INTERNET, IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED, A VIOLATION OF THE AUTHOR(S)’S RIGHTS AND ACTIONABLE UNDER UNITED STATES COPYRIGHT LAW. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT: https://concordtheatricals.com/resources/protecting-artists.
Stage Manager Anže Čater • Prompter Simona Krošl • Lighting Master Denis Kresnik • Sound Master Drago Radaković • Property Master Manja Vadla • Front-of-house David Vitez • Make-up Artists Marjana Sumrak, Andreja Veselak Pavlič • Wardrobe Masters Mojca Panič, Suzana Pučnik • Tailor Anita Kragelj • Seamstress Ivica Vodovnik • Head of Construction Gregor Prah • Technical Manager Aleksandra Štern • Assistant Technical Manager Rajnhold Jelen
