Circumference of a Squirrel
A one man play written by John Walch, performed by Gavin Hawk
The Studio@620 presents Circumference of a Squirrel by John Walch, a one-man play performed by Gavin Hawk, with direction by Larry Silverberg. 
About the play:
Meet Chester, a young man with many obsessions: his father, his mother, his ex-wife, the virology of rabies, and most importantly... squirrels.
Circles, both real and figurative, whirl out of control in this darkly comic one-man show. And at the center of them all sits an enigmatic squirrel. Orbiting that squirrel is Chester, a self-described rodentophobe who spins the outlandish, funny, and bruising tale of growing up with a father who developed a rabid hatred for squirrels -- a hatred that eventually infected every aspect of his and his son's life. Pursued by memories of his intolerant father and the legacy of bigotry, Chester is pulled into the black hole at the center of his own life where he encounters the mistakes, the fears, the guilt, and the humanity that make him whole again.
About the Actor:
Gavin Hawk, Eckerd College Assistant Professor of Theatre, Acting/Directing, holds a Diploma in Acting from The Juilliard School and a M.F.A. in Acting/Directing from California State University, Long Beach. Gavin is a former member of the California Repertory Company, which received the Polly Warfield Award from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle. Gavin has been a teaching artist at Eckerd College for the past two years, and is proud to have helped co-found The True Acting Institute at Eckerd College with Larry Silverberg. In addition to teaching the Meisner Approach, Gavin specializes in Mask work in actor training, specifically Neutral, Full-Face and Half-Face Character Masks, which he has taught in various workshops around the country. He learned his unique approach at The Juilliard School from Pierre Lefevre, who was a disciple of Michel Saint-Denis. In addition to teaching Mask, he is also a Maskmaker, and has created masks for shows at The California Repertory Company and Cal State Long Beach's Opera Division.
Theatre: BAY AREA IMPROV THEATRE (Galaxy Center for the Performing Arts), 10X10 PLAY FESTIVAL (American Stage), GROSS INDECENCY (Huntington Theater), OVER THE TAVERN II: KING & THE MOON (Pittsburgh Public, Studio Arena), REFUGE (Soho Rep), CIDER HOUSE RULES (California Repertory Company), LOVE, BUKOWSKI (California Repertory Company) Television: T.H.E.M. (NBC) ?Directing: RECKLESS (Eckerd College), BETRAYAL (Asst. Director, American Stage), A STONE THAT SINGS (Eckerd College), ALICE THROUGH GLASS (Eckerd College), DEBT (CSULB), THE DUMB WAITER (CSULB), ETUDES AND CONVERSATIONS (CSULB) ?Writing: ALICE THROUGH GLASS (Eckerd College), (M)ASKING QUESTIONS (CSULB).
About the Director:
Larry Silverberg is one of the world's foremost authorities on the Sanford Meisner
technique of acting through his internationally acclaimed four volume series, “The
Sanford Meisner Approach: An Actors Workbook,” and his book, “Loving To Audition.”
Larry’s newest book has just been released, “The 7 Simple Truths of Acting for the Teen
Actor.”
Larry is a graduate of the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre where he studied
with legendary acting teacher, Sanford Meisner. Since then, Larry has worked
professionally as an actor and director across the United States and in Canada. Most
recently, he received high praise from the New York Times for his performance as “Don”
in Athol Fugard’s “People Are Living There” at The Signature Theater in New York City,
and he won the Seattle Critic’s Association “Stellar Acting Award” for his portrayal of
“Teach” in the Belltown Theatre Center production of “American Buffalo”.
Larry is Founder and Director of The True Acting Institute at Eckerd College where he
offers his "Teaching The Meisner Approach Certificate Program" for acting teachers and
his "College Actor Master Class." Larry has been very busy touring Europe, Canada,
South America and the US, teaching acting in his renowned professional actors training
program, “The Meisner Master Class” which he brings to universities, colleges and
professional acting studios around the globe. Larry has also been teaching his "Teen
Actor Master Class" at high schools all across the United States.
Larry's has also been busy leading his newest workshop, “The Way Back Out” an
empowering and transformational seminar aimed at freeing the authentic expression of
people in all fields. Please visit http://www.thewaybackout.com to learn more about this
exciting event. Larry has also recently launched "College Acting Programs.Com", his
website devoted to helping high school actors find the best college acting programs.
The website address is http://www.collegeactingprograms.com.
Larry can be contacted through his own web site address, http://www.actorscraft.com or
emailed at [email protected]
In the Press:
"Circumference of a Squirrel is not only a genuine play, it's one with substance... Every line rings true, every inflection has meaning."--Lawson Taitte, Dallas Morning News
"Warm, edgy and ultimately thought-provoking...an artful blend of the comic and cosmic."--Ed Kauffman, Hollywood Reporter
"If Circumference of a Squirrel sounds a bit wacky -- a story about an inner tube, a bagel, a donut, a lifesaver, and a squirrel -- that's probably because it is. This one-man show with bite ... employs different voices for each character and pulls off the conceit with flair... John Walch's somewhat absurd play is captivating -- and fun."--Gretchen C. Van Benthuysen, Back Stage
"Poignant and telling at moments, the monologues are nonetheless nothing short of laugh-out-loud funny. From the origins of Rodentaphobia -- the fear of squirrels -- to Chester's final revelation about himself after his father's death, the introspective play keeps the audience entertained, light-hearted and giggly."--Lisa Gauthier, NUVO (Indianapolis)
"Painful memories, tempered by bittersweet rushes of levity and a hint of redemptive power, fill the 90 exhilarating minutes of John Walch's new play Circumference of a Squirrel."--Naomi Siegel, The New York Times