"Barrymore" by William Luce.
The Studio@620 presents Bob Heitman in the feature role of Barrymore; a play directed by Bob Devin Jones.
The Studio@620 invites you to Barrymore, a play about John Barrymore, 
the black sheep of America’s most illustrious acting family, written by William Luce. Celebrated for his charisma and matinee idol looks, Barrymore was, for awhile, America’s most popular actor. Famous for his stage roles in Richard III and Hamlet, he also made more than fifty films. But alcoholism soon dissipated his talents, and he became known more for his Falstaffian behavior and outrageous high jinx than for his art.
Featuring Bob Heitman as Barrymore and Greg Milton as The Prompter.
Directed by Bob Devin Jones
Costumes by Jessica Green
Set design and construction by Rich Agan and Jim Howell
About the Play
Barrymore is a one-person play by William Luce which depicts John Barrymore a few months before his death in 1942 rehearsing a revival of his 1920 Broadway triumph as Richard III. Barrymore's attempted revival of his Richard III never actually took place and was a device that was invented for the play, but it served as a dramatic framework for the actor to reminisce about various episodes in his life and about his career downslide due to alcoholism, his abandonment of the theatre and the squandering of his talents in the pursuit of fame, greed, and dissipation. He chronicles his ascendancy to the throne as the finest classical actor of his generation; his arrival to the pinnacle of movie stardom; his intimate and compassionate relationships with his sister, Ethel, and his brother, Lionel, and explosive debacles of his four marriages. Though classified as a one-person play, Barrymore actually makes frequent use of a second character, Frank the stage manager, who interacts with Barrymore over the theatre loudspeaker. The play was originally produced at the Stratford Festival of Canada in 1996 and went to Broadway the following year, winning Christopher Plummer a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for his performance as John Barrymore.
About the Actor
Bob Heitman is no stranger to "620" audiences, having performed in productions of "Permanent Collection", "Love Letters", and "C-A Water Narrative", as well as numerous readings and bar-tending stints.
Bob has also performed at American Stage in "Golf with Alan Shepard" and "Taming of the Shrew" and as the jailer in "Die Fledermaus" at the Palladium Theater. He most recently was cast with fellow actor Bonnie Agan in a short student film titled "The Letter", which has been submitted to the Sundance Film Festival and may be viewed on you-tube.
Bob's New York credits include over 20 years on "All My Children", scores of TV commercial and voice overs, plus numerous roles in off-broadway and regional theaters, including such shows as "The Immigrants", "Born Yesterday", "Later Life", "Man of La Mancha", and "Funny Girl".
Bob dedicates this portrayal to his long-suffering wife Marilyn, who, years ago, told him to "reach for it" and do this show!
Costuming
A New Orleans native, Jessica Greene arrived to St. Petersburg in 2006 after teaching at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and working at the Spoleto Festival, USA in Charleston, South Carolina. She has designed scenery and costumes in Europe, Off-Broadway, and throughout the United States for productions including performance, art, dance, and anime Shakespeare. She has extensive touring experience, working at venues such as Radio City Music Hall and the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles as well as designing at American Stage and teaching Design at Eckerd College. . In addition to the trappings of theatre, her true love is working with masks, puppetry, and the tradition of African dance. Jessica is grateful to be a part of the artistry at Studio@620 and is thankful for the patience and love of her fiance.