Studio Theatre Stages Alan Ball's Production

Directed by Serge Seiden, whose recent production of My Children! My Africa! was a runaway hit, All That I Will Ever Be features breakthrough performances by Carlos Candelario (Omar) and Parker Dixon (Dwight). All That I Will Ever Be runs February 13 through March 9 in Stage 4.

Omar, the complicated central figure of Ball's play, sells cell phones by day and sexual fantasies by night, molding his ethnic and sexual identity to meet the desires of his clients. For one client, he becomes Farouk, the Arabian Stallion; for another, he is Demetrius, a Greek God; for yet another, he sells himself as the perfect Latin Lover. When Omar finds himself drawn to one of his clients—Dwight, a trust-fund slacker at odds with his wealthy family—Omar catches a glimpse of true intimacy. But can the consummate hustler stop deceiving himself? All That I Will Ever Be blends provocative insights on racial, sexual, and identity politics, snappy dialogue and a cinematic style that reflects Ball's successful years in film and television. Director Serge Seiden will stage All That I Will Ever Be in the round, with a stark and sculptural set by scenic designer Luciana Stecconi, marking the first time that the raw, flexible Stage 4 has ever been configured for a four-sided arena staging.

Alan Ball is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and director. He received the Academy Award for his screenplay for American Beauty, and the Emmy Award (along with numerous nominations) for his work on HBO's innovative series Six Feet Under, which he created. Ball's plays include Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, which premiered in 1993 at the Manhattan Class Company, starring Thomas Gibson, Ally Walker and Allison Janney; The M Word, which premiered at the inaugural Lucille Ball Festival of New American Comedy in 1991; Made For a Woman; Bachelor Holiday; The Amazing Adventures of Tense Guy and Your Mother's Butt. He is a graduate of the Florida State University School of Theatre. All That I Will Ever Be represents Ball's return to writing for the theatre after an extended absence.

Carlos Candelario makes his 2ndStage debut as Omar. He was most recently seen as Curley in Olney Theater Center's Of Mice and Men. He has twice been on tour with the Olney National Players, appearing as Caliban in The Tempest, Jack Worthing in The Importance of Being Earnest and multiple roles in Othello. Candelario received his BA in Theater Arts from Wilkes University in May 2006, where he has played Creon in Antigone, Sidney Black in Light up the Sky, Woyzeck in Woyzeck and many other roles. He has trained in violin and modern dance. Parker Dixon (Dwight) is also making his 2ndStage debut. Among his numerous local appearances, Dixon has been seen most recently in Washington Shakespeare Company's Caligula and also in Theater J's Either, Or; forum theatre's Antigone; Washington Shakespeare Company's Edward III and The Rape of Lucrece and Arena Stage's Passion Play. Dixon trained at The Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory and received his degree in theatre from Davidson College. -- www.studiotheatre.org