Einstein Comes Through

NORTH COAST REPERTORY THEATRE TO ENTERTAIN
WITH ORIGINAL, WITTY, WISE EINSTEIN COMES THROUGH
By David Ellenstein & Marc Silver
Directed By David Ellenstein
Featuring Jake Broder
Streaming April 28 – May 23, 2021

Solana Beach, Calif. – North Coast Rep continues its ambitious foray into “new” theatre with the production of EINSTEIN COMES THROUGH, co-written by Artistic Director David Ellenstein and Marc Silver. In a brilliant solo performance, versatile actor Jake Broder, as a seemingly ordinary man, Hank, takes audiences on an imaginative journey that is punctuated by the inimitable wit and wisdom of his lifelong idol, Albert Einstein. Along the way, Hank explores a vast array of topics, from the sublime to the mysterious, to the dark moments, and to the mundane annoyances of everyday life. Funny, fanciful, probing and poignant, this play first debuted at North Coast Rep in 2005

David Ellenstein directed Jake Broder on North Coast Rep’s mainstage, adhering to all mandated safety and testing procedures under Actors’ Equity Media Agreement. Audiences will see a full theatrical production with sets by Scenic Designer Marty Burnett, costumes by Elisa Benzoni, and Prop Design Philip Korth, Wig by Peter Herman and Stage Manager, Cinematographer/editor Aaron Rumley filmed the show. Book your tickets now for a trip that you won’t soon forget.

BIOS:

 DAVID ELLENSTEIN (Co-Playwright/Director) Born into a theatrical family, David has worked in theatres across the country. Before joining North Coast Rep in 2003, he served as Artistic Director for the Los Angeles Repertory Company and the Arizona Jewish Theatre Company (AJTC). A veteran of over 250 theatrical productions, directorial favorites include: North Coast Rep – The Outsider, All in the Timing, Holmes & Watson, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Father, This Random World, Travels with My Aunt, The Illusion, Hedda Gabler (World Premiere Translation), Way Downriver; William Faulkner’s ‘Old Man’ (West Coast Premiere), Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Great Nome Gold Rush (World Premiere), Side By Side By Sondheim, Chapter Two, Freud’s Last Session (San Diego Premiere), Faded Glory (World Premiere), Mandate Memories (World Premiere), Becoming Cuba (World Premiere), Time Stands Still, Words by: Ira Gershwin and the Great American Songbook (World Premiere), Two by Pinter: The Lover and The Dumb Waiter, HENRY IV Part 1, Heroes, My Name is Asher Lev, The Drawer Boy, Becky’s New Car, Ghosts, The Tempest, Talley’s Folly, Over the Tavern, Old Wicked Songs, The Dresser, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, Madagascar, A Shayna Maidel, The Honky-Tonk Angels, Rashomon, A Moon for the Misbegotten; Tuesdays With Morrie; Collected Stories; Halpern and Johnson; Romeo and Juliet; Amy’s View; Einstein Comes Through (also co-author); The Chosen; A Life in the Theatre; Story Theatre and Charley’s Aunt. Coconut Grove Playhouse – Sonia Flew starring Lucie Arnaz; Halpern and Johnson starring Hal Linden and Brian Murray. Papermill Playhouse – The Chosen starring Theodore Bikel and John Lloyd Young. 59E59 – His Royal Hipness Lord Buckley. Park Square & Colony Theatre – Words By. Portland Stage – Halpern and Johnson. Renaissance Theatre – Long Day’s Journey Into Night. Actor’s Theatre of Phoenix – Rabbit Hole. Alabama Shakespeare Festival – The Glass Menagerie, Rocket City (World Premiere) and Honky-Tonk Angels. Laguna Playhouse – Chapatti, Alexandros (World Premiere). Southwest Shakespeare Company – Cyrano de Bergerac. AJTC – Awake and Sing. Meadow Brook Theatre – A Christmas Carol. Portland Rep – Conversations with My Father and Gaslamp Quarter Theatre – A Shayna Maidel. Winner of numerous theatre awards, including the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Award for “2018 Director of the Year.”

MARC SILVER (Co-Playwright) is originally from Paterson, New Jersey, and now resides with his wife in Los Angeles. He’s a journeyman actor who has performed on stage, screen, and television sets for over forty years. But all that emoting and running around to auditions got exhausting. Now he prefers to write things. He’s had five plays produced, two screenplays optioned, and was a finalist in The World Series of Screenwriting. Currently he’s working on the second book, “Still Harping on My Daughter Saga,” and his creepy collection of short stories will soon be available to all those brave enough to read them. Actually, some of the stories are funny, but in a mostly creepy sort of way. Besides that, Marc really doesn’t have much going on.

JAKE BRODER (Hank) Jake Broder trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.  Ovation Award for Louis in Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara. Acting includes: Mozart in Amadeus directed by Sir Peter Hall (West End London, Broadway, L.A.), When Harry Met Sally (West End), the Reduced Shakespeare Company’s Complete Works of Shakespeare (West End), Stoneface (Pasadena Playhouse), Words By: Ira Gershwin (Colony Theatre). Film includes: “Bad Milo!,” “Beyond the Sea,” “In A Day and The Barn” (2004 BIFA award).  Television includes: A recurring role in “Silicon Valley” (HBO), “The Morning Show” (Apple TV+), “How I Met Your Mother” (CBS), “Roman Mysteries” (BBC), “Strange” (BBC), “Line of Beauty” (BBC), “Broken News” (BBC), “Auf Weidersehen Pet” (BBC) “The Eagle” (Denmark -winner of an International Emmy). 

Playwriting includes: UnRavelled, digital premiere, Global Brain Health Institute, Our American Hamlet, nominated Best New Play in Boston, Premiere: Commonwealth Shakespeare Company. Jake co-wrote and played Louis in Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara, winner of Ovation, LADCC, Garland and LA Weekly awards for Best Production and Actor (Geffen Playhouse), directed by Taylor Hackford. His Royal Hipness Lord Buckley played Off-West End, Off Broadway at 59e59 and LA, directed by David Ellenstein, and played Ira Gershwin in Words By: Ira Gershwin for David. He wrote book and music for Miravel, winner, Best Score, LA Drama Critics Circle Award. Unravelledplay.com / Jakebroder.com

DESIGN TEAM

AARON RUMLEY* (Stage Manager, Cinematographer/Editor) has worked on over 120 shows at North Coast Rep, over 50 as a stage manager, over 20 as a designer.

MARTY BURNETT (Set Design) Resident Designer at North Coast Rep since 1992 and has designed more than 200 productions for the theatre. Other design venues include Sahara and Hacienda hotels in Las Vegas, Claridge Hotel, Atlantic City and Drury Lane Chicago.

ELISA BENZONI (Costume Design) is thrilled to be working on her fourth season at North Coast Rep including numerous Craig Noel nominated productions. Elisa has also worked on over a hundred productions across Southern California with theatres such as The Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, Geffen Playhouse, South Coast Repertory Theatre, Laguna Playhouse, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Diversionary Theatre and New Village Arts. Being Italian born, Elisa has also had the opportunity to work and perfect her craft in Europe. Elisa holds a costume design M.F.A. from UCSD where she currently is an adjunct professor. www.elisabenzoni.com.

PHILLIP KORTH (COVID-19 Compliance Officer/Props) is an actor, writer, craftsman, and educator. He earned BA in Acting and Creative Writing from Western Michigan University and his MFA in Acting from the University of Connecticut. He is a Veteran of the United States Marine Corps and served two tours of duty in Iraq. In addition to designing and managing props for NCRT, Phillip is also the Education Associate at The Theatre School @ North Coast Rep.

PETER HERMAN (Hair & Wig Design) has previously designed wigs for over 30 North Coast Rep productions. Peter teaches wig and makeup design at San Diego State University. He is glad to be part of the creative team on this show.