Stage Fright (1989)

Stage Fright (1989) is an independent feature film produced and directed by Brad Mays and written by Stanley Keyes. It was director Mays' debut film, and it had its premier screening at the 1989 Berlin International Film Festival under the auspices of the New York Foundation for the Arts.

It is a fictionalized account of the trials and tribulations of a Baltimore-based experimental theatre company called Storefront Theatre, loosely fashioned after the now-defunct avant-garde theatre company Corner Theatre ETC.

Synopsis

The story revolves around notorious playwright Grayson Osterman (Rick Hammontree), who after a long hiatus, has returned with a shocking new play, Malaise, based a somewhat degenerate reading of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The company's director, Broderick Kands (Greg McClure), is based on the director of the film itself, who makes a brief appearance in the opening scene. When one of the play's leading actors has a complete nervous breakdown just three days before opening, the group must recast the role and work around the clock to get the play ready for a much-heralded premiere.

Actors