Sea of Terror set for Hudson Theatre

Short Drive Entertainment and Filmsocial will present SEA OF TERROR, a new play written and directed by Emmy Award-winner Sam Catlin (AMC's Breaking Bad, Apple TV+'s Sugar). The world premiere stars John Ales (HBO's Euphoria, Neflix's Painkiller), Julie Dretzin (Broadway's The Sisters Rosensweig, Hulu's The Handmaids Tale), Paul Schulze (HBO's The Sopranos, Showtime's Nurse Jackie), and Amy Scribner (London Calling, The Musical). Produced by Joanna Colbert and Dretzin, the limited engagement begins performances September 29 and runs through October 29, 2023, with the official press opening on Saturday, September 30. SEA OF TERROR will play at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre (6539 Santa Monica Blvd.) in Hollywood.

Sea of Terror at Hudson Theatre

Life is a relentless sea of terror and peril. And nothing is scarier than impending social plans. When a couple is faced with an evening hosting friends for a casual get-together, their anxious unraveling around this routine socialization takes us on a gut-busting ride we can all identify with. SEA OF TERROR is a dark comedy for anyone who has made plans they wish they could cancel.

"Twenty years ago, I was fortunate enough to see the workshop performance of SEA OF TERROR, which has stayed with me all this time," said producer Joanna Colbert of Filmsocial. "Sam Catlin had presciently tapped into something which has finally caught up with the zeitgeist. With today's looming guild strikes, the timing seemed right to bring back the play and present Sam's newly revised SEA OF TERROR as a full production. My company Filmsocial joined forces with Short Drive Entertainment, and we were fortunate that the stars aligned to reunite original cast members of the workshop - Julie Dretzin, Paul Schulze, and Amy Scribner - and to cast the incomparable John Ales. We are excited for Los Angeles audiences to see the world premiere of SEA OF TERROR."

"The practical opportunity presented with the ongoing actor and writer strikes made returning to the theater that much more exciting and necessary for feeling part of something communal andcreative," said playwright and director Sam Catlin. "I think SEA OF TERROR is more relevant now than it was when we workshopped the play in 2003, largely due to COVID. My sense is that many of my own personal social anxieties 20 years ago have now become more overt and widespread. The reticence and anxiety for outside world experiences... the reflexive response for 'having a nice quiet evening in' etc. seems more relatable now than two decades ago. My guess is now, in 2023, people will leave their cozy Los Angeles homes with a deep reluctance, come watch SEA OF TERROR with our immensely talented cast and feel a great relief and recognition laughing in a theater filled with their fellow forgotten human beings... either that or they will go home, lock the door and not come out for a long time."