Next up, I’m playing the lead role of Arnold in Harvey Fierstein’s seminal queer Classic “Torch Song” at Marin Theatre Company in beautiful Mill Valley, California. It is an honor of a lifetime to step into Harvey’s shoes (or bunny slippers – if you know you know) and inhabit the role he originated over 40 years ago. Directed by the fabulous Evren Odcikin, we run May 9th – June 2nd. A video preview of the show can be found here. Tickets and more information can be found here. Reviews below:
Here’s what the critics had to say about my performance:
“Dean Linnard as Arnold delivers a commanding, tour de force performance in Marin Theatre’s compelling and captivating staging of Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song … [W]hat we get from this award-worthy performance is a genuine, believable look at the heart and soul, at the hopes and dreams, and at the hurts and angers of a drag queen we quickly come to love.” Eddie Reynolds, Theatre Eddys
“Linnard’s standout performance masterfully portrays Arnold’s loneliness and struggle to gain respect and honesty with cunning wit and exaggerated humor.” Patricia L. Morin, Front Row Review
“As Arnold, Dean Linnard is pitch perfect. His performance is compelling, deftly mixing hilarity and pathos—and every moment with him rings true.” Otto Coelho, Theatrestorm
“Bay Area native Linnard is amazing in his portrayal of the lovelorn Arnold … Linnard is tall and lean, which has him looking amazing in the drag queen’s gorgeous sequined gowns … Watching Linnard’s “Arnie” evolve is worth the price of admission.” Chuck Louden, Stage and Cinema
“Linnard delightfully depicts Arnold as a melancholy torch singer. He’s a gay revolutionary who simply wants to be a good parent. Linnard’s Arnold, a masterwork of complex comedy, is also a call to arms.” Barry David Horwitz, Theatrius
“Brilliantly channeling this funny, cynical, and often bitter character is Dean Linnard, an award-winning actor making his Marin Theatre debut. And what a debut it is – Linnard is captivating every moment he’s onstage and carries the weight of the production with an incandescent performance.” Steve Murray, Broadwayworld
“Making his Marin Theatre debut, Linnard shines in a quilted green bathrobe as the ever anxious Arnold Beckoff. Delivering his lines with a hint of Fierstein’s raspy Brooklyn baritone, Linnard’s Arnold is a force to behold as he navigates his way through a world that seemingly has no place for him … Presented with boundless energy, deft comic timing, and plenty of pathos, the heat of Fierstein’s words continues to burn bright in the capable hands of a cast that continually rises to the challenge of bringing to life this zany, substantive meditation on the gay experience.” Zack Ruskin, San Francisco Chronicle
