7 Stages Presents The Doctor, The Devil, and My Dad
Sep 27, 2014

Once upon a time, a legendary sci-fi television icon and an infamous biblical villain descended upon a woman trapped by her grief. This is the premise of 7 Stages' latest production by Atlanta playwright Suehyla El-Attar, The Doctor, The Devil, & My Dad, Oct. 2-26.

"This is an extremely personal story for me and a self-discovery of how there are various ways to grieve, to heal; mine is delving into stories, seeing other worlds." comments El-Attar. Although this is the first time 7 Stages has produced one of El-Attar's plays, she has participated in 7 Stages' Youth Creates, a training program for teenagers, as a teaching artist, and has been an Artistic Associate for a number of years.

"It is an honor to finally offer my friend and collaborator a space to create and connect her own life to our work. This production is inspired by a true story. We can all relate to losing a father, a mother, a child, or a loved one. Though common, it still remains to be one of the most painful experiences of life - a universal experience of grief," says Artistic Director Heidi S. Howard.

The Doctor, The Devil, & My Dad asks us to examine the idea that everything is real. Imagine for a moment what our existence would look like if every "fictional" character depicted in books, created in video games, or imagined in our dreams existed in some parallel world. This concept would apply as well to religious stories told in sacred books, concepts of the afterlife, and ideas of human existence. These are the puzzling ideas that Summer (Stacy Melich) must face while dealing with the loss of her father.

Melich is joined by Nicholas Tecosky, playing The Doctor; Gina Rickicki playing The Devil & Topher Payne playing The Man. The onstage ensemble, joined by the designers and creators, take the audience on a journey of time-bending fantasy paired with the reality of loss that can only culminate with the simple fact that "what needs to happen cannot be stopped." Howard further comments, "I am ecstatic with the artistic team we have gathered to premiere Suehyla's play. The individuals coming together represent the best of Atlanta's talent and form a team that knows how to develop exciting, genre-bending new work.' October 2 - 26, 2014 Preview Performances October 2 & 3, 2014 Tickets $18 in advance/$20 at the door Performance Run October 4 - 26, 2014 Tickets $22.50 in advance/$25 at the door http://www.7stages.org/shows/the-doctor-the-devil-my-dad/ promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGnPUVtu_Uw 7 Stages Theatre has been bringing local and international emerging artwork of social, political, and spiritual importance to Atlanta audiences since 1979. Artists in performance, music, visual and the spoken arts have found the organization a haven in the support and development of new works and methods of collaboration. For more information: 7stages.org