Frog and Peach Theatre Company Header Photo

Premiere of College Fun

Friday, May 12, 2023, 8:00pm

The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater, 10 West 64th Street, New York, NY 10023

Join the critically-acclaimed Frog & Peach Theatre Company for a one-night-only benefit premiere of "College Fun," an alarming new comedy by Ted Zurkowski, at 8 pm on Friday, May 12th at the beautiful Marjorie S. Deane Little Theatre, 10 W 64th St. Champagne reception to follow!

Join the charming, hapless Professor Jones (DazMann Still) as he reports to The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at an elite California university. The investigators include the seductive & deranged Dr. Ram (Alyssa Diamond), the flamboyantly vigilant Dr. Queeg (Jonathan Reed Wexler), and the widely feared Dr. Pane (Anuj Parikh). Production Stage Manager is Erica Cafarelli. Directed by Lynnea Benson. Running time 55 minutes.

"College Fun" comically depicts grown-ups behaving horribly. In the spirit of Joe Orton, Oscar Wilde, and Noel Coward, "College Fun" contains language & sexual references that some may find objectionable. Some characters consume alcohol during the course of the play.

Event photo by Russ Rowland.

Press and Reviews

The Unforgettable Line - May 22, 2023
College Fun Review
When I heard there was a theater troupe called the Frog & Peach, I simply had to see what they were up to. Though they were founded in large part to make Shakespeare more accessible to a broad audience, their most recent production, College Fun, is a 35 minute long sharp-edged satire written by founding company member Ted Zurkowski. With its setting at an elite university in Southern California and its relentless puncturing of a certain brand of authority figure, it reflects many of the qualities of Beyond the Fringe, the innovators of the routine about the world's most revolting restaurant.
BFTV / Brittany Frederick - May 12, 2023
Frog & Peach Theatre Company's 'College Fun' Is A Wicked Look at Campus Politics
"The play's about winning... It's about beating the system. It's about proving that you're better than the people who you're going against... Especially coming from my character's point of view. I'm going to win, I'm going to beat you. You're not going to have power over me."
Times Square Chronicles - May 4, 2023
Champagne Premiere of College Fun From Frog & Peach Theatre Company
A one-night-only premiere of College Fun. This new comedy is written by Ted Zurkowski and directed by Lynnea Benson of The Frog and Peach Theatre Company. The Frog & Peach Theatre Company will host the performance on Friday, May 12 at 8 PM at the Marjorie S Deane Little Theatre. T2c interviewed Lynnea Benson and Ted Zurkowski to learn more.
The Roundtable Talk - May 2, 2023
The Roundtable Talk #50 Up & Coming Chat

The Frog & Peach Theatre Company announced that New York's critically acclaimed & revolutionary ensemble will stage a one-night-only premiere of "College Fun," a startling new comedy by Ted Zurkowski. Directed by Lynnea Benson, the "College Fun" performance will take place on Friday, May 12 at 8 PM at the Marjorie S Deane Little Theatre. The cast includes popular performers from Frog & Peach's recent smash hit, AS YOU LIKE IT.

Photo Gallery

Cast and Creative

DazMann Still (Professor Jones)
DazMann Still (Professor Jones) is an NYC-based actor best known for his camera work on Bill and Ted Face the Music (Jimi Hendrix), Manifest, Maybe I Do, and Blue Bloods, as well as playing the role of Fish in The Royale. In addition, he is the voice of White Castle and has a number of voiceover credits including work for Disney+, NBC Sports, Bounce, AT&T, and the animated TV show Solar Opposites.
Alyssa Diamond (Dr. Ram)
Alyssa Diamond (Dr. Ram) Frog & Peach credits include Celia in As You Like It, Viola in Twelfth Night, Witch 2 in Macbeth, Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Ursula in Much Ado About Nothing. Alyssa also appears in Verbatim, a new production in Frog & Peach Theatre's New Play Series. Education from Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film School.

Jonathan Reed Wexler (Dr. Queeg)
Jonathan Reed Wexler (Dr. Queeg) is a native New Yorker. He played Jaques in Frog & Peach's As You Like It last fall. He studied The Method (with Ted) at The Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute and is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin. Theater: The Braggart of Bourbon Street (NYCFringe), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Gorilla Rep), Playdate (Dixon Place), A Tale of Two Cities (Roxy Regional Theatre). Film: Last Supper, The Stand Up, Macbeth, Hamlet, Evil Weed. Television: The Mysteries of Laura, Rockaway. He is an actor at The Metropolitan Opera and can currently be seen reprising his role in Aida. He will soon be appearing as Lord Hastings in a film adaptation of Richard III. He'd like to thank his fiancée Lydia for all her love and support.
Anuj Parikh (Dr. Pane)
Anuj Parikh (Dr. Pane) is an NYC stage actor: classical, contemporary, indoors, outdoors. Anuj is also a nuclear astrophysicist. He has a PhD in physics from Yale and was a professor in Barcelona and expert on thermonuclear stellar explosions. He is particularly interested in developing theatre that explores the interface between physics and poetry. More at anujparikh.com!
Lynnea Benson (Director) Co-founder & Artistic Director of Frog & Peach Theatre Co., Inc. Frog & Peach directing credits: Verbatim (a new comedy starring Estelle Parsons), As You Like It, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, Titus Andronicus (starring Greg Mullavey), et al. As Frog & Peach's Lead Teaching Artist, Ms. Benson creates and implements Shakespeare & other arts curricula for grades K-12, adults, and for formerly homeless, vulnerable New Yorkers. Lifetime Member of The Actors Studio; Barnard College grad. Writer/director for the hit comedy web series Tinkerbell Online, and for Tinkerbell Theatre.
Ted Zurkowski (Playwright) is a composer, musician, & actor. He is the front man for the rock band Honey West, which he formed with Ian McDonald (King Crimson, Foreigner). He composed the score for Frog & Peach's 2022 production of As You Like It. In addition to College Fun, he and Ms. Benson are currently developing his play Verbatim with Estelle Parsons & Austin Pendleton. He is currently in the recording studio working on his 20-song rock opera Unhappy Jack. He is a Lifetime Member of The Actors Studio. He has taught at Hunter College, NYU, and The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute.
Erica Cafarelli (Stage Manager) is thrilled to be working again with Frog & Peach. She previously assistant stage managed Frog & Peach's 2022 production of As You Like It. She is also an AEA actor, appearing recently in My Man the Wolf (Open Hydrant Theater Company) and Post-Scarcity Possibilities (New Perspectives Theatre Company).