Baltimore Center Stage will be hosting a one-time staged reading of “Squeaky,” an autobiographical play by Baltimore native Jeff Cohen.
Cohen was born and raised in Baltimore and graduated from the Friends School of Baltimore. His father’s house, the house where he grew up, is a few blocks from Mondawmin Mall.
With the play including various references to old Baltimore landmarks, such as Memorial Stadium, Cohen hopes to bring spectators on a “journey in terms of how Baltimore has changed.”
Cohen also aims to share a deeply personal story about navigating making end-of-life choices for loved ones.
“Something which everybody is going through, especially everybody who’s my age. Which is, you have parents that are aging, and you have to figure out what the best thing is to do,” Cohen said.
A sequel to one of Cohen’s earlier plays, “Men of Clay,” this new work centers the playwright’s father, Stan “Squeaky” Cohen, his worsening memory and the disagreement between Jeff and his brother on what to do with their father.
Despite the somber tone of the topic, Cohen said he hopes viewers will find certain moments humorous and full of laughter.
“You know, nobody would really ever believe it. It’s pretty funny. So, hopefully people will find it as funny as I do,” Cohen said.
The cast consists of D.B. Sweeney, Craig Bierko, Richard Masur, Benja Kay Thomas and Lizbeth MacKay.
For Cohen, this opportunity serves as a reunion for him and Sweeney. Cohen remarks on how he “discovered” him, alongside Laura Linney, when they starred in his adaptation of “The Seagull” in 1990.
“I was lucky to know him before he was a movie star,” Cohen said.
Whether or not Baltimore will see a full production of the play, Cohen is optimistic.
“Hopefully, this is a steppingstone. You know, if people like it, they’ll say ‘do the play,’ and hopefully, maybe that’ll happen,” Cohen said.
The reading will take place this Saturday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m.
For those interested in buying tickets or learning more about the event click here.
