WHAT: The Feel Good Story America Needs Right Now. A new comedy.
WHO: Written by Mark Wilding. Directed by Charlie Mount. Produced by Garry Kluger for Theatre West and Little Jack Productions.
WHERE: Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, in Los Angeles, CA 90068.
WHEN: October 2- November 8, 2026. Friday and Saturday at 8:00, Sunday at 2:00.
ADMISSION: $30 online. $40 at the door.
RESERVATIONS: (323) 851-4839.
ONLINE TICKETING: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-feel-good-story-america-needs-right-now-tickets-1998656572611
It’s a year after six brave Americans escaped the Hand of God, the most notorious group of terrorists on the planet. The heroes have gathered for a reunion on a 60 Minutes type of news magazine. We’ll come to find out that not all was it seems during their captivity. In addition, the hostages are making demands that could scuttle the broadcast. Will they get to tell their harrowing story to America or not?
Mark Wilding is the playwright. His play, Our Man in Santiago, had its world premiere at Theatre West in 2021. In 2022, the play went to the AMT Theatre in New York where its two-month off-Broadway run received rave reviews. He followed up that play at Theatre West in 2024 with The Goddamn Couple Down the Hall…Oh, and Merry Christmas, which was also well-received. Mark is the recipient of a Writers Guild of America award as the writer-producer of Grey’s Anatomy – a series for which he also received two Emmy nominations. His Grey’s Anatomy episode, Where the Boys Are, won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Individual Episode. Mark’s television credits also include Ellen, Jesse, Working, Jake 2.0, Charmed, Private Practice, Scandal, Good Girls, Still Star-Crossed and Promised Land.
Charlie Mount directs. This new play marks his third collaboration with Mark Wilding. Also at Theatre West, Charlie directed Beau Bridges and his daughter Emily Bridges in the original production of their play Acting – The First Six Lessons, his own plays Against The Wall and The Leather Apron Club, and his Ovation nominated production of Waiting For Lefty. Charlie is the co-Artistic Director of Arcane Theatreworks and appeared in title role of their first production, Martians – An Evening With Ray Bradbury, a critically acclaimed multimedia show exploring the heart and mind of the great writer; a show he created with Jeff G. Rack. Charlie is also an accomplished magician and performer regularly at The Magic Castle.
The cast of The Feel Good Story America Needs Now includes Casey Alcoser, Bella Balsamo, John Combs, Samantha Gregory, Paul Gunning, Steve Nevil, Jill Remez, Clara Rodriguez, and Danielle Weeks.
The Feel Good Story America Needs Now will make audiences laugh a lot. Couldn’t you use a Feel Good Story right about now?
Established in 1962, Theatre West is celebrating its 64th year as the oldest continually running professional theatre company in the city of Los Angeles. It is a membership collective of actors, playwrights, directors, and technicians. Theatre West’s alumni members include Ray Bradbury, Beau Bridges, Richard Dreyfuss, Sally Field, Betty Garrett, Martin Landau, Lee Meriwether, Jack Nicholson, Carroll O’Connor, Sherwood Schwartz, Joyce Van Patten, Jim Beaver, and Paul Winfield. Theatre West has produced more than 300 plays and musicals. Of these plays, nearly 70% are original works developed in its workshops and many have led to Broadway, regional tours, and feature films including A Bronx Tale by Chazz Palminteri; A Very Brady Musical by Lloyd Schwartz and Hope Juber; Our Man in Santiago by Mark Wilding that transferred to Off-Broadway in the Fall of 2022; and our co-production of Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground that went to Broadway in 2023.. Theatre West is supported in part by The Ahmanson Foundation, California Arts Council, Peter Glenville Foundation, The Green Foundation, Kaplan-Loring Foundation, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, National Endowment for the Arts, Lloyd E. Rigler-Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation, Sidney Stern Memorial Trust, Dwight Stuart Youth Fund, Leo Buscaglia, Comcast Universal, and L.A. Parent Magazine.
