Will Dennis, one of the stars of “Electile Dysfunction,” told us that “Acting gives me the greatest of pleasures. It also helps you work with people who are better than you, and learning from …
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by Rita Charleston
Act II Playhouse in Ambler opens its new season with “Electile Dysfunction,” a comedy that pokes fun at all sides of the election process, including political parody, music, man-on-the-street interviews and presidential impersonations. Created by and starring Artistic Director Tony Braithwaite, Tracie Higgins and Will Dennis, this original comedy cabaret is on stage at Act II, 56 E. Butler Ave., through Oct. 9.
Braithwaite says, “A spotlight on this show is placed on the presidents of the past and what they might think of the current situation, along with advice they might have. Bill Clinton will be singing, 'Give em the old Razzle Dazzle' to his spouse, for example.”
Dennis, 33, says the show's title tells you some of what you can expect. “It's a celebration of comedy and our need as human beings to be able to laugh at things that are the most dysfunctional in our lives. And at the moment, that happens to be politics. We poke fun at everyone. We're equal opportunity offenders.”
Dennis studied at St. Joseph's Prep. “While there, I decided I'd like to be in one of their shows, and the first show I decided to audition for was '1776.' But when I didn't make the cut, I was discouraged and decided not to try out for any more shows.”
But a friend of his wouldn’t stand for that kind of negativity. So when “Damn Yankees” was being cast, Dennis' friend insisted he audition. “And this time I did get a part, and the rest, as they say, is history. I totally fell in love with the theater. I fell in love with the creativity of it, the demanding nature of it and everything it represented to me.”
And at the time, Braithwaite, who was the school's drama director, directed Dennis all through his high school theatrical endeavors, and to this day the two remain friends and colleagues. In fact, today Dennis is the assistant director at St. Joe's while Braithwaite remains the director.
After high school, Dennis attended the University of Scranton to major in theology and philosophy, two subjects he did exceptionally well in. “I got straight As in both subjects, and they came easy to me. but because it was a Liberal Arts College you could major in anything and still take advantage of being in the plays they produced. So that's what I did.”
Raised in Huntingdon Valley, Dennis eventually moved back to Philadelphia and began working in many local and regional theaters, including Montgomery Theatre, the Walnut Street Theatre, the Delaware Theatre Company and Act II. Dennis is also a teaching assistant for Act II and Manager of Education and Community Programs at Philadelphia Theatre Company.
Engaged to be married, Dennis says he enjoys other facets of his career “because you need something to anchor you when you're going from show to show. Acting gives me the greatest of pleasures. It also helps you work with people who are better than you, and learning from them eventually makes you better, too. I love acting, but I also enjoy helping others realize their dreams as well.”
For times and ticket information, call 215-654-0200.