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Sweetspot
New Comedy Takes a Swing at Golf at Playhouse on the Green
Kathryn Marchand of Stratford and John O'Hern of Westport starred in the premiere of a new comedy for duffers everywhere, "Sweetspot: Confessions of a Golfaholic," written by O'Hern and presented by Playhouse on the Green. Director was Mark S. Graham of Trumbull.
"Sweetspot: Confessions of a Golfaholic" is a comic romp of a misadventures through the world of golf addiction. Meet Ted K., golfaholic, and his wife Carol as they share the hilarious strains that golf puts on their otherwise happy marriage. Through sharp-edged humor, the couple brings the dark, secret narcotic of golf addiction out into the light of day.
"I've seen movies and musicals about golf and they just never tapped in to the addiction," said playwright O'Hern. "'Sweetspot' started with a monologue about how I got hooked on golf —'That night I had my first full blown fantasy. Never again would I go to sleep dreaming of blondes, or brunettes, or redheads. I dreamt instead of a 260-yard drive off an elevated tee.'"
O'Hern added, "You get such a strong physical rush from the sensation of a well struck shot that it's almost sexual. That's why a golfer holds the pose after a good shot — to hold on to that wonderful physical rush. After you hit that first flush golf shot, you spend the rest of your life like an addict chasing after that sensation."
John O'Hern arrived in New York City in 1980 and spent two years at the Meisner Studio. Regional theatre was next where roles included Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol" and Jim in "The Glass Menagerie." Back in New York O'Hern created the role of Fred McMullen in the off-Broadway show, "Out," a play about the 'Black Sox' scandal of 1919. Since moving to Fairfield County, O'Hern has been busy doing local theatre and national commercials. For the past several years he has been working on and performing his one-man comedy about the life of a stay-at-home-dad, "A Rooster in the Henhouse," culminating in a successful off-Broadway run as well as an equally rewarding seven-week run locally at the Fairfield Theatre Company. O'Hern has been an avid golfer for the past 20 years and has had the idea of a golf show running through his head for some time. For the past several years O'Hern has been working at Long Shore Golf Course where he has been teaching Junior Golf. He lives in Westport with his wife of 23 years and their two children, Declan and Max.
Kathryn Marchand appeared this summer in Shakespeare on the Sound's production of "The Comedy of Errors" and in "Othello" at the Stratford Shakespeare Theatre. Recent productions in the area include "Peer Gynt" with the Norwalk Symphony, "Macbeth" with Shakespeare on the Sound, and a number of readings for "Play with Your Food" in Greenwich. On Broadway, Marchand stood by for Frances McDormand in the Circle in the Square production of "Awake and Sing." Her numerous Off-Broadway credits include "The Rise and Rise of Daniel Rocket" at Playwrights Horizons. Roles in regional theatres across the country including ACT, Missouri Rep, Stamford Theatre Works, The Alley Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and The Studio Arena. She last appeared at Playhouse on the Green in "The Beauty Queen of Leanane." Television credits include "Law and Order," "The Sopranos," "The Bronx is Burning," "American Playhouse" and numerous soap operas. Film credits include "War of the Worlds" and "Animal Attraction." She teaches at RCA (Regional Center for the Arts) and lives in Stratford with three kids, four dogs and one husband.
 
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