The Mockingbird on Main and Max Moline to Present An Oak Tree Featuring The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Actor Ben Gougeon
The Mockingbird On Main and Max Moline present the Quad Cities premiere of Tim Crouch’s An Oak Tree. Directed by Mr. Moline and starring Ben Gougeon, a veteran actor of stage and screen who has recently relocated to the Quad Cities, An Oak Tree will be performed at The Mockingbird on Main in Davenport from November 26 – December 5,
Ben Gougeon
Inspired by Michael Craig-Martin’s 1974 conceptual work of art of the same name, An Oak Tree was first performed by author Tim Crouch at the 2005 Edinburgh Festival, where it took home the Herald Angel Award. It has subsequently played at theatres and festivals around the world, winning a Special Citation Obie during its run at the Barrow Street Theatre in New York City, and breaking box office records during its run at London’s Soho Theatre.
On the surface, An Oak Tree tells the story of a grieving father confronting the driver who killed his daughter in an auto accident. Yet Crouch has taken this basic conceit and created a nuanced and layered examination of grief, identity, and trust set within the world of a struggling stage hypnotist’s show.
An Oak Tree is a two person show, with The Hypnotist being played by Gougeon. The Father, however, will be played by a different actor at each performance. The actor playing The Father will walk on stage never having seen the script, and the world of reality and The Hypnotist’s show run in parallel trackss before blurring together and making both the audience and performers question what is real and what is part of the show.
Gougeon, a graduate of Western Illinois University’s MFA Acting program (2007), moved to the QCA in the fall of 2019. Before relocating back to the Midwest, he had spent the last decade plus working in New York City as an actor, having appeared on TV shows such as the Emmy Award winning The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Law & Order: SVU, The Blacklist, Bull, and HBO’s The Deuce, where he performed with Oscar nominated Maggie Gyllenhaal. He’s performed Off & Off-Off Broadway, at the Metropolitan Opera, and on stages in almost every state east of the Mississippi, and a couple west. He’s been in dozens of commercials, been on a billboard in Times Square, and danced in a diaper with Grammy and Oscar winner Jon Batiste from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Moline has lined up a star studded cast of local performers to portray The Father: Daniel DP Sheridan, Kira Rangel, Roger Pavey Jr., Susan Perrin-Sallak, Anthony Hendricks (Martin Luther King Jr., The Mountaintop), and TJ Green, fresh of their star turn as Auntie Fungus in Haus of Ruckus’ “Jacques”Alope, also at The Mockingbird. Moline says he’s “…excited to be producing shows that are unlike other shows in the Quad Cities, and with actors that the Quad Cities needs to see more of. I hope this show makes you think about what theatre can be.” Full schedule of actors playing The Father can be found on The Mockingbird on Main website.
Ben Gougeon in ‘An Oak Tree’
An Oak Tree will play at The Mockingbird On Main’s downtown Davenport venue located at 320 North Main St on November 26, 27 & December 3, 4 at 8:00pm, and November 28 and December 5 at 2:00pm. Doors open to the public 30 minutes before curtain. Advanced reservations are highly encouraged as the venue is intimate and seating is limited. Tickets and details can be found by visiting TheMockingbirdOnMain.com.
An Oak Tree
by Tim Crouch
featuring Ben Gougeon
Performances:
Friday, November 26 @ 8:00pm. Guest Starring Susan Perrin-Sallak
Saturday, November 27 @ 8:00pm. Guest Starring Anthony Hendricks
Sunday, November 28 @ 2:00pm. Guest Starring Kira Rangel
Friday, December 3 @ 8:00pm. Guest Starring Daniel DP Sheridan
Saturday, December 4 @ 8:00pm. Guest Starring Roger Pavey Jr.
Sunday, December 5 @ 2:00pm. Guest Starring TJ Green
Ticket Information:
All tickets are $15. More info can be found at The Mockingbird on Main website:
