Frank and Heather Whaley will host a screening of Frank Whaley's film Joe the King at the Prospector Theater in Ridgefield on Sunday, May 22nd from 6 to 8 p.m. to raise funds for the John Read Middle School theater program. The screening of Joe the King will be followed by an intimate Q&A with Frank, who will discuss the largely biographical film and his career.
Frank Whaley is best known for his work as an actor, having appeared in more than 75 films including Pulp Fiction, School of Rock, Field of Dreams, and Swimming with Sharks. He was recently seen on Showtime's Ray Donovan, the ABC miniseries Madoff, with Richard Dreyfuss, Rob the Mob, as well as the upcoming Marvel series for Netflix, Luke Cage. Joe the King was the first film Frank wrote and directed.
Starring Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke (Boyhood, Training Day, Dead Poets Society), John Leguizamo (Ice Age, Carlito's Way, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar), and Val Kilmer (The Doors, Top Gun, Batman), Joe the King is a haunting and moving coming-of-age story set in nineteen seventies upstate New York.
Joe the King tells the story of 14-year-old Joe Henry (Noah Fleiss) who has spent his life in an abusive household. His father Bob (Val Kilmer) is a violent alcoholic gambler, while his mother, Theresa (Karen Young) offers him little protection. His older brother Mike (Max Ligosh) is equally incapable of providing Joe with any guidance. Joe is taunted by his classmates, and hassled by his father's creditors. Joe takes a full-time job after school hoping to relieve his family's mounting economic pressure, leaving him unable to manage his schoolwork. A hapless but well-meaning guidance counselor played by Ethan Hawke tries in vain to help and understand the troubled young man. Despite these factors working against him, nothing can kill Joe's spirit, or prevent him from ultimately finding redemption, and a way out of the chaos.
Arts education is important to the Whaleys. Says Heather, "When school budgets are being cut the first thing to go is the arts. But people must realize that arts in education isn't about forging well-rounded students. There are kids for whom participation in the arts can be life-saving. It's up to the community to support these programs." "Nothing fuels and energizes like the creative arts," says Frank. "Children must be encouraged to be creative, and there is no place like the theater to play and experiment."
Proceeds from the event will benefit the John Read Middle School theater program, which is funded entirely by donations. Tickets for the one-night-only screening may be purchased for $25 here .
There will also be a raffle featuring such prizes as two tickets to the Westport Country Playhouse, a $200 gift certificate to Matt Bernson shoes, and a Marvel Comics collector's pack featuring the Marvel Encyclopedia signed by Stan Lee. Tickets are $5.