‘Desperate Spaces’ star and his dad to take the stage at CSN

It's a reverse of an old adage, but art is to imitate life this weekend in the BackStage Theatre on the College of Southern Nevada's Cheyenne campus.

Father-son duo Ken and Daniel Kucan are to take stage as leads in "A Voyage Round My Father," John Mortimer's autobiographical father-son drama.

Mortimer, a popular British playwright, tells the tale of his blind barrister father's life and how he wanted his son to follow his footsteps into practicing law. Mortimer balks at the plan and insists he wants to be a writer.

"There was some competition there and it's brought out in the play," he said. "It's a nice little intimate play."

Ken, 75, a former English and literature teacher, read biographies of the elder Mortimer years ago. He said he was fascinated by a man whose blindness was no obstacle to his brilliant mind.

Thirty other characters weave in and out and help Mortimer share his father's biography and indirectly reveal his own.

"It's a memory play," said director Willene Wadkins . "The son, as a narrator, steps into the memories while he's remembering his life with this father.

"A Voyage Round My Father " is set for 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through April 29 in the BackStage Theatre on the College of Southern Nevada's Cheyenne campus, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave.

Twelve CSN students round out the 18-person cast, Wadkins said. An understudy is to sub for Daniel, who has commitments as a TV personality. The 41-year-old is known for being the resident designer and carpenter on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and for co-hosting HGTV's "Desperate Spaces. "

A Las Vegas native, Daniel was a member of the Las Vegas Rainbow Company Children's Theatre company and attended New York University.

He participated in film, television and theater, including Broadway, before dedicating more time and energy to design and carpentry. Daniel joined the CSN cast for rehearsal within days of wrapping an episode of an unannounced reality television project.

His father got into community theater when Daniel and his two other sons showed an interest.

"I'm not a trained actor, but I always do things my kids are," Ken said. "If they play soccer, I coach soccer."

The pair have worked on theatrical productions together but "A Voyage Round My Father" is to be the first stage they will act opposite each other, Daniel said.

"More than anything, it's great to spend time together in a new way," he said. "We've going hiking together for years or read book and discussed them or went to movies. We're a socially active family and we've always been close."

Ken said it is "doubly interesting" the pair are to act against each other as father and son.

"It's very special to work with your son," he said. "It just brings you closer. It gives you insight into each other's skills. He's a trained actor and he helps me quite a bit."

Daniel said Mortimer's fresh perspective aids appeal.

"Memoir plays are a tricky animal because oftentimes they are indulgent or boring," he said. "This is fun and funny. It's fun and wacky as a father and child relationship should be."

Wadkins said the young cast benefits from the Kucans experience.

"It's a challenge to get the chance to understudy for roles and work with someone working in the business," she said. "They get to see how they work and how you have to focus to work."

Wadkins said having a real father-son duo in the lead roles add authenticity to the material. She said she hopes audiences connect with the play's underlying message.

"We all have parents and we all have times we hate them and love them," she said. "It's an affirmation that as much as we're different, we're all the same."

Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors .

For more information on the performances, call 651-5483 or visit csn.edu/pac .

Contact Centennial and North Las Vegas View reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@viewnews.com or 477-3839.