Coronado Playhouse presents M*A*S*H 15 June

Full of the people, scenes, and emotions that made M*A*S*H an eleven-year television sensation, this zany stage adaptation will delight M*A*S*H fans with its antics and humor.

The story has been a hit in four venues: bestselling book, popular stage play, hit movie, award-winning TV series.

The popular book was written by Dr. Richard Hornberger as he sat waiting for patients at his offices in Bremen, Maine. Using the alias Richard Hooker, the good doctor (Hawkeye in the novel) wrote a fictional account of his years at the 8055 Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Korea.

The 1970 hit film, which starred Elliott Gould, Donald Sutherland, Sally Kellerman, Tom Skerritt and Robert Duvall, was director Robert Altman's innovative dark comedy about the everyday escapades of an Army medical unit during the Korean War; Ring Lardner, Jr. won an Oscar for his adaptation of Richard Hooker's novel. The movie also received nominations for best picture, best supporting actress (Sally Kellerman) best editing, and best director (Robert Altman).

William Self, the president of Twentieth Century Fox, turned the movie into a television series. Since the movie set was still available and Fox owned the rights to the story, Self knew the series would be inexpensive to produce. He assembled a production team of Gene Reynolds to produce,Larry Gelbart to write a script, and Burt Metcalfe as associate producer and casting director. The first to be cast was Gary Burghoff, who was the only actor from the movie asked to repeat his role. McLean Stevenson was cast as Henry Blake, although he had originally wanted to play Hawkeye. The role of Hawkeye was the last character to be cast, as Alan Alda was reluctant to commit to a show that could have a long run.

The rest is history. The series lasted 11 years with 251 episodes and won countless awards. The final show was one the of the most watched television programs ever.

links to M*A*S*H web sites

JW Price MASH 4077 Page

The MASH 4077 Homepage A comprehensive MASH site with sounds, pictures, fan fiction and trivia plus profiles of hawkeye, trapper, bj, klinger, radar and the rest of the characters

MASH Profiles TV Series Character Profile Captain Pierce Full Name:
Benjamin Franklin Pierce Rank: Captain Hometown:
Crabapple Cove, Maine Years at the 4077th: Entire 11 Seasons Played By: Alan