Siobhan Fallon Hogan makes a Saturday morning appearance at Oceanic Library, keyed to a new children’s book collaboration with fellow Rumson resident Lori Oakes.
Last we caught up with her in the pixelated pages of redbankgreen, the busy screen actor and Rumson resident Siobhan Fallon Hogan brought us up to date on a pair of exciting new projects — the M. Night Shyamalan-produced sci-fi TV series Wayward Pines (the third season of which begins filming in spring 2017), and her second self-penned solo stage show, a multi-character tour de farce entitled Acting Out.
All in a season’s work for Fallon Hogan, who also navigates a full-time career as mom to a trio of teens and young adults. But even with all that, and a supporting turn in an upcoming major studio release, on her plate, the in-demand character player found the time to homestead new territory as a creator of books for young readers. And on Saturday morning, the co-author of the freshly published illustrated storybook Suzy the Scene visits her hometown Oceanic Free Library for the first of two reading and signing appearances.
A collaboration with artist and fellow Rumsonite Lori Oakes, Suzy is described as “an autobiography based on Fallon Hogan’s ‘unathletic childhood,’ which ultimately propelled her to the stage.” That propulsion into the performing arts would lead the Syracuse, New York native to a high-profile (if relatively low-yield) stint as a cast member of Saturday Night Live, then on to roles in Seinfeld (as Elaine’s roommate Tina), Men in Black (as wife to Vincent D’Onofrio’s alien farmer), Forrest Gump (as Dorothy the bus driver), and the Tina Fey feature Baby Mama (reprising a bit as a birth coach that she created for her stage comedy act).
In Suzy, illustrator Oakes has designed a vivid ginger-haired protagonist who evokes the school-age version of Siobhan, herself a familiar face from HD screen and neighborhood market alike. The book also keys into the light-hearted memoir vein mined by Acting Out and its predecessor, The Salty Sea PTA, projects that had some good-natured fun with characters inspired by the playwright’s friends, family members and neighbors.
For Saturday’s 11 a.m. appearance, Fallon Hogan will do a live reading of the story’s text before she and Oakes answer questions and autograph their just-published book. There’s no charge for admission, and signing copies of Suzy the Scene will be available for purchase.
The authors return to Oceanic Library next Wednesday for a follow-up session. Then in April of 2017, watch for Fallon Hogan in the upcoming feature Going in Style, a remake of the 1979 George Burns comedy-drama, with Morgan Freeman, Alan Arkin and Michael Caine as struggling retirees-turned-first-time bank robbers.
UPDATE: The Oceanic Library reports that Wednesday’s reading and signing session has been cancelled, while the Saturday morning event detailed above will proceed as scheduled.
