CALIFORNIA NEWSWIRE (HOLLYWOOD, Calif.) — Prolific actor, writer and “maker of all things theatrical,” Tonoccus McClain, is pouring his heart and soul into a deeply personal work in his first venture as a producer and writer, “Versions of Her,” at the 2026 Hollywood Fringe Festival. The Festival is Known for being an open-ended event with bold experimental performances.
“Versions of Her” is a one person performance that showcases Tonoccus’ natural charm as he unfolds his journey into the serious issues that evolve from his series of recorded interviews with Kerry Walsh – a celebrated opera singer and actor in her own right before illness began to take its toll – who is now negotiating the challenges of living with several autoimmune diseases and a terminal diagnosis amidst a medical system that marginalized and ignored her.
In this multimedia experience infused with actual clips from these interviews, McClain bears witness to her experience through revelations that he deeply relates with, but keeps it uniquely Her story. McClain doesn’t see “Versions of Her” as a departure from that experience but a natural progression.
McClain’s wide experience informs his ability to create what he describes as “a deep collaboration that puts the work first but utilizes theater’s ability to bring attention to vital issues through story, hard conversation, and even disarming humor.” He adds, “Though I always aim to ask something of my audience beyond their entertainment, this piece has been the most demanding, but ultimately the most profound to date.”
Though dramatized by McClain, this piece is the real testimony of his friend Walsh and her experiences in a system that complicated her health while she simultaneously felt the full gravity of diagnoses, false diagnoses, experimental treatments in Mexico, and the uncertain long days of increasing symptoms.
“Kerry is still here. She’s hoping to be in the audience on opening night. That’s the deadline I’m working against – and it’s why this piece exists,” says McClain.
“Versions of Her” is playing at Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival, June 7-26, 2026:
– Sunday, June 7 at 8 PM
– Friday, June 12 at 5:30 PM
– Sunday, June 14 at 4 PM
– Wednesday, June 17 at 8:30 PM
– Saturday, June 20 at 5 PM
– Thursday, June 25 at 6:30 PM
– Friday, June 26 at 5:30 PM
For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/1391
A veteran performer whose voice has been heard on more than 50 film and television soundtracks – including “Avatar,” “Glee,” and “The Lion King” (2019) – McClain spent over 2,400 performances on the North American tour of Disney’s “The Lion King,” appeared in LA Opera’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Omar,” and has performed at three Academy Awards ceremonies. His stage work spans the Hollywood and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals, Helsinki, Taiwan, and South Korea.
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SUMMARY:
- Actor and performer Tonoccus McClain is debuting his first self-produced and written theater piece, “Versions of Her,” at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, known for experimental and boundary-pushing performances.
- The one-person multimedia show centers on recorded interviews with opera singer and actor Kerry Walsh, exploring her struggles with autoimmune diseases, terminal illness, misdiagnoses, and a medical system she says failed her.
- McClain, whose credits include Avatar, Glee, and Disney’s The Lion King, says the production combines storytelling, difficult conversations, and humor to spotlight urgent social and healthcare issues.
- “Versions of Her” runs June 7–26, 2026, at the Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival, with Walsh hoping to attend opening night despite her ongoing health challenges.
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