Monday, September 21, 2015

SHOCKTOBERFEST 16: Curse of the Cobra!

photos by David Allen
poster by Bill Selby
Theatre of Terror and Taboo

Thrillpeddlers announces their 16h Annual Extravaganza of Terror & Titillation which includes five new one-act performances: - CRACKING THE VEIN - A World-Premiere Black Comedy by Andy Wenger and Damien Chacona; DOWN AT THE DONNER PARTY DINER - A Song in Bad Taste by Scrumbly Koldewyn; THE MODEL HOUSE - A World-Premiere Terror Play in Two Parts by Rob Keefe; THE REVENGE OF THE SON OF THE COBRA WOMAN - A New Musical Fantasy Adventure by Scrumbly Koldewyn; and A LIGHTS-OUT SPOOKSHOW FINALE - created by Nicholas Torre.

GET TICKETS

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Salon San Carlos V: Fabulous Expectations

Foul Play Production is proud to team up with Princess Cream Pie to bring you Gaea Denker's Fabulous Expectations at Salon San Carlos V!  Join us for SIX NIGHTS ONLY, March 6 - 15, 2015, Fri & Sat @ 8pm, Sun @ 5pm.  Tickets are free, but seating is limited https://salon-san-carlos-v.eventbrite.com/


Gaea Denker's Fabulous Expectations
Photographer Jamey Thomas  Models Gaea Denker, Jim Jeske, & Sailor
Graphics Foul Play Productions

ABOUT FABULOUS EXPECTATIONS
After a brief, uncomfortable, morning encounter with a flasher in a park, lonely, willowy orphan Pip (Cameron Eng) finds employment under the wise, embittered, nearly-title-holding drag queen, Mz. Havisham (Dave McKew) at Satis House, a struggling gay bar long past its heyday.  Enamoured by her cosmopolitan and beautiful assistant Estella (Gaea Denker), Pip is unwittingly caught up in the world of drag pageantry as he’s mysteriously entered in the prestigious Fabulous Expectations contest.

His heart set on impressing the impenetrable Estella, he overcomes his straight-guy reluctance and commits himself to drag performing, only to discover his fiercest competition is none other than Havisham’s number-stealing rival, the vitriolic Anna Rexia / Bentley (Mikl-em) and the gender-bending boy toy waif, Pocket.  But plots within plots unfold, and Pip realizes that he’s got to man up in order to beat off the other contestants and be the best female impersonator on stage.

Will poor Pip get his happy ending with Estella?   Will Bentley take the cake?  Or is this all a big excuse to have some laughs?  Well, what do you expect?


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Playwright Gaea Denker has a fondness for classical lit and lowbrow wit. She writes comedic material for Ham Pants Productions (hampantsproductions.com), 915 Cayuga (915cayuga.tumblr.com), and The Sparkleponies (facebook.com/theSparkleponies). She holds an MFA in writing for screen and stage.

Songs written by Princess Cream Pie (princesscreampie.com), San Francisco faux queen and swinger-songwriter extraordinaire. “Quick Sniff of Poppers” written by New York drag sensation Ida Slapter.​

Monday, December 1, 2014

Fallen Cosmos: Calling All Artists, Performers and Amazing Folks!

Calling all artists, performers and Amazing Folks of All Kinds!

The San Francisco Institute of Possibility has announced its next enigmatic participatory multi-disciplinary arts event, Fallen Cosmos, on January 31st.  It's an immersive night where hundreds of folks have collaborated to create an completely otherworldly reality, where no one person can see absolutely everything and no two people will have the same experience.  Details of the event are kept clandestine to ensure maximum possibility!

Foul Play has the distinct honor to head up the vital team of guides to ensure everyone's good time. Our cadre has a hybrid role:  Not only are we inhabitants of this innovative world, we act as guide and docent to the patron, facilitating their interaction with the installations as well as providing logistical information.

You can find out more info about the event here, although it only contains the scant information released to the public.   And you can contact us at foulplaysf@gmail.com if you want to enlist!

Their previous event, the All Worlds Fair, unfolded at the Old Mint and you can see photos and find out more here.


Check out the All Worlds Fair gallery from photographer Audrey Penven.


All Worlds Fair, photographer Audrey Penven




Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Faux Queen Pageant 2014: Fashion Faux-ward! -- Sept 6 @ SOMArts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Calendar, Events, Drag, Faux Queen, Pageant, Contest, Benefit, etc
PRESS CONTACT:  Tria Connell at triaconnell (at) me (dot) com
PRESS PHOTOS:  Available at fauxqueenpageant.blogspot.com; photographer Korey Luna

BEA DAZZLER presents (in association with the KLUBSTiTUTE KOLLECTiVE)
FAUX QUEEN PAGEANT 2014: 
Fashion Faux-ward!

The Original Pageant for Drag Queens Trapped in Women’s Bodies


model Cara Couture
photographer Andrew Losh
of Strange Productions
WHEN:     
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Doors & Bar Open @ 9:00, Pageant @ 10pm

WHERE:   
SOMArts
934 Brannan St, b/t 8 & 9, SF
SOMArts.org

TICKETS   
$20 in advance (Cash Only) at Retrofit, 910 Valencia @ 20th, SF
$25 at the Door (Cash Only)
$35 VIP with Reserved Upfront Seating, Raffle Ticket and Pageant Poster

INFO:       
fauxqueenpageant.blogspot.com
fauxqueenpageant (at) gmail (dot) com

September 2014, San Francisco, CA -- Suit up this Fall in sartorial splendor!  Bea Dazzler kicks off the season with the Faux Queen Pageant:  Fashion Faux-ward!, the original contest for drag queens trapped in women’s bodies.   Dressed to kill, our contestants will hit below the belt and get you hot under the collar on Saturday, September 6 at SOMArts Cultural Center, SF, as they compete for fabulous prizes and the 2014 title.

The Faux Queen Pageant is an "only-in-SF!" glamour contest founded in 1995 by Diet Popstitute and Ruby Toosday, continued by the KLUBSTiTUTE KOLLECTiVE, that benefits many local community organizations. Originally intended for female female-impersonators, that is, women-dressed-as-men-dressed-as-women, the FQP has been restored to glory by title winner Bea Dazzler (FQ 1998), becoming a celebration for women drag performers in their own right, and a showcase of a groundbreaking talent. 

This year, the theme is “Fashion Faux-ward!” where contestants will “sew” the seeds of the Coup Couture!  Diva la revolución!  We’ll see which fashion has traction, and find out just who will beat the pants of whom.  Contestants throw their hat into the ring and compete in two categories:  the Catwalk, where style goes the extra mile, and the Showcase, where the faux fur flies and these ladies’ talent will leave you shaking in your boots.  Fauxs vie for fabulous prize packages donated from local vendors and artists--but only one will rise victorious and walk away with the ultimate prize, the title of FAUX QUEEN 2014! 

PLEASE NOTE:  Patrons can Tip the Scales!!!   Audience Tips determine who gets the Audience Favorite Award.

Celebrity MCs are: the illustrious and First Faux Queen title holder, the indomitable Laurie Bushman aka Coca Dietetica (FQ 1995), and original faux queen and stylish entrepreneur behind the Glama-Rama Hair Salon, Deena Davenport.

Celebrity Judges include:  Last year’s title winner Cara Couture (FQ2013); Trannyshack’s own Heklina; Miss Diva USofA, Brandi Amara Skyy; Therese "Aunty Anita" Wonnacott; and pageant founder Ruby Toosday!

"The FQP has grown over the years into a now stunning display of eyelashes, sequins, and feathers. Oh, and of course drag queens trapped in the bodies of real girls, all battling it out for the coveted title. If last year’s competition is anything to go by, this year will be further proof that it no longer matters what gender you are, just that once you set foot on that stage, you MUST bring it!” 
-- Heklina, of trannyshack.com

“Not only is the FQP fun and incredible, it has historic importance, in that the Faux Queen phenomenon was born here, and is growing by leaps and bounds!  I am so thankful that Bea Dazzler has brought it back!”
-- Deena Davenport, an Original Faux Queen and maven of the Glama-rama Hair Salon.

Faux Queen Pageant 2014 commences on Saturday, September 6, 2014 at SOMArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan, SF.  Doors & Bar @ 9pm; Pie Eating Contest @ 9:30; Pageant @ 10pm; Winner’s Circle at 12mid.  Tickets are $25 at the door and $20 in Advance at RetroFit, 910 Valencia @ 20th, SF.   Check FauxQueenPageant.blogspot.com for updates.

The FQP is produced by Bea Dazzler in association with KLUBSTiUTE KOLLECTiVE; and has raised tens of thousands of dollars for local organizations.  This year’s beneficiaries are Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue (mickaboo.org), SaveABunny (saveabunny.org) and Women Organized to Make Abuse Nonexistent, Inc. (womaninc.org).

Our fabulous Contestants include: Agorafauxbia, Alabama Slamma, Ferosha Titties, Hazzard Strange, Linty, KaiKai Bee Michaels, Migitte Nielsen, Roxanne Redmeat, Miss Shugana, and Vesper Synd.

Our generous Sponsors and selfless Donors include: Foul Play Productions, Hare Brained Productions, Retro Fit, SOMArts Cultural Center and Trannyshack. 

--END--

ABOUT BEA DAZZLER:  Tria Connell was born in Columbus Ohio "in the heart of it all".  She received a BA in Fashion Design from the University of Cincinnati.  Tria moved to SF after Graduation in 1995 where she set about finding her place in the universe.  In 1996 she met Joshua Grannell and Peaches Christ, she was enamored by her alternaDrag and began designing Costumes for Peaches and working on the long running Midnight Mass with your Hostess Peaches Christ event. to the present, she has done everything from perform on stage to costume design, to co-produce.  In 1997 Tria was introduced by Joshua to a club called Trannyshack and something called a "Faux Queen" Thrilled that there was a way for her to perform onstage imitating a Drag Queen she adopted the name Bea Dazzler (after one of her favorite things, Sorvoski Crystal Rhinestones) and began performing. She entered and Won the 4th annual Faux Queen Pageant in 1998.  Today Tria continues to produce the Faux Queen Pageant, bringing it to a new generation of Faux Queens, as well as designing one of a kind costumes for San Francisco's Drag Stars!

ABOUT THE KLUBSTiTUTE KOLLECTiVE:   Since 1990, KLUBSTiTUTE continues to parade the glamour and the gore in honor of a rich tradition.  We strive to set the stage for underground Queer Cabaret, wacky theme parties and kinky drag performances.  We founded the KLUBSTiTUTE KOLLECTiVE to continue these non-traditional traditions after the passing of our inspiration and founder DIET POPSTiTUTE in 1995 who created and sustained a legendary line-up of freaks, performers and events to make the most jaded queens come out in joyful celebrations of abandonment.  Productions have included the theatrical megahit ROCKY HORROR SUPERSTAR: the Jesus of Frankenfurter Story, PromSTiTUTE, Ruby’s Rated X-Mas and the VIRGIN QUEEN CONTEST for 1st Time Drag Queens.  We are honored to pass the Faux Queen Pageant torch into such capable hands, and look forward to all the drink tickets we’ll be getting.

ABOUT MICKABOO COMPANION BIRD RESCUE:  Mickaboo is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in the San Francisco Bay area. We are dedicated to rescuing companion birds (parrot-type and other commonly domesticated birds) who have been neglected, abused, injured or surrendered to us. mickaboo.com

ABOUT SAVEABUNNY:  SaveABunny was founded in 1999 following the rescue of a neglected stray rabbit,and has grown into a nationally recognized adoption, education and foster center.  We are recognized as a leader in rabbit rescue efforts, as well as a model for building effective partnerships with animal shelters and community groups, such as the Girl Scouts. saveabunny.org

ABOUT WOMEN ORGANIZED TO MAKE ABUSE NONEXISTENT, INC (WOMAN, Inc): WOMAN, Inc. has operated since 1978 as a community-based, multi-service agency, serving survivors of domestic violence in San Francisco and the larger Bay Area. womaninc.org






Sunday, August 3, 2014

FAUX QUEEN PAGEANT 2014: Save the Date -- Sat, 9/6


Bea Dazzler is proud to announce the arrival of
the Faux Queen Pageant 2014:  Fashion Faux-ward!
The Original Contest for Drag Queens Trapped in Women's Bodies

WHEN: 
Saturday, September 6th
Doors @ 9p, Pie Eating Contest @ 9:30, Pageant @ 10

WHERE: 
SOMArts Gallery
934 Brannan St, SF

Founded by Diet Popsitute and Ruby Tuesday of the KLUBSTiTUTE KOLLECTiVE, and restored to its glory by title holder Bea Dazzler, the FQP is a dragstravaganza not to be missed.  Save the Date and attend San Francisco’s premier showcase of Faux Queen talent!  Dress to impress, werk a look and support your favorite contestant.  These girls are gonna BRING it!

We'll have celebrity emcees and judges; and there are so many prizes, even the audience gets a chance to win!

The proceeds from this pageant benefit Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue, SaveABunny, and Women Organized to Make Abuse Nonexistent, Inc (WOMAN, Inc.) 

More details to come soon.  Contact us at fauxqueenpageant@gmail.com with questions or more info.

Check out photos from Faux Queen Pageant 2013: Sisters Grimm!
Photographer Andrew Losh of Strange Productions

Sunday, July 6, 2014

CALLING ALL FABULOUS ACTORS & ARTISTS: Script Workshop for Gaea Denker's Fabulous Expectations

We are seeking some friendly actors experienced in the drag scene to help bring an original play, Fabulous Expectations, to life!

Charles Dickens is rolling in his grave to see what we've done to his classic Great Expectations. In this campy musical parody adapted by Gaea Denker, a twist of fate thrusts a small-town straight boy into a high-stakes drag pageant in order to impress the gorgeous fag hag Estella. Will he win her heart? Will he win the pageant? Will they meet our expectations? Starring everyone's favorite washed-out title holder, Miz Havisham!

We are holding two script readings and would love your presence at either, and preferably both.

Saturday, July 19, 2014
Saturday, September 6, 2014

We will read through the current script, break for discussion, and read through the script again. Please plan for four hours on each date (afternoonish, exact times to be determined). Fabulous snacks will be provided!

Please contact Cameron Eng if you're available to read. Actors in the readings will also be considered for roles in the stage production.

And if you know of other artists/actors that may be interested in this project, please spread the word or let us know!

Playwright Gaea Denker has a fondness for classical lit and lowbrow wit. She writes comedic material for Ham Pants Productions, 915 Cayuga, and The Sparkleponies. She holds an MFA in writing for screen and stage, though local San Franciscans may know her better as Princess Cream Pie, faux queen and swinger-songwriter extraordinaire.

___________________________________________________________
CHARACTERS:

PIP - Young, innocent, small-town, bewildered; a straight fish-out-of-water in a gay world.

MIZ HAVISHAM - Jaded and world-weary; nearly won a major drag pageant years ago and hasn't won anything since.

ESTELLA - Beautiful, sassy, and cold. A fag hag that's all business and doesn't have time for Pip.

POCKET - Youthful and friendly; a slender boy with a kinky fondness for old hairy bears. Sweet and nurturing towards newcomer Pip.

MAGWITCH - A gruff, hairy trenchcoat-flasher with a charming fondness for slender boys.

BENTLEY - The fast-talking, catty drag queen currently reigning over the local pageant scene. Mean spirited and can't resist chocolate cake.

Facebook Event

Thursday, April 24, 2014

May Day: "Climax" in the PlayGround Film Festival

May 1 and 5:  Come see our film Climax from filmmaker Jeremy Solterbeck and Canopus Projects, starring Stacy Ross and Nick Sholley, written by Sean Owens!  

Get tickets!
More info
Our old campaign site

Thank you to everyone who contributed to our campaign.  We wouldn't be here without you!

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

ECT: Soap Opera photos from Douglas Wellman

Check out some event candids from our good buddy Douglas Wellman.   Thank you! 

You can still get tickets at http://excorp.se

Eveline Hardashian lords over the family.
photo by Douglas Wellman


The Surprise Wedding of the Century
photo by Douglas Wellman

Sunday, March 9, 2014

April 8 & 9: Exquisite Corpse Theatre: Soap Opera!


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Calendar, Events, etc
PRESS CONTACT:  Cameron Eng, foulplaysf (at) gmail (dot) com
PRESS PHOTOS AVAILABLE:  ​ http://bit.ly/exsoapix  Photographer Monica Hernandez​

Mikl-em & Foul Play Productions present

Exquisite Corpse Theatre: Soap Opera
THE LIFE YOU’LL NEVER HAVE!

Written by the Audience the Night of the Show

WHEN:     
April 8 - 9, 2014
Tuesday & Wednesday @ 7:00pm
Writing Party 7 to 8pm; Performance starts @ 8pm
Dressing Up Encouraged: Like you’re going to the Wedding of the Century!
​​
WHERE: 
Stage Werx Theatre
446 Valencia, b/t 15th & 16th, SF
http://stagewerx.org

TICKETS: 
$20 at the door and online at:  http://exquisitesoap.eventbrite.com
Ticket Includes Party Food and Drinks, while they last; Special Packages Available

INFO:     
http://excorp.se
​http://www.foulplaysf.com​​

​​SF, April 2014 --   You are invited to the Biggest Birthday-Funeral-Wedding-Show of the the Year!​ Mikl-em and Foul Play Productions present the latest in our continuing Exquisite Corpse Theatre series of unique interactive comedic events written by the audience the night of the show.

Every episode is a different genre and this time it’s a Soap Opera saga entitled THE LIFE YOU’LL NEVER HAVE! based on audience suggestions.  A Novel Tell-All Telenovela!  Two Shows Only: April 8 & 9.  Welcome to the daze of our lives!

ECT: Soap Opera poster designed by
Louise Jarmilowicz and Carrie Galbraith
Exquisite Corpse Theatre is a unique, immersive evening of art and entertainment--a party, game and performance, all-in-one. Each night an original, hilarious play is created collaboratively by the audience, then performed live moments later.

Like the Young and the Restless, we only have One Live to Live, and As the World Turns through Generations, when we’re stuck between a rock and a Melrose Place, we need a Guiding Light.  Like All My Children believe, if we Search for Tomorrow on the Edge of Night,we may find a a Sunset Beach and a Bright Promise!  Whether you're a Telenovela fella or a Prime Time aficionado, a breakfast serialist or think “Luke and Laura” is a bungled Star Wars reference, you’ll love this show!  Because this show loves you--even though it’s cheating on you with your brother’s blind amnesiac evil twin cousin’s love child.

Dress in your retro-finery (Joan Collins, JR Ewing, et al) to attend night of scandal, intrigue, shame, death, romance, betrayal, dysfunction, surprise, and more--culminating the ultimate Surprise Wedding of the Century!  That’s right, two characters will tie-the-knot in the grand finale, but we don’t know which pair until YOU vote that night!

The evening begins at 7pm with a party atmosphere, so guests can mingle with outrageous personages, meeting our costumed characters face-to-face. Then the audience become playwrights, and take turns writing small sections to an original serial saga--which goes into the hands of SF’s funniest comedians to perform LIVE!  No one knows quite what will happen, but it’s a night that you’ll never forget!

ECT: Soap Opera is on April 8 and 9, 2014, Tues & Wed @ 7pm, at Stage Werx Theatre, 446 Valencia Street (b/t 15 & 16th).  Tickets are $20 online and at the door at http://exquisitesoap.eventbrite.com.  More info at http://excorp.se or http://foulplaysf.com
​​
ECT: Soap Opera is an Exquisite Corpse Theatre show, a joint production from Mikl-em and Cameron Eng of Foul Play Productions.  This episode features Bryce Byerly, Damien Chacona, Lesley Freeman, Jim Jeske, Gerri Lawlor, Dean Mermell, Gaea Pett, Rebecca Portney, and Guy Silvestro.


--END--

ABOUT THE EXQUISITE CORPSE:  The Exquisite Corpse is a parlor game invented by the Surrealists in the early 20th Century as a way to create unpredictable collaborations. Each person only sees a small part of the last contributor’s writing or drawing. It is a bit like playing “telephone”: the composition progresses and digresses in unpredictable, wondrous, and funny ways.

In the late 20th Century The San Francisco Cacophony Society, legendary pranksters and merrymakers, adapted the Exquisite Corpse into a play-writing party game.  Now in tribute to and collaboration with many original Cacophonists, and because it's so damn fun, we’ve rebooted the Exquisite Corpse Play and mutated it more for the 21st Century.

ABOUT FOUL PLAY PRODUCTIONS:  Since 2008, this SF based production company has been dedicated to curating insightful, innovative, and accessible theater. They've brought you Attack of the Killer B-Movies (I & II), Left-Handed Darling, Wicker Man: the Rock Opera, Princess Bride: Live! and the runaway hit comedy, Stale Magnolias.  Continued by Cameron Eng with help from collaborators like Mikl-em, their focus is on working with the vibrant, local talent to create unique and powerful theatrical events, with an economically resilient production style.  foulplaysf.com

ABOUT MIKL-EM: Chief ExCorpse Re-animator, Mikl-em has a 15+ year habit of breaking San Francisco theatre out of traditional boxes. As writer, actor, and producer Mikl focuses on surprising events that are participatory and delightful. Whether playing with the San Francisco Cacophony Society, performing on-stage at Dark Room Theater or DADAFest, or site-specifically at The All Worlds Fair or Popcorn Anti-Theater, he is dedicated to pushing theatre beyond its usual bounds.

The cast of "The Life You'll NEVER Have!" (James Jeske not pictured)
photographer Monica Hernandez


Gerri Lawlor as the ruthless Eveline Hardashian
who fights to keep her family and her company together
photographer Monica Hernandez

Bryce Byerly as the enigmatic reunited twins,
Chase Gaylord and Evel Hardashian
photographer Monica Hernandez
Guy Silvestro as the troubled Ernest Hardashian
photographer Monica Hernandez
Rebecca Poretsky as the explosive Hydra Hardashian
who suffers from multiple personality disorder
photographer Monica Hernandez
Dave McKew as "Prick" Hardashian
an 8-year old with a blossoming thyroid problem
photographer Monica Hernandez

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

ECT: Soap Opera -- What will happen!?!?!

This is your chance to influence the course of the show!  This link will take you to a form where YOU can decide what fate has in store for our illustrious soap opera family.

What's the family secret?  Amnesia?  Kleptomania?  An evil twin?  Cthulhu?  Hippies?

How did they make their fortune?  What happened to our mysteriously missing relative?  

HERE'S THE LINK!  

This survey is open to the public, but as we approach April, ticket buyers will get more chances to determine the show.  

Monday, February 3, 2014

ECT: Soap Opera in April!


 
TWO NIGHTS ONLY!   April 8 & 9, 2014 at Stage Werx Theatre.

Foul Play Productions and Mikl-em are please to announce our next Exquisite Corpse Theatre:  Soap Opera!

Exquisite Corpse Theatre produces unique, immersive art and entertainment. It’s a party, game and performance, all-in-one. Each night an original, hilarious play is created collaboratively by the audience and then performed live by our cast moments after it’s completed. We choose a different genre each time, and this time it’s a Soap Opera!  Two nights only, April 8th & 9th, 2014.

Every Soap Opera has a cast of outlandish personalities, and ours is no exception. A well-to-do family with secrets and skeletons in every closet. There’s budding romance, jealousy, and scores to settle!

Join us for a night of scandal, intrigue, shame, romance, betrayal, dysfunction, surprise, and more!! All tied together by stilted dialogue and outlandish characters. AND the ultimate Soap Opera wedding. Come to the show dressed to attend the most outrageous surprise wedding ever. Suprise? That’s right, two characters will tie-the-knot in the grand finale, but we don’t know which pair until YOU the audience vote for who gets hitched that night!

The evening begins in a party atmosphere, with light refreshments, projections, music and fun. And our Soap Opera characters will be wandering the floor--who knows what secrets you’ll overhear and what passions you may witness while the party is going on. You’ll get familiar with our cast of crazy personalities, all soap opera archetypes--innocent or devious, lusty or lushes, hungry for power, or passionate for revenge.

Then as the party goes on our audience steps out in small groups to take turns writing the script for the night’s play. We’ve developed lots of fun ways to contribute to the writing. It’s easy and you don’t need a literature degree or an encyclopedic Soap Opera knowledge to join in. You can dictate a line or two of the monologue or give the bride and groom help with their vows or type up a few minutes of dialogue using the special play-writing app we’ve created in our writers room.

Then we print the scripts and put them in the hands of our cast--some of SF’s finest comedic actors, to bring your outrageous, surprising script to life. No one knows quite what will happen, but it's always hilarious. And everyone, actor and audience, is astounded and delighted by how it turns out!

Your night is even more fun if you get in the spirit by dressing up for our Soap Opera Wedding reception. Go formal or dress to impress in retro-finery from your favorite soap opera era. There is no dress code, as long as you wear something that inspires you to have fun at a one-of-a-kind, interactive, unpredictable theatrical event. 




Monday, January 27, 2014

Exquisite Corpse Theatre on YouTube: Thanks Douglas Wellman!!

Thanks to the amazing Douglas Wellman and Puzzling Evidence TV, you can see the 12/21/13 performance of Defenders of Intergalactic Donuts. 

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

ECT: the Performant

Check out a review of our Exquisite Corpse Theatre from Nicole Glukstern the Performant and the SF Bay Guardian: 

Queen Vixxnord! (Dawn Corrine) and
the evil Prof. Fritzdoctorsteinberg (Brendan Hill)
"[T]he resultant play dwells at the crossroads of blind chance and organized chaos. Or as host and “Voice of Stage Directions” Mikl-em points out in his welcome speech, it’s a “piece of art … that no one would make on purpose.”  Purpose be damned, let’s play!

[U]niversal truths do still manage to shine through. Rock stardom may have little to do with actual talent but much to do with seduction. Desire is a universal drive. Always look on the bright side of life (whistle, whistle). If you’ve got it, flaunt it … and if you flaunt it, make sure people are wearing sunglasses. Hiccup. Weevil. Splat."

Read the rest at:  http://www.sfbg.com/pixel_vision/2013/12/23/performant-boldly-go

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

ECT: A Message from the Sisters Chameleon

Hailing frequencies open! Prepare for a special communique from intergalactic rock legends LordLady Chameleon and Camilla Chameleon:  



Exquisite Corpse Theatre: "Defenders of Intergalactic Donuts" 12/20 and 12/21 from Dean Mermell on Vimeo.
Thanks to Dean Mermell!

Monday, December 2, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Calendar, Events, etc
PRESS CONTACT:  Cameron Eng, foulplaysf (at) gmail.com
EVENT PHOTOS:  http://bit.ly/ECSFchar, photographer Monica Hernandez

Mikl-em, Stage Werx Theatre, & Foul Play Productions present the


Exquisite Corpse Theatre: Sci-Fi

DEFENDERS OF INTERGALACTIC DONUTS
Written by the Audience the Night of the Show

DEFENDERS poster art by
DocPop and Cameron Eng
WHEN:       
December 20 & 21, 2013
Friday and Saturday @ 7:00
Doors & Party @ 7:00
Performance @ 8:00

WHERE:   
Stage Werx Theatre
446 Valencia, b/t 15th & 16th, SF
http://stagewerx.org

TICKETS:   
$23 online at http://excoscifi.eventbrite.com
Ticket Includes Party Food and Drinks, while they last; Special Packages Available

INFO:       
http://excorp.se

SF, Dec 2013 -- This December, boldly go where no one has gone before!  Mikl-em, Stage Werx and Foul Play present an Exquisite Corpse Theatre: Sci-Fi event, Defenders of Intergalactic Donuts:  They Dared to Conquer Infinity, written by the audience on the night of the show. December 20 & 21 at Stage Werx: TWO NIGHTS ONLY, a different script and performance each night!

Exquisite Corpse Theatre is a combination party, writing game and performance. Our audience is encouraged to dress up in science fiction themed finery to join in this immersive experience. The evening begins at 7pm with a party, so guests can mingle with outrageous science fiction personages, meeting our costumed characters face-to-face. Then the audience become playwrights, and take turns writing small sections to an original sci-fi script--which goes into the hands of some of SF’s funniest comedians to perform for the audience / authors LIVE! No one knows quite what will happen, but it’s always outrageously funny!

Our new play is entitled Defenders of Intergalactic Donuts: They Dared to Conquer Infinity (named by audience submissions). It runs 2 NIGHTS ONLY on December 20 & 21, 2013, Friday and Saturday @ 7pm at Stage Werx Theatre (446 Valencia, SF), http://stagewerx.org.  Tickets are online at http://excoscifi.eventbrite.com. More info: http://excorp.se

For this third installment of Exquisite Corpse Theatre, we revisit the Science Fiction genre and the characters from our last show The Stars Say DIE!! which had 2 sold-out performances in October. Our story rejoins the crew of the Starship Dental Prize as they aim for a strange new planet and have more outlandish adventures. An androgyne intergalactic rock star, fatality-prone red-shirted crew, and an evil scientific genius who keeps flashing his jazz hands are all once again in the mix.

Citizens of the internet can help write the play before the event by filling out a time-travel-based ‘web form’: http://bit.ly/ExCoDec to help us name characters, define plot details, and otherwise develop the outline of the script. Every aspect of the show is made with audience input either beforehand or the night of the show. Each show has the same characters but completely new dialogue and action.

DOID:TDCI is produced by Exquisite Corpse Theatre, a collaboration of Mikl-em, Ty McKenzie of Stage Werx Theatre and Cameron Eng of Foul Play Productions. It stars Bryce Byerly, Dawn Corrine, Jody Frandle, Leslie Freeman, Brendan Hill, Becky Hirschfeld, Gerri Lawlor, Stuart Mangrum, Dean Mermell, Mikl-em, Christina Shonkwiler and Chandler White. Costumes and inspiration by original SF Cacophony Society instigator, Louise Jarmilowicz.

--END--

ABOUT THE EXQUISITE CORPSE:  The Exquisite Corpse is a parlor game invented by the Surrealists in the early 20th Century as a way to create unpredictable collaborations. Each person only sees a small part of the last contributor’s writing or drawing. It is a bit like playing “telephone”: the composition progresses and digresses in unpredictable, wondrous, and funny ways. 

In the late 20th Century The San Francisco Cacophony Society, legendary pranksters and merrymakers, adapted the Exquisite Corpse into a play-writing party game.  Now in tribute to and collaboration with many original Cacophonists, and because it's so damn fun, we’ve rebooted the Exquisite Corpse Play and mutated it more for the 21st Century.

ABOUT STAGE WERX: Stage Werx Theatre has a track record for eclectic, off beat and daring performance. From Circus to Rock Opera to fantastical Solo Performance and Storytelling, Stage Werx is the place for something just a little different. We produce, promote, support, mentor and provide resources for new, emerging and established performance companies, solo artists and other performers. Established in 2011 and run by Ty Mckenzie with the help of twin sister Cory Mckenzie, it's a cozy intimate 70 seat theatre with room for more. Not a bad seat in the house and lots of varied programing to choose from.  stagewerx.org

ABOUT FOUL PLAY PRODUCTIONS:  Since 2008, this SF based production company, founded by Cameron Eng and Sean Owerns, has been dedicated to curating insightful, innovative, and accessible theater. They've brought you Attack of the Killer B-Movies (I & II), Left-Handed Darling, Wicker Man: the Rock Opera, Princess Bride: Live! and the runaway hit comedy, Stale Magnolias.  Continued by Cameron Eng with help from collaborators like Mikl-em, their focus is on working with the vibrant, local talent to create unique and powerful theatrical events, with an economically resilient production style.  foulplaysf.com

ABOUT MIKL-EM: Chief ExCorpse Re-animator, Mikl-em has a 15+ year habit of breaking San Francisco theatre out of traditional boxes. As writer, actor, and producer Mikl focuses on surprising events that are participatory and delightful. Whether playing with the San Francisco Cacophony Society, performing on-stage at Dark Room Theater or DADAFest, or site-specifically at The All Worlds Fair or Popcorn Anti-Theater, he is dedicated to pushing theatre beyond its usual bounds.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

The Stars Say DIE!! Event Photos by Monica Hernandez

Hailing frequencies open!   Take an away team and beam on over to see Monica Hernandez event photos from The Stars Say DIE!!  Thank you to our fabulous audience dressed in all their sci-finery and joining us to boldly write what no one has written before.   

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spunk13/sets/72157637742292605/

Monday, September 16, 2013

10/02/13: Mikl-em presents an Exquisite Corpse Play: Sci-Fi

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Calendar, Events, etc
PRESS CONTACT:  Mikl-em, mikl@bianca.org
PRESS Images: http://bit.ly/excoScifi


Stage Werx and Foul Play Productions present
AN EXQUISITE CORPSE PLAY: Sci-Fi!
An audience-participation theatre game, where a play is created and performed in one night!!

WHEN:
Tuesday, October 1, 2013 (*just added!)
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Show at 7:30 pm

WHERE:
Stage Werx Theater
446 Valencia, b/t 15 & 16, SF
stagewerx.org

TICKETS:   
PREVIEW NIGHT SHOW ADDED 10/01
exquisitecorpsescifipreview.eventbrite.com

$15 online at exquisitecorpsescifi.eventbrite.com
Multiple Support Levels Available

INFO:       
exquisitecorpsescifi.eventbrite.com

SAN FRANCISCO, OCT 2013 -- 

********************************
PREVIEW NIGHT SHOW ADDED 10/01
exquisitecorpsescifipreview.eventbrite.com
********************************

For one night only, Mikl-em, Stage Werx and Foul Play Productions present a theatrical Exquisite Corpse Play: Sci-Fi, a collaborative play-writing party that culminates in an otherworldly Science Fiction play being performed live by an amazing cast of comic actors and improvisers just minutes after it is written! 

An Exquisite Corpse is a creative collaborative game, invented by the Surrealists, that playfully makes a surprising work of art.  Adapted to stage plays by the Cacophony Society, our team has modernized it into a theatrical party.  It begins with guests taking turns writing in between bites and sips, while mingling with the characters whose lines they are about to write. Next the tables are cleared, scripts are printed, and only minutes after its creation, an audience-authored Science Fiction play is performed LIVE by some of San Francisco’s finest actors, comedians & improvisers.

Dressing in cosmic finery or other far out costume is encouraged, as is bringing some drink or food for sharing. But neither is required. And most important is a sense of play and humor. It’s a night full of invention and surprise for audience and performers alike. Don’t miss it!

A Surreal tradition reimagined
An Exquisite Corpse play is written by a group of people in series. Each person only sees one line from the previous writer, before they take their turn as author. A bit like a game of “telephone” the story progresses and digresses in an unpredictable, wondrous, and funny way.

Invented by The Surrealists as a parlour game, it is easy to play, and when the resulting script is interpreted live by talented comic actors and improvisers you get a night of hilarious, collaboratively creative fun. We add in some food and drink to make the party atmosphere complete.

And we have more tricks up our sleeve: wild costumes and props; aliens and spacemen who walk up and say hello before you write for them; Science Fiction sounds and visions to get you in the mood to add a new chapter to the genre. We do everything we can to create an incredible night you'll never forget.

In fact the writing has already begun! Weeks ahead of time, our audience helps choose a title for the play (http://bit.ly/ExCoSci), writes lines for our starship’s computer (http://bit.ly/ExCoSciComp), and sets which characters will be in the story.

On the night of the show...

When you arrive you'll find a sci-fi potluck in full swing. Bring something to share or enjoy the food and drink we provide. Then take a turn writing the evolving play with your fellow audience. Don't worry, no prior Corpse composition is required, it’s easy and fun. We suggest dressing in costume or wearing an outfit that helps set the classic Science Fiction mood. After it's been written, watch our stellar cast make the most of the strange story you've all created.

All that and more fun and surprises are in store.  The Exquisite Corpse Play: Sci-Fi is from Mikl-em, Stage Werx and Foul Play Productions, and is ONE NIGHT ONLY on Wednesday, October 2nd at 7:30pmTickets start @ $15 online at exquisitecorpsescifi.eventbrite.com, have multiple participation levels, and are available at the door.  Stage Werx is at 446 Valencia Street (near 16th), in the heart of the SF Mission District, stagwerx.org

--END--

ABOUT MIKL-EM: ExCorpse Re-animator, Director, and co-Producer, Mikl-em has a 15+ year habit of breaking San Francisco theatre out of traditional boxes. As a writer, actor, and producer Mikl focuses on surprising events that are participatory and delightful. From playing with the San Francisco Cacophony Society to performing in Popcorn Anti-Theater and DADAFest to site-specific events like The All Worlds Fair and kicking off this new series of Exquisite Corpse plays, Mikl is dedicated to pushing theatre beyond its usual bounds.

ABOUT STAGE WERX: Stage Werx Theatre has a track record for eclectic, off beat and daring performance. From Circus to Rock Opera to fantastical Solo Performance and Storytelling, Stage Werx is the place for something just a little different. We produce, promote, support, mentor and provide resources for new, emerging and established performance companies, solo artists and other performers. Established in 2011 and run by Ty Mckenzie with the help of twin sister Cory Mckenzie, it's a cozy intimate 70 seat theatre with room for more. Not a bad seat in the house and lots of varied programing to choose from.

ABOUT FOUL PLAY PRODUCTIONS:  Since 2008, this SF based production company, founded by Sean Owens and Cameron Eng, has been dedicated to curating insightful, innovative, and accessible theater. They've brought you Attack of the Killer B-Movies (I & II), Left-Handed Darling, Wicker Man: the Rock Opera, Princess Bride: Live! and the runaway hit comedy, Stale Magnolias.  Continued by Cameron Eng with help from collaborators like Mikl-em, their focus is on working with the vibrant, local talent to create unique and powerful theatrical events, with an economically resilient production style.  foulplaysf.com


Sunday, September 15, 2013

10/2: Exquisite Corpse Play: Sci Fi!


Tickets at http://exquisitecorpsescifi.eventbrite.com/

An Exquisite Corpse is a play (or poem or work of art) gradually created by a group of people. Each writer only sees the line previous to the one s/he is writing, etcetera. The result is a strange, funny, and wondrous thing. It's almost as though it were invented by The Surrealists, which of course it was. It is an easy game to play and you'll never forget it.

Join us for a theatrical version of Exquisite Corpse in the otherworldly style of the Science Fiction genre. YOU will help us write the play and then our amazing cast will perform it for you just minutes after you finish it!

It takes no expertise, per se, to collaborate in the creation of an Exquisite Corpse. In fact you can do it with a drink in your hand. Bring an open mind and a sense of play. A glass of wine, might help.

When you arrive for the show you'll find a sci-fi potluck in full swing. Bring something to share or enjoy the food and drink we provide. Between sips and bites you can take your turn contributing a few lines to the scene of our evolving sci-fi play. Don't worry, we'll help you get started--no prior Corpse composition is requisite to jump in and help write the night's entertainment. Though we recommend coming in costume to help set the mood of classic Science Fiction.

MORE DETAILS coming soon. Reserve your place and Choose Your Level of support--we're kicking off a new crowd-fundy approach to tickets for the show. You can chip in a little bit more to help make an amazing evening:
  • TIP the actors out ahead of time, the extra cash you give goes right to our actors
  • FEED your need for a delicious evening and we'll put your extra $5 to our food/drink budget
  • SUPPORT THE FUTURE of the Exquisite Corpse--we want to keep doing this, give an extra $5 to help us publicize, promote, build props and set, and other cover other costs that help us make an ever more ambitious production
  • GIVE A LITTLE BIT to everything--Super Patrons and Super Heroes gifts go to all aspects of show, actors and production. And we'll have some nice surprise thank yous for you, too.
  • KEEP IT CHEAP cuz not everyone can give extra every time. If you need to there's a low low price and you get the play and the pot luck for the price of a movie.
More fun and surprises are in store. Get your tickets while they last! Tell your friends. See you there!!!

Thanks!

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

9/14: Faux Queen Pageant: Sisters Grimm

Once upon a time, in a city by a bay, the fiercest faux queens in the kingdom vied for their own happy ending!  This September 14, 2013, Bea Dazzler brings the FAUX QUEEN PAGEANT out of the woods and onto the stage at Slim’s!

Faux Queen Pageant poster
Artwork by Myla Baker
Photography by Kent Taylor
The Faux Queen Pageant is an "only-in-SF" glamour contest started in 1995 by Diet Popstitute and Ruby Toosday, continued by the KLUBSTiTUTE KOLLECTiVE, that benefits many local community organizations. Originally intended for female female-impersonators, that is, women-pretending-to-be-men-pretending-to-be-women, the FQP has been restored by title winner Bea Dazzler, becoming a celebration for women drag performers in their own right.

This year, Bea Dazzler teams up with the one-of-a-kind performer L. Ron Hubby to bring you this season of the witch; and candidates will compete with a “Sisters Grimm” theme, a world of fractured fairy tales where the princess rescues herself with for own happy ending!

Contestants contend in two categories:  the Fairy Tale Couture fashion walk, and the Talent Competition.  (PSST!  Audience members can pick their favorite performer for a special Audience Favorite Prize with points granted with each dollar tipped!)


Fauxs vie for fabulous prize packages and baskets of goodies from donors including:  Heklina of Trannyshack, Retrofit, Kent Taylor Photography, and more!--but only one will rise victorious and walk away with the title, FAUX QUEEN 2013!  This year’s pageant is definitely not by the book!

Tickets at http://fauxqueenpageant.brownpapertickets.com
More info at http://fauxqueenpageant.blogspot.com

Sunday, July 14, 2013

08/2013: Sean Owens' Breeches of Etiquette

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Calendar, Events, Theatre, Comedy, Music, LGBT, etc
PRESS CONTACT:  Cameron Eng, foulplaysf@gmail.com
PRESS PHOTOS AVAILABLE: HERE Photographer Ryan Wilkes

Foul Play Productions presents the World Premiere of SEAN OWENS’
BREECHES OF ETIQUETTE
A Tailor-Made Evening of Sartorial Short Plays & Song


WHEN:    
August 8 - 23, 2013
Thursdays & Fridays @ 8pm (90 min show)

WHERE:   
Stage Werx
446 Valencia St. (@ 16th), SF,
stagewerx.org


TICKETS:    
$20-25 available online and at the door breechesofetiquette.eventbrite.com
 
INFO:        


SF, CA / AUG 2013 -- There’s something shocking in Sean Owens’ shorts!  Foul Play Productions debuts the world premiere of Sean Owens’ BREECHES OF ETIQUETTE, a tailor-made evening of sartorial short plays and songs, featuring original music by songwriting partner Don Seaver, at Stage Werx theater this August.

Often, comedy springs from chaos-- a clever misunderstanding, an inability to comprehend. But it can also arise from impeccable control and acute understanding-- a chess match played at Benny Hill speed. Straining the fabric of polite society, BREECHES speaks bravely and brazenly to the things we have dared for decades not to say... those satin and sanguine secrets kept close to the skin. BREECHES OF ETIQUETTE delicately reminds us that 'genteel' and 'gentle' are not the same word at all. 

Interwoven with implicit understandings and unspoken bonds, BREECHES is both eloquent and elusive: from a courtship between Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty (The Game's Afoot) to a wedding groomsman “taking it in the apse” (Double Windsor), these six short plays and seven songs, presented as a tautly wound and subtly seamless night of theatre, conspire to create moments outside of time in which everything-- and everyone-- is up for grabs. Thus, cruise ships and game shows become courses in tactical (and tactile) advantage, and even old Macbeth gets a long-awaited makeover (The Candidate). 

The songwriting team of Owens & Seaver (Girlesque, Lady of the 'Loin and Cora's Christmas Corral) are more prolific and prophetic than ever, with songs that slide into the hidden pockets of pursuit and passion. Self-evident titles like "I'd Do Nancy Drew" and "Love Between Two Proper Gentlemen" stand alongside a tango-beat polemic on contemporary dating rituals ("Mixed Signals"), and some open-ended questions about opening up relationships ("Exception To The Rule"). Even in the altogether, BREECHES is altogether a revealing night of theatre.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR OWENS’ PREVIOUS WORK:
“[Sean Owens is] master of the absurdly funny play... SF’s captain of theatrical camp.. SF’s Best Comic Playwright.”  --Chloe Veltman,
SF Weekly 


"Playwright Owens’ devious mind expresses itself brilliantly in these short pieces with a bounty of surprise twists and turns. The original musical score by Owens and Don Seaver melodically mirrors the evening’s delightful derangement."  --Tom Kelly, SF Bay Times 

BREECHES opens August 8, 2013, and runs through August 23, with performances on Thursdays and Fridays @ 8pm, at Stage Werx, 446 Valencia (near 16th), SF.  Tickets are $20-25 at breechesofetiquette.eventbrite.com or at the door.  More info at foulplaysf.com and stagewerx.org.  

BREECHES is from Foul Play Productions (Cameron Eng, Rik Lopes, Mikl-em, Sean Owens), authored by Sean Owens, with music composed by Don Seaver, and features the talents of: Mikka Bonel, Eddie Barol, Rik Lopes, James Mayagoitia, Amanda Ortmayer, Sean Owens, Nikita Schoen, Don Seaver, and Kathryn Wood.  

--END-- 

ABOUT SEAN OWENS: Sean Owens has written over 35 short and full-length plays, including three musicals with composer Don Seaver. He has received the Critics' Circle Award, garnered Audience Choice at NY's FRIGID Fest, and was named Best Comic Playwright (SF Weekly). He is also the co-founder of Foul Play Productions.

ABOUT DON SEAVER:  Don has gone from songwriting with a country/western band in Dallas to composing a ballet score for the Paul Taylor Dance Company, to numerous theatrical scores and sound designs winning several Bay Area Critics’ Circle Awards along the way.  2010 saw the release of his latest CD, Lessons Learned, featuring a fairly wide range of styles, from jazz to funk, from piano ballads to guitar rockers.  donseaver.com 

ABOUT FOUL PLAY PRODUCTIONS: Since 2008, this SF based production company, founded by Sean Owens and Cameron Eng, has been dedicated to curating insightful, innovative, and accessible theater. They've brought you Attack of the Killer B-Movies (I & II), Left-Handed Darling and the runaway hit comedy, Stale Magnolias.  In 2011, their cadre expanded to include the writers, producers, performers Mikl-em and Rik Lopes to their ranks.  Their focus is on working with the vibrant, local talent to create unique and powerful theatrical events, with an economically resilient production style.  foulplaysf.com