Saturday, March 27, 2010

Last Week of Solo Performance Festival

SPF #4 is in it's last week of performances! Don't miss the great shows left in the festival!Tickets: http://bit.ly/spf4tix
Saturday March 27:Jake's Gift by Julia Van Stralen
Gunpowder by J. MacDonald

10pm LATE NIGHT at The Canoe Social Club at Theatre Off Jackson:
Monologue Slam (improvised monologue competition - come compete or witness the fun)
hosted by Kevin Kent and Jennifer Jasper

Monday March 29:
The Dwellers by Jonah Von Spreecken
Cooking with Peggy Platt

Tuesday March 30:
Worse Places by Erin Jorgensen
Demonstrate the Place of My Abode by Lisa Koch

Wednesday March 31:
Worse Places by Erin Jorgensen
Kitty in The City by Jeff Freiders
Not. Stable. At All. by Paul Budraitis (a
dded by popular demand)

Thursday April 1 - Saturday April 3
Middle by Jennifer Jasper
Ben DeLaCreme's Piece de Resistance: (the piece she should have resisted) by Ben DeLaCreme
Ernie Von Schmaltz: The Total Package by Ernie Von Schmaltz (Anna Allen)

Sunday April 4:
Added by popular demand: Demonstrate The Place of My Abode by Lisa Koch

Show Descriptions & Performer Bios in alphabetical order

Ben DeLaCreme's Piece de Resistance! (the piece she should have resisted)
April 1, 2, 3
At last Seattle's terminally delightful star of stage and street shares the secrets that have tricked dozens of audience members into enjoying her company. Join DeLaCreme as she peels back the outer layers of makeup and artifice to reveal the makeup and artifice within.

Ben DeLaCreme has appeared in theaters and nightclubs from coast to coast ever since the fateful day in 2002 when she realized that normally unsavory behavior is better received the more makeup one wears. Hailed by The Stranger as "the reason live performance was invented," DeLaCreme combines her background in the performing & visual arts with a love of spectacle, glamour, and Saturday morning cartoons to create a thick sludge of sparkly entertainment certain to stick to your ribs. Favorite local venues include The Triple Door, ACT Theater, Theater Off Jackson and West Hall where DeLaCreme produces and directs the annual seasonal spectacle HOMO for the Holidays. You may recognize DeLaCreme from her engagement as the in-house MC at the award winning Can Can Cabaret, as an instructor at the Academy of Burlesque, or as the drunk you've avoided any number of places. Ben DeLaCreme doesn't miss a moment of Seattle's rainy season, but escapes that nasty two months of sunshine by summering in Provincetown, MA with The Atomic Bombshells.

Demonstrate the Place of My Abode by Lisa Koch
March 9, 12, 17, 30
Stories of a funny father, the music he inspired, and a quirky look at life and death.

An irreverent Seattle singer/actor/comedian, Lisa Koch has released four solo recordings, is one-half of loony sketch-comedy duo, Dos Fallopia (Ham for the Holidays, My Breasts Are Out of Control), and is an alumnus of cult quartet Venus Envy (I'll Be A Homo for Xmas). She performs at folk and comedy festivals all over the world, and has shared the stage with Steve Martin, Dave Brubeck, Suzanne Westenhoefer, Kate Clinton, and Janis Ian. Lisa has co-written such warped cabaret shows as The Carpeters: Uncomfortably Close To You, Déjà Poo, and Ham for the Holidays: Lard Potion No 9. She has toured two one-woman shows (Two’s Company, I’m a Crowd, Return to Planet Lisa) and regional theater credits include The Vagina Monologues (Phoenix Theatre) Dirty Blonde (AZ Theatre Co.) and as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz (5th Ave Theatre). She is the composer of a recent Off-Broadway musical about Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas (27, Rue de Fleurus), published by Samuel French. She performs regularly on Olivia Cruises, has been seen on LOGO, and her latest CD, Tall Cool Drink contains the internet hit, “I’m a Middle-Aged Woman.” http://www.heylisa.com/

The Dwellers by Jonah Von Spreecken
March 4, 8, 17, 19, 29
There is a building where the floors are thinner than the walls. The residents' shoes populate the lobby as there is a no-shoes ordinance past level one. A young man lives amongst the piles of shoes, and takes charge of making them not so empty all the time.


Gunpowder by J. MacDonald
March 25, 26, 27

Jake’s Gift by Julia Van Stralen
March 25, 26, 27
Jake’s Gift is a surprisingly funny drama about a WWII veteran's reluctant return to Normandy, France, for the 60th Anniversary of D-Day. While there Jake meets Isabelle, a precocious 10-year-old from the local village, whose inquisitive nature and charm challenge the old soldier to confront some long ignored ghosts. Most notably, the wartime death of his eldest brother, Chester, a once promising young musician. This multi-award winning show has been described as "an acting tour de force not to be missed," and will stay with you long after the lights go down.

Julia Van Stralen was born into a very active theatre family in Birmingham, England and moved to Canada when she was three years old. She grew up in Montreal, and received an education degree from McGill University before heading out west in 1993 to pursue acting and writing. In 1995 she started doing just that with Victoria’s Theatre SKAM, and has since worked with many other theatre companies across Canada. Since 2007, Julia has toured Jake's Gift to rave reviews at theatres and festivals across Canada.

Kitty in The City by Jeff Frieders
March 12, 20, 22, 31
A story about Ronney Bridestar, owner and operator of "Kitty in the City Beauty Bar and Day Spa for Feline Friends by Ronney Bridestar." This full length piece chronicles Ronney's journey toward success as he struggles to distinguish between fantasy and reality.

Jeff Frieders is thrilled to be making his SPF debut. Kitty in the City was originally produced as a senior thesis at Cornish College of the Arts. It was most recently work-shopped in Wisconsin during an internship with Milwaukee Repertory Theater and is preparing to tour the Canadian fringe circuit. Recent credits include Gus in The River Why (Book-It Repertory) and Ferdinand in The Tempest (Seattle Shakespeare). Jeff is excited to be working with the hilarious and talented Chelsea Anderson and sends his love to his family and his beautiful partner, Erika.

Late Night Monologue Slam: Hosted by Kevin Kent
at Canoe Social Club - above Theatre Off Jackson
March 13 & 27 - 10pm
Selected performers compete in a winner-takes-all showdown where the audience and local celebrity judges pick the fiercest most daring solo performer. Hosted by Teatro Zinzanni's Kevin Kent.

Middle by Jennifer Jasper
April 1, 2, 3
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to grow up in a house with five girls with a mother with a propensity for falling down, a father who doesn’t really like children, and a grandfather whose hobby is making dildos? Well, this is Jennifer Jasper’s life. She has a unique and hilarious way of telling these stories. And the most disturbing part…they’re all true. Performed improvisationally, she takes you on a journey from growing up as the middle child in a middle class family to the middle of her own mid-life.

Jennifer Jasper has been performing and directing in Seattle for almost 20 years and has performed nationally. She was a co-founder of Kings’ Elephant Theatre (10 years) and co-founder of Pulp Vixens (10 years). Most recently she can be seen hosting burlesque and performing it as well as the scotch-swilling “Maggie”. In 2009 she directed Keefee’s House of Cards and Teensploitation for Printer’s Devil Theatre of which she is a member. Through improvisation she is continuing to develop her stories into a longer form and looks forward to performing them wherever she can.

Not. Stable. At all. By Paul Budraitis
March 6, 10
Uncertainty and instability at a personal and societal level. The spontaneous following of questionable impulses, the impossibility of connection, the mistrust of authority and the presence of chaos and random violence in our lives. Paul Budraitis dives into these themes and takes his audience on a ride that is part punk-rebellion and part narrative rollercoaster.

Paul Budraitis is a director, actor, writer and teacher of acting and stage movement. In Seattle, he has worked with Annex Theatre, New City Theatre, On the Boards, and the Degenerate Art Ensemble. Paul recieved his master's degree in theatre from the Lithuanian Music and Theatre Academy. Paul worked with innovative Finnish director Kristian Smeds on a contemporary re-imagining of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard. Paul's recent director credits include David Mamet's Edmond at Balagan Theatre. As a teacher, Paul has worked as a lecturer in the acting and directing faculty of the LMTA, teaching acting and stage movement.He has also taught the “biomechanics” technique of Russian theatre director Vsevelod Meyerhold at the LMTA, as well as to students at the Iceland Academy of the Arts in Reykjavik, Iceland.

The Total Package: A Journey Into Manhood by Ernie Von Schmaltz (Anna Allen)
April 1, 2, 3
Take a ride on the mustache express with this hilarious gender-bending guide to masculinity! Ernie Von Schmaltz leads this 30 minute excerpted show demonstrating the finer points of being a man. Using dance, song, film, humor and flow charts, you will experience a transformative seminar like no other.

Ernie Von Schmaltz is a ladies man. Ahead of the curve (in fact so far, he’s coming around from behind again) Ernie is a true renaissance dude. Known as The Man, The Myth, The Mustache, Ernie is a dancing, emceeing sex machine that’s been pushing the edge of Seattle’s burlesque scene since 2005. Ernie is the regular host of Seattle’s Dr. Sketchy’s anti- art school, was recently featured in burlesque films A Wink and a Smile and Waxie Moon. He has appeared many times all over the northwest and at national burlesque conventions.

The character behind the character is Anna Allen. Anna grew up in a small northern California town enjoying theatre, dance and costumed expression. In college, she minored in theatre arts and took every physical movement and acting class she could get her hands on.After relocating to Seattle in 1996, Anna sought out fringe theatre (EXITheatre) and was a founding member of a Seattle comedy improv group (Comedy Court). Post improv, she found burlesque at the Academy of Burlesque and began developing her personae. She also helped found Seattle’s award winning comedy burlesque power trio The Von Foxies in mid 2004. In 2009, The Von Foxies said goodbye and Anna is now pursuing a solo burlesque career.

Worse Places by Erin Jorgensen
March 30, 31
Music, singing and text combine in a hypnotic voyage incorporating amplified and acoustic marimba, original music, Bach, a Disney tear-jerker, and stories of childhood visions and accidental evil.

Erin Jorgensen is a musician with a day job. She dropped out of college, where she studied classical percussion and composition, to focus on playing marimba. She plays music ranging from Johnny Thunders to J.S. Bach. You can find her playing in bars, at weddings, in museums and theaters, among other places. She lives in Seattle and works at On the Boards. For more info and upcoming events, visiterinjorgensen.com

Friday, March 26, 2010

Monologue Slam: KEVIN DARES YOU

A message from Kevin Kent, host of the fabulous Monologue Slams:


Monologue Slam this Saturday Night - 11PM go time.

Come at 10.45 to sign up as a contestant and have a drink - you may need it.

Fou Fou & Babette (Kevin Kent & Jennifer Jasper) are back, and they are going....

Once more into the breech, or perhaps, your Breeches!, Dear Friends with the 2nd Monologue Slam of the Festival.

Come compete for wonderful prizes - including two tickets to Teatro Zinzanni. (That's a super prize, folks--and all you need to do is slam some monologues!)

No Prior Experience Necessary - All improv all the time.

Bhama Roget was the winner of the last go-round, come try to wrest her title from her. She dare you, Fool!

Monologue Slam: 11pm, Canoe Club (above Theater Off Jackson), Saturday March 27th.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Interview and preview of Gin Hammond's Returning the Bones

Here's an interview from Freehold's Spring Newsletter, with Gin Hammond, author and performer of Returning the Bones.

Returning the Bones with Gin Hammond

Gin Hammond is an actor, writer, producer and Freehold faculty member. Gin's play RETURNING THE BONES is based on the true story of her aunt, an African American doctor, Caroline Beatrice Montier, (aka "Bebe") now 84. After being invited to finish her medical degree in Europe shortly after WWII, Bebe has to choose between staying in the South (and continuing to risk her life in the fight for Civil Rights), or escaping to Paris to live a life she's always dreamed of.


Gin, can you share with our readers what inspired and motivated you to write and perform Returning the Bones?

When I was growing up I hadn't heard much about my Aunt Carolyn (aka Auntie Bebe). We didn't grow up near any relatives. In my 20's, I realized how ridiculous it was that my nuclear family was pretty much all the family that I knew. I didn't like feeling cut off from my own history. I was compelled to find out more about where I come from. I was very nervous about facing rejection, about being the wierdo relative who shows up out of nowhere, but it was worth the risk. My Aunt Carolyn was very welcoming to me and generous with the family stories, and spending time with her made it easier for me to eventually connect with the rest of my extended family.

To read more, click here: Freehold Newsletter.

And watch a preview of Returning the Bones:




Gin Hammond performs Returning the Bones this Friday and Saturday (click on each day to buy tickets!).

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

More video: a moment with Keira

Can't get enough video? Neither can we! Here's Keira at the opening weekend gala, talking about why she does Solo Performance and curates this festival.

Keira on Keira from Michael Harris on Vimeo.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Second half of Festival - Calendar Update!

We're half way through the Solo Performance Festival - with some amazing performances behind us and fantastic performances ahead! For advance tickets, visit our page on Brown Paper Tickets.

Wednesday March 17:
Demonstrate the Place of My Abode by Lisa Koch
The Dwellers by Jonah Von Spreecken

Thursday March 18:
Kitty in the City by Jeff Frieders
Traveling Panties by Mike Harris
Your Own Personal Alcatraz by Suzanne Morrison

Friday March 19:
The Dwellers by Jonah Von Spreecken
Returning the Bones by Gin Hammond

Saturday March 20:
Kitty in the City by Jeff Freiders
Returning The Bones by Gin Hammond

Monday March 22:
Kitty in the City by Jeff Freiders
The Price is Not Right by Carrie McIntyre
Traveling Panties by Mike Harris

Tuesday March 23:
Best in Shorts
Blue's Not Black by David Schmader
De: Colores: Flying with Color by Ben Gonio
No Game by Noah Benezra
Rapid Slippage Along a Fault by Keira McDonald
What You are Unaware of is This by Tina Kunz Rowley
Shall I Compare Waxie to a Summer's Day by Waxie Moon
Little Boy in Flames by Giuseppe Ribaudo
Jam by Peggy Platt

Thursday March 25 - Saturday March 27
Jake's Gift by Julia Van Stralen
Gunpowder by J. MacDonald

Saturday March 27:
10pm LATE NIGHT at The Canoe Social Club at Theatre Off Jackson:
Monologue Slam (improvised monologue competition - come compete or witness the fun)
hosted by Kevin Kent and Jennifer Jasper

Monday March 29:
The Dwellers by Jonah Von Spreecken
Cooking with Peggy Platt

Tuesday March 30:
Worse Places by Erin Jorgensen
Demonstrate the Place of My Abode by Lisa Koch

Wednesday March 31:
Worse Places by Erin Jorgensen
Kitty in The City by Jeff Freiders
Added by popular demand: Not. Stable. At All. by Paul Budraitis

Thursday April 1 - Saturday April 3
Middle by Jennifer Jasper
Ben DeLaCreme's Piece de Resistance: (the piece she should have resisted) by Ben DeLaCreme
Ernie Von Schmaltz: The Total Package by Ernie Von Schmaltz (Anna Allen)

Sunday April 4:
Added by popular demand: Demonstrate The Place of My Abode by Lisa Koch

Tickets on sale now - click here.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Bhama Roget wins first late night monologue slam

Seattle actor, Bhama Roget, won the Solo Performance Festival's March 13 Monologue Slam this last weekend and challenges you to join her for the next one!

On her win, Roget writes, "Winning the monologue slam was surely one of the highlights of my career. I was especially honored to be in the company of such esteemed talents as Kevin Kent, Jennifer Jasper, and my fellow nominees. That said, I challenge any of you to come join me on the 27th, and attempt to pry my title from my catlike claws. Bring it!"

TPS Members can save $2 in advance or at the door with code word TPS (must show TPS card at box office).

Come participate or just witness the fun with local actors, Teatro Zinzanni's Kevin Kent, the incredible Jennifer Jasper and celebrity guests as they join together in the Canoe Social Club at Theatre Off Jackson.

Register to compete in this improvised monologue slam from 10:30pm - 10:45pm.

Already going?

Can't make it but think your friends should check it out or compete? Spread the word!

Photo - one of our hosts, Jennifer Jasper at the last Monologue Slam:


Sunday, March 14, 2010

Keira & Tamara: Video!

Curator Keira McDonald talks with Tamara Ober, the Minnesota-based artist behind the dance piece Pipa. They talk about Ober's experiences here in Seattle, what she thinks of SPF, and the opportunities that can come out of solo performance.

Keira steals some time from Michael Harris on Vimeo.

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