"bobrauschenbergamerica" made LA Weekly's Steven Lee Morris's list of favorites for 2010

The LA Weekly's Steven Lee Morris compiled his list of favorite shows for 2010, and bobrauschenbergamerica received a mention.
Check out his review here, and the whole column below:

L.A. Theater in 2010
Thanks for the memories
By Steven Leigh Morris Thursday, Dec 30 2010

Top 10 list? No thanks. We already have the L.A. Weekly Theater Awards for that — details to be announced shortly.

ENDANGERED THEATERS THAT DESERVE HELP

City Garage got booted from their Santa Monica digs in November after their lease expired. At last report, they had stripped of the theater they'd occupied for 15 years and were homeless but working on a deal with Bergamot Station. The theater has been and remains a local treasure for its presentation of audacious texts, with Frenchwoman Frédérique Michel's arch and deliberately automatonic stagings of works including those by Heiner Muller, Caryl Churchill, Charles L. Mee, Ionesco and Molière — all packed onto a tiny stage and helped along with Paul Rubenstein's lush soundscapes and Charles M. Duncombe's production designs.

A Noise Within: Glendale's classical rep company is trying what most small theaters gave up on decades ago, and for good reason: moving "up" to midsize, where the economic challenges in our subsidy-free zone are tempestuous. Just ask the Colony Theatre or East West Players. ANW tried this a few years ago with a brief, frustrating and frustrated sojourn to Cal State L.A.'s Luckman Fine Arts Complex. But they are determined, and are in the midst of a successful (so far) capital campaign that includes construction of a new Equity-scale theater in Pasadena. We haven't seen construction from the ground up of any theaters that remain regularly used since Burbank's Falcon Theatre (1997), Pasadena's Boston Court (2003) and downtown's REDCAT (2003). The challenges of sustaining a midsize theater in Pasadena will be daunting. And as frustrated as I sometimes am with the company's aversion to inventiveness, the baseline of competence and skill in conjunction with a long tradition of presenting classical works from all genres to new audiences makes it imperative that the company's experiment in up-sizing succeeds, for all our sakes.

Gunfighter Nation is a new company marked by the return of long-standing L.A. personality-playwright John Steppling, who serves as the company's co–artistic director along with his son, Lex Steppling. And, like the working together of father and son, the company has drawn its acolytes from two generations: One, that of Steppling, includes the playwright-descendants of the Padua Hills Playwrights Workshop and Festival (founded in 1978 by Murray Mednick and Sam Shepard); and the next generation, which brings to the art the consciousness of social and community service. In the company aesthetic, one generation informs the work of the other, which is a rare gift and melding of purposes that's happening in the rehearsal halls and accompanying taverns. They've also put on some pretty good plays in their first year, including Steppling's latest work, Phantom Luck. Like many new endeavors, they exist on tenacity and prayer to the gods of a desperately fragile economy. They are perhaps the only new company with such a long history. I hope they make it.

SHORT-ANSWER QUIZ TO PISS PEOPLE OFF, 10 POINTS EACH

• What's the difference between art, artsy, and artsy fartsy?

• Is multidisciplinary work, and the promotion of it, really such a threat to traditional presentations — or can we all just get along?

• Does the blending of music, video and online technologies on our stages really draw a new generation of theatergoers, or is that just the fantasy of faculty and students from Cal-Arts and the programmers over at REDCAT, that's disconnected from the real world?

• Does L.A. theater really suffer from a lack of inventive (concept) directors?

• If you answered "yes" to the above, please answer the following: (a) If so, why? (b) If so, is that such a bad thing? If you answered "no" to the above, please move on to the next question.

• Why is it that the United States' most famous concept directors find most of their employment in Europe, Canada and South America rather than in their homeland? (a) People outside the United States are stupid and pretentious; (b) People inside the United States are stupid and crass; (c) Concept directors have no respect and therefore don't deserve any. (Only one answer, please!)

• Does L.A. theater suffer from a lack of autobiographical one-person shows? If so, why?

• Does L.A. theater suffer from a lack of shows named [Fill in the Title]: The Musical! If so, why?

• Why is the Fountain Theatre always sold out when it just does plays about bitter musicians and graveyards?

• Should actors be paid for their work? If so, should they be paid even if their production loses money? Why?

• Should investment bankers be paid for their work? If so, should they be paid even if their company loses money? Why?

• Did you enjoy this quiz? If so, why? If not, please move on to the next question.

Please submit your answers to smorris @ laweekly.com. Correct answers will be posted at blogs. laweekly. com/ stylecouncil/stage-news in early 2011. There will be prizes for the best correct answers. If you answered incorrectly, you will be condemned to anonymity.

I LIED: HERE ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITES FOR 2010, BUT IN NO COMPETITIVE ORDER

Ann Randolph's Loveland at Santa Monica Playhouse; Psittacus Productions' A Tale Told by an Idiot at Son of Semele; everything I saw at REDCAT; Lynn Nottage's Ruined at the Geffen; Palomino at the Kirk Douglas; Stage Door and A Wolf Inside the Fence at Open Fist; Independent Shakespeare Company's Much Ado About Nothing in Griffith Park; all of the War Plays trilogy presented by Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble at the Powerhouse; the Calabasas International Theater Festival; the Hollywood Fringe Festival; Gertrude Stein's Brewsie and Willie, directed by Travis Preston for Poor Dog Group; Mary Lynn Spreads Her Legs at the Steve Allen Theater; Opus and The Train Driver at the Fountain; Anton's Uncles, Theatre Movement Bazaar at the 24th Street Theater; Tom Jacobson's The Twentieth Century Way at Theater @ Boston Court; Shaheed at the Peggy Feury Studio; Jon Tuttle's Holy Ghost at Theatre of NOTE; Shem Bitterman's Influence at the Skylight; Nan McNamara's lead performance in Wit at Actors' Co-op; the SpyAnts' (sic) production of Charles L. Mee's bobrauschenbergamerica at [Inside] the Ford; City Garage's production of Paradise Park; Baal at Sacred Fools; An Oak Tree at the Odyssey; Four Places and The Sunset Limited, presented by Rogue Machine at Theatre/Theater; and Zombie Joe's Underground, just for being ZJU.

Finally, this year's Talent and Tenacity Award goes to Antaeus Company for being so talented and tenacious. This is the first year they have presented a full season, which corresponds, by sheer coincidence, to the first year that the T&T prize has been bestowed. It comes with this humble recognition and whatever rewards derive from being talented and tenacious, but it does not come with money. After all, this is theater in Los Angeles.

John Charles Meyer in "Same-O"

Our member John Charles Meyer (Kidnapped by Craigslist: The Graveyard Shift, bobrauschenbergamerica, Terminus Americana) is appearing in Bootleg Theater's Same-O by Ken Roht, who was our choreographer for bobrauschenbergamerica. It's part of the popular 99¢ Store Shows, and it runs through December 19th, and resumes after the holidays from January 6-30 at The Bootleg Theater (formerly The Evidence Room) 2220 Beverly Blvd. in Los Angeles.

You can read one rave review from LA Weekly here, and other reviews, along with more show information, can be found here.

So if you have time, make plans to see part of our TheSpyAnts family at work.

Thanks!

Los Angeles Times review of "Kidnapped by Craigslist: The Graveyard Shift"

Theater review: 'Kidnapped by Craigslist' at the Elephant

November 18, 2010 | 8:00 pm:

Those who are easily shocked or have weak stomachs should give “Kidnapped by Craigslist: The Graveyard Shift” a wide berth. However, those who like their humor deliciously low may find this production very much to their bad taste.

It’s appropriate that this show has been mounted in the Elephant’s Asylum space. Based on actual Craigslist postings, it ranges from the naughty to the downright lunatic.

That makes for a playfully scary evening, as reflected in Lori Evans Taylor’s staging, a combination of carnival sideshow and B horror movie. Actors in the alternating cast enter Adam Haas Hunter’s cobweb-strewn set through an upright coffin, as a white-faced barker (exotic John Charles Meyer) sets the stage for the various monologues.

This production by TheSpyAnts is a sequel to “Kidnapped by Craigslist,” which played locally in late 2007 to considerable acclaim. Written by Katie Goan and co-created by Goan and Nitra Gutierrez, this is one high concept with staying power. Considering the endless spew of source material from the fabled list, one can imagine a series of future productions, further permutations on the same twisted themes.

From a sociological standpoint, “Kidnapped” is fascinating, a series of snapshots showing the fetishes and peccadilloes of a society in which the notions of shame and restraint have been tossed to the swirling winds. Although we suspect some offerings were penned by hoaxers who are just punking us, it's also hilariously funny, with an able cast that merrily escorts us to the dark side. Be warned, however: After seeing this show, your face may be forever frozen between a guffaw –- and a pained wince.

-- F. Kathleen Foley

“Kidnapped by Craigslist: The Graveyard Shift,” the Asylum Lab at the Elephant Complex, 6322 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Dark Nov. 26 and 27. Ends Dec. 18. $20. (323) 860-8786. www.TheSpyAnts.com. Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Photo: Eric Bunton. Credit: Baron Norris

"Kidnapped by Craigslist: The Graveyard Shift" is EXTENDING through December 18th!

TheSpyAnts Theatre Company presents

"Kidnapped by Craigslist: The Graveyard Shift"

written by Katie Goan,

created by Katie Goan and Nitra Gutierrez

and directed by Lori Evans Taylor

at The Elephant Lab.

“…hilariously funny, with an able cast …this is one high concept with staying power.”

- LA Times

“… a crack ensemble in an unrelentingly frenetic fusillade… weird and wacky assortment of cranks, kinks and jaw-dropping confessions of perversity …”

- LA Weekly

“…Kidnapped is fascinating…it ranges from the naughty to the downright lunatic.”

- LA Times

October 16 – December 18

Fridays and Saturdays, 8pm

(dark November 26 &27)

***SPECIAL OFFER

Print out your favorite Craigslist posting for $5 off!***

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a world of anonymity? Say anything you want? Be anyone you can? Even if people think it is bizarre or disturbing? Kidnapped by Craigslist: The Graveyard Shift is an eerie and risqué new comedy that explores the carnivalesque, cult-like phenomenon that is Craigslist, bringing actual postings to life from the website with scripted material and music. This unique and creative one-hour play tells the true stories that are locked inside an online community that has shaped and inspired today's internet generation. There’s a place for you here. There’s a place here for everyone, straight, gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender or questioning. We all have a dark side, you know.

Fri. and Sat., 8pm, and Sun., 7pm

One Thu. Show - Nov.11, 8pm

Late Night Shows - Sat., Oct. 23rd and Sat., Nov. 6th, 10pm

Pay What You Can (at the door) Sun., Oct. 24th and 31st, 7pm

The Elephant Lab Theatre

6322 Santa Monica Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90038 (just west of Vine)

Tickets $20

Make reservations here or at (323) 860-8786

starring Eric Bunton, Jennifer Etienne Eckert, David Goryl, Patrick Hancock, Brett Mack, Dawn Merkel, John Charles Meyer, Amy Motta, Marina Mouhibian, Christopher Mur, Danny Parker-Lopes, Alison Zatta

(Alternating cast, click here for performance schedule.)

lighting design Adam Hunter

set design Adam Hunter

costume design Marina Mouhibian

choreography Scott Hislop

publicity Eric Bunton

photography Jeff E Photo

graphic design Churchie Graphic Design

New Postings! New Cast! New Show!

See John Charles Meyer in "The Taqwacores"

John Charles Meyer - who is presently appearing with us in Kidnapped By Craigslist: The Graveyard Shift, and who has previously been in bobrauschenbergamerica, and Terminus Americana - is also in the feature film The Taqwacores, which opens tomorrow night in the Los Angeles area.

You can see it at either the Sunset 5 - 8000 Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood, or the Edwards University Town Center in Irvine.

For Sunset 5 screenings, you can buy tickets here, and here for the Edwards University Town Center.

The Taqwacores is a feature film about the Muslim punk rock scene (yes, you read that correctly), but the core of the story deals with the complexities of being young and Muslim in modern-day America. With a humble budget, a cast of unknowns, and a first-time director, the film has gone on to win festival awards around the globe and find a distributor for limited theatrical release in the US and France. The only caveat I offer is this: I have a very small role; you’ll catch me on-screen for a mere couple of minutes. But it is a bold and beautifully-crafted movie with a timely and important message. I may be a bit biased of course, but the critics agree:

“One of the Ten Best Films from Sundance 2010”
-Time Out London

“Sure to appeal to fans of Trainspotting, Fight Club, anything by Gus Van Sant...”
-Los Angeles Times

“Busting out with strong vision.”
-The Huffington Post

Photos from "Kidnapped by Craigslist: The Graveyard Shift"

Here are some press photos, as well as some taken during a rehearsal of Kidnapped by Craigslist: The Graveyard Shift:

Jennifer Etienne Eckert and Alison Zatta

CB Spencer and Christopher Mur

Christopher Mur and Marina Mouhibian

Director Lori Evans Taylor

Front Row: Brett Mack, Danny Parker Lopes, Alison Zatta
Second Row: Marina Mouhibian, David Goryl

Amy Motta

Patrick Hancock and Dawn Merkel

John Charles Meyer

Patrick Hancock

Kneeling: Brett Mack, Lori Evans Taylor, CB Spencer, Patrick Hancock
2nd Row: Jennifer Etienne Eckert, David Goryl, Marina Mouhibian, Eric Bunton, Alison Zatta, John Charles Meyer, Amy Motta
3rd Row: Christopher Mur, Danny Parker Lopes, Dawn Merkel

Photos by Jeff E Photo, and Baron Norris

Check out all of them here at our Facebook page.

Promo video for "Kidnapped by Craigslist: The Graveyard Shift"

Link

Check out our 2008 promo video for "Kidnapped by Craigslist"

This is a promo video we shot for our first production of "Kidnapped by Craigslist" in 2008. So if you didn't catch it the first time, it'll give you a taste of what to expect. We're back with it with a preview on Friday, and our official opening on Saturday (which includes our ten year anniversary celebration) at the Elephant Lab Theatre in Hollywood. So check out the video, and then click here and make your reservations now. Note: the space we're performing in seats only 40, so the sooner you act, the better. :)

Thanks, and we'll see you there!

Choke.Kick.Girl Episode 2 posted today

The second episode of Choke.Kick.Girl, the web series developed by our own Ryan Churchill, and featuring many members of our company has been posted today, so click the link below to check it out.



Link

You can follow Choke.Kick.Girl on Facebook here, and on Twitter here

Amy Motta's Acting Reel

This is Amy Motta's acting reel! Amy is a guest artist who appeared with us previous as the barker in our first production of Kidnapped by Craigslist in 2008, and is reprising the role for us this year in our upcoming production of Kidnapped by Craigslist: The Graveyard Shift.

Check it out, and be sure to come see our show when it opens on October 16th.

Thanks!



Link

CB Spencer in "The Dead Matter"

CB Spencer, a guest artist who appeared with us last year in Terminus Americana, and is part of the cast for our upcoming show, Kidnapped by Craiglist: The Graveyard Shift, is part of the cast for the recently released horror film The Dead Matter.

Check out a trailer for the film here:



Link

And a behind the scenes trailer for the film here:



Link

You can find out more about the film at its website, and be sure to come see our show when it opens on October 16th.

TheSpyAnts present "Kidnapped by Craigslist: The Graveyard Shift"

Only two weeks left to witness this

eerie and risqué new comedy…..

TheSpyAnts Theatre Company presents

"Kidnapped by Craigslist: The Graveyard Shift"

written by Katie Goan,

created by Katie Goan and Nitra Gutierrez

and directed by Lori Evans Taylor

at The Elephant Lab.

…these actual postings from Craigslist give you a ride just

over an hour and set you off to your evening with
just the right rush.

This weekend Fri. 8pm, Sat. 8pm and 10pm, Sun. 7pm.

Late Night Show Sat., November 6th 10pm, ONLY $10!

“…crack ensemble in an unrelentingly frenetic fusillade… Taylor's transfer of her original staging's carnival sideshow to the creep show (courtesy of Adam Haas Hunter's effective lights and spiderweb-festooned, haunted-house set) turns out to be more than just seasonally fitting.”

- LA Weekly

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a world of anonymity? Say anything you want? Be anyone you can? Even if people think it is bizarre or disturbing? Kidnapped by Craigslist: The Graveyard Shift is an eerie and risqué new comedy that explores the carnivalesque, cult-like phenomenon that is Craigslist, bringing actual postings to life from the website with scripted material and music. This unique and creative one-hour play tells the true stories that are locked inside an online community that has shaped and inspired today's internet generation. There’s a place for you here. There’s a place here for everyone, straight, gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender or questioning. We all have a dark side, you know.

Fri. and Sat., 8pm, and Sun., 7pm

One Thu. Show - Nov.11, 8pm

Late Night Shows - Sat., Oct. 23rd and Sat., Nov. 6th, 10pm

Pay What You Can (at the door) Sun., Oct. 24th and 31st, 7pm

The Elephant Lab Theatre

6322 Santa Monica Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90038 (just west of Vine)

Tickets $20

Make reservations here or at (323) 860-8786

starring Eric Bunton, Jennifer Etienne Eckert, David Goryl, Patrick Hancock, Florian Klein, Brett Mack, Mari Marks, Dawn Merkel, John Charles Meyer, Amy Motta, Marina Mouhibian, Christopher Mur,Danny Parker-Lopes, CB Spencer, Alison Zatta

(Alternating cast, click here for performance schedule.)

lighting design Adam Hunter

set design Adam Hunter

costume design Marina Mouhibian

choreography Scott Hislop

publicity Eric Bunton

photography Jeff E Photo

graphic design Churchie Graphic Design

New Postings! New Cast! New Show!

Come play BINGO with us July 7 @ 7pm at Hamburger Mary's in West Hollywood

It is time for eating, drinking, music and BINGO fun with TheSpyAnts Theatre Company!

This NOT your normal bingo. We have martinis, dance music, Drag Queens, and FANTASTIC prizes worth over $2,000! Get a table, grab a group of friends and make your own party with over 200 other people! Don't miss this crazy event in the heart of West Hollywood!

Join us for Legendary Bingo on Wednesday, July 7th, 7pm at Hamburger Mary’s, located at 8288 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90046-5915.

For a $20 donation you will have 10 chances to win valuable prize baskets worth $100-$200, and bid on exciting auction items.

Prizes include...

Magic Mountain Tickets

Bowling at Lucky Strike

Hopper Passes to Legoland California/Sea Life Aquarium/Legoland Water Park

Universal Studios Tickets

Kindle Reader

Motorola Personal Navigation Device

GE Digital Waterproof Camera

Verizon LG EVV3 Cellular Phones

Audio-Technica Noise Cancelling On-Ear Headphones

Brookstone BioSense Memory Foam Classic Pillows

Brookstone Rolling Organizer Overnight Bags

Bath & Body Works Products

Philosophy Facial Products

Amazing Sex Toys

Cigars and Martinis Basket

LA Fitness Passes

and MUCH MORE!!!!

There will be food and drink for sale, so come early to get a table.

See you Wednesday, July 7th at 7pm!

Vietnam and Vietnamese food event at Traveler's Bookcase July 14

Our longtime member Natalie Compagno (The Reunion, Hellcab) is also the owner of Traveler's Bookcase, and on Wednesday July 14, there will be an event at the store to promote a new book about Vietnamese cuisinse.

You're invited to travel through Vietnam by way of the country's distinctive cuisine on Wednesday July 14 from 7:30-9:30 pm at Traveler's Bookcase, 8375 West Third Street in Los Angeles.

Please join Kim Fay and Julie Fay Ashborn to celebrate the publication of Commiunion: A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam . After a brief reading and Q&A, we will be serving wine and a sampling of flavors fro the book. As an added treat, the Mandoline Grill Vietnamese food truck will offer delicious, inexpensive Vietnamese classics.

So make your plans now, and Thanks!

Kim Estes in "Drunk Talk"

You can see our longtime member Kim Estes (The Life and Times of Tulsa Lovechild, Infinite Black Suitcase, The Reunion) in a show called Drunk Talk at the Dragonfly, 6510 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood

This is an interactive show that transforms the theater space into an actual bar, and here is the show description from its website:

DRUNK TALK is an original play that transforms an actual bar into an interactive, high-spirited comedy. So enter the world of McSwiggen's Tavern where you're not just an audience member, but a patron. But watch out because you never know who is "IN" the show or just "AT" the show.

Follow the cast of zany characteristics as they try and cope with the looming reality that their local bat is closing down after tonight. Now with no place to drink up and chew over their aspirations, will they have to actually get out there and live their lives...or will the bar be saved?

Come join us for a round of DRUNK TALK and have a cold one while you do! Full bar open throughout the entire show. Come thirsty, my friend.

Ticket includes a free McSwiggen's special cocktail during the show!

Must be over 21.

Drunk Talk runs Sunday nights at 8pm through August 1 (except for July 4th), and tickets are $15.

Read a review here, and buy tickets here.

Thanks!

SAVE THE DATE - Wednesday July 7 @ 7pm for BINGO at Hamburger Mary's in West Hollywood

Our last BINGO game in May was so successful that we were asked by Hamburger Mary's in West Hollywood to come back again in July, so we will be having another BINGO fundraiser on Wednesday July 7th at 7pm.

If you've ever played BINGO there, then you know how much fun you can have while supporting us as well. So mark your calendars, and then stay tuned for more information.

Also, follow us here on Facebook and Twitter, so you can stay up to date on what we're up to.

Thanks!

Mari Marks demo reel

Mari Marks (bobrauschenbergamerica, The Reunion, has been a member of TheSpyAnts since 2007, and this is her demo reel.

Jennifer Etienne Eckert's Demo Reel

Jennifer Etienne Eckert - bobrauschenbergamerica, What If? (2008), The Reunion (2006), Rudolph The Red Hosed Reindeer - is a longtime member of TheSpyAnts, and this is her demo reel.

SAVE THE DATE - May 16th for BINGO at Hamburger Mary's

It is time for eating, drinking, music and BINGO fun with TheSpyAnts Theatre Company!

Join us for Legendary Bingo on Sunday, May 16, 7pm at Hamburger Mary’s, located at 8288 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90046-5915.

For a $20 donation you will have 10 chances to win valuable prize baskets worth $100-$200, and bid on exciting auction items.

Also meet our bingo callers including Drag Queens and Lisa Foxx from 104.3 MYfm!

There will be food and drink for sale, so come early to get a table.

Kim Estes being considered for an Emmy

Our longtime member Kim Estes (The Life and Times of Tulsa Lovechild, Infinite Black Suitcase, The Reunion) is being considered for an Emmy Award for his work on the series House, MD.

From Kim's Facebook Page:

"So that you all know, as of yesterday morning...in Category 63 on the Emmy nomination ballot...my name is listed for your consideration as "outstanding guest star actor in a drama series" for my performance in the series House, MD. Which means, that I have officially entered the Emmy Award race. So please pass the word ...to your friends who are Academy Television Arts and Sciences voters that I would welcome their support along my journey.

You many view the nominated scene from House, MD. by clicking here."

Congratulations Kim!

Eric Bunton's Youtube page

One of TheSpyAnts founding members Eric Bunton (bobrauschenbergamerica, Terminus Americana, Kidnapped by Craigslist, and many other shows) has launched a Youtube page where he has posted videos of his work.

Here is one of them, which also features Brett Hren.

So have a look, and thanks!

Hal Perry on "America's Most Wanted"

Hal Perry, who has appeared with us in Terminus Americana, What If? (Vol. II 2009), Infinite Black Suitcase, and The Birds, appears in the "Gilbert and De La Harren" segment of the "Miami Model Mystery" episode of America's Most Wanted. Here he plays crime victim Craig Martin, who was blinded in a struggle during an attempted robbery of his convenience store in South Carolina.

The entire episode can be seen here, and Hal's segment starts at about the 19:30 mark.

Who Killed Jason? ("The Reunion" web series)

Who Killed Jason? will be a web series based on our production of The Reunion: Everything Changes. Everyone Stays The Same which ran in the summers of 2006 and 2007. It was a unique project for us that was co-written by the original cast, and co-directed by Danny Parker-Lopes, and former member Darcy Halsey.

The story of 10 year reunion of Woodrow Wilson High School's Class of 1984 remains intact, but there is a new twist. Jason was the guy who mysteriously died at the senior party, and ten years later, no one still knows for sure how he died and who was responsible. This will follow the interactive format of the play on the web, and you can see how it all works by checking out the website, and watching the short trailer.

And just to refresh your memory, check out this segment on the play by YourLA.

Who Killed Jason? LLC is comprised of Danny Parker-Lopes, Darcy Halsey, and Addi Gaash.

You can follow Who Killed Jason on Facebook by clicking here

“bobrauschenbergamerica”: Now-Feb. 28 @ [Inside] the Ford

By Cesar Cruz

bobrauschenbergamerica is incredibly entertaining. Directed by Bart DeLorenzo, written by Charles L. Mee and choreographed by Ken Roht, the play brims with colorful characters, 43 different scenes (a range of musical numbers) and is backed by explosive energy.

It’s a tribute to the late artist Bob Rauschenberg and his work; actually, it’s not about Rauschenberg but about what he saw. Rauschenberg’s work is a reflection of America, which consequently involves love stories, picnics, business schemes, shootings and, of course, a person in a chicken costume strolling across center stage. Through collages, Rauschenberg realized a technique that came to be known as “Combines,” which are collages created from nontraditional materials (e.g. pictures, familiar prints, sculptures, tennis balls, stuffed goats) that attempt to blur the line between art and life.

Reviewing bobrauchenbergamerica is like describing another description. The collage of scenes that makes the play, as well as the themes and characters, work more or less as a mirror than a story. There’s nothing logical about the production, yet it makes sense; like 10 people giving their interpretation of one piece of art – at the same time! Each scene takes you hostage and relentlessly impresses sheer exhilaration for living in a country where people make up their lives as they go.

The play works quite well. I barely notice that an hour and 45 minutes, with no intermission, passes. This depiction of America, as seen through Rauschenberg’s eyes and under DeLorenzo’s direction, is fearless and optimistic, but best of all unedited.

If you get tired of a scene, rest assured it will soon end. However, much like life, you don’t always like what you see or what you get. Some scenes may be outlandish, but in a way that forces you to acknowledge the myriad forms reality can take.

bobrauchenbergamerica, while sensitive and philosophical, gives your eyes a workout, then sends you back into the world.

[Inside] the Ford is located at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. E., Hollywood. For more information, visit fordtheaters.org.

Backstage review of "bobrauschenbergamerica"

bobrauschenbergamerica

TheSpyAnts at [Inside] the Ford

Reviewed by Jeff Favre
FEBRUARY 03, 2010

"Art was not a part of lives," says the character known as Bob's Mom in Charles L. Mee's 2001 one-act, nonlinear homage to the late American artist Bob Rauschenberg. And regardless of whether the character truly is based on Rauschenberg's real-life mother, Dora (the play's last line reportedly was spoken by her), the sentiment is false and telling because her stories show that art is all around for those who search for it—as Rauschenberg did by using found objects to create the iconic combines and collages for which he is best known. Few playwrights could be better suited than Mee to attempt to translate Rauschenberg's style for theater, because Mee shows more interest in juxtaposition of disparate images and emotions than in telling a coherent story. But those willing to mentally traverse this living museum for 90 minutes—led by a deft curatorial staff (aka TheSpyAnts' 10-person cast and director Bart DeLorenzo)—will discover a wealth of intriguing, visually captivating and funny vignettes among the more than 40 presented.

There are named characters, though it hardly matters, including Bob's Mom (Mari Marks), Phil the Trucker (Danny Parker-Lopes), Phil's Girl (Maria Tomas), and the nonspeaking Roller Girl (Breeze Braunschweig). There's also an entire barbershop chorus that delivers a mini concert. Mee's script delves into the building blocks of art and love, while the visuals involve a rolling bathtub, a man in a chicken suit, and a martini Slip 'n Slide.

DeLorenzo, who has directed a few Mee plays, successfully evokes whimsy when needed, as well as understated sadness, all while keeping a pace that's brisk enough to keep the less compelling moments from dragging down the performance. The cast works in harmony, flitting in and out of scenes as if each actor is part of a single entity. Ken Roht's choreography injects energy and humor to a couple of dance numbers. And Marina Mouhibian's set resembles a collection of Rauschenberg combines, which creates an ideal atmosphere. Not every scene of "bobrauschenbergamerica" is a winner, but as a whole it's entertaining and memorable.

Presented by TheSpyAnts at [Inside] the Ford, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood. Jan. 23–Feb. 28. Thu.–Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 and 7 p.m. (323) 461-3673. www.fordtheatres.org.

OUTSIDE THE BOX: BOBRAUSCHENBERGAMERICA AT [INSIDE] THE FORD (EyespyLA.com review)

OUTSIDE THE BOX: BOBRAUSCHENBERGAMERICA AT [INSIDE] THE FORD
By M.R. Hunter

What does a man in a chicken suit, a giant bowling pin, a rooster and a kitchen whisk all have in common? Everything and nothing in the LA premiere of Charles Mee’s zany collage-montage tribute to the late modern artist, Robert Rauschenberg at [Inside] the Ford.

One of the most forward-thinking artists of his time, Rauschenberg’s work combined ordinary materials and objects with spectacular splashes of color and familiar images to create pieces that were not entirely art and not entirely sculpture, but something in the space between. Predating the Pop Art movement, Rauschenberg’s “outside-the-box” method inspired the likes of Pollock, Joseph Cornell, and Oldenburg with his break from the traditional, fixed space of the canvas. Art then, literally became for Rauschenberg something outside of itself, a thing discoverable in the everyday and a hodgepodge of the seemingly contradictory connected in tandem and unity.

Inspired by Rauschenberg, Mee conceives a play not bound by conventional Aristotelian unities, but channels the absurdist and radical approach of the artist’s innovative spirit. Like a gallery of Rauschenberg collages brought to life, the action is both startling and disjointed, it confronts and challenges the very idea of art and performance itself, yet is cohesive enough to be visually entertaining. Bart DeLorenzo polishes what might otherwise comes across as amateur and raw into a provocative performance that if nothing else is definitely unlike anything else.


The only discernable thread keeping the wildly assorted vignettes from spinning completely out of control are the recollections of Rauschenberg’s early childhood, as told by his Mom (Mari Marks). Projected on a backdrop behind her are black and white photos of what is otherwise an ordinary, almost painfully average little boy whose humble beginnings hardly indicated the great influence in art he would one day become. As if these family photos were not convincing enough, Bob’s Mom ends each shared memory with the repeated refrain, “Art was not a part of our lives.” Whatever it was that taught Rauschenberg to see the world through his distorted kaleidoscope lenses is a wonder and will remain a mystery much like his vividly odd collages.

All the rest is simply off-the-wall non-sequiturs featuring some amusing anecdotes on relationships, acceptance, and love—if one is intent on ferreting out a theme here. It is better not to try to interpret or judge the merits of each scene, but rather to sit back and let the scenes roll on by like a passenger on a journey through a strange landscape or lucid dream. Eventually, nonsense becomes perfect sense in this wonderland filled with delightful, whimsical characters.

Where else can one find a Roller Girl (Breeze Braunschweig) gliding by on retro-styled skates, while a man dressed in a chicken suit crosses the stage? Then there is the shaken, not stirred body writhing martini bath or the random attack on a metal trashcan with a baseball bat. A pizza delivery boy (John Charles Meyer) recounts his homicidal past with casual indifference while Phil, the Trucker (Danny Parker-Lopes) delivers his own brand of torture with a series of chicken jokes—actually, the one about the egg is pretty funny. While these particular characters and scenes do not directly relate to Rauschenberg himself, they do capture the essence of his work.


Music numbers liven up the uneasy transitions with line dances and hoe downs choreographed by Ken Roht. Marina Mouhibian’s set design utilizes the open wings on of the proscenium, filling it with splattered canvases and bric-a-brac in keeping with Rauschenberg’s technique. A bicycle and a High Flyer cart hang from the catwalks and the otherwise minimalist space finds room for a ten-foot high stack of cardboard boxes.

Bob Rauschenberg would probably reject the idea of anyone trying to review this play. His vision defies interpretation, went against the grain of it, and like him this production by TheSpyAnts Theatre Company shouldn’t be read by proxy, but seen without any expectations. In the nonsensical yet cogent world of Rauschenberg, the best review for this show would be to tell a chicken joke and end with that.

Q: Why did the chicken cross the playground?
A: To get to the other slide.
Fin

bobrauschenbergamerica
Runs through Feb 28
Thurs, Fri, Sat at 8pm
Sundays at 3pm & 7pm
[Inside] the Ford
2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East
Hollywood, CA 90068
PH: 323-461-3673
www.FordTheatres.org

Actor's Reporter video on "bobrauschenbergamerica"

Here is a post from our own Kim Estes on Actor's Reporter.com, which features a short video about the show, including introductions by the cast, and director Bart DeLorenzo.

A clip from the first production of "bobrauschenbergamerica"

This is a clip from the first production of bobrauschenbergamerica by the SITI Ensemble in 2001.



Link

A Curtain Up review of "bobrauschenbergamerica"

A CurtainUp Los Angeles Review
bobrauschenbergamerica

By Evan Henerson

Look, everything overlaps, doesn't it? Is connected some kind of way. Once you put it all together, it's just obvious. I mean, tie a string to something, and see where it takes you.

When you think about it, this was really a match made in mashed-up paradise. Robert Rauschenberg, the American collageist as seen through the eyes of Charles L. Mee, a playwright who borrows everything from everywhere — mythology, current events, soap opera strands — and tosses it all up on stage in a big crazy quilt that somehow fashions itself into a play.

Director Bart DeLorenzo of the Evidence Room and the members of the SpyAnts Theatre Co. all clearly have the bug, and have brought the L.A. premiere of Mee's bobrauschenbergamerica to the Ford Amphitheatre's inside space. The play is Mee's take on how Rauschenberg, who died in 2008, might have seen the world had he been a playwright instead of a sculptor. The results are delightful if seriously quirky, — a series or largely unrelated musings on love, life, art, existence, the cosmos and cornball chicken jokes, not necessarily in that order of importance.

There is a script (it's up on Mee's (re)making project website, www.charlesmee.com), but DeLorenzo's cast makes you feel like the universe could tilt ever so slightly and some things would end up differently. Indeed, here's betting that the group of elderly barbershop singers who came in for a parade sequence might give way to different roadside entertainment at a subsequent performance.

Our players are a derelict (played by Brett Hren),. . .a stargazer (Eric Bunton) and his dancer lover (Mark Slater) . . . a trucker (Danny Parker-Lopes) and his bathing beauty girlfriend (Maria Tomas) . . . a fickle love-seeking woman dressed up in Jackie O regalia (Jennifer Etienne Eckert) and the man she dumped (Adam Dornbusch). . . a disturbing pizza delivery guy (John Charles Meyer) named Bob and Bob's Mom (Mari Marks). Bob's Mom is either supposed to be Rauschenberg's mother or the pizza delivery boy's. I'm not sure which. I'm not sure Mee intends us to know for certain.

Rasuchenberg is honored in the title, and there are various slideshow musings by Bob's Mom that frequently end with "art was not a part of our life." Otherwise, it's not difficult to see where Rauschenberg ends and Mee begins. Many of the playwright's signature oddities — spontaneous dance numbers, non sequiter emoting, extended musing on love — play giddily across DeLorenzo's staging. That said, the spirit of Rauschenberg is duly honored by DeLorenzo and company.

Props and set pieces, curios of all sorts dot Marina Mouhibian's set. The trucker's girl plays checkers from a rusty bathtub bearing a "No Parking" sign. A door frame, with a stuffed heron perched atop, evokes an empty and decidedly surreal landscape. Plaudits to prop master Hal Perry for finding a 12 foot bowling pin that never even gets used.

Mee's plays are not for the shy, and the cast members attack their roles with gleeful abandon. Particularly fetching is Eckert's Susan, defending her romantic choices while devouring the contents of a cake pan, and Tomas pouring out the ingredients for a martini on a plastic floor canvas and then proceeding to slosh through it. Parker-Lopes, sporting a trucker's beard, smoothly handles an assortment of wince-inducing chicken jokes, and everyone moves gracefully or with appropriate abandon to Ken Roht's choreography.

Praise also is due Breeze Braunschweig as the always skating, never speaking Roller Girl, a vision in 70s era beach shorts and tube socks who proves that you don't need lines to have an impact. What Braunschweig's Roller Girl is doing sitting at the same picnic table as Becker, Carl, Susan and the rest is anybody's guess. In the landscape of Mee's Rauschenberg, everything kind of melds even as it clashes. That's kind of the point.