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!

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!

Help TheSpyAnts produce "bobrauschenbergamerica" at [Inside] The Ford!

Dear Esteemed Friends, Family and Fans:

Thank you for your continued interest in and support of TheSpyAnts Theatre Company. We are proud to announce our next production: bobrauschenbergamerica by Charles L. Mee was selected to be part of the [Inside] the Ford Winter Partnership Program by the L.A County Arts Commission. This amazing opportunity at such a special venue, within the Ford Amphitheater complex, will be our most adventuresome endeavor to date! Running from January 23rd through February 28th, 2010 bobrauschenbergamerica will certainly be the most expensive show we've ever done. Due to the high production costs we are looking for supporters, like you, to assist us in the funding of our show. Your tax-deductible donation at our secure PayPal Link will help us to create this spectacular production.

As you may know, TheSpyAnts began in the year 2000 as a small group of passionate actors that met weekly to read plays. After meeting for several months, we grew tired of sitting and reading plays. As a result, we decided to take the next step and formed our own theater company. Since then we have produced 23 shows, including the smash hit Kidnapped By Craigslist the LA Weekly award nominated production of The Birds and Paul Rudnick’s The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, and now bobrauschenbergamerica. We have also gained non-profit status, been nominated for multiple LA theater awards, earned a loyal fan base of more than 1,000 people, and donated time and money to numerous local charities.

We have been thrilled to bring you many amazing productions over the last nine years; however, now we need your help in order for us to take a giant leap forward for our company. We ask you to make a tax-deductible donation to TheSpyAnts at our secure PayPal Link to show your support and help us reach our goal to raise enough money to create what we know will be our most dynamic, vital, and exciting production to date, bobrauschenbergamerica. You will also be able to track your donation from our website and watch as the mercury in our thermometer rises to the top on the way toward our goal. Thank you for being a continued supporter and fan of TheSpyAnts. We appreciate your help and support and hope to see you at the show!

Our non-profit tax identification is: EIN # 95-4853522.

Sincerely,

TheSpyAnts

Kidnapped by Craigslist on LA Cityview 35 tonight at 10pm PST

Our recently closed hit show Kidnapped by Craigslist is being featured tonight on LA Cityview 35 tonight at 10pm PST, and again one week from today at 11am and 10pm PST, and there may also be additional airings next month.

So tune in, or watch the live feed here

There is also a nice little write up here on page 3.

Thanks!

"Kidnapped by Craigslist" is extending once again until February 7th!

We are proud to announce that Kidnapped by Craigslist is EXTENDING once again!

Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm
until February 7th

***SPECIAL OFFER***

Print out your favorite Craigslist posting for $5 off
EVERY THURSDAY

***********************************************************************************
Only three weekends left!:

Thursday, January 22nd at 8pm
Friday, January 23rd at 8pm
Saturday, January 24th at 8pm
Thursday, January 29th at 8pm
Friday, January 30th at 8pm
Saturday, January 31st at 8pm
Thursday, February 5th at 8pm
Friday, February 6th at 8pm
Saturday, February 7th at 8pm

Reservations (323.860.8786) and online tickets purchases strongly encouraged

Thanks so much for your support!

The Tolucan Times weighs in on "Kidnapped by Craigslist"

Kidnapped by Craigslist

By M. Jarrett Christensen on December 17,2008

The phenomenon that is Craigslist has permeated every avenue of our society. It is imbued into our consciousness, as it is a projection of our hopes and fears, wants and desires. It has become the quintessential forum for all things, be it a sale of furniture to an instantaneous date, or even a political soapbox. Katie Goan & Nitra Gutierrez has captured all the fascinating elements in this amusing and handsome production.

The show is a compilation of actual postings from Craigslist, as it is a series of vignettes that make up the act. The staging is simple but spectacular, as it embodies that of a big top circus with all its comedy and drama, and yes, even the freak show. We are introduced into the cyber world by the confessions, wants and announcements. The actors portray the voices of the ads with the same honesty and seriousness that the actual ad had intended. What prevails is a delightful comedy that allows for belly laughs and at the same time, sympathy and pathos for the real persons who submitted their words online.

All the performers were outstanding. Some of the standouts include Addi Gaash, Amy Motta and Danny Lopes. Matt Maenpaa (set design) and Lori Evans Taylor (sound design) prove how ingenuity and resourcefulness gives the audience a glamorous stage. It is said that comedy is an ironic reversal of tragedy. If it were not for all the laughter involved, one could sense the pity in these ads that continually crowd cyberspace. Highly recommended.

The Elephant Lab Theatre is located at 6322 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90038. For tickets, call (323) 860-8786 or visit www.TheSpyAnts.com. “Kidnapped by Craigslist” is playing through December 20 with extended dates January 2–24 2009.

Backstage Review of "Kidnapped by Craigslist"

From Backstage

Kidnapped by Craigslist
December 10, 2008

by Neal Weaver

This zany, rollicking show by Katie Goan and Nitra Gutierrez is essentially an evening of sketch comedy derived from actual postings on Craigslist, making it a catalog of human oddities. It's played out in the frame of a carnival sideshow, presided over by the Barker (Amy Motta), who emerges from a trunk in a wonderful, form-fitting, shabby-elegant costume and boots. Motta has a spectacular figure, a dazzling smile, and a boatload of charm. She introduces to us the other oddballs: the mortally embarrassed woman (Shelby Kyle) who farted repeatedly on a first date, the bigot in the Santa Suit (Danny Lopes) who hates everybody including himself, the extremely pregnant woman (Kyle again) who's fed up with strangers wanting to touch her baby-bump, the man (Scott Krinsky) driven 'round the bend by the cockroaches in his apartment, the woman obsessed with cake (Dawn Merkel), the Right Sneaker (Lane Maser) who has lost her Left Sole Mate, and the exasperated gay man (Eric Bunton) who can't sleep because he's too distracted by the naked, sleeping teenager who's visible through a window across the way. And Motta plays a sodomy-averse woman who sings a song memorably titled "Don't Touch My Butt-Hole."

Director Lori Evans Taylor deploys her clever and versatile cast (all of whom play multiple roles) with style and dispatch on a jewel-box set by Matt Maenpaa, which features a lot of red velour, a handsomely carved wardrobe, a skewed chandelier hanging at a gravity-defying angle, and the aforementioned trunk. The clever, colorful, and sometimes lavish costumes are supplied by Marina Mouhibian, who also plays several characters, including a cockroach, a birthday cake, a bedpost, and a pirate. Michelle O'Connor provides the original music. (Note: Some roles are double cast.)

Presented by TheSpy Ants at the Elephant Lab Theatre, 6322 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Nov. 22-Dec. 20. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m. (Also Sat., 10:30 p.m. Dec. 6 and 13 and Thu., 8 p.m. Dec. 18.) (323) 860-8786 or www.thespyants.com.

Promo video for "Kidnapped by Craigslist"

Playwright Katie Goan discusses her play in an interview

Katie Goan, one of the co-writers of Kidnapped by Craigslist did an interview with JesterJournal.com last year where she discussed her play.

Here is part one:

In August, the comedic play “Kidnapped by Craigslist” ran at the People’s Improv Theater (see 8/18/07 review), and its co-creator, Katie Goan, has plans underway for productions of the show in other cities, including Austin, Texas, where she went to college. “Craigslist” is culled from and inspired by ads in the popular website that serves as an online version of classified ads. While Goan performed in the New York productions, she prefers writing and directing, and plans to cast the touring version of the show with local actors in each city, as well as revising the show in each city to draw from Craigslist ads from the site’s pages for that city. Jester spoke with Goan about the evolution of “Craigslist.”

Katie Goan: In touring of ‘Kidnapped by Craigslist,’ the first stop will be Austin, Texas, because I know a lot of people there and all my friends are there producing and directing theater. So two of my friends from Austin came to see the show and are very excited about producing it. That will probably be the first leg of its future in development, substituting in Austin postings from Craigslist and do a show there. We’re thinking of a late night show in a cabaret space or something like that. Eventually we want to do Seattle, San Francisco and all the places where Craigslist originated.

Jester: Do the postings say the same or have they changed throughout the runs of the show?
KG: So far it’s been the same because we’ve only done New York. All the postings are from the New York site. The postings are from over the past two years. We started doing the show about two and a half years ago, and some of the postings are as recent as three months ago.

J: Are you adding postings to the show?
KG: We stopped doing that because we needed to solidify that particular show. But we’re always looking for new postings from new cities, because we always want to make the show about where we’re going to perform. Hopefully, you get a very New York feel from this show. In Austin, we’ll put in more rockabilly type music, with a country and western twang kind of sound; obviously we’ll have no subway-related postings.

The whole carnival aspect of the show -- the carnival barker’s speeches and introductions to carnival-type attractions, will all stay the same. All we have to do is look for postings from Austin about love and sex and put that into the Tunnel of Love section, and postings that are rants and raves to put in the dunking booth section. Much of it will stay the same but the postings will change.

J: Are you and the cast that recently did it going to be in other performances?
KG: I’m not sure. In Austin, it will be an Austin cast. In a perfect world, once we get a substantial amount of money, I would love to have one company that goes all over to do it. The show is always changing and evolving though, so it will be interesting to see what other people do with it.

J: It’s been running for two and a half years. How has it evolved?
KG: We did a workshop at the PIT one year ago, last June. We flew in a director from L.S.U. It was just a cast of three people -- Nitra, the co-writer, myself and a friend of ours. For about a month … the postings started off with a large stack and boiled it down to the 20 or 30 that are in the show. It’s a matter of finding out what fits together the best and how you can represent Craigslist the best way.

J: How does a particular posting inspire you to write it into the show?
KG: We thought the carnival theme made it into a show. At first we were just pulling postings that we thought were interesting, funny or sad, or just were different types of people -- something that had a definite angle to it. Then, from going through a large stack, you think these people are freaks, but they’re not. They’re actually you and me -- this person could be a librarian who is the most introverted person you ever met, yet she’s complaining about her boss and cussing him out and talking about how she wants to seduce him. So then we start seeing the difference between who people are in real life and how they portray themselves. That’s when we realized it was a carnival theme, with the “Rants & Raves” section being the dunking booth and the “Missed Connections” being the Tunnel of Love. That’s how we were inspired to put it into the show.

Then we added the music, which we thought would be exciting and cool. A lot of what is on the stage (in the recent version of the show) in the fluidity is from Kimmy (Gatewood). She’s the most unbelievable director I’ve ever worked with; she’s fantastic. She really tied it all together, made it flow and made it the piece that it is.

J: I think of direction as visual as in film, but in this world it often involves tightening up the writing and the organization of what’s presented. What are the differences?
KG: For anything about the writing, Kimmy comes to me. Because we went from a 90-minute show to a 56-minute show, and now I can’t even imagine it that long because now it’s under an hour.

So a lot of the characterizations are Kimmy’s ideas because your first instinct when doing something like this is to push it and be angry. You want to be the angriest person you can think of and conjure up. She said, ‘No, why don’t you play against the anger and make it humorous or touching or charming.’ She helped us to play against the character to actually make these people believable.

J: So it is some directing of the acting?
KG: Yes, a lot of acting and a lot of staging. The stage pictures themselves were all Kimmy and a lot of the music too.

Part Two:

J: Where did everyone from the cast now come from?
KG: Michelle O’Connor, who played the barker, is Kimmy’s good friend from college. They’ve been collaborating on theater projects together for many years, and they write a lot of music together. Jacob Brown is in my improv class, and is on the Sid Viscous improv team at The PIT. Him and I became close through our improv classes at The PIT. Jared is a good friend of Nitra, the co-writer, and they do improv together for at-risk teens, about bullying and drugs and things like that.

J: Most of the characters go from start to finish and you see them all at once, although Jared does a character that reappears at points. Why do you go back to just that one character or why don’t you follow the others through more?
KG: Just to get as much diversity as possible. Jared did make a specific choice -- it’s one character that you see different aspects of. That is the pot-head lady guy [insert explanation] and the subway guy from the beginning. He chose to tie those two people together, where you see the guy frustrated on the subway and then smoking a joint at home on his patio. That was an experiment. But mostly we wanted to do the complete opposite … different characters to show diversity of who uses Craigslist, what are the reasons, are they escaping something from their lives, are they looking for attention? Why are they going on Craigslist?

J: I wondered when reviewing the show whether, in how Michelle hosted the show, whether you were thinking about ‘The Twilight Zone’?
KG: The creepiness of it, yes. We wanted an eerie, creepy feel to the barker, which is interesting from her because she’s a pretty woman. To see her be a sexy seductress but also kind of a hard ass, and also the taskmaster of Craigslist, and everyone’s her minions to do what she says. So in that aspect, yes, the stream of consciousness of the piece is very much like The Twilight Zone, and the creepiness and eeriness of it. You want the audience to question what they’re seeing. That’s the ‘Twilight Zone’ aspect of it too -- ‘Did they just … oh they did!’

J: What’s your a criteria for what you’re putting into scenes or what you find funny?
KG: When we look at them now, we’re just looking for diverse stories from individuals. At this point, the show is love and sex heavy. That’s a major change I want to make for the future of the show. Especially for New York, I need more apartment posting stories, or finding roommates. We touch on it in the show but we don’t dive in as much as we should, especially for New York. They don’t use Craigslist as much for that in Austin. … Now when I talk to people in New York, the most interest is in “Missed Connections” or one-night hookups -- ‘come over to my house right now,’ much more so than apartments or roommates.

I guess for criteria, we’re looking for people who have a point of view and just a crazy, kooky wackiness that’s out there. You get everything from those looking to sell their Beatles collection to ‘I cheated on my wife, what should I do?’ So diversity, and people who have a story to tell.

J: Are there other shows that you’ve written or are thinking about doing?
KG: I’ve written others and produced others. They’re usually always comedy. The dramas I’ve written aren’t very good. I’m into short comedic plays, or more vignettes than actual plays, but also not quite sketch either. I like it to have a theme or through line so it’s not just random sketches. The next show I’m working on is a one-woman show. I’m writing it thinking of myself but I probably wouldn’t perform it in the long run. It has different wacky characters. It’s about a Texas girl who’s transplanted into Yankee land.

J: Most performers who write a one-person character showcase show do it for themselves. Why are you thinking about transferring it to someone else?
KG: I would probably direct that show. I would want to find someone who could have the diversity of different characters. … That was my big problem with acting. It was always your director telling you what to do. You can explore things as an actor and try different things but at the end of the day, your director decides. I want to be the one who actually creates it and puts it out there for people.

J: Most performers find comedy more difficult to do than drama, but you find drama more difficult.
KG: It’s more difficult for me to write. I’m not sure how to even explain that. I find that comedic dialogue is easier for me to write than dramatic dialogue. In dramas, the climax has to be so solid, and all the elements of the story, like your introduction, rising action, climax and falling action all have to be so clear and set for it to be effective. In comedy, anything goes. That’s the difference to me. That’s why it makes it easier. You can put something down on paper as comedy, and if it stinks, throw it away, or it can be the most brilliant piece of comedy you’ve ever seen in your life. Drama doesn’t work that way. It either works or it doesn’t. In comedy, you can find something that works about it, or change it.

J: What comedic performers, movies or TV influenced you?
KG: Growing up it was always Gilda Radner. Everyone says that, but watching old Saturday Night Lives, the Gilda Radner sketches were definitely what I wanted to do. She did physical comedy which was unusual for women back then. As to films, “Clue” is one of my favorite movies of all time. I like the different characters and different types of people all coming together for a murder mystery, or the dinner party, or whatever the case may be.

J: That’s why you’re doing “Craigslist” -- because you’re inspired by “Clue.”
KG: I guess you could say that. “Clue” is one of my definite favorites. Another favorite is “Waiting For Guffman” -- again, such different types of people thrown together in a situation. That’s comedy gold if you ask me.