Martial Arts in Live Theater

[GeneChing]

It's a new play by Taiwanese stage director Wang Chia-ming. I posted it on our Bruce Lee Memorials thread here.

Cool post, Xiao3 Meng4.

[GeneChing]

I just heard from Dylan Brody (see More Arts, Less Martial). He is coming to San Francisco's Punchline on Tuesday Apr 12 (08:00 PM) with a show called "Contagious Calm". He tells me it's a slightly altered version of the same show.

[GeneChing]

Been there, done that. I'm not sure bricks know fear...

Capital Fringe Festival: ‘Illuminate: A Martial Arts Experience’
By Celia Wren
Wednesday, July 13, 2011



Let there be light — and flying snap kicks. That might be the motto of “Illuminate: A Martial Arts Experience,” an entertaining showcase of Eastern fighting techniques, executed in the dark by black belts wearing LED lights on their hands and feet. Souped up with glowing weaponry, the ghost of a “Karate Kid”-type story line and gnomic voice-overs (“Your hand should not fear the brick; the brick should fear your hand”), this unusual Fringe selection offers an opportunity to see a whirling nunchaku that’s as eerily luminous as Luke Skywalker’s light saber.

“These feats are not to be tried at home,” a voice intones at the start of “Illuminate,” devised and performed by seven local martial artists trained in tang soo do, jujitsu and other disciplines. The prudent disclaimer ushers in a perfunctory skit about a 98-pound weakling who gets beat up by bullies and then, presumably — narrative clarity is not “Illuminate’s” strong suit — goes on to study under a martial-arts master.

But who cares about the story? The stage lights have dimmed, and the Warehouse Theater is awash in blue, green and purple neon swirls, as kicks and punches rocket in all directions to a soundtrack of live drumming and recorded percussive, Eastern-flavored music. (Director and producer Johnny Shryock is composer and sound designer.) The cast spars, performs kata (choreographed routines in which martial artists battle invisible opponents) and demonstrates a range of combative practices, including Philippine stick fighting and choking attackers with an ordinary belt. A glowing rope dart (a kung-fu-style weapon) looks stunning as it moves like a pyrotechnic pinwheel.

Serious martial-arts enthusiasts might find that the dim lighting makes it impossible to appreciate the nuances of the performers’ techniques. But as a sensory-rich production for general audiences, this hour-long show packs a punch.

[GeneChing]

Kung-Fu Beach Party, a Musical

There’s something fishy happening at the Puddle Pad: The Hippest Place on Earth, home to the Battle of the Beach Bands, and one undercover cop named Kung-Fu needs to find out what it is. Can you dig it?

August 12th, 13th, 17th, 18th, and 19th at 7:30pm

August 14th a 2:00pm

August 20th at 6:30pm

Theater by children...

[GeneChing]

Now touring with Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey

Kung Fu Kings

Highlights:

Sun Junjie and Qin Guojing have trained at famous martial arts schools in China since they were young.
Sun and Qin were handpicked by leader Wu Hsiung to take over this awe-inspiring act.
Sun and Qin have over 15 years of training in martial arts and have won several awards in various competitions.


Audience members will think they are watching a Kung Fu movie when they see Sun Junjie and Qin Guojing in Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents ZING ZANG ZOOM®, Gold Edition. These Kung Fu Kings use their minds over matter to twist solid steel rods around their bodies and only using his sense of hearing, Sun dives through hoops of razor-sharp swords blindfolded!

Both experts in the Far East discipline, the two began training at famous martial arts schools in China at a young age. With over 15 years of training the two were revered as the best martial arts performers in their school. While practicing at their school in Shan Dong, they caught the eye of current troupe leader Wu Hsiung who began performing a version the awe-inspiring act in 1976.

“I saw Sun and Qin perform and they had really good potential. They had won several awards so I took both of them to train them to be my protégé,” explains Wu.

From 2004 to 2009, Sun and Qin were under the tutelage of Master Wu learning how to mix their natural strength with their skills in martial arts so that the torch could be passed to them.

Making their debut with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, the two are excited to be able to share their extraordinary talents with Children Of All Ages. “We heard about the Ringling Bros. circus in China and how famous it is, so to be able to be a part of this brand new show is very honoring,” states Sun.

[GeneChing]

There's a vid if you follow the link. This is in collaboration with Kei Lun Martial Arts and Enshin Karate, South San Francisco Dojo

Welcome to www.lenoraleedance.com! Here you can get all the current information on Lenora Lee Dance, and Lenora's work as a dancer, choreographer and artistic director of interdisciplinary collaborations. Right now, she and her team are working intensively on her upcoming work "Reflections" set for premiere performances in San Francisco at CounterPULSE September 8-11, 2011 and New York as part of White Wave's Wave Rising Series October 19 - 23, 2011. Read below for more details!

ABOUT "Reflections"

CounterPULSE has generously included me in their Artist Residency Commissioning Program this summer to develop and premiere this work September 8- 11, 2011. Asian Improv aRts, API Cultural Center and the Chinese Historical Society of America Museum will also serve as co-presenters of the piece. With "Reflections" I will further my collaboration with media designer Olivia Ting, composer Francis Wong, and poet Genny Lim. I will also work with martial arts consultants Raymond Fong and Corey Chan, videographer/ dance filmmaker Ben Estabrook, and a company of five dancers for one of my most ambitious works to date.

"Reflections" is inspired by the journey to my paternal grandfather's ancestral village of Hanghai Foon in Toisan County, Guandong Province, China. Cheuck Lee, my grandfather, had immigrated to the U.S. through theAngel Island in 1922. After he was able to earn enough money he returned to China and built the first two-story house in the village. In 1997, venturing through a labyrinth of contacts and happenstances, I finally found myself standing in front of the gate of the house. Peering through the gate, in the dimness, I saw pictures of my father's siblings and their families on the brick wall. I was home.

In this house, I found the tangible legacy of my grandfather's contribution to our family history in America and to his home village in China. And as such, it represents the hopes, dreams and goals of so many emigrants/immigrants who struggle to make a better life for their families in the face of an extremely prejudiced environment. Utilizing photos and journals from the trip as well as recollections of the family history as source material, my collaborators and I will create a piece that shares this story and humanizes the experiences and ultimate contributions by our forbears.

In honoring my grandfather's efforts to achieve dignity and self-realization in his time I also wish to address today's challenges for Chinese men facing assimilationist pressures in our mainstream American culture. I hope to explore the issues that are the result through the use of martial arts in addition to dance as movement vocabulary. The project will also utilize video projection to bring light to the intimacies of the martial arts forms and breath, making visible the dynamism and subtlety intrinsic to the forms. These forms will represent a symbolic language for struggle, identity, and a journey through emotional landscapes. In this way I hope that the piece will be a moving tribute to our forebears as well as a means toward healing in our communities during these complex times.

[GeneChing]

In the tradition of Beautiful Boxer.

A spectacle that packs a punch
Ekachai Uekrongtham returns to Singapore theatre with less talk and more action
by Mayo Martin
04:45 AM Sep 05, 2011
HAS Ekachai Uekrongtham turned his back on Singapore theatre?

After all, it's been a long time since local theatre scene's adopted Thai son has actually helmed a homegrown play. These days, the founding artistic director of Action Theatre has been seemingly content letting others direct his company's shows as he sits comfortably in the back as producer.

When he does decide to direct, it's been either for movies like Pleasure Factory, The Coffin and The Wedding Game - or musicals that are in an alien language that we don't get the chance to see, like 2010's Thai musical Breathe.

So it's a pleasant surprise to learn that the man who directed Chang & Eng and Ka-Ra-You-OK? is back in these shores helming a new production. It's a non-verbal theatrical spectacle that's set to combine the physical flair of Muay Thai or Thai kickboxing and street dancing.

After making its premiere in Bangkok a couple of months ago, Boxing Boys! hits our shores next month courtesy of MediaCorp VizPro International. It will feature a cast of 17, which includes real-life kickboxing champs and street dancers, and will incorporate Thai elements such as Khon (traditional masked dance), Likay (folk dance) and Nang Yai (shadow puppetry) - all tied together by a story about love and friendship.

No talk, action only

Speaking on the phone from Bangkok - while eating mangoes, apparently - Uekrongtham said he's been shuttling back and forth between Singapore and Thailand more often than we thought.

"But I guess I haven't been directing anything so people don't hear much from me," he said, adding that he might possibly be doing another Singapore project. "I'm looking for a play or theatre piece that I would like to work on. I think I've found it but I can't talk about it just yet."

With a concentration of movies in recent years, such as The Coffin (2007) and Pleasure Factory (2008), Uekrongtham's last stage production was Breathe (2010), the first time he'd done a Thai musical.

"I had never done a theatre piece in Thai before and I liked the process. It was really great fun for me," he shared.

Breathe's box office success would have paved the way for more Thai musical offers. But he instead decided to do a non-verbal theatrical production instead. According to Uekrongtham, one of the catalysts for Boxing Boys! was actually his feature film debut, Beautiful Boxer, a 2003 drama about transsexual Muay Thai boxer, Parinya Kiatbusaba.

"I don't think I would have been able to do Boxing Boys! if I had not done Beautiful Boxer," he explained. "It forced me to understand Thai kickboxing - and you have to do a lot of homework. Not just the craft but also the life of kickboxers and how the martial artist is perceived in its own country.

"I still had to do a lot of research (for Boxing Boys!) but not as much as I needed to do when starting something completely new," he added.

But the roots for Boxing Boys! go back even further to the early days of Action Theatre, when they had their 42 Theatre Festival. Back then, he had conceived of a piece combining ballet and gong fu with choreographer dancer Jeffrey Tan, wushu champ Picasso Tan and Chang & Eng composer, the late Ken Low.

"I was quite interested to do a non-verbal piece then. I thought martial arts was very intriguing - it's very violent yet it's artful and genteel. It's got a lot of potential for conflicts," he said.

All flash, no substance?

Boxing Boys! comes at the heels of other similar productions to hit Singapore shores, like Art Of Drum, Jump, Stomp and Riverdance. But while these have been commercially popular, there are also critics that decry these big-budget shows are empty spectacle - where the storyline plays second (or third) fiddle to the action onstage.

"In the past decade, a lot of these have sprung up and have become very popular around the world because of their universality - they don't need surtitles and they could play to people of all races and cultures. It's really the challenge of trying to communicate a story without relying on a dialogue," said Uekrongtham.

But he doesn't think of non-verbal theatre as artistically weaker than your "proper" musical or play. Pointing out its links to the tradition of mime, he considers Boxing Boys! and its non-verbal lineage to be the most challenging he's done.

"It's not like doing the movie where you have a storyboard, et cetera. There's a lot of improvisation on this one," he said, adding that he also had to write a dialogue for Boxing Boys! but didn't exactly use it.

"What I have tried to do with Boxing Boys! is to attempt to tell a story and give more emotion and conflict - I treated it like a normal play and didn't want (people to think) that just because it's non-verbal, it's completely blank," he said.

For his next projects, it's the film buffs who'll be stoked. Uekrongtham revealed he's been asked to be a Thai romantic comedy on singlehood ("it's such an in thing now!") and has finished a screenplay to be shot in Singapore. And next month, he'll be doing an "unusual film project with a Thai and a Taiwanese superstar", he said.

As for his efforts on the theatrical stage? He's still in the process of reading scripts.

"I miss my theatre friends here. It'd be nice to find something I can work with them again," he said.

One theatrical work has been perennially been on everyone's mind though - a restaging of Chang & Eng.

For the longest time, Uekrongtham has shied away from that possibility because of the loss of friend and collaborator Low, who passed away in July last year.

"I felt that I could never do it again when he passed away. I was thinking: 'How am I ever going to do that again'? I've never done that show without him," he said. "But I (also) thought maybe that could be the reason for me to do it again. Time has passed and we still remember him. Maybe that's a good reason. I would like to do it again for sure."

But will it ever return to the stage? Uekrongtham was coy with his answer.

"I think it will come back at some point - maybe sooner rather than later."

Boxing Boys runs from Oct 28 to 30, 8pm, Esplanade Theatre. With 3pm weekend matinees. Tickets at S$38 to S$88 from Sistic.

[GeneChing]

Sort of the opposite of Kung Fu Panties

plato smash! ‘action philosophers’ to hit the stage next week
by thomas tracy
the brooklyn paper


photo by crystal skillman
super heralds: Monks c.l. Weatherstone, ryan andes and joseph mathers prepare for the arrival of bodhidharma in “action philosophers!” performances run at the brick theater from oct. 6-16.

It’ll be the most entertaining philosophy 101 class you’ve ever sat through.

The sagacious writings of plato, bodhidharma, karl marx, rene descartes, friedrich neitzsche and ayn rand have been dumbed down, stuffed into comic book panels and thrown up onstage in “action philosophers!”, a laugh-out-loud comedy smashing its way into williamsburg’s brick theater on oct. 6, where history’s truth-seeking gurus are turned into superheroes.
Brooklyn bridge realty

the theatrical conceit is sound: After all, one fundamental truth is that people pay more attention to barrell-chested guys in spandex and capes than reed-thin intellectuals in tweed blazers with elbow patches.

In “action philosophers!” — based on the graphic novel with the same name — plato battles the shadows of perceived reality dressed as a mask-sporting mexican wrestler. Neitzsche is the first “superman” — although he’s still the depressed god killer we all know and love — and bodhidarama searches for self-enlightenment dressed as a kung-fu master.

Back in 2005, comic co-creators ryan dunlavey and fred van lente began wondering what historical figures would look like if they were action figures. Van lente realized that philosophers would look pretty bad-ass (or should we say their outward image would mirror their perceived image) — and get more respect — if they were dressed up like superheroes.

“at the time i was reading a lot of neitzsche for fun … that’s how i roll,” van lente said. “we decided to turn all of his life and thoughts into a crazy mini-comic that you would find with the action figures.”
borodeal

but they didn’t stop at neitzsche. They kept going, boiling down the lives of 30 philosophers — among them francis bacon, david hume and heraclitus (remember him? You would if, as in the graphic novel, his hair was on fire).

Van lente’s wife, crystal skillman, deconstructed the philosophers in the graphic novel even further — selecting six for the entertaining and educational stage experience.

“[choosing six] was a real challenge, but it worked because all of them have dramatic story arcs and journeys,” skillman said. “we wanted to find a unique way to talk about their discovery while staying true to their words.”

the play, which premiered at the brick for a limited run in june, brings together all types, from comedy fans to comic book geeks to philosophy students, skillman said.

“we get fans of the book, fans of the theater and fans of a certain philosopher,” she said. “we even have people rooting for ayn rand.”

“action philosophers!” at the brick [575 metropolitan ave. Between union avenue and lorraine street in williamsburg, (718) 907-6189], oct. 6–16. Tickets, $18. For information, visit www.bricktheater.com.

[GeneChing]

Reminds me of the Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremonies.

Cloud Gate troupe's dance concept represents calligraphy
Lawrence B. Johnson/ Special to The Detroit News


Meld the contours of classical ballet with the precision of martial arts, temper with the physiological discipline of calligraphy and you have the Taiwanese dance company called Cloud Gate.

Artistic director Lin Hwai-min, who founded the company 38 years ago, brings his 20 dancers to Ann Arbor's Power Center for the Performing Arts this weekend for two performances of his newly created 70-minute work "Water Stains on the Wall."

"The title refers to water stains on the wall caused by a leaking roof," says Lin. "Water stains caused in this way represent the highest form of calligraphy because it doesn't simply imitate nature — it is organic."

What does calligraphy — the art of producing decorative handwriting or lettering with a pen or brush — have to do with dance, or indeed dancers? Everything, Lin says.

"We don't pretend our bodies could replace the brush," he says. "We take it as a metaphor. The stage is a tilted ramp that rises to 2.5 meters (about 8 feet) at its highest point. Performing on this slope challenges the dancers greatly, but it also allows the audience to see the floor, which is white with (video) projections on it reminiscent of moving clouds of ink."

Dancers moving through that imagery, moving with a disciplined continuity that Lin says typically draws comparisons to liquid, evoke the essence of calligraphy.

"Calligraphy is not simply about movement of the wrists," Lin explains. "Calligraphy is also a form of meditation. It is an exercise in breathing, with movement of the total body. Our company takes its inspiration from the aesthetic of calligraphy. The dancers take weekly classes in calligraphy.

"All of our movements are based on the circle, the spiral, which is also the basic brush stroke in calligraphy."

Getting to that fluid essence involves what Lin calls a mingling of physical disciplines as diverse as Western ballet — in which Lin is trained — and Chinese opera movement, martial arts and modern dance. But don't look for clear signs of any of them in "Water Stains on the Wall."

Lin says all those source elements are processed into something completely new and distinct.

And movement for Cloud Gate Dance Theatre is a collective expression that is perhaps best likened to the motion of water, without apparent beginning or end, welling and shifting with a constant fluency that involves the entire body.

"Our reviews often say this is something you have never encountered on any stage," Lin says with obvious pride in a dance concept that retains its originality after nearly four decades and many international tours.

"The bodies of these dancers," he says almost as an afterthought, "are quite sophisticated."

'Water Stains on the Wall' Cloud Gate Theatre of Taiwan

8 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Power Center for the Performing Arts
121 Fletcher St., Ann Arbor
Tickets $18-$54
Call (734) 764-2538
www.ums.org

[GeneChing]

I think there should be kung fu versions of all of Shakespeare’s works. Imagine a kung fu version of Midsummer's Night Dream.

"Masters, spread yourselves."

Comedy of Errors: a kung-fu kick to purism


Parody was the word bandied about by an elderly trio seated behind us during the interval of Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors at Maynardville.

I presumed they were purists, for director Matthew Wild’s interpretation of one of the bard’s earliest plays would certainly upset the traditionalist’s sensibilities.

There could be an argument for this production being a parody, but I would not go so far as to say Wild’s Chinatown 1970s kung-fu setting was ridiculing the world’s most revered playwright. Quite the opposite, I think Shakespeare may have been delighted.

Wild’s choices did serve to confound as much as to please, and the flow of action on what appeared to be a rather stilted mid-week performance didn’t help to smooth the questions of setting and style his directorial decisions had raised.

There were questions that niggled before the actors had even stepped on stage, and remained unanswered. Such as: what does the oriental script on the admittedly intriguing set actually say? Why does the dj placed overlooking the stage playing 80s pop hits such as Murray Head’s ‘One Night in Bangkok’ not retire once the play starts?

However, embracing the fact that Shakespeare can – nay, in modern times probably should – be placed in settings more contemporary than the world of Elizabethan England; relaxing the overly-critical eye; and giving the performers a little leeway in light of the fact that the audience were doing little more than congratulating themselves on surviving the third day of a heat wave, I’d have to say the play was a hoot.

Despite unsatisfied curiosity about the meaning of the oriental lettering, Angela Nemov’s set served its ends brilliantly and she let loose when it came to outfitting the cast in retro 70s gear replete with silk shorts, high cut denims and platform shoes. From a 2012 perspective, this in itself leans to comedy, making the actors’ task of raising a laugh that much easier, although providing them with a hurdle when dialogue took a more serious turn.

Although they had the obstacle of a heat-exhausted audience that weren’t providing much energy for them to feed off, the cast put their heart into it and pulled off a performance that was above ‘very good’ but not quite ‘stellar’.

Standouts were, as expected, James Cairns and Rob van Vuuren as the servant twins Dromio of Ephesus and Dromio of Syracuse, the pair providing most of the comedy amongst the errors with spot-on timing. Nicholas Pauling and Andrew Laubscher as Antipholus of Syracuse and Antipholus of Ephesus did a superb job, with Laubscher’s raging frustration at being the butt of the increasing litany of misunderstandings particularly entertaining.

If you can leave your preconceptions in the park and simply relish in the ridiculous, this is yet another Maynardville production which does Shakespeare proud. Given his slapstick sense of humour, I’m sure he’s laughing in his grave. – Steve Kretzmann

Comedy of Errors runs at Maynardville’s open air theatre until February 18. Bookings through Computicket.

[GeneChing]

Every why hath a wherefore.

South Africa: Comedy of Errors - a Kung-Fu Kick to Purism
By Steve Kretzmann, 30 January 2012

Parody was the word bandied about by an elderly trio seated behind us during the interval of Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors at Maynardville.

I presumed they were purists, for director Matthew Wild's interpretation of one of the bard's earliest plays would certainly upset the traditionalist's sensibilities.

There could be an argument for this production being a parody, but I would not go so far as to say Wild's Chinatown 1970s kung-fu setting was ridiculing the world's most revered playwright. Quite the opposite, I think Shakespeare may have been delighted.

Wild's choices did serve to confound as much as to please, and the flow of action on what appeared to be a rather stilted mid-week performance didn't help to smooth the questions of setting and style his directorial decisions had raised.

There were questions that niggled before the actors had even stepped on stage, and remained unanswered. Such as: what does the oriental script on the admittedly intriguing set actually say? Why does the dj placed overlooking the stage playing 80s pop hits such as Murray Head's 'One Night in Bangkok' not retire once the play starts?

However, embracing the fact that Shakespeare can - nay, in modern times probably should - be placed in settings more contemporary than the world of Elizabethan England; relaxing the overly-critical eye; and giving the performers a little leeway in light of the fact that the audience were doing little more than congratulating themselves on surviving the third day of a heat wave, I'd have to say the play was a hoot.

Despite unsatisfied curiosity about the meaning of the oriental lettering, Angela Nemov's set served its ends brilliantly and she let loose when it came to outfitting the cast in retro 70s gear replete with silk shorts, high cut denims and platform shoes. From a 2012 perspective, this in itself leans to comedy, making the actors' task of raising a laugh that much easier, although providing them with a hurdle when dialogue took a more serious turn.

Although they had the obstacle of a heat-exhausted audience that weren't providing much energy for them to feed off, the cast put their heart into it and pulled off a performance that was above 'very good' but not quite 'stellar'.

Standouts were, as expected, James Cairns and Rob van Vuuren as the servant twins Dromio of Ephesus and Dromio of Syracuse, the pair providing most of the comedy amongst the errors with spot-on timing. Nicholas Pauling and Andrew Laubscher as Antipholus of Syracuse and Antipholus of Ephesus did a superb job, with Laubscher's raging frustration at being the butt of the increasing litany of misunderstandings particularly entertaining.

If you can leave your preconceptions in the park and simply relish in the ridiculous, this is yet another Maynardville production which does Shakespeare proud. Given his slapstick sense of humour, I'm sure he's laughing in his grave.

[GeneChing]

1st entry

2nd entry

Strand Theater Company Presents MORE ARTS/LESS MARTIAL, 9/23
Monday, September 10, 2012; 08:09 PM - by BWW News Desk


Strand Theater Company proudly welcomes for one night only an award-winning playwright and comedian Dylan Brody, with his critically acclaimed one-man show More Arts/Less Martial. Premiered in January 2009 to a standing ovation, the piece takes Brody and his audience on a poignant and often hilarious journey from a childhood of bullied insecurity to an adulthood of martial arts study, personal growth and ultimately true Mastery of storytelling and Taekwondo. Dylan Brody’s work has been compared to that of Garrison Keillor, David Sedaris, and Woody Allen. The Baltimore Premiere of More Arts/Less Martial is a one-night-only performance on Sunday, September 23rd at 8pm. General Admission tickets are $20.

Strand Artistic Director Rain Pryor, who is directing Brody’s play, Mother, May I, as the theater’s season opener, is a long-time friend of the playwright. “Mr. Brody is one of the finest satirist minds I know”, says Pryor. “I am honored to have been asked to direct the World Premiere of his play, and excited for Baltimore to meet and hear a genius.”

Mother, May I opens at the Strand on Friday, September 21st, and runs through October 12th.
About the Playwright/Performer: Winner of the 2005 Stanley Drama Award for Playwriting, Dylan Brody is a thrice-published author of fiction for the Young Adult market with one of his books, A Tale of a Hero and The Song of Her Sword, finding a place in the curriculum at several public schools in the U.S.
Brody studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London while he worked the city’s Comedy Clubs and developed a loyal following at the Canal Café Theater. Returning to America, he worked venues from New York to Los Angeles, sharing the stage with some of the comedy world’s biggest stars, including Adam Sandler, Jon Lovitz, Larry Miller, Norm McDonald, Louie Anderson, Richard Belzer, Larry David, and Jerry Seinfeld. He has written for dozens of comedians, including Jay Leno, who has used Brody’s work in his monologues on The Tonight Show.
Brody’s new CD, CHRONOLOGICAL DISORDER, his fourth with Stand Up! Records, was released on February 14th 2012 with liner notes by Elayne Boosler. His previous CD, A TWIST OF THE WIT came out in 2011 (liner notes by Paul Provenza) and the two before that were released in 2009 by Stand Up! following a sold out launch event at the Comedy Central Stage.
For more than two decades, Dylan Brody has been making people laugh around the world. He has evolved into an artful anecdotalist with an engaging style all his own. A raconteur whose witty and profound personal tales are unique, yet utterly relatable for everyone, he has earned a reputation as one of America’s fastest rising storytellers.

Performance Date:
Sunday, September 23rd at 8pm

Ticket Prices
General Admission - $20

About the Strand.
The Strand Theater Company champions challenging and provocative theater that especially celebrates women’s diverse voices and perspectives while bringing together the creative talents of both women and men as artists, technicians, and administrators. We invite patrons to experience some of the region’s best contemporary and reinterpreted works for the stage in our intimate midtown theater.

Since launching in 2008, the Strand has presented 17 full-length plays, including eight World Premieres; offered 75% of the artistic positions on its productions—as playwrights, directors, designers, stage managers, and actors—to women; provided affordable theater space to many organizations and independent artists; and played an integral role in the revitalization of the Station North Arts & Entertainment District.

In August 2011, the Strand was honored as one of Baltimore magazine’s “Top 5 Baltimore Theaters,” along with CENTERSTAGE, Everyman, the Hippodrome, and Single Carrot. To learn more about the Strand Theater Company, visit strand-theater.org.

[GeneChing]

Remember lite-up numbchuks?

Monday, June 20, 2011; Posted: 10:06 AM - by BWW News Desk

"ILLUMINATE: A Martial Arts Experience" a live show at the Capital Fringe Festival


About the show:
Conflict, enlightenment... and glowing weapons. See martial artists strike, dodge, jump, break, and battle in the dark with LED equipment. Enjoy live drumming, original music, and comedy. Witness a hero's walk from student to master.

Specific details:

Who: A group of black belts (and friends) who have trained together for over 20 years in Maryland. Four brothers in the group, as well as a firefighter, teacher, comic artist, and computer programmer. Cast: Brad Lust, Charles Shryock IV, John Shryock, Jamie Noguchi, Nick Oben, Michael Stahly, Zach Stahly

Where: Warehouse Theater • 645 New York Ave., NW • Washington, DC 20001 www.warehousetheater.com • 202-783-3933 • Located near intersection of 7th NW and K St NW., across from the Washington Convention Center. METRO: MT. VERNON SQ. (Green/Yellow Lines): 1 Block - walk south on 7th St. METRO: GALLERY PLACE - Chinatown Exit (Red/Green/Yellow Lines): 4 Blocks - walk north on 7th St.

When: Tuesday July 12 @ 6pm • Friday July 15 @ 8pm • Sunday July 17 @ 9:15pm • Saturday July 23 @ 4:15pm • Sunday July 24 @ Noon

Tickets: Tickets cost $17 and can be bought online at CapitalFringe.org or by calling 866-811- 4111.

About Capital Fringe:

Fringe Box Office and Headquarters: 607 NEW YORK AVE., NW, WDC 20001
Fringe Website and Email: CAPITALFRINGE.ORG INFO@CAPITALFRINGE.ORG 202.737.7230

Capital Fringe is a nonprofit organization founded in the summer of 2005 with the purpose of infusing energy into performing arts in the Washington, DC region through our yearly Fringe Festival and year-round Fringe Training Factory. Our mission is to connect exploratory artists with adventurous audiences by creating outlets and spaces for creative, cutting-edge, and contemporary performance in the District. Capital Fringe's vital programs ensure the growth and continued health of the local and regional performing arts community by helping artists become independent producers while stimulating the vibrant cultural landscape in our city.

Capital Fringe is supported by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Corina Higginson Trust, Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, Weissburg Foundation, Dreyfus Foundation, PEPCO Holdings, MARPAT, Washington Post Company, PNC Bank, WAMU as well as invaluable support from our Fringe Family of Donors.