Seriousness that fails...

Four days til we open our 2009 summer show and people familiar with Thunderbird tech week probably know a little of what we're going through. But more on that later...

Something occurred to me as I set up this bit of promotional web media for the theatre... on the profile section under Birthday, I typed in the first show Thunderbird Theatre ever did back in August 7 1998. However, as soon as I did that, the Blogger protocols kicked me off the site because "no one under the age of thirteen can register a blog with the website". Ludicrous yes for many reasons least of which is that I simply left that field blank thus cleverly bypassing the Mexican Fence level of security Blogger has set up.

However, it did make me realize that this company has only been around for eleven years... young for a human... old for a dog but we're by all accounts still as young, manic, unfocused and immature as the day a bunch of social misanthropic pioneers from Chico State University debuted in a small soon to be condemned theater (Hopefully it's just a coincidence, but we do have a tendency to herald the end of many a theater space in the Bay Area). Flash forward eleven years and we're doing another comedic show that in no reasonable way can be called serious theater... we're in the great spirit of comedy best defined as earnest and serious yet a seriousness that utterly fails.

Still after eleven years... it's amazing how each year is a first for us. If we're fortunate, it's a first time in a good way like picking a finished play months in advance as opposed to weeks in advance. A play where the first draft was written a year ago as opposed to 1 week before the final draft. How about confirming a director who actually sought out the position as opposed to being blackmailed into it? How about a first time where the electricity works. AND MULTIPLE BATHROOMS...THAT WORK?! Oh yes... quite a feathers in our cap this year. And yet, there's even more. But for now, I thought I'd post some pictures of the last few weeks and see how this sausage got made... haha... double entendre...

Director Jeremy Cole and company. Photo by Dana Constance.

Included in this pic are stage manager Holly Metz (whose look of bafflement is a reassuring constant during rehearsals), actors Maria Leigh, Megan Slankard, Dan Kurtz and the top of David Simmons head. Also among us Sara Breindel's son Zach who at some point is going to have long therapy sessions about what he saw. Thanks to Claire Rice for getting us Teatro Esperanza as our rehearsal space when our original space was shut down by the Department of Health. No. Not a exaggeration. The city of Berkeley gave us a Mayor's Proclamation and declared one day in Berkeley, Thunderbird Theatre day back in 2007. The city of San Francisco is constantly trying to get rid of us by condemning places we work, shutting off the power or sic'ing Department of Health officials on us. Also, you wouldn't know it by the fun we're having but 24 hours earlier, the owner of the theater almost died falling through the ceiling.

Annie Kim, Z'ev Jenerik and Peter Finch. Photo by Danielle LF.

The aforementioned rehearsal space BETA version that was closed by the Department of Health. Note that the loose wiring and fire hazard hardly deters from the enthusiasm of the rehearsal process. Another example of our theater's hallucinogenic and emotionally anesthetizing qualities.

Christoper P. Kelly on loan from the Getty. LtoR: Mary Bishop-Faust, Some Guy with a Blue Shirt, Dana Goldberg, Annie Kim and Shay Casey. Photo by Danielle LF.

I honestly couldn't tell you why Chris looks like he's in a Lamase class. Interesting story about that guy in the Blue Shirt but again, that's for another day.

Kai Morrison and Tavis Kammet. Photo by Danielle LF.

Among many talents of Kai Morrison - fight choreographer or mayhem artist as I like to call him, is his ability to break the space time continuum. Seriously. Man beats down on space time like it owes him money.

Shay Casey and Maria Leigh. Photo by Danielle LF.

Shay getting into character and Maria happily obliging him.

Peter Finch. Photo by Danielle LF.

You know what... make your own jokes about the photo in the comment section. I'll announce the winner on the next post.

All for now. More later.
Sang

AARON TROTTER AND THE INCIDENT AT BIKINI BEACH
JULY 31 TO AUG 15 2009
THE EXIT THEATER
156 EDDY ST
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
TICKETS: $18-$22
www.thunderbirdtheatre.com
www.brownpapertickets.com
www.sffringe.org
415 289 6766