SHOCKTOBERFEST 13: The Bride of Death- A Evening of Horror and Unhinged Comedy. Thrillpeddlers, Hypnodrome, 575 10th Street (between Bryant & Division Streets), San Francisco 415-377-4202 or www.thrillpeddlers.com. Through November 17, 2012.
SHOCKTOBERFEST 13 an ideal Halloween Treat at Thrillpeddlers.
For those of you are not familiar with Thrillpeddlers here is a brief summary. They are a San Francisco-based theatre company specializing in ‘Grand Guignol’ horror plays, fetish performance, and lights-out spook-shows. “As used today, the term ‘Grand Guignol’ (pronounced Grahn Geen-yol’) refers to any dramatic entertainment that deals with macabre subject matter and features “over-the-top” graphic violence. It is derived from Le Theatre du Grand Guignol, the name of the Parisian theatre that horrified audiences for over sixty years. A typical evening at the Grand Guignol Theatre might consist of five or six short plays, ranging from suspenseful crime dramas to bawdy sex farces. But the staple of the Grand Guignol repertoire was the horror play.”
For their 13th Annual Extravaganza of Terror & Titillation they certainly keep up with the tradition described above. It is hoot and a holler evening with broad acting by talented cast that pulls out all the stops with an extra bucket of blood thrown in when necessary.
The curtain raiser is a classic Grand Guignol short one-act thriller, Coals of Fire, by Frederick Whitney, directed by Flynn DeMarco. It sort of emphasizes that even the blind can “see” what’s going on. What’s going on is that the Companion of the blind Wife is screwing the master and that’s a no-no even if she, as she professes that they are in love, is carrying his baby. Wife: “I cannot see but I can hear!” What is a blind wife to do? Well, there is the fireplace with the burning coals. Oh no, not that! Yes that, but how is not going to be revealed here. Ms Leigh Crow handles the dirty deed admirably and Zelda Koznofski takes her punishment like the tramp that she is. . . the Companion not Zelda
After that shocking event it is time for musical number performed by Mr. and Mrs. Mummy (Costumes by Alice Cunt) who have come out of their sarcophagi to serenade us with clever ditty lines (words and lyrics by Douglas Byng) that are more than risqué. Pity there was not enough light to jot down the lyrics.
During this brief interlude the stage crew has been readying the very attractive and functional set, (James Blackwood) in preparation for world premier of The Bride of Death by the multitalented, handsome, handsome Michael Phillis (www.michaelphillis.com/) who even has written in a part for himself. Phillis shares story and character definition ideas with Flynn DeMarco who also has ego enough (he should because he is a true professional and is even better in the final play) to write himself into the plot. Bonni Suval does a great job as the beautiful, sexy and buxom never aging stage star Evelyn Maxwell. My favorite is Rory Davis in the non speaking part (because he’s a mute) of the servant to the weird masters Mrs. Offal and Dr. Stygian. Don’t you just love those descriptive character names? Before the show ends, the stage is strewn with a plethora of bodies that would put John Webster’s horrific The Duches of Malfi to shame. There is a “last man standing” but you will have to go and see who that is. End of Part 1.
For the part two curtain raiser the inimitable Scrumbly Koldewyn of The Cockettes fame, has written the tongue in cheek “Those Beautiful Ghouls” including a Vampire , Android, Wherewolf and Martian. The music is in homage to styles of the past (Cole Porter, Kander and Ebb etc.) will never make the hit parade but will have you chuckling to the clever and suggestive lines. My favorite is the Wherewolf patter “And I will not eat your carrion. To most a treat is a piece of meat, But I’m a vegetarian.” Ms Leigh Crow dressed in a tux ( she dumped the dumpy frock she wore for Coals of Fire) has an excellent voice and leads a chorus of nine with basic choreography by D’Arcy Drollinger and accompanied by Steve Bolinger on guitar.
The other world premiere written by Rob Keefe and directed by Russell Blackwood and Flynn Demarco is The Twisted Pair with Blackwood and Demarco as a pair of twisted medical researchers searching for fame in the cellar apartment of the horny widowed Mrs. Delvinto’s house. Demarco and Blackwood feed off each other doubling the hysterical humor of the action. If you re-read the opening paragraph, this is the show that needs the extra bucket of blood, because the secret discovery that will bring them fame (and as Blackwood repeats over and over as another body hits the dust “Funding follows Fame!) is in the blood. The physical props, costumes and projections are too garish to describe adequately. Koldewyn’s musical background selections provide the proper aural milieu.
The evening ends with there usual blackout with luminous flying “things” zooming around the intimate auditorium as a great start to a macbre Halloween season.
Running time about 2 hours with an intermission.
Kedar K. Adour, MD
Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com
