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Oct 05 2013
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Shocktoberfest 14 at Thrillpeddlers’ Hypnodrome a bloody/scary/humorously good show

By Kedar K. Adour, Uncategorized

 

Shocktoberfest 14: Jack the Ripper- An Evening of Horror, Madness, Spanking and Song. Thrillpeddlers at the Hypnodrome, 575 10th St.(Bryant & Division Streets) San Francisco 94103.Tickets are available at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/445136or for info call 415/ 377- 4202

Shocktoberfest 14 at Thrillpeddlers’ Hypnodrome  a bloody/scary/humorously good show

It’s that time of year when San Francisco’s unique and bizarre Grand Guignol Theatre slaps together a raucous, rowdy, raunchy, chilling, and gross or pick your own adjective evening of Shocktoberfest. Thrillpeddlers (www.thrillpeddlers.com) have been performing their unique brand of horror and fetish theatre in San Francisco since 1991 and Shocktoberfest has been in their repertoire since 1999 and if you do the math this is number 14 hence the title. This time around they are “honoring” the 125th anniversary of Jack the Ripper’s life.

Just in case you don’t remember . . . sorry, you don’t know about Jack the Ripper here is a brief synopsis of what that nefarious person did in 1888 London. In the seedy Whitechapel area of East London, he stalked, cut the throats and mutilated the abdominal organs of prostitutes (female not male). Because of his surgical and anatomical knowledge it was postulated he was a surgeon. He was never caught.

In 1934 a play Jack the Ripper by André de Lorde & Pierre Chaine was performed for Le Theatre du Grand Guignol in Paris. At the Hypnodrome this is the version that brings to life (and death) of what might have happened to Jack. Naughty Jack leaves a note pinned to his 5th victim telling the police that his next crime will occur in eight days in Whitechapel. Inspector Smithson (the elegant Norman McLeod) and devious Chief Inspector Richards (Jack Crow with a terrible English accent) bring in Dr. Nichols (the professional Jack Flaw) a ‘specialist’ in criminal profiling. The Bobbies con an incarcerated prostitute (beautiful Bruna Palmeiro) into being bait for Jack. Bad idea, especially since Richards is a devious sort. Why is it a bad idea?: Because Edith ends up dead with her bloody intestines actually spilling out on the stage. Never fear, justice prevails and Jack actually ends up hanging around.

Before Thrillpeddlers act out the piece-de-résistance discussed above they reach back into history and pull out the 1888 A Visit to Mrs. Birch and the Young Ladies of the Academy and perform the “brief” opening scene that acts out ‘Birchen Discipline’,  the art of discipline spanking. Horrors!! Three nasty young ladies where (Michelle Louise, Zelda Koznofski and  Bruna Palmeiro) pull down the briefs (they were called knickers in those days) and each take turns whipping  Sally’s (Julia McArthur) bare bottom. Hopefully the black and blue marks on Macarthur’s bottom are stage makeup and not real bruises.

Bruna Palmeiro, Michelle Louise, Julia McArthur, and Zelda Koznofski in “A Visit to Mrs. Birch and the
Young Ladies of the Academy

After intermission we are treated to Salome an original musical satire by Scrumbly Koldewyn an original and surviving Cockette. The always inventive and satirically inclined Scrumbly is at his best with the take-off on Oscar Wilde’s classic. The scene is Mrs. Taylor’s bawdy house where the drunken boys (wearing excessive cod-pieces) are entertained with dance and song by Salome (Noah Haydon is beautiful in drag) while King Herod (John Flaw) drools. Blood flows again from the severed head of John the Baptist . . . and my gosh and horrors, Salome kisses his lips!

The final set piece gets the full treatment in the world premiere of The Wrong Ripper; or Headline Noose; or, Pageant for the Handsome Accused. Rob Keefe inspired by the double murder of Blanche Lamont and Minnie Williams, which took place in 1895 at San Francisco’s Emanuel Baptist Church.  The similarity to the Jack the Ripper case produced a media circus and the SF Chronicle and Examiner vied for circulation superiority. It has a great cast including John Flaw and the three chorines, drag queen Noah Haydon, Tina Sogliuzzo and Bruna Palmeiro. Yes, of course there is blood but telling where and how would spoil the denouement.

John Flaw and TJ Buswell in “The Wrong Ripper

And as usual the evening ends with and their signature “Lights-Out Spook-Show Finale.” As the audience filed out of the theatre you could see heads shaking and questions being asked, “What the hell was that all about” and “what can they do next year?” The entire cast puts out a great deal of effort, and although there are uneven performances, the whole package is laudable from the choreography (Noah Hayden), costumes designers, directors and back stage crew. (Running time 2 hours and 30 minutes making it difficult to sustain interest for the entire evening).

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com.

 All photos by www.davidallenstudio.com

 

Sep 15 2013
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NEW EMPLOYMENT IDEA FOR WOMEN OF A CERTAIN AGE

By Uncategorized

Sugar Grannies?

Older women are like French bread.
The crust is tough, but soft in the middle.
Lynn Ruth

Teaching is such a poorly paid profession that many young educators have joined a dating website called Sugar Babies.  This is a service that pairs young women with older men for “companionship.”  They charge an average of $3000 a visit. Personally, having gone out with several very old men myself, I think they are giving themselves away.  Do they realize what they are getting into?  Once they discover that chronic erectile dysfunction, loss of memory and incontinence are but the tip of the iceberg, they will realize that the current fee is cheap at the price.

It seems to me that there is a neglected market here.  Why can’t older women do the same in reverse?  I am all for creating a website for Sugar Grannies to offer their services to younger men.  The benefits are so obvious.  There isn’t a young man in the world who can figure out how to romance a partner properly on his own.  The only person who can teach him these days is his father….and you know how unlikely it is that a daddy has any technique.  The older a man is, the more his strategy was get ‘em drunk, give ‘em a roofie or pay for a quickie. By the time he is settled and locked into a relationship, he thinks the best way to get laid is to remember to take out the trash.

The truth is that every young Lothario needs an impartial coach, and what safer, better teacher than a woman of a certain age?  Think of the advantages: no worries about becoming an unexpected father; no inconvenient time of the month; no problem if she gets possessive…she’ll kick off in a year or two anyway.

Every woman knows that young men in their twenties make marvelous raw material for women like me.  Think of it!  A dowager can teach him patience; she can show him what foreplay really means; she can encourage him when he is done before she has begun.  Sadly by the time men hit thirty, they are no longer good candidates. They get locked into nasty habits like never bathing, smoking too much pot and wanking in the shower)

I believe a service like this could well become a necessary prerequisite for a relationship of any kind. Every woman should insist that her partner-to-be enroll in a 6-month training period with an older woman to learn the ropes of a romantic communication and mutual satisfaction.  A course like this is far more important than a prenuptial agreement.  The truth is, if you get a young man trained soon enough, you won’t need a pre-nupt agreement.  He will be properly housebroken and ready to love.  In short, with proper discipline and good reinforcement, an older woman can transform any little devil into a keeper.

And let’s not forget the advantages to the national economy.  Women over 70 will no longer need government assistance.  After all, $3000 a night can buy a lot of oatmeal and the AARP takes care of the rest.

 

Sep 02 2013
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NTC Opens 2013-2014 Season with The Lion In Winter

By Flora Lynn Isaacson, Uncategorized

 Maxine Sattizahn (Eleanor), Craig Christansen (King Henry II) and Brandice Thompson (Alais) in The Lion In Winter at NTC

There is an underlying problem with James Goldman’s The Lion In Winter.  Either it is a play of historical significance and you have to believe you’re looking at the 12th century King of England and the former Queen of France or, it is a satire, a spoof with a mirror basis in history.  Award winning Director Kris Neely interprets it as “a comedy in two acts.”  He felt the cast needed to understand and convey the humor Mr. Goldman wrote into his play. They worked intently to reveal all the comedy that lives in this amazing script.

The Lion In Winter, written in 1966 by James Goldman, depicts the personal and political conflicts of Henry II of England (Craig Christansen), his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine (Maxine Sattizahn), their children and their guests during Christmas, 1183.  The entire story takes place within the walls of the Chateau de Chinon, a castle on the banks of France’s Vienne River.

The play opens with the arrival of Henry’s wife, Eleanor whom he has imprisoned since 1173. The story concerns the gamesmanship between Henry, Eleanor, their three surviving sons, Richard the Lionheart, the oldest son, (Jeffrey Taylor), Geoffrey, the middle son (Kurt Gundersen) and John, youngest son to Henry (Yver Northum).  Also involved is Philip II, King of France (Christopher C. Wright), who was the son of Eleanor’s ex-husband, Louis VII by his third wife Adelaide and Philip’s half-sister Alais Capet who has been at Court since she was betrothed to Richard at age 8, but has since become Henry’s mistress (Brandice Thompson). A silent character who is always around is Matilda, their eldest daughter (Hannah Jester).

Kris Neely has assembled a fine cast, particularly Craig Christansen as Henry. Though aging, he portrays him as vital as he ever was.  His manipulation of family and others are portrayed as spontaneous and emotional.  Maxine Sattizahn plays Eleanor with great temperament and presence.  Yver Northum as John is sulky and sullen with a boyish outlook. Kent Gundersen’s Geoffrey is a man of energy and action. He is charming and the “brains” of the family.  Jeffrey Taylor plays Richard the Lionheart—he is attractive, graceful and impressive. He is easily the strongest and toughest of the three sons.  Brandice Thompson’s Alais (the beautiful mistress of Henry) is initially innocent, but by the end of the play, she has acquired a ruthless streak of her own.  Christopher C. Wright, as Philip is both impressive and handsome.   Dressing it all up in beautiful 12th century costumes is the talent of Costume Designers Janice Deneau and John Clancy.

To witness this play in live performance, to experience the underlying emotional savagery in the plot and spoken word, in the intimacy of Novato’s new theater, as presented by a cast of exceptionally strong actors—is a somewhat intense experience even though we are comfortable laughing out loud at Kris Neely’s exploration of all the comedy which is present in this amazing script.

The Lion In Winter runs at Novato Theater Company August 30-September 22, 2013.  The theater is located at 5420 Nave Drive, Suite C, Novato.  Performances are Friday-Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Additional performances are Thursday, September 5, 12 and 19 at 8 p.m. For tickets, call the box office at 415-883-4498 or go to www.novatotheatercompany.org.

Coming up next at NTC will be Gypsy with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim; music by Julie Styne and book by Arthur Laurents, October 18-November 10, 2013.

Flora Lynn Isaacson