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
