If you want to sing out, sing out: Le Petomane performs their Greatest Hits in concert

I am so lucky that the people I love are so genuinely talented. It makes endorsing their events so guilt-free.

A little less than two years ago, I was assigned to write an article for The Paper about Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble's show "5 Things." I'd heard of Le Petomane, heard amazing things in fact, but had never seen them.

For the article, I went to a brainstorming rehearsal, observed their process, met Greg and Abigail Bailey Maupin and Kyle Ware... and fell in love. With all three of them. And their process. And the production. And the Le Petomane concept.

And soon thereafter, I fell in love with Kyle Ware for real.

Le Petomane is one of the best-regarded theatre companies in Louisville. Except for their occasional adaptation of Shakespeare, all of their plays are ensemble-written from the ground up, including the songs. The original music has often been the highlight of their productions-- think They Might Be Giants style smartness with a theatrical bent.

So for the final show of their 9th season, they are reprising their greatest musical hits for a two-night concert next weekend. I'm told they'll be wearing custom-made jumpsuits a la The Brady Bunch or the Partridge Family.

They've chosen the best of the best songs from their productions-- songs that can stand on their own with little context. So don't worry about being a Le Petomane newbie; you'll still "get" it.

The six-person ensemble will be joined by the musical stylings of Brian Lilienthal and the ubiquitous Scott Anthony.

From their press release:

By popular demand, Le Petomane closes its ninth season with a one-weekend-only event: a live concert evening featuring a ridiculous number of original songs from the ensemble’s past shows.  

Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble drew upon songs from nine seasons of original, new work to create an evening of audience favorites. Le Petomane's Concert-ed Effort will feature live music by Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble members Heather Burns, Tony Dingman, Abigail Bailey Maupin, Gregory Maupin, Kristie Rolape and Kyle Ware, along with special guest ringers Professor Scott Anthony and Dr. Brian J. Lilienthal. 

Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble was named Best Theater Troupe in the 2010 and 2011 LEO Weekly Readers’ Choice Awards, and has been described by The Courier-Journal as "simultaneously...hysterical, physical and thought provoking." 

Performances at The Bard's TownMay 31 at 7:30 p.m.June 1 at 7:30 p.m.Tickets$8 – 20 at our cheap and reliable sliding scale*
Contact Us@LePetomane.org or 502-609-2520 for show reservations or more information, or find them on Facebook. For pre-show dinner reservations, please contact The Bard’s Town directly at 502-749-5275.

* a word or two about the sliding scale: one pays what one a) thinks fair and b) can afford; we make a reasonable amount either way. The low end is no higher than the price of a movie ticket; the high end is not such an issue - as a non-profit we will gleefully accept any amount above $20 one cares to give, and will cheerfully provide a receipt of said donation for tax purposes.

Louisville: My Funny Town

"They are also unimpressed by the Golden Globes."
@usernamelesser

It's January, so over at Consuming Louisville, the lovely and talented Ms. Michelle Jones is featuring her annual column "One Thing I Love About Louisville." I participated a bunch of years ago back when I was still blogging anonymously and before I ever knew anyone here in town; it was actually how I ended up meeting Michelle, who has since become a dear friend and who helped to change my Louisville life.

I've always wanted to participate again, but I'm always flummoxed. How do I come up with ONE thing I love about this city that I love SO MUCH.

Inevitably, after the deadline to volunteer passes, I think of something. And of course, I've thought of that something this year.

One thing I love about Louisville: Louisville is full of funny people.

Google the "funniest actor in Louisville." The top search result leads to my boyfriend. (Who, in my humble opinion, also deserves the title "best laugh in Louisville" and maybe even "most unsung altruist in Louisville.") Sometimes, when I mention that to someone – "you know, my boyfriend's been called the 'funniest actor in Louisville'– people will respond: "Well, IS he?"

And the answer, I think, is yes. He also happens to be a very funny person when not in character. It's what drew me to him in the first place. And it's one of the many things that keeps me psyched about loving him on a day-to-day basis.

I gravitate toward funny people. I like to think that I'm a funny person myself. But the people I love most in the world– and in this city–  are the people who make me laugh hardest and longest.

And it's not just the "expected" people; I spend a lot of time with actors and performers and writers and "public figures," and it's not surprising that they're quick with a quip.

It's my friend who graffitis her Twitter pictures with images of cats.

It's the fact sometimes I will lose whole hours at work because my co-workers (all of whom are my "superiors" at work, so I feel justified in playing along) get on a roll with funny stories.

It's my favorite mom and our friends rewriting the rulebook for the Montessori school her daughter attends.

But no joke, the funniest thing I've seen all year is local twitter humorist "Brokey McPoverty" (best handle ever!) and her #RespectableHipHop meme.

I have to admit, I follow then unfollow Brokey all the time. She's a prolific tweeter, and sometimes when she's on a roll, it is pure gold. And sometimes I'm so busy that her prolificness is just too much for my feed, and I pull the plug.

But after this most recent "roll," I may never pull the plug again.

Genius.

From her blog:

Last night, much of Twitter united to reclaim and rewrite our favorite less-than-progressive rap and hip hop lyrics.  It was a beautiful thing.

It all started when I was listening to 2 Chainz, which I do when there’s no one around to judge me for it, and I thought about the line “She got a big booty, so I call her big booty.”  I thought to myself, really?  You can’t find a more inventive nickname than that?  This is what’s passing for a rap lyric these days?  Then I thought to myself–how fucking rude.  You strip her of her name–her entire identity–and refer to her by her ass??  Inappropriate, 2 Chainz.  Not cool at all.  So, I revised it for him.

Then figured, why not help out some other misguided hippety hop rappers, too.  Thankfully, Twitter joined in on the campaign and what we got was a few of the most hilarious hours of tweets I’ve seen in awhile.  Not putting all of them here was tough, but here are some of the best.

I laughed so hard I hurt myself. That's the best kind of ouch in the world.

We have a lot of "professionally funny" people here in Louisville. We're lucky to have the Comedy Caravan and The Bard's Town. I'm not too broken up about the loss of The Improv on 4th Street Live! because we have these two homegrown venues. We have the Louisville Improvisors and Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble.  Hunter S. Thompson was funny. Muhammad Ali was and is hilarious at times.

There's Kentucky for Kentucky and Lebowski Fest. And we're about to host Pee Wee Over Louisville.

Joseph Ley's, Why Louisville, even the recently-departed and WAY-controversial Lynn's Paradise Cafe: funny stuff.

We're a funny town. We're a smart town. And I love that so often I will meet a new person and think: "Wow, that's the funniest conversation I've had in...."

In what? A week? Maybe? At most?

I love that Louisvillagers makes me laugh. For all the right reasons. Y'all are funny, funny people. Thank you for entertaining me.

Late Notice: A Trio of Halloween Radio Plays

I'm sorry I wasn't able to bring this to your attention sooner, but I just got the press release. 

You only have two more chances to see the Coffee Cup Theatre Company's (CCTC) presentation of three Halloween radio plays at the Bard's Town Theatre-- tonight and Saturday night at 7:30pm. 

I'm a big fan of all three stories presented: "The Monkey's Paw," "The Canterville Ghost," and "The Cask of Amontillado."

When I was a wee lass-- single-digits-young-- I was a precocious reader. I taught myself to read at age three and blew through reading levels until I was reading-- and devouring-- Agatha Christie novels before the age of ten. 

Before I was in my teens, my mother handed me Dante's Inferno and the Cliff's Notes to Dante's Inferno, and I read it from cover to cover, dutifully sketching maps and diagrams of Dante's journey through Hell with colored pencils and a pad of newsprint.

But when I was really wee, maybe seven or eight, my Nana gave me a beautifully bound and illustrated collection of Poe stories. I could read most of it myself, but I struggled with some of the vocabulary. I remember sitting with Nana on the couch of her beach house (which would later become her full-time home after retirement) and having her read "The Cask of Amontillado" to me before bed.

I still remember the chill I felt when she read the exchange between Fortunato and Montressor at the very end of the story (I don't think this is a spoiler at all, in case you haven't read it).

Fortunato says, "For the love of God, Montressor."

And Montressor responds, "Yes. For the love of God."

GOOSEBUMPS. Even now.

And for the past six years I have taught that story to high school juniors. And every time I get to that point in the story... chills. 

Here's info from the press release from the CCTC: 

Coffee Cup Theatre Company (CCTC) will open its 2012 – 2013 Season with a trio of Halloween plays performed at The Bard's Town, located at 1801 Bardstown Road, on October 11, 12, 13, & 18, 19, 20 at 7:30 pm. 

The production entitled Halloween Trilogy of Radio Plays featuring "The Monkey’s Paw" by W.W Jacobs and adapted by Jeanette Jaquish; "The Canterville Ghost" by Oscar Wilde; and "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe and adapted by Cecilia Fannon and John de Lancie.

Tickets are now on sale and reservations can be made by calling (502) 299-8501 or e-mailing coffeecuptheatre@gmail.com. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors (Cash & Checks only).

GUEST POST: Kyle Ware on the Hows of Le Petomane

As with previous Non-Profits of the Month, My Loueyville is proud to feature a guest post from one of the members of this month's NPOTM-- Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble. 

Kyle Ware is a Louisvlle-based actor, artist, and educator. He is a co-Producing, Founding Artistic Director of Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble; serves as Executive Director for Tourism Honors Academy, an academic leadership program for high school seniors in Louisville; and is a freelance artist, illustrator, and designer. 

If I were a betting man—which I’m not, but if I were, and you asked me—I’d wager our most frequently asked questions here at Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble Headquarters fall somewhere in the category of “how do you do that?” with the “that” in question most often being a production of WhateverWe’veJustMadeUp.  To that point, it’s one of the things Melissa Lou suggested I talk about for this very post.  Sometimes the question is “Why would you do that?” depending on the show, but that’s another matter entirely.  And the “how” is actually easier than the “why” anyway, which I’m happy to share with you here.  For your consideration: How to Build a Show Like Le Petomane in 3 Easy Steps:

Step 1: Find somewhat like-minded friends, with enough variation in background and skills to make things interesting. 

Step 2: Set a performance date.

Step 3: Play with aforementioned friends until performance date arrives.

Now, to be fair, I may have glossed over a few things.  Step 2, for instance, can be tricky in Louisville, where performance spaces are tough to come by and hotly contested by the bevy of quality theatre groups in town.  For our current show, TIME FLIES, we’ll be back at The Bard’s Town (1801 Bardstown Rd).  This will be our fourth show there, and I don’t mind telling you, Scot and Doug are good people and very supportive of the arts community across the board.  We’ve been fortunate there: Ken and Sheila Pyle at the Rud, the good people at the Speed and their Art After Dark series, the producers of Actors Theatre’s now-defunct, sorely missed Late Seating, and on and on.  All great people.  We’ve been lucky.  And to the scarcity issue I mentioned before, there is good news on that front: a promising new space, Vault 1031, which should open in the neighborhood of soon.  Vault 1031 has been our base of operations for our last week of TIME FLIES rehearsal, and Jon and Barb have some exciting things in store for all of us.

Step 3 is a little more involved and changes with each show.  Some shows may require more research; others may need to gestate in a room consisting of various combinations of the six of us and seeing what happens by the end of the night.  Some are heavily scripted; others closed years ago and still don’t have a full script.  All of that is dictated by just a few factors: what’s the show about, what’s it need, and who’s available to do it?

For TIME FLIES—September 6-16, every night but Tuesday, all shows: 7:30—it was a combination of heavy research and attempting to make each other laugh while in the room together while fashioning all of that into a story statement with a dramatic structure, such that it is.  We travelled to different art museums for inspiration; we discussed the history of time; eras of civilization; what it means to have lived and be alive; who celebrates our first step onto the world’s stage and who will remember us past our final bow.  We scrawled our notes and discussion points on a giant roll of paper, with dates and facts and figures alongside characters, scenes, and ideas yet unformed.  Most of that won’t make it to stage, by the way, but all of it informs “play,” and that’s what you’re paying your $8-20 sliding scale (call  609-2520 or us@lepetomane.org for reservations) to see.  

And here’s the thing about Step 2: it only really works with due diligence and care on Step 1.  Step 1 is the one that makes the show what it is.  If the show is your recipe, Step 1 is your list of ingredients.  The way we work, that means your writers, directors, designers, costumers, choreographers, composers, producers, as well as your singers, dancers, and actors:  you drop one out or add one in, you get something a little bit different.  And you’re going to need people you respect.  People whose work you enjoy and admire.  People you know will work with the same dedication and passion that you have.  People with whom you may have disagreement of taste or aesthetic from time to time, but never of their motivation to produce the best work possible.  People you like spending time with long past any reasonable expectation, because you’ll see them more than anyone else.  Friends.  You do that?  You’re golden.  

There was a great article with our pals over at Theatre [502] in The Paper (shouts to all), in which they talk about much of this.  “How do you work with three Artistic Directors?”  “Well, we all like and respect each other…” seemed to be the sum up.  To which we say a collective, “Yep.”

We came together back in 2005 for one show, a 6-person adaptation of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, brilliantly and beautifully cut by our own Greg Maupin.  A mutual professional friend asked what we would be doing next, and well, there was no next—that was to be it for us.  She paused for a while, looked up and asked, simply, “Why not?”

We didn’t really have a good answer for that. 

And so we stayed, the six of us. More family now than company (helped along by two-thirds of us being married to each other already).  Or a theatre gang, which may be about the least threatening thing this side of West Side Story or the backup dancers in “Beat It.” (“Officer!  There’s a group of people doing high kicks and a box step.  With a knife!”) That’s what I think we’ve cultivated over the years.  And I think ultimately, that’s what you see when you come to a Le Petomane show. 

Not coincidentally, there happens to be a way for you to see for yourself.  Our season opener, in case I haven’t said, is just around the corner: TIME FLIES, at The Bard’s Town (1801 Bardstown Rd), September 6-16, all shows: 7:30.  

Non-Profit of the Month: Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble

One of the many things I love about Louisvillagers is their willingness to come together and share ideas. The idea for Non-Profit of the Month sprang from a conversation I had during a lunch with the lovely and talented Robyn Sekula in late May. So next time you see her, thank her.

Each month for the foreseeable future, My Loueyville will feature an ad and promoted content from a non-profit that I believe in and want to celebrate. On the website, you'll see a prominent ad and throughout the month, the blog will feature guest posts, contests, and/or special posts related to that non-profit.

I will neither confirm nor deny that I saw Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble's A DERBY CAROL five or six times.

It was just that every time a friend or friends said that they were going, I wanted to go with them. Not just because I loved that show that much, but because I wanted to see my friends' faces when they caught certain jokes and to see how they reacted to this surprise or that. Most of my friends were, at the time, Le Petomane newbies-- I wanted to watch them become Le Petomane converts. It only takes one show.

Am I a superfan? A groupie? Am I a stalker?

Yes. Yes. And if so, I need a better disguise because they recognize me all the time.

The first article I ever wrote for The Paper was about Le Petomane and their production of 5 THINGS. It's still my favorite article. I had such a good time watching them rehearse. I had so much fun figuring out how to best represent their unusual process in the article. And it was that article that introduced me to Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble-- I was a newbie then myself--  which I now know is one of the most consistently excellent theatre organizations in town-- if not THE most consistently excellent.

But, you know, I can't help it if part of the reason that I like them so much is that I like them so much as people.

And that's also why I'm so happy that Le Petomane applied to be this month's Non-Profit of the Month.

The 2012-2013 Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble season opens on September 6 at the Bard's Town theatre with TIME FLIES. Here's what their Facebook page says about it:

... and boy, are their arms tired. Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble returns to the Bard's Town for their season opener, Time Flies, September 6-16. Four weary travelers race through time from beginning to end, from the prehistoric muck to the great beyond, with a few layovers along the way. Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble proudly presents a comedic exploration of the Annals of Time through song, dance, and bare-knuckle boxing.

Le Petomane has six members, and each show features different combinations of these performers. This show is being brought to you by the same foursome who performed in last season's ONCE IN A BLUE MOON: Heather Burns, Tony Dingman, Kristie Rolape, and Kyle Ware.

TIME FLIES hits the stage September 6-10 and September 12-16. All shows are at 730p, and admission is by sliding scale from $8-$20. Heck, $8 is cheaper than a movie, and I'll vouch that the Bard's Town bar makes a dandy and reasonably priced Manhattan.

As I said, last time I went to a Le Petomane show, I ended up going five or six times... and that was because I brought friends who loved it so much they told more friends, and more friends, and so on. A Le Petomane show is pretty much a sure bet.

The second show of the season will be a relaunch of 5 THINGS in November, a show which ranks right up there with Actors Theatre's CHAD DEITY as one of the best things on stage in the 2011-2012 season.

Le Petomane only does comedy and almost always does wholly original comedy (they'll slip in a Shakespeare now and again). That means that every member of the six-member ensemble is a writer, a director, and a performer. TIME FLIES was built from the ground up by Burns, Dingman, Rolape, and Ware-- script, music, lyrics, choreography and all.

Reserve tickets at: us@lepetomane.org or by calling 503-454-4477. Here's their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/LePetomaneTE

Blood at the Bard: Louisville Public Media Blood Drive

I've only given blood twice, but it's not for lack of trying. I remember once, more than a decade ago, I was having a particularly bad time of things. My marriage was falling apart and things were getting super-ugly. I had just moved from a big, beautiful house into a one-room apartment. I missed my dogs; I felt very alone and really crummy about myself. And there was a blood-drive at work, so I showed up and they turned me away because I weighed less than 110 (that was a long time ago, kids). When the nice lady took one look at me and apologized for turning me away, I burst into tears. She gave me a hug and some orange juice and a cookie.

That's one thing I've learned from going to and being turned away from a number of blood drives-- people who work at blood drives are wicked nice.  I've been turned away for vacationing in Belize, for getting a tattoo (you have to wait a year), for too recently having chemo. Here are some more reasons you could be turned away. 

This time, though, I THINK I'm good. I certainly weigh enough. It's been more than a decade since I got my last tattoo. The kicker is that I went to Mexico last summer, and some areas of Mexico have had malaria outbreaks. Fingers crossed that they'll let that slide. Regardless, this Louisville Public Media Blood Drive at the Bard's Town sounds like a good time. 

Here's the info from their press release:

Where else can you eat & drink, meet your favorite public radio people, listen to live music, and save lives? Join us for Louisville Public Media's annual blood drive—this year with music and special guests! On hand to entertain you will be:

12pm: Kitty Slickers (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kitty-Slickers/233961483284320)
1pm: Jon Beazlie
2pm: WFPL's Erin Keane
3pm: WUOL's Alan Brandt
4pm: WFPK's Marion Dries

Grean BEAN delivery will donate 10lbs of fresh produce to Kentucky Harvest for each pint of blood donated at this drive! They'll also be on hand with fresh fruit for blood donors.

Even if you can't give blood, stop by, grab a bite, enjoy the show, and say hi to your friends at WFPL, WFPK & WUOL!

In the time it took you to read this paragraph, 3-4 people needed blood transfusions in the U.S. Donating one pint of blood takes about 20 minutes, and can save three people's lives. Join us for a fun day & make a big difference!

(Questions? Contact Laura Ellis at lellis@wfpl.org or 502-814-6536.)

Le Petomane Does Derby

The first article I wrote for The Paper is probably still my favorite. Not only did it introduce me to the always-fantastic Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble's work, it also led to me getting to know six really great people who I now count as friends. (Awww... yeah, there's all kinds of awww going on here.)

But I became a fan before I became a friend.

Speaking of the Paper, have you picked up this month's Derby issue?  If you have, then you know that the Le Petomane folks don't need to be on stage to be funny... and that they know their Derby.

Their next show throws A Christmas Carol, Hunter S. Thompson, and local Derby lore and legends into a blender-- what comes out is a Gonzo, satirical roast of the entire Derby season.

Unfortunately I missed the WFPK Live Lunch preview of three of the songs, but Roommate listened in while he was in Portland, OR (yay, interwebs!), and he said it was fantastic. I had an in-person preview of Kyle Ware's song. The name escapes me right now, and I am totally NOT going to email him and ask him what it was called because I was singing it for DAYS. Serious earworm there.

This is the last show of the 2011-2012 season for Le Petomane, and what a great season it was (you can read all my posts about Le Petomane's season here). It's going to take one hell of a show, though, for this one to top the amazing 5 THINGS-- which was not only my favorite thing I've seen from Le Petomane, but also goes on my list of top ten favorite theatre experiences ever. Yeah... that good.

A DERBY CAROL runs from April 19-29 (no show on the 24th) at 730p at the Bard's Town. For reservations (recommended!) call 502-609-2520 or email Us@lepetomane.org. Yes, there's a show the night of Thunder. Yes, people have already reserved for that night.  And on April 23, Le Petomane will participate in World Book Night. Because they're book nerds. And we love them for it.

Finnegan's Festival of Funky Fresh Fun #5

How cute is this poster? (apparently this is for a play called "Death Hamster" and that makes it even more awesome...)

Last year was the year I finally got around to "discovering" Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble, so this year might be the year that I finally "discover" Finnigan's.

I sure do love ten-minute plays-- still trying to finish the one I started writing last year after Humana Festival. (This year's TENS at Humana Festival were particularly awesome).  I should probably consume as many ten-minute plays as I can.... you know, for research.

Here's what's on tap for this year's 5th Funky Fresh Fun:

 Finnigan’s Festival of Funky Fresh Fun’s plays include:  A coffee shop fantasy set to music in Playlist by Kate Barry.  A bank robbery split three ways in Stick-up by Zachary Burrell.  The heiress to a chocolate fortune and an ex-hockey star find themselves in an awkward predicament in The Chocolate Girl by David Clark.  Memories are hard things to throw away in Toast by Tad Chitwood.  Need someone who listens?  Need someone who cares?  Just call the On Call Empathy Team by Sarah East.  Aristophanes’ love life gets some revisions in Greek Tragedy by Andy Epstein.  Things are not what they seem, or maybe they are in Mitch Field’s Life is But a Dream.  Digging up dead bodies isn’t always easy, but Nick and Corey still try and have a good time in Nick and Corey Grave Rob by Nick Potter and Corey Music.  Show tune sing-a-longs are the least of these ladies’ problems in Women Who Love Gay Men by Brian Walker.  The mystery of the dead hamster has so many possibilities in Death Hamster! by Bryce Woodard.

The festival runs on April 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, and 14 at 730pm at the Bard's Town Theatre-- tickets are $15.

Patrick Wensink @ INKY on 3/9

Local writer Patrick Wensink (whom we love for many reasons even though we've never met him, not the least of which is that he and his wife named his recently-born son Walter... best. name. ever. [also my grandfather's name]) is having a book-release celebration at the INKY reading series at the Bardown this Friday, March 9.  From the press release for  BROKEN PIANO FOR PRESIDENT:

Ernest Hemingway lied and you know it. 

Back in 1933 or something, Hemingway said he’d give up elk hunting and scotch to pen a novel that weaved together a hero who’s more productive drunk than sober, the world’s worst rock band and a hamburger more addictive than meth.

Sadly, we all know how that quest ended. However, Papa’s failure is the world’s gain, finally, as Patrick Wensink has picked up this monumental boulder and rolled it up a hill called, BROKEN PIANO FOR PRESIDENT. Wensink’s second novel, BROKEN PIANO FOR PRESIDENT, kicks Hemingway’s empty promises in the ribs with a gift for Pynchonesque narration and dry humor. 

As the story’s hero, Deshler Dean, begins unraveling this other, more productive life as a drunk, rival restaurants begin a bidding war for his talents, angry vegans threaten his life and enough alcohol is consumed to give an elephant cirrhosis.

Wensink, also a member of Project Improv, proved to be an awesome interview for an article I wrote for The Louisville Paper.  I've had an electronic ARC of this book for months and I feel like a heel for not having read it yet.  But I've been just so... whoa, busy.  But based on the short stuff I have read by Wensink, the critical acclaim he's gotten seems very deserved, including a passionate comparison to Christopher Moore levied by a critic.  

According to Wensink, there is a drinking game associated with his reading, so... well, come on now, sounds like a great night, right? The INKY reading starts at 630p, Wensink will probably be on closer to 730p or 8p. 

Unfortunately, yours truly will most likely have to miss out.... wisdom teeth being yanked that same day.  Big huge sigh.  Wishing Patrick and the other readers/performers, Nicole Louise Reid and Joan Shelley, a great night too. 

The Paper: Le Petomane article

Just an update to today's post:

The whole article about Le Petomane's "5 Things" is up now at The Paper's website.  Enjoy.

Always Comedy: Le Petomane's Season Opens.

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to sit in on a rehearsal for Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble's original comedy 5 THINGS. If you've picked up the September issue of The Paper, you'll see the article that came out of that afternoon. Unfortunately, that article isn't online yet and 5 THINGS opens today at the Bard's Town Theater. So, I asked the lovely The Paper folks if I could reprint an excerpt here. This is the short version... the version in The Paper is twice as long...


5 Things is being put together with butcher paper and duct tape on a peeling plaster wall. There will be a script, eventually. There’s always a script, eventually. But right now it’s just Sharpie on butcher paper.


Abigail Maupin, co-founder and Artistic Co-Director of Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble says the process is a bit like “magnetic poetry,” and it’s an apt analogy. The storyboard, if you can call it that, is taped over and rearranged a half dozen times in the two hours I spend in Le Petomane’s rehearsal space.

Before they start rehearsal for the three-member show, Abigail Maupin, Greg Maupin, and Kyle Ware give me a rundown on the plot. 5 Things is about three retail workers-- one each from a bookstore, a record store, and a video store-- who’ve been marooned on an island. As you might guess from the title, it’s a riff on the “Desert Island Discs” party game. Each character has been allowed to bring “5 things” to the island. Over the course of the play, they explain and justify their choices. But how did they get there? Is it a voluntary marooning (after all, “5 things” implies some planning)? Greg smiles and says, “You’re asking all the right questions.” And then he doesn’t answer them.


Rehearsal isn't rehearsal so much as a brainstorming session. All three members have already explained the ensemble's "group think" or "hive mind," and now here it is at work. Sentences are rarely completed (at least by the person who started the sentence). The actors often seem to be speaking in code.

Two hours of focused artistic imagination. Almost no side trips or digressions-- how often does that happen when you put three smart people in a room and light a fire under their creative process? At the end of the rehearsal, when they say that they hope I’ll come see the play, I respond: “Are you kidding me? Of course, I’m going. I’m dying to know what this play is really about!”

Abigail and Greg Maupin founded Le Petomane in 2004. “I think I was there for Le Petomane's first show in Louisville, back when the ensemble numbered two: Greg and Abigail themselves,” says David J. Loehr, artist-in-residence at the Riverrun Theatre in Madison, IN and purveyor of the website 2AMtheatre.com. “That show began with nearly 20 minutes of near silence, except for the audience's laughter.”

Le Petomane has since grown to six members, and productions feature varying combinations of performers. In the course of a Le Petomane season, cast members change, venues change, styles change. There’s one thing that doesn’t change. “Always comedy,” says Abigail.

“As the ensemble has grown, it's been exciting to watch them develop their aesthetic,” says Loehr. “It's more than just ‘new wave dell'arte,’ whether it's an original, experimental ‘tango noir’ like Ban: An Appeal or a wildly inventive adaptation of Midsummer Night's Dream for a cast of six, multiplied by the clever use of masks. They maintain a balance, designing shows for modern sensibilities with classical underpinnings.”

Loehr adds, “They also played ukuleles before ukuleles were cool again.”

The only instrument better-suited to a desert island than a ukulele is, of course, a lobster claw harmonica (“I got it in Maine!” says Greg, as though that explains... anything). Based on only two hours spent watching Le Petomane’s creative process, I cannot confirm that either will make it into the final product. But based on only two hours, I’m reasonably certain that the final product will be some strange kind of genius.




5 Things is the first show in Le Petomane’s 2011-2012 four-show season and will be the first show they’ve launched at the Bard’s Town Theater. Performances are September 7-12 and 14-17 at 7:30pm. Tickets are on a pay-as-you-can sliding scale, $8-$20. For tickets, visit: thebardstown.com or call 502-749-5275. For more information on Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble and their upcoming season, visit their website at lepetomane.org

Ten-Tucky Festival at Bard's Town

One of the many pieces of writing I may have lost forever when my laptop had a "kernel panic" and had to have the hard-drive wiped was a 10-minute play I'd been working on for a year.  It was Mary Roach's Packing for Mars meets HBO's In Treatment, and I was pretty psyched about it except that I couldn't figure out how one would do the whole zero-gravity thing on stage without it looking like a bad production of Peter Pan.

That's just to say that I love 10-minute plays.  I think plays that short really showcase the writers in a way that full plays can't.

The Bard's Town Theater is putting on The Ten-Tucky Plays next weekend and through the end of the month.  Eight plays from eight Kentucky playwrights directed by eight Kentucky directors.  The plays include:

Show dates (all at 7:30 PM): Aug 17, 18. 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27.

Plays include:

"Neighborly Do’s and Don’ts"
Written by Brian Walker
Directed by Brian Walker
Featuring Becky LeCron, Tad Chitwood

"The Intruder"
Written by Tom Kerrigan
Directed by Tom Kerrigan
Featuring Andrew Epstein, Brian Kennedy, Kimby Peterson

"The Internet President"
Written by Patrick Wensink
Directed by Jake Beamer
Featuring Ryan Watson, Kimby Peterson, John Tranchitella, Becky LeCron, Tad Chitwood, Brian Kennedy.

"Disappearances, or the Groom’s Shoes"
Written by Nadeem Zaman
Directed by Sara Renauer
Featuring Amy Steiger, Jake Beamer, Blair Boyd, Tad Timberlake

"Wedding for Godot"
Written by Andrew Epstein
Directed by Joey Arena
Featuring Andrew Epstein, Michael Roberts, Craig Nolan Highley, Jennifer Levine, John Tranchitella, Narina Kasabova

"Over"
Written by Alex Lee Morse
Directed by Nadeem Zaman
Featuring Ryan Watson, Megan Brown

"Encounter at the Ink Spot"
Written by Nancy Gall-Clayton
Directed by Amy Steiger
Featuring Jennifer Levine, Nadeem Zaman

"Love Religiously"
Written by Doug Schutte
Directed by Scot Atkinson
Featuring Doug Schutte, Megan Brown, Tad Timberlake, Jesus


That last one, including Jesus, seems like a must-see. Check out the website for more details.