Upside of being in Peace Squad Goes 99: The Greatest 99¢ Only Story Ever Told…Ever!: you will, apparently, play to packed houses full of cheering audience members who throw the love at you across the footlights in overwhelming waves.

Downside: 3.5 hours/night strapped into plastic clothing with packing tape.

You just have no idea how wet underclothes can get until you have done back-to-back perfs of a 99¢ show.

Four weeks only, my babies. Reserve your seat now. You’ll kick yourself if you miss it.

xxx
c 

TOPICS: 99-cent show, communicatrix, evidence room, Ken Roht, Orphean Circus, Peace Squad, Shameless plugs.

Well, before I read this morning’s excellent anti-consumerist post by Eschaton, I spent eight hours putting up swag on the 99¢ Show Store. So just to clarify my position, do not under any circumstances buy holiday gifts here.

Go and support a brilliant theater company. Go here and show your love for the greatest holiday show on earth. Go here and buy yourself a little something stretchy to pull over your big, fat, post-holiday gut.

Go go go here, by all means, to get your Kenny merch, but not mine. I’ll buy my own peace panties, please.

We can fight the power and show the love.

Peace.

xxx
c

UPDATE 2/26/06: C–é—-s links went bye-bye along with pro-level site, which I pulled in disgust with lousy customer service.

TOPICS: 99-cent show, CaféPress sucks, Ken Roht, Rants, t-shirts.

In the theater world, the last week of rehearsals before a show goes up is affectionately known as “Hell Week.”

The 99¢-show sports an unusual Hell Week because a holiday is wedged in there; in honor of that, the cast has been given an entire two days—both Wednesday and Thursday—off before final dress rehearsal on Friday. So in my capacity as Chief Stilt-Walker, I have been given a two-day respite to let those newly-developed leg muscles rest.

Of course, in my capacity as graphic designer, I am forced to rest aforementioned muscles next to the old G5, which does not allow for much in the way of elevation.

But I digress.

While this is an unusal Hell Week in that it’s slightly less—well…hellish, there are still certain die-hard traits that all Hell Weeks share. To wit…

1. You can neither remember the last day you went to the gym nor anticipate the next time you will see the inside of it.
2. You find yourself actually drifting off to sleep atop the stilts you just learned to walk on two days ago.
3. Instead of being outraged that the 7-11 is charging you 2 bucks for an
   airline-sized bag of cashews, you are filled with a Thanksgiving-level
   of gratitude that they accept Visa because you have not had time to go
   to the ATM in two weeks. And buy two bags.
4. Bourbon and cashews at midnight is dinner.
5. Bourbon and cashews at midnight is the most delicious and appropriate dinner you can imagine.
6. You can neither remember the last time you washed your hair nor anticipate the next time you will be able to do so.
7. You try to drive your car in “park.”
8. Your kitchen floor is covered in hair.
9. This seems like no good reason to not eat the veggie burger you dropped there.
10. Your sexual fantasies start revolving around long hot baths with a fluffy magazine, followed by a mug of peppermint tea and a DVD in bed. Solo.

Time to get crackin’ on those t-shirt designs. See you at the show, kids!

xxx
c

TOPICS: 99-cent show, hell week, List-o-rama!, lists, rehearsals.

Since I can remember, I’ve wanted to be taller. After seeing the teeny-tiny contact pads on the stilts I will be performing with for the gloriously crazy-ass new 99¢ holiday operetta, I am reminded of the old adage, “Be careful what you wish for.”

Still, I would crawl much farther out of my comfort zone for Ken Roht. I’m already shamelessly plugging the show to anyone who’ll listen, especially to those who can more effectively spread the word. I’m sure my friend, Rob Kendt, will see/write about it. But I’m also branching out to the hipster-journalist community, or the one member I have contact with, Heseon Park.

Of course, Heseon is way too good a journalist to take my topline word for it. Unsatisfied with the who/what/where/when info, she’s forcing me to answer the “why” of it all. In multiple emails, because I’m so damned unfocussed. Which is irritating, but in a good way, because it’s always good when someone gets The Spinning Top to focus her thoughts.

So here’s the last email in the exchange. I think I’ve finally figgered out why the show is so damned wonderful:

> is this the third installment in the 99 cent only series?

Yes. Third year in a row.

> why should people come?

First, b/c it’s wildly entertaining. Bottom line, I don’t think anyone should go to the theater just b/c it’s an edifying experience. Entertainment is the price of entry (no pun intended).

Second, b/c like the best art, it connects us to the Source and to each other. Fostering community is an important thing, right?

Third, b/c now, more than ever, we need to surround ourselves to messages of hope and peace and beauty and joy, which this suckah delivers in spades.

> what kinds of people do you anticipate will respond to this show?

Historically, kids have dug it. In fact, if parents do NOT want their child turned on by the prospect of a life in the lively arts, they should avoid this show like the plague. The joy is that infectious.

Beyond that, anyone who’s not dead. Seriously. It’s that much fun.

It is. I promise. Get over soon. (Info here.) Because you cannot time-shift theater. Especially with a cast of 40+.

xxx
c

TOPICS: 99-cent show, evidence room, Ken Roht, Shameless plugs.