Cruel Theatre Productions
Holden Caulfield and the Dream of Spoons
“I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness. Starving, hysterical, naked, Dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn, looking for an angry fix.” -Allen Ginsberg, Howl
Holden Caulfield and the Dream of Spoons - Loosely inspired by “The Catcher in the Rye” by J. D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield and the Dream of Spoons dealt with troubled youth--homeless, peripherally involved in crime and often using illegal substances to escape. Staged at The American Dream Bar in Honolulu, audience members were individually taken by their actors literally into the streets of downtown. As they negotiated the alley ways and abandoned car parks, they also navigated emotional terrain, ultimately choosing to catch their troubled young friend, or let her fall.
The cast was: Marlon P. H Apio as Devon Stant, Mel Sanders as Venus, Ermielinda Calimpong as Lydia Padilla, Kevin M. Loo as Maurice, Wayne Takabayashi as Eddie B, Lance McCracken as Jimmie Steele, Julia Gilman as Jane Gallagher, Alonzo Surrette as Aikeem “Priest”
This was the beginning of Cruel Theatre’s unique (in the entire world) structure. The audience met outside a real bar at the makeshift box office. They were given their audience cards (saying what their name is and who they were meeting. For example, YOUR NAME: JOE/ JOSEPHINE CHILDS You are here to meet your best friend Devon. You care about him deeply.) The audience is then given a costume piece (such as a scarf or hat) and waits inside the real bar (where no one else knows a show is happening). The actor recognizes his or her audience member based on the costume piece and begin the play in character (“Joe, I’m so happy to see you” etc). The exceptionally distinct aspect about these Cruel Theatre shows is: the audience can literally do what they want--if they say nothing, there is still a performance--if they add information and make offers, the story will change entirely. No other company has guaranteed this extreme type of complete and total interaction and control on the part of the audience (outside of Boalian praxis). The structure for Holden Caulfield and the Dream of Spoons was, roughly: 1.) audience member/primary actor scene 2.) audience member/primary actor + 2nd actor (3 person scene) 3.) audience member/primary actor scene 4.) audience member/ primary actor + another 2nd actor (second 3 person scene) 5.)audience member/primary actor final scene
Holden Caulfield and the Dream of Spoons - Loosely inspired by “The Catcher in the Rye” by J. D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield and the Dream of Spoons dealt with troubled youth--homeless, peripherally involved in crime and often using illegal substances to escape. Staged at The American Dream Bar in Honolulu, audience members were individually taken by their actors literally into the streets of downtown. As they negotiated the alley ways and abandoned car parks, they also navigated emotional terrain, ultimately choosing to catch their troubled young friend, or let her fall.
The cast was: Marlon P. H Apio as Devon Stant, Mel Sanders as Venus, Ermielinda Calimpong as Lydia Padilla, Kevin M. Loo as Maurice, Wayne Takabayashi as Eddie B, Lance McCracken as Jimmie Steele, Julia Gilman as Jane Gallagher, Alonzo Surrette as Aikeem “Priest”
This was the beginning of Cruel Theatre’s unique (in the entire world) structure. The audience met outside a real bar at the makeshift box office. They were given their audience cards (saying what their name is and who they were meeting. For example, YOUR NAME: JOE/ JOSEPHINE CHILDS You are here to meet your best friend Devon. You care about him deeply.) The audience is then given a costume piece (such as a scarf or hat) and waits inside the real bar (where no one else knows a show is happening). The actor recognizes his or her audience member based on the costume piece and begin the play in character (“Joe, I’m so happy to see you” etc). The exceptionally distinct aspect about these Cruel Theatre shows is: the audience can literally do what they want--if they say nothing, there is still a performance--if they add information and make offers, the story will change entirely. No other company has guaranteed this extreme type of complete and total interaction and control on the part of the audience (outside of Boalian praxis). The structure for Holden Caulfield and the Dream of Spoons was, roughly: 1.) audience member/primary actor scene 2.) audience member/primary actor + 2nd actor (3 person scene) 3.) audience member/primary actor scene 4.) audience member/ primary actor + another 2nd actor (second 3 person scene) 5.)audience member/primary actor final scene
Heresy (first)
Heresy - The first incarnation of Heresy was staged at the Church of the Crossroads in Honolulu by Cruel Theatre. Supposedly transporting the audience to the height of the European witch craze in the 16th century, this group interactive theatre production often ended with the inquisitors and witch-finders being chased out of the performance…
The cast included: Melodie Sanders, Ermielinda Calimpong, Nick Sayada, Austin Mercado, Wayne Takabayashi, Jeremy G. Pippin, Danel Verdugo and Lance McCracken
The cast included: Melodie Sanders, Ermielinda Calimpong, Nick Sayada, Austin Mercado, Wayne Takabayashi, Jeremy G. Pippin, Danel Verdugo and Lance McCracken
Strange Tango
Strange Tango - Sam Shepherd’s “Fool for Love” and Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut” were the stimulus for this two-spectactor-two-actor play about love. Four people, all in committed relationships met at The American Dream bar for drinks and an evening of revelations. How is love different than obsession? When is love true? What drives some to seek pain and tragedy?
The cast of Strange Tango included: Melodie Sanders, Wayne Takabayashi, Ermielinda Calimpong, Matt Malliski, Jeremy G. Pippin and Taurie Kinoshita
Instead of two person interactive performances (of one-actor-one-audience member pairs), Strange Tango involved two actors and two audience members (four person scenes/performance) with a 3rd actor occasionally interacting and creating five person scenes. (Often the 3rd actor’s scenes involved a revelation.)
The cast of Strange Tango included: Melodie Sanders, Wayne Takabayashi, Ermielinda Calimpong, Matt Malliski, Jeremy G. Pippin and Taurie Kinoshita
Instead of two person interactive performances (of one-actor-one-audience member pairs), Strange Tango involved two actors and two audience members (four person scenes/performance) with a 3rd actor occasionally interacting and creating five person scenes. (Often the 3rd actor’s scenes involved a revelation.)