Sacred Fools Theater Company

SB805 California is supported by Arts for LA, Actors' Equity Association, and the entire L.A. City Council, and we thank them all for their support - but it can't pass unless it's funded in the California state budget. If you haven't yet, please ask Governor Gavin Newsom ASAP to fund SB805 and let him know why small performing arts organizations are important to you. Phone: (916) 445-2841 Fax: (916) 558-3160 Instagram & Twitter @gavinnewsom & @CAGovernor... #savetheperformimgartsactof2021 #supportsmallstages #SaveThePerformingArtsAct #Teatro #BuildBackBoldy #SaveOurCAStages #TheatreIsSocialJustice #MusicIsSocialJustice

Our production of Victor Isaac's THE WORD, directed by JJ Mayes, has been unavoidably postponed once again. We hope to bring you the show this fall. IF LeShaun gets his act together. Dammit, LeShaun! In the meantime, we bring you these words on friendship from the Reverend Johnson, from episode one of the original serialized version of "The Word" in @skfools (9/22/12). https://youtu.be/Z0lXzMwpIxU

Latest action item from SB805 California: Ask Governor Gavin Newsom to support and fund SB805 and help save small theaters! Let him know why small theater is important to you! Phone: (916) 445-2841 Fax: (916) 558-3160 @gavinnewsom... https://www.facebook.com/SB805ca/posts/164311692396988

SB805 passed the Arts Committee! Thank you to them! It's being reviewed by the Labor committee today; contact info in the comments on this post or at this link: https://www.facebook.com/sacredfoolsla/posts/6033575330000738 From SB805 California: Senate Bill 805 passed the Assembly Arts Committee by 5 Democratic votes on Monday 6/21/2021. Thank you Assembly Members who voted yes, thank you for believing in the power of representation in the arts. Big shout out to our community... members, small performing artists who are calling, writing letters, tagging their representatives. Thank you for supporting representation on stage & behind the scenes. Below are the Assembly Members who supported SB 805's Instagram accounts. Let's show our appreciation! Sharon Quirk-Silva (Chair) (IG @sqsforassembly) Richard Bloom (IG @asmrichardbloom) David Chiu (IG @davidchiu.sf) Laura Friedman (IG @assemblymember.friedman) Adrin Nazarian (IG @adrinnazarianad46)

Watch the SB805 California press conference! https://www.facebook.com/SB805ca/videos/813139509576307

UPDATE, 6/22: THANK YOU to the Arts Committee for voting YES! Please contact the Labor Committee, who are reviewing SB805 TODAY! ---------- Can't attend today's press conference for SB805 California? CALL Assembly Members in the Labor & Arts committees ASAP, SAY: SUPPORT FUNDING #SB805!... ARTS COMMITTEE: Sharon Quirk-Silva (Chair), Dem 65 (916) 319-2065 (714) 525-6515 twitter.com/quirksilva65th instagram.com/quirksilva65th Suzette Martinez Valladares (Vice Chair) - Rep 38 (916) 319-2038 (661) 286-1565 instagram.com/ASMValladares Richard Bloom, Dem 50 (916) 319-2050 (310) 450-0041 twitter.com/ASMRichardBloom instagram.com/ASMRichardBloom David Chiu, Dem. 17 (916) 319-2017 (415) 557-3013 twitter.com/DavidChiu instagram.com/DavidChiu.SF Steven S. Choid, PhD., Rep. 68 (916) 319-2068 (714) 665-6868 twitter.com/ASMStevenChoi68 instagram.com/Steven_Choi68 Laura Friedman, Dem. 43 (916) 319-2043 (818) 558-3043 instagram.com/LauraFriedman43 Adrin Nazarian, Dem. 46 (916) 319-2046 (818) 376-4246 twitter.com/ASM_Nazarian instagram.com/adrinnazarianad46 More info: https://aart.assembly.ca.gov/membersstaff LABOR COMMITTEE: Focus on members with * on them! * Ash Kalra (Chair), Dem 27 (916) 319-2027 (408) 277-1220 twitter.com/Ash_Kalra instagram.com/Ash_Kalra Heath Flora (Vice Chair), Rep 12 (916) 319-2012 (209) 599-2112 twitter.com/HeathFloraCA instagram.com/assemblyman_heath_flora * Lorena Gonzalez, Dem 80 (916) 319-2080 (619) 338-8090 twitter.com/LorenaSGonzalez instagram.com/LorenaSGonzalez * Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer, Sr., Dem 59 (916) 319-2059 (213) 744-2111 twitter.com/JonesSawyerAD59 instagram.com/JonesSawyer59Official Eloise Gómez Reyes, Dem 47 (916) 319-2047 (909) 381-3238 twitter.com/ASMReyes47 Kelly Seyarto, Rep 67 (916) 319-2067 (951) 894-1232 twitter.com/AssemblySeyarto instagram.com/Assemblymember_Kelly_Seyarto * Christopher M. Ward, Dem 78 (916) 319-2078 (619) 645-3090 twitter.com/ASMChrisWard instagram.com/ASMChrisWard More info: https://albr.assembly.ca.gov/membersstaff #SaveThePerformingArtsAct #Teatro #BuildBackBoldy #SaveOurCAStages #TheatreIsSocialJustice #MusicIsSocialJustice #DanceIsSocialJustice #StartYourComeback #LATheatre #LAThtr #IndependentTheatre #BIPOCArtists #Theatre #ArtsResources #TheatreResources #ArtsLeader #CreativeLeadership #EmergingArtsLeaders #ArtsAdvocacy #LACountyArts #LosAngelesLiveEvents #GovNewsom

Missed it? Feb. 11-14, The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University is presenting a pay-what-you-can encore of their student production of Webster alum Vanessa Stewart's DEADLY, with music by Ryan Johnson. The original production premiered at Sacred Fools in the fall of 2019. Details below!

The Actors Prepare Montage from: Watson: The Last Great Tale of the Legendary Sherlock Holmes (Reprise. Aired January 2021)... Written & Directed by @Jaime Robledo FEATURING Scott Leggett as John H. Watson Joe Fria as Sherlock Holmes Henry Dittman as Professor James Moriarty Eric Curtis Johnson as Mycroft Holmes Rebecca Larsen as Irene Adler Cj Merriman as Mary Morstan Watson French Stewart as Sigmund Freud / Queen Victoria Ensemble: Lisa Anne Nicolai, Colin Willkie & Jennefer Folsom Shadow Puppetry: Joyce Hutter Co-Produced for Sacred Fools by Allison Faith Sulock & Brian Wallis Composer - Ryan Johnson Associate Producer - K.J. Middlebrooks Wardrobe - Linda Muggeridge Logo Design - Corey Klemow Special Thanks- Corwin Evans Edited by Allison Faith Sulock Learn more about the WATSON reprise, including where to donate and the digital program here: http://www.sacredfools.org/mainstage/reprise/watson/

THROWBACK THURSDAY (#tbt): Three years ago, rehearsals were underway for the premiere of Brendan Hunt's THE ART COUPLE, directed by Lauren Van Kurin, in The Broadwater Black Box. One year ago, rehearsals were again underway for a revival as part of Center Theatre Group's Block Party at the Kirk Douglas Theatre - a revival whose opening night was meant to be the very week that all live theater shut down due to the COVID lockdown. We hope THE ART COUPLE can live again one day; in the meantime, Brendan has kept busy with his subsequent project, Apple TV's TED LASSO, which he co-created and in which he stars as "Coach Beard" opposite Jason Sudeikis. Art by Katelyn Schiller; "Art Couple" photo by Darrett Sanders.

Watch Miaseen Inc's profile of We The People Theatre Action's "Sound Up for Armenia" producer Carene Rose Mekertichyan! Submissions to "Sound Up": forms.gle/xn54dMccrvcKimFg9 Watch here: instagram.com/p/CKKmKJQnhwi/

We The People Theatre Action continues to seek submissions of art of all kinds for their SOUND UP series! Details below. Submission link: forms.gle/xn54dMccrvcKimFg9 Artwork by Lena Dakessian Halteh. https://www.facebook.com/wtptheatreaction/posts/985498568646025

Ten years ago tonight, WATSON premiered and went on to become one of our biggest hits. The story of a good man trapped in the shadow of a great man, WATSON was a funny, moving and theatrically innovative take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's heroes and villains that the L.A. Times said showed "inspired irreverence and ingenuity." Now, writer and director Jaime Robledo has re-assembled most of the original cast for a special Reprise presentation combining livestreamed performance a...nd archival footage of the original production. A Q&A with cast & crew, moderated by Sacred Fools associate member Jenelle Riley of Variety, will follow the performance. WATSON is coming Thursday, January 7 @ 5pm PT / 8pm ET; more details soon! ONCE AGAIN, THE GAME IS ON THE OTHER FOOT! (Photo by Brian Taylor)

Dracula has a PASSION today to let you know that BELA LUGOSI'S DEAD. Have a happy and safe Halloween! From DRACULA'S TASTE TEST by Marz Richards ("Dracula") directed & choreographed by Cj Merriman , with musical direction from Ryan Thomas Johnson ("The Phantom"), as presented at the 2018 Hollywood Fringe Festival. Also featuring Brendan Broms, Crystal Keith, Carrie Keranen, Bryan Krasner, Jeff Sumner and Brian Wallis. Full credits at YouTube.

Throwback Thursday: A small sampling of Halloweens past at Sacred Fools, from GOREY STORIES (2005), Clive Barker's FRANKENSTEIN IN LOVE (2003), DRACULA: A MUSICAL NIGHTMARE (2002) and CARNEVIL (2011)! Be safe this Halloween, and we hope to be able to scare see you in person next year.

Eleven years ago yesterday, the first episode of the original, serialized version of "Watson," written and directed by Jaime Robledo and starring Scott Leggett as John H. Watson and Joe Fria as Sherlock Holmes, appeared in Serial Killers at Sacred Fools Theater. "Watson" went on to become a smash-hit full-length production in the fall of 2010, with a return engagement in the summer of 2011 and a sequel in 2013. Both plays plus a third have been published by Stage Rights. Why do we bring it up now? Oh... you'll find out soon. Photo by Marian Gonzalez.

Eight years ago tonight was the 200th episode of Serial Killers at Sacred Fools Theater . There was cake! Says then-producer JJ Mayes via a bad voice-to-text email, "I’m pretty sure Terry is consciences because the last 2 times I had a cake onstage I dropped them." Indeed; Terry is "consciences" of us all. That night's serials included Padraic Duffy's "Skit Slayers" - a revived version of which was running when lockdown began - and Victor Isaac's "The Word," which went on to ...become a hit at the 2018 Hollywood Fringe Festival. We hope to return with more late-night goofery whenever live theater returns. Photos by Marian Gonzalez, taken 10/20/2012. #tbt #throwbacktuesday #throwbackthuesday? #towbacktuesday?

Sacred Fools associate member Carene Rose Mekertichyan, whose work as a writer and actor has been seen at Fools in We The People Theatre Action, wrote this powerful piece for LAist about her mixed heritage, the Armenian genocide, and the need for substantive direct action. https://laist.com//race_in_la_perspectives_on_artsakh_from

If you are a BIPOC theatre artist in California, we want to know how intimate theatre has helped you to advance your entertainment career. Please post on Twitter using the hashtags #BIPOCAccess and #latheatre and spread the word to others in your circle and get them to do the same. If you don't have a Twitter account, please EMail your stories to Sacred Fools EDI Coordinator and co-Artistic director Marc Antonio Pritchett at [email protected] or post them in the comments be...low. All stories will appear on the webpage linked below, where you can also find more information about the BIPOC ACCESS project. http://www.sacredfools.org/edi/bipoc-access/ Twitter version of this post for re-Tweeting: https://twitter.com/SacredFoolsLA/status/1317875143339692032

Bartender Jacob Sidney of The Broadwater Plunge shares instructions for making the "Pear Shake," a tasty beverage you can drink while watching FAKESPEARE tonight (Friday, Oct. 16) @ 7pm PT as part of Together LA: A Virtual Stage Festival. PEAR SHAKE: Serves 2 Ingredients:... Whole Pear (softer = better, ideally from fridge) 3oz Spiced Rum (or any rum, Vodka, Whiskey, or Mezcal) 1oz Triple Sec (or any orange liqueur, ideally from freezer) Citrus or Orange Bitters (optional) Ice cube (or 1oz water) Equipment: Blender Watch free on Twitch at twitch.tv/togetherlafestival; the festival is in support of Color Of Change. FAKESPEARE is by Jaime Robledo, directed by Harim Sanchez, and produced for Sacred Fools by David Mayes, with additional costumes by Linda Muggeridge. Cast: Guy Picot, Therese Olson, Amir Levi and Scott Leggett.

Festival streaming engineer Bree Pavey does greenscreen experiments with the cast of FAKESPEARE (which does not contain any beach scenes). For the final product - written by Jaime Robledo, directed by Harim Sanchez, and featuring Guy Picot, Scott Leggett, Amir Levi and Therese Olson - tune in TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT (Friday, Oct. 16) @ 7pm PT as part of Together LA: A Virtual Stage Festival! The festival is hosted tonight by the irrepressible Kirsten Vangsness (just try to re...press her! YOU CAN'T!) and features entries from The Inkwell Theater, Theatre of NOTE and Pacific Resident Theatre. Tomorrow (Saturday, Oct. 17), the festival closes with entries from The Victory Theatre Center, Coin & Ghost Co., Actors Co-op Theatre Company, The New American Theatre and Celebration Theatre, with host Sharon Lawrence. Watch free on Twitch at twitch.tv/togetherlafestival; the festival is in support of Color Of Change.

This is how the script for FAKESPEARE begins. See it brought to life by our intrepid cast tomorrow night (Friday, Oct. 16) @ 7pm PT! FAKESPEARE is part of Together LA: A Virtual Stage Festival! Watch free on Twitch at twitch.tv/togetherlafestival; the festival is in support of Color Of Change.

Props and costumes for Therese Olson in her role as "Lady MacB" in FAKESPEARE! The cast supplied most of their own costumes and props, with some additional costumes from Linda Muggeridge and a prop knife supplied by producer David Mayes. FAKESPEARE premieres when Together LA: A Virtual Stage Festival returns this coming Friday, Oct. 16 @ 7pm PT! Watch free on Twitch at twitch.tv/togetherlafestival; the festival is in support of Color Of Change.

Director Harim Sanchez ("Pagliaccis") works with Therese Olson via the internets to prepare her for her role as "Lady MacB" in FAKESPEARE, written by Jaime Robledo ("Watson")! FAKESPEARE premieres when Together LA: A Virtual Stage Festival returns this coming Friday, Oct. 16 @ 7pm PT! Watch free on Twitch at twitch.tv/togetherlafestival; the festival is in support of Color Of Change.

Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day - and thanks to American Theatre magazine for these articles.

Starting this Saturday, you can catch Sacred Fools company members Amir Levi (who is also in "Fakespeare" this Friday in Together LA: A Virtual Stage Festival) and Miss Barbie-Q/MJ Brown (who made their Sacred Fools debut in "Denim Doves") in the Los Angeles LGBT Center and Playwrights' Arena co-production of Jon Lawrence Rivera's MARCH - a play you can watch from your car in the garage of the LGBT Center! MARCH may or may not take place 25 years in the future In a world of mortal danger, three Trans/Gender Non-conforming women of color seek a safe place to hide from The Military. Darkly fearful and incorporating elements of magic realism, MARCH is a suspenseful, starkly political drama of peril and liberation. For mature audiences only. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/march-tickets-121093851971