Sacred Fools Theater Company

Tom Kiesche (left) and Michael Lanahan in Corey Klemow's 2004 Quiet, Please! stage production at Hollywood's Sacred Fools Theater Company.

The Sacred Fools Theater Company is a Los Angeles-based theatre company and nonprofit organization. It was founded in January 1997. It is a member organization of the LA Stage Alliance.^[1]

For nearly 19 years, the theater company took up residence at 660 N. Heliotrope, at The Heliotrope Theatre. As of January 1st, 2016, their new home is in a multi-theater complex at 1078 Lillian Way at Santa Monica Boulevard. ^[2][3][4][5]

Organization

Sacred Fools is governed partly by a non-dues paying company, and partly by a traditional board of directors. A three-person Artistic Committee is elected each season from by the company, and also a three-person membership committee. The board of directors oversees business matters. Sacred Fools has an open door policy and does not restrict directors to casting actors from within the company. Sacred Fools is a primarily volunteer-run organization.

The incoming Artistic Directors for Season 20 (2016-2017) are Bryan Bellomo, Danielle Ozymandias, and Alicia Conway Rock. The current Artistic Directors for Season 19 (2015-2016) are Bryan Bellomo, Paul Plunkett and Vanessa Claire Stewart.

For Season 16 (2012-2013), the Artistic Directors were Alyssa Preston, Leon Russom, and French Stewart. For Season 17 (2013-2014), the Artistic Directors are Rebecca Larsen, Jonas Oppenheim, and Ben Rock. For Season 18 (2014-2015), the Artistic Directors were Tifanie McQueen, Guy Picot, and Ben Rock.

History

The Sacred Fools Theater Company was founded by a group of theater artists in the Santa Monica living room of John Sylvain. The group very quickly formed a non-profit corporation, raised money, and found a space. They initially subleased the 660 N. Heliotrope space from Deaf West Theatre, and eventually leased the space outright.

Since its founding, Sacred Fools has produced over 100 different shows, including several World Premieres, West Coast Premieres, and Los Angeles Premieres.

Notable Artists

• Steven Banks
• Abraham Benrubi
• Jennifer R. Blake
• Jake Broder
• Dean Cameron
• Henry Dittman
• Richard Elfman
• Jenna Fischer
• Maile Flanagan
• Stuart Gordon
• Jon Hamm ^[6]
• David Huynh
• Arthur M. Jolly
• Elaine Kao
• Carrie Keranen
• Phil LaMarr
• Laurie Metcalf
• Julio Perillán
• Shaunessy Quinn
• Ben Rock
• Leon Russom ^[7]
• David Sparrow
• French Stewart ^[8]
• Vanessa Claire Stewart

Notable Productions

• Absolutely Filthy (An Unauthorized Peanuts Parody) (World Premiere) - Developed by writer/actor Brendan Hunt as part of the late night series, "Serial Killers", this unauthorized Peanuts adaptation had a successful run in 2013, and then an additional run later that year at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, at which it won three awards, including the highest honor Top of the Fringe, as well as Best in Comedy, and Spirit of Fringe Best Performance (Male) for writer/star Brendan Hunt.^[9] The following year, the show returned for two more runs, at South Coast Repertory^[10] and the New York International Fringe Festival.^[11]
• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (West Coast Premiere) - A stage adaptation of the science-fiction novel by Philip K. Dick, adapted by Edward Einhorn, will make its West Coast Premiere at Sacred Fools on Sept. 13, 2013.^[12]
• Forbidden Zone: Live in the 6th Dimension (World Premiere Stage Adaptation) - Based on the musical comedy film Forbidden Zone. Performed as a live stage show with the support of actor/director/producer Richard Elfman. It premiered on Friday, May 21, 2010.^[13]
• Forever... (World Premiere Stage Adaptation) - In June 2004, Sacred Fools performed a comic adaption of Judy Blume's frequently censored book on teen sexuality, Forever..., for their Get Lit! series.^[14]
• Louis & Keely: Live at the Sahara (World Premiere) -- In 2008, Vanessa Claire Stewart and Jake Broder wrote and starred in this new musical, which went on to be nominated for four Ovation Awards, including the Franklin R. Levy Award for Musical in an Intimate Theatre, which it won. The production went on to a second run at The Matrix Theatre Company, where Keely Smith herself attended a performance. A greatly revised version directed by film director Taylor Hackford and still starring Stewart and Broder premiered at the Geffen Playhouse in 2009; Hackford's production was remounted in 2015 in Chicago at the Royal George Theatre, with Stewart now co-starring with Tony winner Anthony Crivello.
• Love Tapes (World Premiere) - Winner of the 2005 L.A. Weekly Award for Comedy Direction (Jessie Marion). Also nominated for Comedy Performance (Dean Cameron), Comedy Performance (Julie Mullen), Play Writing (Steven Banks & Penn Jillette). Named "Best Comedy of the Year" by Robert Axelrod of ReviewPlays.com.^[15]
• Neverwhere (West Coast Premiere) -- On April 5, 2013, Sacred Fools performed the American West Coast premiere of Robert Kauzlaric's adaptation of Neil Gaiman's urban fantasy television series and later novelization of the same name. Originally scheduled to run through May 11, it was extended an additional two weeks due to its popularity.^[16] Neil Gaiman attended a performance of the production.^[17]
• The Nigerian Spam Scam Scam (World Premiere) - This play by Dean Cameron has continued to tour around the world.^[18]
• Quiet, Please (World Premiere Stage Adaptation) - Corey Klemow directed stage adaptations of two of the best-regarded Wyllis Cooper scripts, The Thing on the Fourble Board and Whence Came You?.^[19]
• Savin’ Up For Saturday Night: The Honky-Tonk Musical (World Premiere) - Songs by Richard Levinson, book by Jeff Goode, directed by Jeremy Aldridge. This original musical premiered on September 21, 2009. It was nominated for the LA Stage Alliance’s Ovation Award for Best Music and Lyrics. Lead actor Brendan Hunt won the 2010 Ovation Award for Lead Actor in a Musical. The show is now published by Samuel French, Inc..^[20]
• Stoneface: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Buster Keaton (World Premiere) - Written by Vanessa Claire Smith and starring French Stewart. This tribute to Buster Keaton was remounted at Pasadena Playhouse in 2014.^[21][22]
• Voice Lessons - Nominated for four Ovation Awards including Best Play in an Intimate Theatre (Linda Toliver and Gary Guidinger in Association with Sacred Fools Theater Company), Acting Ensemble for a Play (Laurie Metcalf, French Stewart & Maile Flanagan), Lead Actor in a Play (French Stewart as Nate), and Lead Actress in a Play (Laurie Metcalf as Virginia).^[23][24]
• Watson: the Last Great Tale of the Legendary Sherlock Holmes (World Premiere) - Nominated for four Ovation Awards, including Best Director (Jaime Robledo), Lead Actor in a Play (Joe Fria as Sherlock Holmes), and two nominations for Featured Actor in a Play (Henry Dittman as James Moriarty and French Stewart as Freud/Queen Victoria).^[25] The play was published by Steele Spring Theatrical Licensing,^[26] and was subsequently produced at the Gretna Theatre in Pennsylvania.^[27]

References

1. "Member Organizations". LA Stage Alliance
2. http://stageraw.com/2015/12/16/sacred-fools-theater-company-packs-its-bags-for-hollywood/
3. http://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/Sacred-Fools-Theater-Company-Heading-to-Theater-Row-in-Hollywood-20151216#
4. http://footlights.click/2015/12/sacred-fools-to-move-to-theatre-row-hollywood/
5. http://thisstage.la/2015/12/sacred-fools-moves-to-the-elephant/#.VnGX_hn_Q-E.facebook
6. "Timon of Athens". Sacred Fools Official Website
7. "Endgame". Sacred Fools Official Website
8. "Review: French Stewart a revelation as Buster Keaton in 'Stoneface'". Los Angeles Times
9. "Absolutely Filthy (An Unauthorized Peanuts Parody)". Hollywood Fringe
10. "Down and Dirty with Brendan Hunt and Absolutely Filthy". South Coast Repertory
11. "FringeNYC Show Listings". New York Fringe
12. "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? West Coast Theatrical Premiere, Los Angeles".
13. "Sacred Fools - Press - Forbidden Zone - Live in the 6th Dimension". Retrieved 2010-07-21.
14. Get Lit Get Lit
15. "Love Tapes". Sacred Fools Official Website
16. http://www.sacredfools.org/mainstage/13/neverwhere/
17. http://comicbook.com/blog/2013/04/29/neil-gaiman-visits-sacred-foolss-neverwhere-stage-production/
18. "The Nigerian Spam Scam Scam". Nigerian Spam Scam Scam Official Website
19. "Corey Klemow's stage production of ''Quiet, Please''". Sacredfools.org. 2004-12-17. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
20. "Savin’ Up For Saturday Night: The Honky-Tonk Musical". Samuel French, Inc.
21. "Stoneface". Sacred Fools Official Website
22. "Stoneface << The Pasadena Playhouse".
23. "Voice Lessons". Sacred Fools Official Website
24. "Kiss Me Kate Tops 2011 Ovation Award Nominations". LA Stage Times
25. "Kiss Me Kate Tops 2011 Ovation Award Nominations". LA Stage Times
26. http://www.stagerights.com/allshows/watsonlastgreattalelegendarysherlockholmes/
27. http://www.gretnatheatre.com/shows/2013/watson-the-last-great-tale-of-the-legendary-sherlock-holmes

External links

• Official Website
• Sacred Fools on Facebook
• Sacred Fools on Twitter