NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press contacts (for media only):
For Rogue Artists Ensemble: Lucy Pollak (818) 887-1499 [email protected]
For Garry Marshall Theatre: Chelsea Sutton 818-955-8004 [email protected]

 

 

Rogue Artists Ensemble’s ‘Wood Boy Dog Fish’

returns with added hyper-theatrical magic and terror
 

BURBANK, Calif (REVISED May 20, 2018) — Award-winning artists’ collective Rogue Artists Ensemble brings a new-and-improved version of its acclaimed, Ovation award-winning Wood Boy Dog Fish to Burbank this summer. A mature and delightfully macabre reimagining of Carlo Collodi’s “The Adventures of Pinocchio,” the colorfully twisted world of Wood Boy Dog Fish takes over the Garry Marshall Theatreas part of its 2017-18 inaugural season, opening May 18 and running through June 24. Low-priced previews begin May 12. Tickets, starting at $45, are available now by calling (818) 955-8101 or visiting GarryMarshallTheatre.org.

In Wood Boy Dog Fish, the cricket is killed, a blue poltergeist haunts us all, the legendary Dogfish monster preys on our greatest fears and a little wooden puppet struggles to discover what it means to be real. Written by Chelsea Sutton, directed by Rogue’s artistic director Sean T. Cawelti and featuring original music by Adrien Prévost, this new production of Wood Boy Dog Fish is more dangerous and immersive than ever before, with new scenes, music, puppets, masks and special effects. The action is set in the tumbledown town of Shoreside, a tourist trap built around the legend of a terrible sea monster — the Dogfish. The Wood Boy Dog Fish experience begins one hour before show time, just inside the gates of the Garry Marshall Theatre. Audiences are immersed in the mysterious and quirky carnival world with games, food, drink and surprises before they even find their seats.

Wood Boy Dog Fish is a visual feast that combines masks, highly expressive physical performance, dance, interactive sets, multiple puppetry traditions, projected media and sophisticated special effects and illusions — including 3D enhancement — to transport audiences inside an old carnival ride..

The powerhouse ensemble cast features Tyler Bremmer as Cat, Lisa Dring as Wick, Tane Kawasaki as Blue, Amir Levi as Fox, Rudy Martinez as the titular Wood Boy, Ben Messmer as Geppetto, Sarah Kay Peters as a puppeteer, Keiana Richàrd as the Fire Eater, Mark Royston as a puppeteer, Miles Taber as the MC of Funland, and Paul Turbiak as the terrible Dogfish and the Cricket.

The creative team includes scenic designers Francois-Pierre Couture and Matt G. Hill, costume designer Lori Meeker, sound designer Steve Swift, lighting designer Joey Guthman, video designer Dallas Nichols, hair and makeup designers Joceyln Pazos and Erica Romero, prop designers Jason Anderson and Victoria Pamlenyi, choreographer Nate Hodges, and puppet and mask designers Greg Ballora, Sean T. Cawelti, Christine Papalexis, Jack Pullman, Morgan Rebane and Brian White.

The original production, which premiered in 2015 at the Bootleg Theater to sold-out houses, was called a “breathtaking feat of theater” and “wildly imaginative” by the Los Angeles Times and “sublimely dark, freaky and contemporary” by Tin Pan LA. This dark and twisted modern take on a classic tale for adult audiences won an honorary 2015 Ovation award for puppet design. It also garnered Ovation nominations for both costume and video design, as well as Stage Raw award nominations for sound design, costume design, production and set design, video design, and playwriting-adaptation.

Rogue Artists Ensemble differs from other theater companies in that it’s run by a collective of multidisciplinary artists and designers rather than by actors, writers or directors. By combining ancient storytelling techniques (music, dance, masks, puppetry) with modern technology (digital media, special effects and theatrical illusions), the Rogues cultivate a unique style of live performance unlike any other. They define the combined use of these and other underrepresented art forms as “Hyper-theater.” Since 2002, the Rogues have created nearly 20 original new works and collaborated with hundreds of artists and community members. Past Rogue Artists Ensemble Hyper-theatrical productions include Zen Shorts, adapted from the book by Jon J. Muth, last seen in Tears of Joy Theatre and the Pasadena Playhouse; D is for Dog, produced at South Coast Repertory and designated one of the top-rated productions of 2011 by Bitter Lemons; Gogol Project, adapted by Kitty Felde from three Gogol short stories (Los Angeles Times “Critic’s Choice”; Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards for adaptation and design; LA Weekly Award for design); The Tragical Comedy of Mr. Punch, adapted from the graphic novel by Neil Gaiman (recipient of three Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards and received an entire chapter in the book “Prince of Stories: The Many Worlds of Neil Gaiman”); The Story of Frog Belly Rat Bone,adapted from the book by Timothy Basil; and, most recently, the acclaimed, immersive site-specific theatrical experience Kaidan Project: Walls Grow Thin, based on Japanese ghost stories and produced in partnership with East West Players. In 2018 the Rogues are launching their first writers’ group and development lab and will premiere their next large scale immersive project titled Señor Plummer’s Final Fiesta in October, a project commissioned by the City of West Hollywood to celebrate the namesake of Plummer Park.

The Garry Marshall Theatre is a nonprofit organization providing year-round innovative performances, educational opportunities, and storytelling activities for all ages,. Located in the heart of Burbank and Toluca Lake’s entertainment industry, the critically acclaimed and Ovation award-winning 130-seat theater was founded in 1997 as the Falcon Theatre by Hollywood legend Garry Marshall. Reestablished as the Garry Marshall Theatre in 2017, it continues to cultivate new artists and experiences that spark ideas and build community.

Wood Boy Dog Fish runs May 18 through June 24, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p,m. and 7:30 p.m. Preview performances take place May 12 and May 13 on the same schedule, with one additional preview on Wednesday, May 16 at 8 p.m. The pre-show experience begins one hour prior to every performance. Tickets range from $45-$65. The Garry Marshall Theatre is located at 4252 W Riverside Drive, Burbank, CA 91505.

Please note: Wood Boy Dog Fish is rated PG-13; it includes mature content and is not intended for young audiences.

 

Details for Calendar Listings

‘Wood Boy Dog Fish’
 

WHAT:
Wood Boy Dog Fish — A new-and-improved version of Rogue Artists Ensemble’s acclaimed, Ovation award-winning, mature and delightfully macabre reimagining of Carlo Collodi’s “The Adventures of Pinocchio.” The cricket is killed, a blue poltergeist haunts us all, the legendary Dogfish monster preys on our greatest fears and a little wooden puppet struggles to discover what it means to be real. Wood Boy Dog Fish is a visual feast that combines masks, highly expressive physical performance, dance, interactive sets, multiple puppetry traditions, projected media and sophisticated special effects and illusions — including 3D enhancement to transport audiences inside an old carnival ride. The pre-show begins one hour prior to each performance, immersing the crowd in the mysterious and quirky carnival world with games, food, drink, and surprises before they even find their seats. 

WHO:
• Written by Chelsea Sutton with Rogue Artists Ensemble
• Based on “The Adventures of Pinocchio” by Carlo Collodi
• Original music by Adrien Prévost
• Directed by Sean T. Cawelti
• Presented by Rogue Artists Ensemble and the Garry Marshall Theatre

WHEN:
Previews: May 12–May 16
Performances: May 24–June 24:
• Wednesday at 8 p.m.*: May 16 ONLY (preview)
• Fridays at 8 p.m.*: May 18 (opening night), May 25, June 1, June 8, June 15, June 22
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.* May 12 (preview), May 19, May 26, June 2, June 9, June 16, June 23
• Sundays at 3 p.m.*: May 13 (preview), May 20, May 27, June 3, June 10, June 17, June 24
• Sunday at 7:30 p.m.*: May 13 (preview), May 20, May 27, June 3, June 10, June 17, June 24
*Pre-show experience begins 1-hour prior to performance

WHERE:
Garry Marshall Theatre
4252 W Riverside Drive
Burbank, CA 91505

HOW:
(818) 955-8101 or GarryMarshallTheatre.org.
• Facebook: facebook.com/GarryMarshallTheatre
• Twitter: @GMTheatre_org
• Instagram: @garrymarshalltheatre

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
• RogueArtists.org
• Facebook: facebook.com/rogueartists
• Twitter: @rogue_artists
• Instagram: @rogue_artists

TICKET PRICES:
$45–$65

OTHER:
Rated PG-13: includes mature content, not intended for young audiences

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