WildClaw Theatre delivers a bi-weekly dose of horror to your inner ear and inbox!
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Face!
Speaking of J. Anthony Kosar's faces -- here's a pretty frightening look at ordinary people's faces under kind of extraordinary circumstances.
Just because.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
J. Anthony Kosar of Face Off!
Congrats to our friend J. Anthony Kosar for getting is face on FACE OFF!!!!
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Scott T. Barsotti Writes for the Storefront Playwright Project
This month, passersby of Expo 72 (72 E. Randolph St.) will see a different kind of holiday window display... Through the Storefront Playwright Project, a creation of the League of Chicago Theatres, the public will be able to watch emerging and established Chicago playwrights at work, and read their play-in-progress as it's being written in real time. This Friday, WildClaw's literary manager and playwright Scott T. Barsotti joins in the fun, working on his adaptation of THE SHADOW OVER INNSMOUTH, based on the story by H.P. Lovecraft, which will receive its premiere production in 2013 with WildClaw Theatre!!
Join Scott this Friday, December 7th from 2:00-6:00pm! Come by and see, stare, point, take pictures, and keep his wife company! We guarantee he'll be the only playwright writing about a cult of fish people...
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
FISH STORY WINS DEATHSCRIBE 2012!
All of us here at WildClaw wish to extend our most sincere congratulations to Joseph Zettelmaier, whose radio play FISH STORY took home the coveted Deathscribe Bloody Axe last night!
Three desperate men and a prehistoric, many legged fish with necrosis-inducing bites made for a kickass piece of radio horror. Many thanks to the director Kevin Theis, and the cast of Joe Bianco, Chris Rickett, and Dave Skvarla.
We will have photos from the evening soon, courtesy of Joe Mazza at Brave Lux, which if you haven't seen Joe's work, go check him out. If you've seen photos from our Clockwork Nightmare benefit back in September then you know how awesome he is.
Coming soon we will have podcasts of DEATHSCRIBE 2011, and we'll be working on getting last night's recordings on the blog as soon as possible.
Thank you to all of this year's directors, actors, musicians, foleyists, and artists. Thank you to our sponsors, our friends, and you, the show-going horror-loving public for sharing your evening and your enthusiasm with us!
And as always, thank you to the Deathscribes. DEATHSCRIBE could not exist without all of the delectably demented writers who bravely venture into the dark, carving out their stories in text and sound, grappling with their nightmares so that we too, can enjoy the thrill of a well told scary story. Last night, we got five of them.
Submissions for DEATHSCRIBE 2013 will open up in the spring of 2013. Be you playwright, horror writer, novelist, professional, hobbyist, student, teacher, doctor, engineer, taxidermist, nice nurse, creepy nurse, evil barber, firefighter, firestarter, or outer god. We don't care who you are or where you live. If you've got a horror radio play you've been wanting to write, get to it. What are you waiting for? 2013 may be your year, just as 2012 was the Year of the Fish.
Congrats, Joe!
Three desperate men and a prehistoric, many legged fish with necrosis-inducing bites made for a kickass piece of radio horror. Many thanks to the director Kevin Theis, and the cast of Joe Bianco, Chris Rickett, and Dave Skvarla.
We will have photos from the evening soon, courtesy of Joe Mazza at Brave Lux, which if you haven't seen Joe's work, go check him out. If you've seen photos from our Clockwork Nightmare benefit back in September then you know how awesome he is.
Coming soon we will have podcasts of DEATHSCRIBE 2011, and we'll be working on getting last night's recordings on the blog as soon as possible.Thank you to all of this year's directors, actors, musicians, foleyists, and artists. Thank you to our sponsors, our friends, and you, the show-going horror-loving public for sharing your evening and your enthusiasm with us!
And as always, thank you to the Deathscribes. DEATHSCRIBE could not exist without all of the delectably demented writers who bravely venture into the dark, carving out their stories in text and sound, grappling with their nightmares so that we too, can enjoy the thrill of a well told scary story. Last night, we got five of them.
Submissions for DEATHSCRIBE 2013 will open up in the spring of 2013. Be you playwright, horror writer, novelist, professional, hobbyist, student, teacher, doctor, engineer, taxidermist, nice nurse, creepy nurse, evil barber, firefighter, firestarter, or outer god. We don't care who you are or where you live. If you've got a horror radio play you've been wanting to write, get to it. What are you waiting for? 2013 may be your year, just as 2012 was the Year of the Fish.
Congrats, Joe!
Monday, December 3, 2012
MEET THE DEATHSCRIBE 2012 FINALISTS (part 5 of 5)
Last year, playwright Jessica Wright Buha and director Carolyn Hoerdemann teamed up to bring you Alabama Mermaid, a harrowing horror radio play with music, that combined sweet vocal melodies with the sounds of snapping arms and legs to weave a cautionary tale about menacing mermaids and snatched children in the South. This year, the winning team from DEATHSCRIBE 2011 have found each other again to tell another scary story...
Only this time, it isn't the bubbling, ringing sounds of the river bed. This year, they want you to hear THE CRY OF THE ROSE.
Murder. Battery. Torture. War. There is no shortage of horrors that human beings can enact upon each other. Perhaps the most terrifying idea in the world, something we're all acutely aware of, is that our peaceful lives can be so easily torn apart. It may be over the course of years. Or minutes. Or even mere seconds.
2011 Bloody Axe Winner Jessica Wright Buha transports you to 19th century Mexico for this lush tale of love and vengeance that is part murder ballad, part origin story.
Jessica Wright Buha’s writings have been performed by The Plagiarists (I Am Saying This Right Now) of which she is a company member, WildClaw Theatre (Alabama Mermaid, winner of Deathscribe 2011: The Fourth Annual Festival of Horror Radio Plays), the Whiskey Rebellion (Wake: A Folk Opera, Sign of Rain, Tennyson Spade), and Tooth and Nail Ensemble (Under Ground, directed by Marti Lyons). Locally, she is a solo performer (2011 Fillet of Solo Festival), a props designer (Lifeline Theatre’s Treasure Island), and a dramaturg (Lookingglass Theatre's Our Future Metropolis). She is also a founding member of the Lifeline Storytelling Project, a spoken word group performing weekly in Rogers Park. Current writing projects include The Feast of St. McGonagall, which is being performed by The Plagiarists through December 29.
Only this time, it isn't the bubbling, ringing sounds of the river bed. This year, they want you to hear THE CRY OF THE ROSE.
Murder. Battery. Torture. War. There is no shortage of horrors that human beings can enact upon each other. Perhaps the most terrifying idea in the world, something we're all acutely aware of, is that our peaceful lives can be so easily torn apart. It may be over the course of years. Or minutes. Or even mere seconds.
2011 Bloody Axe Winner Jessica Wright Buha transports you to 19th century Mexico for this lush tale of love and vengeance that is part murder ballad, part origin story.
EL GRITO DE ROSE
Written by Jessica Wright Buha
Written by Jessica Wright Buha
Directed by Carolyn Hoerdemann
Jessica Wright Buha’s writings have been performed by The Plagiarists (I Am Saying This Right Now) of which she is a company member, WildClaw Theatre (Alabama Mermaid, winner of Deathscribe 2011: The Fourth Annual Festival of Horror Radio Plays), the Whiskey Rebellion (Wake: A Folk Opera, Sign of Rain, Tennyson Spade), and Tooth and Nail Ensemble (Under Ground, directed by Marti Lyons). Locally, she is a solo performer (2011 Fillet of Solo Festival), a props designer (Lifeline Theatre’s Treasure Island), and a dramaturg (Lookingglass Theatre's Our Future Metropolis). She is also a founding member of the Lifeline Storytelling Project, a spoken word group performing weekly in Rogers Park. Current writing projects include The Feast of St. McGonagall, which is being performed by The Plagiarists through December 29.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
MEET THE DEATHSCRIBE 2012 FINALISTS (part 4 of 5)
So there you are, enjoying what appears to be a nice, normal day in the city. But...doesn't something just feel a little...off?
It's probably just the weather changing. You know how you get. But something's nagging at you. Does gravity seem stronger somehow? Is there something in the light? Everything looks familiar and yet...horribly strange.
Maybe those strangers over there know something. It's probably just the air pressure playing tricks on you. Then again, it could have something to do with those sinister fluttering sounds in your ear...or that massive, dark structure that wasn't there yesterday...
Our fourth Deathscribe of 2012 takes you to the Chicago of your fever dreams, where many things are as they were but nothing is as it should be. Three strangers in the city latch onto each other in attempt to retain their sanity, and try to make sense of this nightmare-scape the only way they know how, by COMPARING NOTES AT THE END OF THE WORLD.
Christopher M. Walsh published his first short story, an embarrassing bit of swords-&-sorcery called "Highway Robbery," in 2001. Since then he's crossed the finish line of National Novel Writing Month three times and made his debut as an adaptor with Lifeline Theatre's 2011 production of The Count of Monte Cristo. His second play, an adaptation of China Miéville's The City & The City, will open at Lifeline in February 2013. Chris's torrid relationship with horror began in 1985, when he couldn't sleep after reading "The Mangler" by Stephen King. However, while he will greedily consume the terrors of the written word, he is ashamed to admit that still can't watch scary movies without covering his eyes. Ask Mandy. She'll tell you.
It's probably just the weather changing. You know how you get. But something's nagging at you. Does gravity seem stronger somehow? Is there something in the light? Everything looks familiar and yet...horribly strange.
Maybe those strangers over there know something. It's probably just the air pressure playing tricks on you. Then again, it could have something to do with those sinister fluttering sounds in your ear...or that massive, dark structure that wasn't there yesterday...Our fourth Deathscribe of 2012 takes you to the Chicago of your fever dreams, where many things are as they were but nothing is as it should be. Three strangers in the city latch onto each other in attempt to retain their sanity, and try to make sense of this nightmare-scape the only way they know how, by COMPARING NOTES AT THE END OF THE WORLD.
COMPARING NOTES AT THE END OF THE WORLD
Written by Christopher M. Walsh
Written by Christopher M. Walsh
Directed by Robert Kauzlaric
Christopher M. Walsh published his first short story, an embarrassing bit of swords-&-sorcery called "Highway Robbery," in 2001. Since then he's crossed the finish line of National Novel Writing Month three times and made his debut as an adaptor with Lifeline Theatre's 2011 production of The Count of Monte Cristo. His second play, an adaptation of China Miéville's The City & The City, will open at Lifeline in February 2013. Chris's torrid relationship with horror began in 1985, when he couldn't sleep after reading "The Mangler" by Stephen King. However, while he will greedily consume the terrors of the written word, he is ashamed to admit that still can't watch scary movies without covering his eyes. Ask Mandy. She'll tell you.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
MEET THE DEATHSCRIBE 2012 FINALISTS (part 3 of 5)
So, how do you feel about isolated houses in the woods?
Pretty cool? You're on board with that? How about the basement? You feel like headin' down there?
Yeah ok, it's not so bad, just a little spooky, nothing to worry about. But wait...what's...down...um...there?
Our next 2012 Deathscribe, Travis Williams, wants you to know. Go ahead, hold his hand. Seriously, he's a very nice-looking guy, very gentlemanly. Follow him, it's easy. Look, no tricks. He's not gonna show you anything in particular. It's no big deal, what's back here. It's just your worst nightmare. Love makes you do crazy things, and two lovers and would-be criminals confront each other, themselves, and their horrifying future when faced with THE WALL. Christy Arington directs this plunge into modern terror.
THE WALL
Written by Travis Williams
Written by Travis Williams
Directed by Christy Arington
Travis Williams is very excited to join the amazing writers of Deathscribe! Hailing from Ohio, Travis has been active in the Chicago arts community for several years, and is a proud company member with Theatre Seven of Chicago. He has been writing stories and plays from a very young age, and has always been a fan of the strange and scary. Thanks to my wife Elizabeth for her love and support, and thanks to WildClaw for creating this horrorific event!
Friday, November 30, 2012
MEET THE DEATHSCRIBE 2012 FINALISTS (part 2 of 5)
Fish are scary.
We can just agree on that. Everything that lives underwater is terrifying.
Here in Chicago, we just know something, someday, many-tentacled, many-eyed, and flesh-hungry is going to crawl out of that big ol' lake. Someday.
Our next 2012 Deathscribe is an award-winning dramatist who hails from the wind-chapped apocalyptic wasteland once known as "Michigan." (Or as WildClaw founding artistic director called it, "Mitch-igan.") Joseph has treated us to a dark tale of greed, deception, and the wickedness of nature itself. Three men find themselves alone in a snowstorm, with only each other for company (or competition), and what may be an unknown species in the bathtub. You're heard about the one that got away, and about the catch that was this big!, but this here ain't no ordinary FISH STORY. This delicious creature feature is directed by Kevin Theis.
Joseph Zettelmaier is a Michigan-based playwright and three-time nominee for the Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association Award for best new play, first in 2006 for All Childish Things, then in 2007 for Language Lessons and in 2010 for It Came From Mars. Other plays include Dead Man’s Shoes, And The Creek Don’t Rise, The All Childish Things Trilogy, Dr. Seward’s Dracula, First Snow, Blackwater Ballad, Night Blooming, Point of Origin, and The Stillness Between Breaths. The Stillness Between Breaths won Best New Play 2005 from the Oakland Press and was selected (as was It Came From Mars) to appear in the National New Play Network’s Festival of New Plays. He also co-authored Flyover, USA: Voices From Men of the Midwest at the Williamston Theatre (Winner of the 2009 Thespie Award for Best New Script). It Came From Mars was a recipient of 2009’s Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award, and won Best New Script 2010 from the Lansing State Journal. Dead Man’s Shoes won the Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award in 2011, and won both a Lansing Pulsar Award and Wilde Award for Best New Script. His newest script, Ebenezer, will be performed this winter at Williamston Theatre. He is an Associate Artist at Performance Network, and an adjunct lecturer at Eastern Michigan University, where he teaches Dramatic Composition. Joseph was recently profiled in the March 2012 issue of American Theatre Magazine, and can be reached at www.jzettelmaier.com.
We can just agree on that. Everything that lives underwater is terrifying.
Here in Chicago, we just know something, someday, many-tentacled, many-eyed, and flesh-hungry is going to crawl out of that big ol' lake. Someday.
Our next 2012 Deathscribe is an award-winning dramatist who hails from the wind-chapped apocalyptic wasteland once known as "Michigan." (Or as WildClaw founding artistic director called it, "Mitch-igan.") Joseph has treated us to a dark tale of greed, deception, and the wickedness of nature itself. Three men find themselves alone in a snowstorm, with only each other for company (or competition), and what may be an unknown species in the bathtub. You're heard about the one that got away, and about the catch that was this big!, but this here ain't no ordinary FISH STORY. This delicious creature feature is directed by Kevin Theis.
FISH STORY
Written by Joseph Zettelmaier
Written by Joseph Zettelmaier
Directed by Kevin Theis
Joseph Zettelmaier is a Michigan-based playwright and three-time nominee for the Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association Award for best new play, first in 2006 for All Childish Things, then in 2007 for Language Lessons and in 2010 for It Came From Mars. Other plays include Dead Man’s Shoes, And The Creek Don’t Rise, The All Childish Things Trilogy, Dr. Seward’s Dracula, First Snow, Blackwater Ballad, Night Blooming, Point of Origin, and The Stillness Between Breaths. The Stillness Between Breaths won Best New Play 2005 from the Oakland Press and was selected (as was It Came From Mars) to appear in the National New Play Network’s Festival of New Plays. He also co-authored Flyover, USA: Voices From Men of the Midwest at the Williamston Theatre (Winner of the 2009 Thespie Award for Best New Script). It Came From Mars was a recipient of 2009’s Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award, and won Best New Script 2010 from the Lansing State Journal. Dead Man’s Shoes won the Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award in 2011, and won both a Lansing Pulsar Award and Wilde Award for Best New Script. His newest script, Ebenezer, will be performed this winter at Williamston Theatre. He is an Associate Artist at Performance Network, and an adjunct lecturer at Eastern Michigan University, where he teaches Dramatic Composition. Joseph was recently profiled in the March 2012 issue of American Theatre Magazine, and can be reached at www.jzettelmaier.com.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
MEET THE DEATHSCRIBE 2012 FINALISTS (part 1 of 5)
Alright kids. DEATHSCRIBE 2012 is right around the corner, ready to haunt your dreams and make you think of things like this:
And this:
But see the thing is, all that shit's IN YOUR MIND. Our intrepid crews of actors, musicians, and foley artists aren't gonna show you any of this, they're going to make you see it in your own dark, lonely, twisted, terrifying imagination (we love you) through the wonders of sound.
But before any of those insane artists dive into creating such sonic scares, some asylum escapee has to think that stuff up and write it down using...I'm gonna say ichor. Just like every year, this year's DEATHSCRIBE features the work of five sagely psychos, five tormented souls who know all too well what the world is, what it was, and what it is certain to become. And they want to share.
Our first Deathscribe of 2012 is a fella name Brandon Zachary. Brandon invites us to a poker game at the table of Hell, where nothing is as it seems and no one truly wins. Is this game hosted by a demon? Is it an insane billionaire? Or is it AN ABSTRACT THOUGHT WITH SINISTER INTENTIONS? Damon Kiely directs this five-card mindfuck.
I'd also like to note that Brandon is the youngest Deathscribe finalist to date. Hear that, college students across the world? Get to writing. We want your nightmares.
Brandon Zachary is a student at Columbia College in Chicago, currently working on a screenwriting concentration. He is a graduate of the Second City sketch writing program, and a staff writer for Ain't It Cool News. All these things combine to form a twenty one year old slacker who watches too many films.
I never got a headshot from Brandon, so I can only assume he looks like this:
And this:
But see the thing is, all that shit's IN YOUR MIND. Our intrepid crews of actors, musicians, and foley artists aren't gonna show you any of this, they're going to make you see it in your own dark, lonely, twisted, terrifying imagination (we love you) through the wonders of sound.
But before any of those insane artists dive into creating such sonic scares, some asylum escapee has to think that stuff up and write it down using...I'm gonna say ichor. Just like every year, this year's DEATHSCRIBE features the work of five sagely psychos, five tormented souls who know all too well what the world is, what it was, and what it is certain to become. And they want to share.
Our first Deathscribe of 2012 is a fella name Brandon Zachary. Brandon invites us to a poker game at the table of Hell, where nothing is as it seems and no one truly wins. Is this game hosted by a demon? Is it an insane billionaire? Or is it AN ABSTRACT THOUGHT WITH SINISTER INTENTIONS? Damon Kiely directs this five-card mindfuck.
I'd also like to note that Brandon is the youngest Deathscribe finalist to date. Hear that, college students across the world? Get to writing. We want your nightmares.
AN ABSTRACT THOUGHT WITH SINISTER INTENTIONS
Written by Brandon Zachary
Written by Brandon Zachary
Directed by Damon Kiely
Brandon Zachary is a student at Columbia College in Chicago, currently working on a screenwriting concentration. He is a graduate of the Second City sketch writing program, and a staff writer for Ain't It Cool News. All these things combine to form a twenty one year old slacker who watches too many films.
I never got a headshot from Brandon, so I can only assume he looks like this:
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Deathblow Productions - Monday, Nov 19th
This looks like great fun.
Ryan Oliver is a great filmmaker and a quality dude. I remember him talking about "Air Conditions" way back when; I'm excited to see it fully realized.
And although archival video of live theatre productions are rarely super-polished, I've been hearing about Factory Theater's "Among the Dead" for years. This show sounds off-the-wall bonkers and incredibly bad-ass.
A fantastic night of weird.
Ryan Oliver is a great filmmaker and a quality dude. I remember him talking about "Air Conditions" way back when; I'm excited to see it fully realized.
And although archival video of live theatre productions are rarely super-polished, I've been hearing about Factory Theater's "Among the Dead" for years. This show sounds off-the-wall bonkers and incredibly bad-ass.
A fantastic night of weird.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Neighborhood 3 at Strawdog
Three more chances to check out this cool show from our friends at Strawdog!
Limited 2 for 1 Tickets Available
through the weekend!
Use code THREE
when ordering online and get
two tickets for only $28!
Tickets going quickly! Click here to order now:
Every Thursday is Industry Night
$10 Tickets - use code word: INDUSTRY
Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm
$28 regular, $20 seniors & $15 students
Friday, October 26, 2012
Life of Death Dramaturgical Guide
You have seven more chances to see it. Here is a little extra info and deep thoughts sort of thing for you...also good for the school kids out there. Bring your id to get a student discount! Industry discounts on thursdays and sundays as well!
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
A Monster Rally, Trucks Optional
Carolyn Defrin, friend of the 'Claw and company member with The House Theatre (which is probably a haunted house, anyway) is one of the masterminds behind the new website The Monster Weekly, which promises to chronicle the ordinary and extraordinary lives of monsters. Every week, you will be given new insight into the world of monsters, as they live, love, share and scare, by way of original artwork and stories.
Now, ordinarily, one of the Claws could be expected to roll eyes heavenward, heave a haughty sniff, and say, "ADORABLE MONSTERS? Monsters aren't supposed to be ADORABLE."
But in this instance, I believe you will agree that we must make an exception.
Adorable.
Now, ordinarily, one of the Claws could be expected to roll eyes heavenward, heave a haughty sniff, and say, "ADORABLE MONSTERS? Monsters aren't supposed to be ADORABLE."
But in this instance, I believe you will agree that we must make an exception.
Adorable.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Jack O' Turnip
From Wikipedia.org:
Development of artifacts and symbols associated with Halloween formed over time. The turnip has traditionally been used in Ireland and Scotland at Halloween,[38][39] but immigrants to North America used the native pumpkin, which is both much softer and much larger – making it easier to carve than a turnip.[38] Subsequently, the mass marketing of various size pumpkins in autumn, in both the corporate and local markets, has made pumpkins universally available for this purpose. The American tradition of carving pumpkins is recorded in 1837[40] and was originally associated with harvest time in general, not becoming specifically associated with Halloween until the mid-to-late 19th century.[41]
The imagery of Halloween is derived from many sources, including national customs, works of Gothic and horror literature (such as the novels Frankenstein and Dracula) and classic horror films (such as Frankenstein and The Mummy).[42] One of the earliest works on the subject of Halloween is from Scottish poet John Mayne, who, in 1780, made note of pranks at Halloween; "What fearfu' pranks ensue!", as well as the supernatural associated with the night, "Bogies" (ghosts), influencing Robert Burns' Halloween 1785.[43] Elements of the autumn season, such as pumpkins, corn husks and scarecrows, are also prevalent. Homes are often decorated with these types of symbols around Halloween.
Halloween imagery includes themes of death, evil, the occult, and mythical monsters.[44] Black and orange are the holiday's traditional colors.
The Celtic traditional or American update: both are damn tasty.
Monday, October 15, 2012
WildClaw's Weird, Grandma!
WildClaw is proud to present a One-Night-Only unholy alliance with Chicago institution Barrel of Monkeys.
Barrel of Monkeys uses theatre, dance, spectacle and comedy to present creative writing from CPS elementary students as original sketches and songs.
Tonight, WildClaw joins BOM as special guests in their cross-cultural and cross-community extravaganza, Chicago's Weird, Grandma!
WildClaw company members and some extended family will be putting their own devilish spin on an Untitled piece by Francisco V from the Loyola Park After School Program, which shows what happens when a zombie horde meets Kid's Best Friend.
SEE Casey Cunningham as a young girl who laughs in the face of bedtime!
SEE Michaela Petro as the most loyal pet a kid could ever hope to have in a zombie apocalypse!
SEE Dave Skvarla as the leader of the zombie horde!
SEE Moira Begale as the ambassador from beyond the stars!
SEE Mandy Walsh as a mom who knows how to keep her family safe!
SEE Ele Matelan in jeans and a t-shirt!
Say “Rombies!” at the Box Office for discounted tickets.
Barrel of Monkeys uses theatre, dance, spectacle and comedy to present creative writing from CPS elementary students as original sketches and songs.
Tonight, WildClaw joins BOM as special guests in their cross-cultural and cross-community extravaganza, Chicago's Weird, Grandma!
WildClaw company members and some extended family will be putting their own devilish spin on an Untitled piece by Francisco V from the Loyola Park After School Program, which shows what happens when a zombie horde meets Kid's Best Friend.
SEE Casey Cunningham as a young girl who laughs in the face of bedtime!
SEE Michaela Petro as the most loyal pet a kid could ever hope to have in a zombie apocalypse!
SEE Dave Skvarla as the leader of the zombie horde!
SEE Moira Begale as the ambassador from beyond the stars!
SEE Mandy Walsh as a mom who knows how to keep her family safe!
SEE Ele Matelan in jeans and a t-shirt!
Say “Rombies!” at the Box Office for discounted tickets.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Anderson Lawfer talks Pontypool! Opening October 13th at Strawdog Hugen Hall
Why Pontypool Is Important To Me
By Anderson Lawfer
I love Zombie Movies. Love em. I love the idea of different races, ages, socioeconomic
statuses of people banding together to battle a common enemy. Sort of like Star Trek! I
love the use of found objects as weapons. I love how easy zombies die. I love the fact the
no one in a zombie movie has ever seen a zombie movie. I love the inescapable end all
characters face. They may live through the movie, but you know where they are headed.
The compass has only one direction. This is a real life truth, as well.
But, my favorite part of every zombie movie is the first 25 minutes. When the disease
starts in a small place, possibly spread by a corporation, or the Government. Maybe it
started on a farm! Maybe it is from Aliens! It never really matters where it starts, and the
good ones never let us know, because our protagonists do not know.
What excites me is the speculation, paranoia, and confusion.
It’ is a theme I find myself being drawn to in most of my favorite pieces of work. Kafka’s
The Trial was my first experience as a young adult with this theme. Why is Joseph K.
being arrested? WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING OOOOON?!
In zombie flicks as in Real Life we are, more often than not, not given the information we
need to make a proper decision. We have to rely on information from news channels and
friends, tweets and text messages.
Do you remember the morning of September 11th? We all turned on the news expecting
them to have the answers, but nobody had any answers. All we knew was that some shit
went down that was going to change everything. It took us a good 8 excruciating hours
to have ANY actual information, but during those 8 hours, it was an endless stream of
theories and designs we made in our brains that meant nothing and almost none of those
ideas ended up being the real answer.
So to me, Pontypool is the perfect piece. It is the clearest horror allegory for the world
we live in now. No answers, only a relentless storm of horrifying information with no
discernment.
The War Of The Worlds on crack.
To me, there is nothing scarier.
-Anderson Lawfer
Get more info and tickets here!
Sunday, October 7, 2012
The Life of Death is Open!
Here's a little peak...use the code BRINGOUTYOURDEAD for two for one tickets at the box office.
Photos by Kevin Mullaney.
Photos by Kevin Mullaney.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Happy Birthdays
to WildClaw Artistic Associate Karen Tarjan
and "The Life of Death"
secret code phrase "BRING OUT YOUR DEAD"
gets you two for one tickets at the box office!
(first two weeks of the run only)
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Haunted Chicago at the Chicago History Musuem
There are so many cool things to do in Chicago at any given time...but I for one think October is the very best time to be a Chicagoan. The Bears are playing. The leaves are turning. And the dead are often rising. Oh and Wildclaw is doing a little play! In addition, check out some of the awesome tours and events at the Chicago History Museum. I am planning to go to a couple myself.
Chicago's Deathly Past
Unwrap the eerie history of our neighborhood at the Museum. You might not see dead people, but you will certainly be surrounded by them.
Garden of the Dead: The History of Lincoln Park’s Elusive Graves
Thursday, November 1, 6:30 p.m.
Chicago’s early dead were trafficked into and out of its first municipal graveyard, the Chicago City Cemetery. Pamela Bannos of the Hidden Truths Project shares stories of grave robbers, improper burials, and the confusion that led to Lincoln Park.
Cost: $10, $8 members
Haunted History of the History Museum
Wednesday, November 7, 6:30 p.m.
Take a ghost tour without leaving your chair. Curators Jill Austin and Naomi Blumberg will introduce you to some of the Museum’s creepiest artifacts and its haunted past.
Cost: $10, $8 members
Unfolding Tales: The Lingering Legacy of the Chicago City Cemetery
Tuesday, November 13, 6:30 p.m.
On this spine-tingling evening, Pamela Bannos digs up Lincoln Park’s hidden haunted history.
Cost: $10, $8 members
Creepy Cemetery Tours
Meet at the cemetery entrance.
Rosehill Cemetery West
Sunday, October 7, 1:00–3:30 p.m.
Al Walavich guides you through the west side of Rosehill Cemetery. Tour meets at 5600 North Western Avenue.
Cost: $16, $10 members
Graceland Cemetery
Saturday, October 27 and Sunday October 28, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 1:00–3:00 p.m.; Wednesday, October 31, 1:00–3:00 p.m.
Experience old Chicago via the graves of Marshall Field, Louis Sullivan, Potter and Bertha Palmer, and George Pullman. Tours meet at Irving Park Road and Clark Street.
Cost: $16, $10 members
Saturday, October 27, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 27, 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 28, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 28, 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 31, 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Bohemian National Cemetery: Locked In After Dark!
Sundays November 4, and November 11, 3:30–5:30 p.m.
This unique opportunity to tour Bohemian National begins as the gates are locked and concludes after dusk. Headlamps or flashlights recommended; please bring your own. Reservations required, space is extremely limited!
Cost: $35, $30 members
Sunday, November 4
Sunday, November 11
Eerie Bus and Trolley Tours
Devil in the White City
Saturdays, October 6, November 3, and December 8, 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Experience the excitement of 1893 Chicago on this unique tour based on Erik Larson’s best-selling book. Follow Daniel Burnham’s plans and learn about the devilish doings of H. H. Holmes as you explore the World’s Columbian Exposition.
Cost: $50, $40 members
Saturday, October 6
Saturday, November 3
Saturday, December 8
Chicago Sinister: Spiritualists, Spooks, and Memento Mori
Saturday, November 10, 3:00–7:00 p.m.
Venture into the parlor of the infamous Bangs sisters, learn the truth behind Resurrection Mary, and ponder the murderous objects collected by the Whitechapel Club and the Noose Coffee Shop.
Cost: $50, $40 members
Scene of the Crime: Infamous Chicago History
Saturday, November 17, 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Richard Lindberg leads a brand-new bus tour of infamous murder sites, gangster hideaways, and the deep underbelly of the city.
Cost: $50, $40 members
Paranormal Pub Crawls
BOO-ze! Haunted History Pub Crawl
Wednesdays, October 17 and October 24, and Thursday, October 18, 7:00–10:00 p.m.
Travel by trolley to Chicago’s most haunted drinking establishments with supernatural expert Ursula Bielski.
Cost: $30, $25 members
Wednesday, October 17
Thursday, October 18
Wednesday, October 24
Booze, Bars, and Bootlegging! Prohibition Era Chicago
Sundays, October 21 and November 18, 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Find out what makes Chicago untouchable. Get a taste of infamous speakeasies frequented by some of Chicago’s infamous gangsters like Capone, Moran, and Dillinger. On this trolley tour, learn how prohibition came to be, some fascinating facts about the era, and how it ultimately shaped the city and its image.
Cost: $30, $25 members
Sunday, October 21
Sunday, November 18
Scary Special Events
Mysterious Museum and Garden of the Dead
Friday, October 12, 6:30–8:00 p.m.
This night of fright begins with a curator-led flashlight tour of the eerier parts of the Museum. From there, the journey moves outdoors to Lincoln Park’s plagued past. Bring your own flashlight; reservations required for this very rare opportunity!
Cost: $25, $20 members
Tomb Talks and Ghost Stories
Fridays, October 19 and October 26, and Tuesday, October 30, 6:30 p.m.
Join us for some spooktacular stories! We'll gather on the grounds of the original city cemetery and cozy up next to the only remaining tomb - the Couch Tomb. The first half of our bone-chilling hour will introduce you to the history of the cemetery while the last half focuses on ghost story telling. All Chicago centered, of corpse! Flashlights and blankets are a must as we'll be in the park at night!
Cost: $15, $10 members
Friday, October 19
Friday, October 26
Tuesday, October 30
Free Horror Movie Nights
Get ready for Halloween with two horror classics on Sundays at 7:00 p.m.
Location: Beer garden at Sheffield's, 3258 North Sheffield Avenue
Cost: Free. No reserved seating, so come early!
Silence of the Lambs
Sunday, October 21
Halloween
Sunday, October 28
Pints, Pumpkins, and Painting
Tuesday, October 23, 7:00 p.m.
Location: Sheffield’s, 3258 North Sheffield Avenue
Make your own Halloween monster by creating a carved or painted pumpkin. This evening will combine history, art, and spirits (of both kinds). Fee includes craft instruction and materials; beverages and food not included.
Cost: $25, $20 members
Tap into History: Haunted Chicago Beer Dinner
Thursday, October 25, 7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
Location: Whole Foods Market Lincoln Park
1550 N. Kingsbury
Chef Won Kim pairs beer and food at Whole Foods Lincoln Park for this evening of spookily good culinary delights, supernatural brews, and hair-raising history.
Cost: $35, $30 members
Abracadabra! A Night of Magic
Monday, October 29, cocktails 6:30 p.m., show, 7:30 p.m.
Marvel at strolling and fully staged performances by Suzanne the Magician and David Kovac the Modern-Day Vaudevillian, while enjoying cocktails from a cash bar.
Cost: $35, $30 members
City of Ghosts: A Historic Seance
Wednesday, October 31, 6:30–8:00 p.m.
Spend Halloween uncovering the dark secrets of Chicago’s macabre past, with an interactive program of spine-tingling stories, eerie histories, and inexplicable supernatural occurrences. Space is extremely limited; reservations are required.
Cost: $35, $30 members
Wicked Walking Tours
The Wizard of Oz
Saturday, October 20, 5:30 p.m.
On this enchanted stroll, focus on the real story behind L. Frank Baum’s flying monkeys, wicked witches, and wild wizards. Tour meets at Webster and Burling.
Cost: $16, $10 members
How about a yummy plate of boils?
Yummy.
Monday, October 1, 2012
The Massacre
MASSACRE FANS: Are you ready for THE MASSACRE (Oct. 20-Portage Theater)?!!
NIGHTMARE ON ELM ST. 3, HALLOWEEN II, FRENZY, HAUSU, PRINCE OF DARKNESS, CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF, PHANTASM II, RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD
and more on 35mm film for only $20!
NIGHTMARE ON ELM ST. 3, HALLOWEEN II, FRENZY, HAUSU, PRINCE OF DARKNESS, CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF, PHANTASM II, RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD
and more on 35mm film for only $20!
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
WildClaw's Kickstarter Campaign...KEEP THE BLOOD FLOWING!
So we announced our kickass Deathscribe lineup. We just had an awesome time at our benefit. And now we are just a week out from loading into the theatre for Life of Death tech rehearsals. Opening looms and we are psyched. We are also doing a little fundraiser. We need your help to keep the blood flowing. So if you can toss a few bucks (or a lot of bucks)...we will be eternally grateful! Also, tell everyone you know to toss a couple of bucks into the pot. And hold onto to your hats for another awesome fall and winter of scary good times with WildClaw Theatre....
Monday, September 17, 2012
DEATHSCRIBE 2012 LINEUP!
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! GHOULS AND GHOSTS! OUTER GODS AND ELDER THINGS! CENOBITES AND LYCANTHROPES! YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE!!
We are thrilled to announce the lineup for DEATHSCRIBE 2012:
Comparing Notes at the End of the World by Christopher M. Walsh
Directed by Rob Kauzlaric
An Abstract Thought With Sinister Intentions by Brandon Zachary
Directed by Damon Kiely
Fish Story by Joseph Zettelmaier
Directed Kevin Theis
El Grito de Rose by Jessica Wright Buha
Directed by Carolyn Hoerdemann
The Wall by Travis Williams
Directed by Brandon Bruce
We got nearly 100 submissions and these five wonderful nightmares rose to the top, ready to thrill and chill. A Lovecraftian apocalypse, a mischievous demon, a gory Arctic creature, an ode to murder ballads, and a dose of modern terror. It all will make a one-of-a-kind evening of live horror radio.
And you may have noticed...our 2011 Bloody Axe winning playwright/director pair, Jessica Wright Buha and Carolyn Hoerdemann, who brought you ALABAMA MERMAID last year, are teaming up once again. We daemons squeal with delight.
More info will be posted here in the coming weeks about our finalists (and the directors who love them), and we hope to see YOU at the Mayne Stage on December 3.
We are thrilled to announce the lineup for DEATHSCRIBE 2012:
Comparing Notes at the End of the World by Christopher M. Walsh
Directed by Rob Kauzlaric
An Abstract Thought With Sinister Intentions by Brandon Zachary
Directed by Damon Kiely
Fish Story by Joseph Zettelmaier
Directed Kevin Theis
El Grito de Rose by Jessica Wright Buha
Directed by Carolyn Hoerdemann
The Wall by Travis Williams
Directed by Brandon Bruce
We got nearly 100 submissions and these five wonderful nightmares rose to the top, ready to thrill and chill. A Lovecraftian apocalypse, a mischievous demon, a gory Arctic creature, an ode to murder ballads, and a dose of modern terror. It all will make a one-of-a-kind evening of live horror radio.
And you may have noticed...our 2011 Bloody Axe winning playwright/director pair, Jessica Wright Buha and Carolyn Hoerdemann, who brought you ALABAMA MERMAID last year, are teaming up once again. We daemons squeal with delight.
More info will be posted here in the coming weeks about our finalists (and the directors who love them), and we hope to see YOU at the Mayne Stage on December 3.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Silent Auction at the Clockwork Nightmare Benefit
Seriously...this stuff is amazing. If you guys don't show up and bid on this stuff...I will be buying ALL OF IT myself.
Here are a few of the wonderful items or vendors who have been so generous!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/54784310/patient-spider-cutout-dark-matter
http://www.etsy.com/shop/poppyandfern
http://www.wildeimagination.com/default.aspx?skinid=5
http://www.etsy.com/shop/isette
http://www.etsy.com/shop/AbbotsHollowStudios
Here are a few of the wonderful items or vendors who have been so generous!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/54784310/patient-spider-cutout-dark-matter
http://www.etsy.com/shop/poppyandfern
http://www.wildeimagination.com/default.aspx?skinid=5
http://www.etsy.com/shop/isette
http://www.etsy.com/shop/AbbotsHollowStudios
Let CLOCKWORK NIGHTMARE be your ANTIBODY
Check out this trailer for the upcoming short film "Antibody."
Our friend Ivan Diaz over at Eye Sprocket Productions made this film, and will be screening it soon. One such screening is coming up on October 30, and what do you know? If you come to our Clockwork Nightmare benefit tomorrow night, you can bid on tickets to that screening, which is paired with a 'Scary Wine Tasting.'
Sounds like our kind of date night.
But that's only one of many many wonderful items you could walk away with at Clockwork Nightmare. There's lots of tantalizing stuff to bid on, we will have an original, unreleased, signed Tony Fitzpatrick print, an original hand drawn signed Tim Burton "Nightmare Before Christmas" sketch, a mini JAWS movie poster signed by Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Steven Spielberg, Peter Benchley and John Williams, VIP passes and a guest role at FEAR City Haunted House, a Zombie jacket, jewelry, theatre tickets, photography packages, and much much more. Go to our Clockwork Nightmare page to see all of the wonderful merchants who have donated to the WildClaw cause.
Advance tickets are only $40, and includes food, drink, music, entertainment, and dark revelry. And who couldn't use more dark revelry?
Hope to see YOU on Saturday night!!
Our friend Ivan Diaz over at Eye Sprocket Productions made this film, and will be screening it soon. One such screening is coming up on October 30, and what do you know? If you come to our Clockwork Nightmare benefit tomorrow night, you can bid on tickets to that screening, which is paired with a 'Scary Wine Tasting.'
Sounds like our kind of date night.
But that's only one of many many wonderful items you could walk away with at Clockwork Nightmare. There's lots of tantalizing stuff to bid on, we will have an original, unreleased, signed Tony Fitzpatrick print, an original hand drawn signed Tim Burton "Nightmare Before Christmas" sketch, a mini JAWS movie poster signed by Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Steven Spielberg, Peter Benchley and John Williams, VIP passes and a guest role at FEAR City Haunted House, a Zombie jacket, jewelry, theatre tickets, photography packages, and much much more. Go to our Clockwork Nightmare page to see all of the wonderful merchants who have donated to the WildClaw cause.
Advance tickets are only $40, and includes food, drink, music, entertainment, and dark revelry. And who couldn't use more dark revelry?
Hope to see YOU on Saturday night!!
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Confessions of a Foley Girl! And A Special Invitation
When I was nine, my eleven-year-old sister came home, full
of news from her field trip to the county courthouse. Her favorite part had
been the withered, creaky-drawled judge entrusted as their guide through the
judicial system, or what passed for it in Texas.
 |
| Yes, Texan Justices float. We all float down here. |
When asked about the weirdest
experience of his career, he related one trial where the defendant had become
so enraged by the testimony of the key witness, that he jumped up from his
seat, tackled her in the witness box, and bit off her nose. In his words, my
sister gleefully reported, “it sounded exactly like he had taken a bite out of
an apple.”
I was already no stranger to the importance of sound in
telling a good story: while seven, reading to my indulgent grandmother, I had
asked for a glass of water not because I was parched, as she suspected, but to
speak through it during one crucial passage. I also had a passing understanding of Foley work,
and knew the Golden Age of Radio had both its triumphs and its liabilities.
It wasn’t until I moved to Chicago, however, that I saw
Foley work employed in a theatrical production. Repeatedly. Well. With clarity,
cleverness, and cohesion, augmenting the storytelling in a
delightful way that would stay with the audience not only while living their own
kitchen sink dramas, but while making lunch in those same kitchens.
So imagine my own delight when I was invited to play with
WildClaw for the first time last year, as the third member of their Foley team
on Deathscribe 2011.
Which paled in comparison to my excitement this year, as a
new company member, reading our semifinalist submissions and preparing for a
knock-down, drag-out, Thunderdome debate amongst my awesome peers to decide, of
the 25 that entered, which 5 may leave. It was great to learn about my
co-company members’ tastes, defend my own, and explore together not only what we find scary, but funny, sexy, and to what end.
It took nearly three hours, four filibusters and lots of snacks, but we ultimately winnowed down nearly one hundred contenders to an evening of 5 deliciously unique tales of terror, helmed by 5 of Chicago’s best and bravest directors. We will reveal this year’s selection of scary scribes this Saturday, September 15th, at our Clockwork Nightmare Benefit.
 |
| BE HERE NOW! |
Our benefit? Why yes, it’s this Saturday! And not only are
we revealing the dark delights that will make up Deathscribe 2012, but we’ll
have great music, awesome entertainment, sinfully good food, and a silent
auction featuring one-of-a-kind adventures, local events, and art and jewelry from talented artisans from across the country.
I hope you will join us for this unique evening of scaring and sharing, benefiting the only theatre company in Chicago dedicated to bringing horror to the stage!
Because one of you may get inspired to write a script featuring a
nose-biter. I have just the thing.
Friday, September 7, 2012
this V/H/S movie looks damn good.
Yup. Mr. and Lady Morlock are hot to see this one. Now where to park the baby monster while her parents get their scare on?
Friday, August 31, 2012
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Deathscribe 2012 Directors Announced!
We here are WildClaw are very pleased to announce our lineup of Deathscribe 2012 Directors. While we are still wading through multitudes of serial killers, demonic possessions, and loads and loads of dead babies, we are super excited to know that when we get to the final five, Deathscribe 2012 will be in fine hands with these amazing directors. Here is the lineup.
Carolyn Hoerdemann
Brandon Bruce
Damon Kiely
Robert Kauzlaric
Kevin Theis
Alright directors, we will see you in December! Now, back to reading these scripts.
Carolyn Hoerdemann
Brandon Bruce
Damon Kiely
Robert Kauzlaric
Kevin Theis
Alright directors, we will see you in December! Now, back to reading these scripts.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Terror in the Aisles 12 September 14th, 2012
Terror in the Aisles 12
TERROR IN THE AISLES 12 The Ultimate Horror Triple Feature!
September 14, 2012
THE STUFF, FRANKENHOOKER & IRON SKY
Portage Theater
4050 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, IL 60641
1.773.736.4050
Doors at 7pm
7:30pm - Trailer Trash (Vintage Trailers, Short Films)
8pm - IRON SKY (Midwest Premiere!)
10pm - THE STUFF (with LARRY COHEN in Person!)
Free Autographs & Picture Taking!
Midnight - FRANKENHOOKER (with star PATTY MULLEN in PERSON!) Free Autographs & Picture Taking!
Short Films & Trailers Include:
Motivational Growth (Trailer) - Imagos Films
Short Films & Trailers Include:
"MOTIVATIONAL GROWTH" (Feature Trailer) - Imagos Films
"THE UNHOLY MANIPULATOR" - (Music Video) Product of Hate
World Premiere! (starring Ashley Laurence (lead actress in Hellraiser)with FX by Robert Kurtzman (Dusk 'Til Dawn))by James Zahn
"GIRL IN THE BLACK DRESS" (Short Film) by Jeremy Hull
"DIECONS" (Trailer) by Tommy Sigmon
"ELLIE'S HEAD" (Trailer) by Peter Fleming
Plus: Vendor Tables, Vintage Trailers,
a live charity auction for Vital Bridges (www.vitalbridges.org)
and more!
For more info: Facebook.com/terrorintheaisles
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