Suspiria, Where have you been all my life?

Believe this movie will melt your mind into the same colorful blotches it flashes on the screen, and know that you should not attempt to resist.
Go to there.
Immediately, if not sooner.

Aside from Suspiria being a horror cult classic that incorporated cutting edge technology (thank you Technicolor) to create nightmare visuals, but the soundtrack was provided by a band of equally outlandish auditory strangeness, Goblin. Goblin... Gob... Lin... I can even begin to describe what-the-what Goblin sounds like. Click this for a taste.

A beautiful & bizarre trip that travels at a drawn & lingering pace, Suspiria provides perplexing intrigue and little logic. A recipe for fantastical art.
Alice? Dorothy?
Shut it.
Suzy Bannion trumps you in hot blooded second. A hot 1977 orange blooded second.
How does this world exist? Are there rules? I thought this was a dance academy?!?

But what's it about?
Witches.
...
If you need more reason than that, I don't know I'll ever look you in the eye again.

Dario Argento, thank you for birthing this strange art baby.
May the minds of whomever read this get pregnant with the desire to take your ride.

WILDCLAW IN THE WILD: STORIES BY THE FIRE - PART III: Rabbits

WILDCLAW IN THE WILD: STORIES BY THE FIRE - PART III: Rabbits

Tomorrow...they come...eyes flashing...teeth sharp...

WildClaw in the Wild is back tomorrow, Sunday, September 1, huddled around the dwindling fire in the refuge at 3031.  The apocalypse is upon us.  The final WildClaw in the Wild is here. Sarah Saltwick will be joining us, from both Minnesota and Texas.  She hails from many borders and many lands.  She is adaptable to many climes.  She is formidable and resilient.  She is like nothing we've seen before.  Keep the fire low...

The WILDCLAW IN THE WILD series takes place on the first Sunday evening of the months of July, August, and September.

Tomorrow's reading begins at 7:30pm at 3031 (3031 N. Honore); doors open at 7:00pm and there will be a special musical guest each month performing before and after the reading.  Suggested donation $5.

September 1
RABBITS
by Sarah Saltwick
directed by Carolyn Hoerdemann
Featuring Diego Colon, Steve Herson, Sadie Rogers, and Lisandra Tena
After the collapse of the civilized world, people are struggling to survive. Technology has failed. Food is scarce. Rabbits have grown huge in size and frightening in strength. Cass has fled a compound to hunt for a better life. Her journey leads her to the isolated home of Jackson and his daughter Dove. After these three days, nothing is the same.
Musical guest Sadie and the stark!

SARAH SALTWICK is a graduate of the Michener Center at the University of Texas in Austin and Hampshire College, and is a 2013-2014 Jerome Fellow at the Playwrights' Center.  Recently her adaptation of The Scarlet Letter was seen on UT Austin's mainstage. She writes new love stories between people, places, and things. Her plays are built of hope and danger; fantasy and history; that which is impossible and that which is necessary. Her work has been presented, developed or produced by the University of Texas at Austin, Nouveau 47, Westmont College, paper chairs theatre company, TheatreMasters, Scriptworks, WordBRIDGE, Bristol Riverside Theater, Shrewd Productions, and Last Frontier Theatre Conference. She has been a finalist for the Heideman Award and the Bay Area Playwrights Festival and was twice nominated for Best New Play by the Austin Critics Table. She's written plays inspired by giant rabbits, Texas, guacamole, Dolly Parton and more. Her fiction has been published by Escape Into Life and is forthcoming in Timber Magazine.

The Ring Meets Baseball

Who else would you get to throw the first pitch at your baseball game?

WildClaw Visits Awesomemonster! and AWSM Radio

WildClaw's lit monster Scott and casting mistress Casey took to the airwaves, visiting podcast Awesomemonster! recently to talk horror, babies, horror babies, and all things WildClaw.  Many thanks to Logan, Manny, and Nick (the fine folks at Awesomemonster!) for a great time.  Take a listen, and be sure to check out their weeekly podcast at soundcloud.com!

HUGE Birthday shout-out!

Happy Birthday to the one & only H.P. Lovecraft! (August 20, 1890) Your work continues to slither and creep into the psyche of those in this realm and inspires many beyond even what your wild imagination can dream up.

Sadly, from what I know, there is no proper translation for Happy Birthday in R'lyehian. I feel that if I even tried to piece one together, I'd be stating something like "I invite you to meet in a shared space to eat the dreams of the worthless people of the Earth realm"... Either that or I'd wind up opening a gateway to another dimension.

Goblin and The Massacre

I received notice on my basefook page from Lady Morlock with just a single word: "DUDE."

And this image:

Yes, our friends at Terror in the Aisles (no longer at the late lamented Portage Theater, note), have somehow managed to align the stars and shift the tectonic plates so that the Massacre, the 24 hour horror movie marathon to end all marathons, ends just in time for you to have a nap and a blood transfusion and see the first ever North American tour of the prog rock legends that scored Suspiria and Profondo Rosso.

 Aly Amidei, can I get a "Ya Ya Ya Ya Ya Amen"? Oh my effing goodness.

WildClaw Theatre and Friends are Abbie Festering This Weekend!

Chicago Storefront Elder God Mary Arrchie Theatre is celebrating its 25th year of mad science onstage at Abbie Hoffman Died for Our Sins Theatre Festival, and this year it's bigger and better than ever, with a NEW VENUE and multiple stages! This is an all day, all night theatre festival that runs from Friday at 7 pm until Sunday night/Monday morning at midnight...ish, so spike some coffee and stay up late with WildClaw this weekend, won't you? There are too many fiends and familiars involved to mention them all, but here's a little taste of what our company members and collaborators will have brewing this weekend at the beautiful Den Theatre. Listed in order of performance, to help you plan your trip:

Friday Night August 9, 2013, on Stage 1, at 9:15 PM
AND
Sunday August 11 at 5:00 pm 

CAREENING THEATRE presents DREAM CATCHERS & OTHER ODDITIES

3 Macabrities by Dave Skvarla

This horror triptych features GONE FISHING,  Directed by Jen Poulin; and DREAM CATCHERS &  MAGIC LOVE POTION, Directed by Dave Skvarla. And after the Main Course of Macabrity, they may have a little something special for you for dessert. Featuring WildClaw company member Mandy Walsh, plus Catherine Dughi, Kristin Morris, Brian Pastor, & Dave Skvarla.

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Friday Night/Saturday Morning, on Stage 1, at 1:40 am

WILDCLAW THEATRE PRESENTS: BITS AND PIECES  

It's late and though the shop is closed, the Owner is always willing to let you in to see what little knick knacks he has in the basement.  In the style of Tales from the Crypt and Creepshow, WildClaw invites you to sample its horror anthology series: BITS AND PIECES. Join our host, Brian Amidei, as Michaela Petro and Josh Zagoren perform three assorted devious little deadtime stories including WildClaw Artistic Associate Christopher Hainsworth's radio play TWO FLAT for those brave enough to enter the Old Curiosity Shoppe. Directed by guest artist Katy Collins.

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Friday Night/Saturday Morning, on Stage 1, at 12:55 am 

Factory Theater has been a supporter of Mary Arrchie Theater and Rich Cotovsky for a long time, and we always love kickin' ass at the Abbie. This year is no exception:  we're bringing "Guardians of Rock" by Managing Director Carrie Sullivan to the Den. Directed by Robyn Coffin, rock stars Courtney Love, Meg White of the White Stripes, D'arcy from the Smashing Pumpkins, and Ann Wilson from Heart are called on by a powerful Shadowy Figure to protect the world against shitty music. Their target: Taylor Swift!
Starring Laura McKenzie, Jill Oliver, Jen Pompa, Christine Jennings, Kristen King, Blake Dalzin, Johnny Moran, Tim Ballard

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Saturday Night on Stage 2B, at 6:30 pm

Sadie and the stark is a chicago based rock group with lyrics based out of fantastical worlds and music with a 90′s influence.  At least thats where we are now folks…Hear Sadie and her haunting tunes at Abbie, then catch her again as our special musical guest in our September installment of WildClaw in the Wild!

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Saturday Night on Stage Not 2B (no, really!) at 10:30 pm

Looking for Love is the only live dating game show and cabaret in the Universe! Each month we feature special musical and comical guests and your co-hosts slather you with dating advice and good ol' Dean and Jerry antics, with the welcome addition of cleavage. With special guest co-host Mallory Nees and creator and co-host Carolyn Hoerdemann, and of course super sexy bachelors and a bachelorette with magic powers! Music provided by half a snark aka the Grappling Snark! 

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Sunday Night on Stage 1 at 8:00 pm 

Join Hobo Junction as they attempt, once again, to catch lightning in a bottle (or maybe just chew open some glow sticks), in this sort-of sequel to last year's Abbie Fest sensation, "An Awful Night of Crap." This year's entry, "An Awful Night of Crap: Miami (Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire)," will explore the world of underground crime in the city - kind of.  Trust us, you don't know horror until you've seen Hobo Junction's comedy. Featuring WildClaw company member Josh Zagoren, plus Hannah Alcorn, Tom Daily, Spenser Davis, Sydney Davis, Emily Demko, Ben Hertel, Dan Krall, Isaac Samuelson, Betsy Shirey, and Chris Waldron

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That's just a tiny sample of what will be going on all weekend, starting at 7 p.m. Friday, August 9th! Check out the Full festival schedule here: http://maryarrchie.com/wordpress/abbie/

Get your 'con on... this weekend!

Any Chicago-area DIE-hard fans just chomping at the bits to get up close and personal with your favorite horror celebrities?

Flashback Weekend (August 9-11) and Wizard World (August 8-11)are offering fans the chance to come face to face with their favorite stars this weekend. Flashback's headliner is George Romero and cast members from Dawn of the Dead. In addition to many pop culture icons, sci-fi and action stars, Wizard World features stars like Linda Blair and Buffy's James Marsters and cast-members of tThe Walking Dead. You can even purchase tickets for some professional photo ops at both shows via Celeb Photo Ops for both shows -- most stars at Wizard World and one night only with George Romero

The 2 conventions are literally right across the street from each other in Rosemont, IL this weekend, and can be tons of fun during and after the shows, as you are bound to bump into some of the stars at the hotel bars and restaurants as the night progresses. None of this comes cheap though, so if you get starstruck very easily, you may need to break open the piggy bank soon.

Carolyn Defrin's Special Report from The Monster Weekly

Carolyn Defrin is a multidisciplined artist currently based in London, England. She is probably best known to Chicago audiences for her work with The House Theatre of Chicago, where she originated the roles of Wendy in The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan, Emily Book in their bi-coastal hit The Sparrow, and is currently playing Bess in their critically-acclaimed Death and Harry Houdini. We're talking to her today about her work with Chicago artists John Francisco and Kyle Bice on their website, The Monster Weekly, their upcoming gallery show, how monsters can show us at our most human, and What Scares Her.

Why monsters? In what ways are monsters uniquely accessible?

Monsters feel like a great and playful way for us to talk about human trials and tribulations without being wholly literal. It's a kind of mask that lets us play with big ideas but from a new and exaggerated angle.  It's also a particularly fun challenge to create what the monster version of human wonders and problems are. Also, lately we've been thinking a lot about why monsters are important--why things that scare us are important…what are we trying to teach kids about being afraid…is it preparation for the fact that there are actual scary times in life…and that it's okay to be afraid and confront that?  Or  that maybe the thing that scares us also has the power to delight and care for us, or that the thing that scares us might be just as scared of us.

How did you and John get involved with Kyle Bice? What is the division of creativity? Do any of you ever trade hats? Do you ever feature guest collaborators?

Kyle was suggested to us by our dear friend, the very talented comic book illustrator, Chris Burnham. It was a lucky find and worked immediately. Typically John and I write the story and then send it to Kyle to draw, but on a few occasions Kyle has drawn something first and then we'll write off of it.  We really enjoy this back and forth relationship. John and I are horrible at drawing, so we probably won't switch hats anytime soon, but we've talked about getting guest writers and visual artists and are particularly interested in opening up to writing stories in other languages, inviting international artists to collaborate in order to make ourselves more accessible and dynamic.

The gallery showing is to renovate the website to make it more interactive for kids and families--can you explain what that means? Are there plans for a book, or to explore additional mediums, at some point?

Ultimately we want to build a site that is more interactive, a platform for kids and families to engage in our model of collaboration by writing and drawing their own monsters. We'll start small with submissions and then eventually we want to develop a cross global and intergenerational collaboration, where a child from one country can draw a monster based on another child's story from somewhere else. A platform where each and every story and drawing can become a catalyst for further collaboration and creativity. And yes, we want a book deal and a tv series and a movie! The dream is to get full time about this.

Do you and John use Monsters Weekly in current work with children? How? Are monsters ever a hard sell, or are kids pretty willing to jump in and play in this world? What are your favorite discoveries the monsters have allowed kids to make?

John and I have taught several children's programs together, though we have yet to use the monsters for material, but we plan to! In fact to start this new website, we'll be working with a small group of students to demonstrate the interactive collaboration model. The hope is that the content of monsters encourages kids to be just as unique as the monster they create. And that the art of collaboration is about one unique person getting together with another unique person to make something even more unique.  The kids that we've spoken to about The Monster Weekly are all really engaged in the material. We like to vary the materials so that there are all types of monster--scary monsters, silly monsters, girl monsters, boy monsters, etc.--something to appeal to everyone.

Monster Weekly is pretty all-ages friendly--was that always the plan? Have you gotten more of a following with adults than you had expected? If so, how has that steered the project differently?

Yes it was always the plan to appeal to all ages. It's our goal with all of our work, but especially when we're focused on children we feel it is absolutely essential not to talk down to kids and to appeal to their parents--because parents need entertaining and playful material just as much as kids. I actually think our following is more adult right now. We feel good about that. But it's important to us that we reach all generations and work on how they can enjoy the material together. 

Do you have a favorite monster so far? Which one do you identify most with? Which monster scares you the most?

My favorite monster is a duo: "Extraordinary Pair" --it's just so beautiful and was inspired by a picture of two deers that I saw in a National Geographic magazine– one deer had a big pile of hay on its head. But Kyle's interpretation was just so much more beautiful from what I originally imagined as a silly pair,  and it made me think about how we love people who uniquely complement us.  John's favorite is Crandall.  He likes the whimsy and weirdness of this "Thanksgiving Scrooge". I fear that I am a bit like "Judgy Judy"--but "Gemini" is definitely me.

What scares you?

I fear my parents' deaths. Always have. Working on being more eastern about it.  I'm also scared of having too much time on my hands and in those times not knowing what my purpose is.

Is there a monster that has helped you deal with those fears, or are there plans for one?


Yes, actually-John and I are just starting work on a play that strings some of our monsters together, but specifically explores the relationship between a young human girl and an older monster and how they both experience the delights and dilemmas they face in the world.

They mostly rock out at night. Mostly.

Carolyn and artist Kyle Bice will be in attendance at the opening of The Monster Weekly art exhibit this Tuesday evening at the Grind in Lincoln Square. There will be snacks, drinks and music, and artwork will be available for purchase, as well! This is a mini fundraiser for them to make some very exciting upgrades to their website. If you can't make it Tuesday, the art will be on display for the next two months.

Interview: Director Casey Cunningham In The Wild

Company member Casey Cunningham is the director for our next installment of WildClaw in the Wild, My Daughter Keeps Our Hammer, by Brian Watkins.  Casey has worked extensively with WildClaw as a performer; she recently received rave reviews for her work in our The Life of Death as well as in Facing Angela with The Ruckus Theatre. She has recently directed THE PRICE, a hybrid play/radio play by WC artistic associate Chris Hainsworth, for the late night spooky cabaret Strangers and Strangerers, produced at Hugen Hall in association with WildClaw; assistant directed for Anna Bahow on Scott T. Barsotti's play BREWED, produced by the Ruckus and Tympanic Theatre companies; and directed Hainsworth's radio play TWO FLAT, for a future episode of Blood Radio. We'll be talking with Casey about what drew her to "Hammer," how directing horror is different from other genres, and What Scares Her.

What attracted you to direct this script in particular for WIW? What frightens you most in this piece? What resonates most with you?

I think the relationship between the sisters is what initially drew me in.  I have a sister, a year younger than I am, and though we're very close, we're very different.  And I understand how family obligation and personal perceptions of the value of the other siblings' contributions to the family can create a sense of division in the relationship and affects family dynamic.  What keeps me interested in the story is the notion that one critical decision can have a staggering affect on the outcome of not only that moment, but also your life.  The idea that you can get caught in the momentum of that decision, for better or worse, and find yourself drowning in the continued consequences of it is scary to me.

Blogger's rendering. May be totally inappropriate.

What challenges does a reading present versus a full production? What is the biggest challenge for this particular piece?

In this piece, the staging is very, very simple, but also very specific.  3031 is actually a fantastic venue for it, as will be the gradual setting of the sun.  But the script also calls for some effects that we won't have the capability to pull off in a reading setting, so I'm working now on figuring out that balance.

What was the most exciting discovery you and your actors made while rehearsing or table-working this piece? What is your favorite insight you hope to take away from this process, about directing as well as horror?

The more I learn about directing, the more I understand just how much of a collaborative process it is.  Every person who contributes to a production, no matter the scale or their role in it, helps to shape what an audience ultimately sees, or in our case, hears.  My favorite part is thinking I've got something really nailed down and then having that idea turned completely on its ear by a collaborator with an entirely different perspective.  The text, the actors, the designers all contribute to making directors look good. 

How is directing horror different from directing other genres of theatre, both good and bad?

I think the best horror is that that focuses on the people at the center of the stories.  I think you have to care about them before you can care about what happens to them or what they do.  Which is not unlike directing any other genre, however the extenuating circumstances no doubt will be.  So, in directing horror, part of the challenge may be to cut through the extraordinary elements of the story and get at the heart of the characters.  I can't personally relate to monsters and ghosts and vampires, but I can relate to heartbreak and fear and anxiety. 

What do you like about horror in theatre versus other mediums?

I love to be surprised by horror onstage.  As someone who's created and seen a lot of theater, and someone with a curious mind, I'm often pulled out of the action of a play because my brain tries to figure out how the tech elements are contributing to what I'm seeing.  With horror, I love the feeling of "I have no idea how they pulled that off."  I think WildClaw is particularly good at that element of surprise. 

What's the scariest thing you've ever seen and/or had to do on stage?

The WildClaw productions I've been a part of as an actor have been exceptionally challenging and scary in different ways.  KILL ME (written by Barsotti, directed by artistic associate Jeff Christian) required extraordinary mental focus, precision, and heightened listening skills.  The text was relentless in structure and it was mighty easy to zone out for half a second and miss 14 cues, jump three pages, something that could derail the show for the entire cast.  That show was terrifying every night (and I loved it).

Join us this Sunday, August 4th, at 3031 for My Daughter Keeps Our Hammer, featuring Baize Buzan, Dennis Frymire, Sarah Gitenstein, and extra special musical guest Jessie Fisher.

Deathscribe Deadline Approaches...try a horror prompt to get you going!

So yeah..you still have two weeks to get your spooky on.  Plenty of time to wrestle your inner demons onto the page and add spooky sound effects.

There are a wealth of writing tools on ye olde internet to get you started.  I like using prompts sometimes to get me going.  You can find a TON of horror prompt idea generators in cyberspace.  I also enjoy using photos or paintings as prompts.  Find a creepy photo of a desolate barn or something and then imagine the horrors that lie within.

http://www.springhole.net/writing_roleplaying_randomators/creepypastaplot.htm

http://nanowrimo.org/en/forums/usa-minnesota-twin-cities/threads/69648

http://nighthagscorner.blogspot.com/2011/02/writing-prompts-for-horror-writers.html

https://www.google.com/search?q=horror+photo+prompt&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=UCv5UYnYF4qqyAG1goGwDw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=681

http://thehorrificallyhorrifyinghorrorblog.com/2013/04/03/inspiration-for-fear/

WILDCLAW IN THE WILD: STORIES BY THE FIRE - PART II: My Daughter Keeps Our Hammer

From the ashes, we return...

WildClaw in the Wild is back this Sunday, August 4, around the fire at 3031.  July's reading of Dr. Seward's Dracula was a smashing success, if you couldn't make it out for that one, you can't miss this month's installment.  This time we're reading My Daughter Keeps Our Hammer by Brian Watkins.  And folks, this chilling tale ain't for the faint of heart.  In one hand you'll have your beer or munchies; in the other you'll have the hand or wrist of your companion.  Squeeze wisely.

The WILDCLAW IN THE WILD series takes place on the first Sunday evening of the months of July, August, and September.  (For you calendar-deprived souls and ghouls, that's July 7, August 4, and September 1).

Each reading begins at 7:30pm at 3031 (3031 N. Honore); doors open at 7:00pm and there will be a special musical guest each month performing before and after the reading.  Suggested donation $5.

August 4
MY DAUGHTER KEEPS OUR HAMMER
by Brian Watkins
directed by Casey Cunningham
Featuring Baize Buzan, Sarah Gitenstein, and Dennis Frymire
Trapped on the plains of a dead-end Colorado town, Sarah cares for her bedridden mother while her rebellious younger sister Hannah waits on truckers at a local greasy spoon. Both sisters dream of the day they can escape their humdrum lives.  Taking the form of two interlocking monologues, Sarah and Hannah divulge the secrets of their past and their hopes for the future, and a haunting act of violence that will change their lives forever.
Musical guest Jessie Fisher!

BRIAN WATKINS is a Brooklyn-based playwright whose plays have been produced and developed with Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, The Flea Theater, Lesser America, Horse Trade Theatre, b. swibel presents, New York International Fringe Festival, Wide Eyed Productions, Terra Firma Theatre, Little Theatre of the Rockies, and Route 66, among others. Plays include General Store (selected by 2012 Seven Devils Playwrights Conference; O’Neill semifinalist), My Daughter Keeps Our Hammer, a forest a chorus a harvest, The Bison of Kiowa, High Plains, which premiered to critical acclaim at the 2009 New York International Fringe Festival and will have its UK premiere in August in Underbelly's programme at the Edinburgh Fringe. Current commissions with Aruba Productions (Bklyn) and a feature film in development for b. swibel presents (Bway's Xanadu, HBO's upcoming series "Big Dead Place"). He is a staff writer for Curator Magazine and a member of the Dramatists Guild.

Final Weekend of Barsotti's FACING ANGELA

Don't miss your chance to see Angela in action this weekend!  WildClaw literary manager Scott T. Barsotti's play, FACING ANGELA, closes this weekend at the Athenaeum Theatre.  Performances Thursday thru Saturday evening, 8pm and Sunday at 2pm.  Featuring makeup by the Claw's fearless leader Aly Renee Amidei and performance by casting mistress Casey Cunningham.  FOUR MORE.  Don't miss. 

Photo and graphic design by the Ruckus

Factory Theatre's 'Namosaur Opens Friday!

Friday is opening for the newest show by The Factory Theatre, 'Namosaur! Conceived as a cross between Aliens and Apocalypse Now, the show catapults us into the middle of enemy territory on the eve of the Tet Lunar New Year, shepherding Agent Weaver and Professor Chaldarhallohapzrd on a mysterious misson. With the VC behind every bush, and their own superiors keeping everything on a maddening "need to know" basis, the elite Fox company is about to learn the true meaning of fear, and discover their philosophy that "it's the shit you don't see that gets ya," has never been more wrong.

This roller-coaster action comedy features WildClaw company member Ele Matelan, as well as the work of previous WC collaborators Eric Roach, Allison Cain, Manny Tamayo and Matt Engle, 'Namosaur runs July 26th through August 31st with performances at 8 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and at 3pm on Sundays.

The Corpse Flower's bloom is simply to die for, with a smell to match!

Hey there, boo-tanical fans, here's a spooktacular sight for you: the United States Botanic Garden's corpse  flower is finally in bloom!

A native of Sumatra (where all the best flora and fauna come from), the corpse flower, or titan arum, has an irregular blooming cycle--it may not bloom for several decades, no matter how much you beg. Once open, the flower emits a stench like a decaying animal, which attracts the dung beetles and flesh flies that pollinate it. That's bringing a whole new meaning to the term, "fatal attraction!"

titan arumtit

titan arum

titan arum

The flower bloomed Sunday afternoon, and will remain in open for 24 to 48 hours before it goes back to pushing up the daisies, so steal a peek at the United States Botanic Garden's webcam before it "crocuses!"

Get Out of My Brain, Javier Botet!

Captain of the "Lemons to Lemonade" Team in my book, Javier Botet has transformed Marfan Syndrome from a liability into a career-making super-power.  Dig the creepy screen test footage for MAMA (a film which Lady Morlock references every time she threatens to toss Baby Morlock out the window.)

Great stuff, but it was the truly fantastic REC, (see it instead of the American remake Quarantine), that thoroughly freaked me out and got me cheering this fellow as Mr. Morlock's second-favorite Marfan-sufferer of all time.

And my second-favorite creepy skitter-et as well.  The first place prize goes to WildClaw's Ele Matelan as Dread, the flayed lady in Kill Me.

WildClaw Blood Radio Podcast is relaunched!

I know, it has taken forever, after fits and starts, and we have heard you, good people, we have heard, we are very please to bring back out Blood Radio podcast.

I am pleased to say that this first episode of our relaunched Blood Radio Podcast does include part one of Deathscribe 2011.  We will have more coming your was soon.

WildClaw Blood Radio Podcast

R.I.P. Richard Matheson -- And Thanks for Opening My Eyes... Again!

The world has lost a legend in the true sense today with the passing of American author and screenwriter, Richard Matheson. Based on what I was reading from other friends about Richard's passing and the significance of his work, I was initially a bit ashamed when I thought about how little I thought I knew about him as a writer/author. However, that all changed when I peeked at his wikipedia page and I was taken aback at how much his work has been a huge part of my life -- not just with the classics like I am Omega, The Last Man on Earth, The Incredible Shrinking Man, The Legend of Hell House, Trilogy of Terror, but with more recent fun, scares and schlock like Jaws 3-D, Stir of Echoes, and Real Steel.

Thanks to my mother, I grew up on horror and sci-fi, mostly film and television (as I was never really too keen on reading), and I have always enjoyed being swept up in these fantasy worlds and stories that have been unfolding before me. Sadly, I am realizing, that I have never paid much attention to the people behind the stories. In more recent years, I believe age and experience have begun to open my eyes to the masters behind the magic. My involvement in independent film and theatre production, as well as surrounding myself with more creative types, has taught me to truly appreciate the the creators as well as the creations. So to you, Mr. Matheson, thanks again for opening my eyes as a child and filling my world with wonder and creeping me out, thank you for inspiring others with your work, and thank you for reminding me that the magic needs to start somewhere, and without it, my life would be pretty damned boring.

Factory Theatre's 'Namosaur Launch Party TONIGHT!

Chicagoans! Tonight is the launch party for the newest show by WildClaw fiend of the family (yes, you read that right) The Factory Theatre! From 6 pm to 9 pm, join the 'Claws at Chief O'Neill's to enjoy delicious food and drinks, play games, enjoy the vocal stylings of Factory house band The Cain Mutiny, and witness the premiere of the trailer for 'Namosaur! An epic journey into the Heart of Darkness...with dinosaurs.

From the Facebook invite: "Something is picking off the members of Fox Company. What's out there? Bigfoot? Well yes, but he's the demolitions expert. What is in the jungle that is so frightening that even the Viet Cong cower in fear? Find out...in 'NAMOSAUR!!!!!!"

Fifty percent of the restaurant tab for the night goes to benefit the production, which features WildClaw company member Ele Matelan, as well as rock 'em, sock 'em fight choreography by WildClaw collaborator (and part zombie) Matt Engle.

Hope you can join us!

World War Z....show me the Zombie....

So I think we have all heard about this movie about as much as we can take right?  The trailers instill the appropriate amount of dread but are coyly not showing any of the zombies clearly.  This seems a strange way to market a zombie film to me...I don't care how pretty Brad Pitt is...but your digitally animated pile of zombie's climbing a wall is not tempting me.  Show me the money please World War Z!  So the lack of clear shots of the zombies leads me to believe that they are either mind-blowing awesome and they want to save the face-eating magic for your first viewing in the theatre...or the suck hard (like I am Legend hard).  So what's it gonna be?  And then of course we haven't even touched on the fast or slow zombie debate...don't get my husband started on this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOPnDFjaDkk


Or just read the book...

WILDCLAW IN THE WILD: STORIES BY THE FIRE - PART 1: Dr. Seward's Dracula

Join WildClaw in the great outdoors this summer as we gather by the fire at 3031 to hear three chilling new plays.  Sip on a beer, have a snack, and hear a scary story as the sun goes down and the firepit crackles...what better way to spend a Sunday night?

The series features plays by Joseph Zettelmaier, Brian Watkins, and Sarah Saltwick.  Each selection represents a different flavor of Horror than what WildClaw has done in the past.  We invite you to join us (and bring a minion!) to hear these exciting new plays read aloud by some of Chicago’s finest actors, and then stick around, have another beer, enjoy some haunting melodies and talk to us about Horror Theatre.  Did we mention there’s a fire?  There’s a FIRE.

The WILDCLAW IN THE WILD series will take place on the first Sunday evening of the months of July, August, and September.  (For you calendar-deprived souls and ghouls, that's July 7, August 4, and September 1).

Each reading will begin at 7:30pm at 3031 (3031 N. Honore); doors open at 7:00pm and there will be a special musical guest each month performing before and after the reading.  Suggested donation $5.

July 7
DR. SEWARD’S DRACULA
by Joseph Zettelmaier
directed by Matt Engle
Featuring Amanda Drinkall, John Ferrick, LaQuin Groves, John Henry Roberts, Dave Skvarla, and Greg Wenz
Dr. Seward has cut himself off from the rest of the world after losing his lover and friends to Dracula. He has been contacted by author Bram Stoker, who wishes to tell his story. Soon, a series of murders occur, very similar to the ones Seward fought to stop. The doctor must face demons both real and imagined to find the answers, at the risk of his sanity and his life.
Musical guest Mallory Nees!

JOSEPH ZETTELMAIER is a Michigan-based playwright whose radio play Fish Story won WildClaw's 2012 Deathscribe Bloody Axe Award.  He is a four-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, in 2010 for It Came From Mars and in 2012 for Dead Man’s Shoes. Other plays include Ebenezer, And The Creek Don’t Rise, The All Childish Things Trilogy, Christmas Carol’d, Dr. Seward’s Dracula, Snow Angels, Blackwater Ballad, Night Blooming, Point of Origin, and The Stillness Between Breaths. The Stillness Between Breaths and It Came From Mars were selected to appear in the National New Play Network’s Festival of New Plays. It Came From Mars was a recipient of 2009’s Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award. Dead Man’s Shoes received the same award in 2011. In the 2013-14 season, he will see All Childish Things performed at the Aurora Theatre in Georgia, Salvage at First Folio Theatre in Illinois, The Scullery Maid at the Jewish Ensemble Theatre and The Renaissance Man at the Performance Network (both in Michigan).  Joseph is an Associate Artist at Performance Network, an Artistic Ambassador to the National New Play Network and an adjunct lecturer at Eastern Michigan University, where he teaches Dramatic Composition. He was profiled in the March 2012 issue of American Theatre Magazine.

Movies in the Park

Looking for something to do tonight?

Movies in the Park at Belmont Harbor present Alfred Hitchcock's masterpeice, The Birds, tonight, free of charge!

Get there by 8:30pm to witness a malicious full-scale attack by birds of all shapes and sizes.  Then, stay for the movie.

DryHop Brewers opens in Chicago

Today is the day folks.

Today is the day that the corner of Belmont and Broadway changes for the better.

Today is the official opening of our very good friends, DryHop Brewers.

Congratulations to Greg, Brant and Pete.  I will see you tonight.

I am particularly fond of the Wheat IPA.

Barsotti's FACING ANGELA Kicks Off

WildClaw's literary monster is at it again.  Scott T. Barsotti's newest play, FACING ANGELA, opens later this month at the Athenaeum Theatre.  The play, featuring WildClaw company member Casey Cunningham, just launched a Kickstarter campaign aimed at raising money for the makeup and mask team, led by WildClaw's fearless leader Aly Renee Amidei.  

From left, Casey Cunningham, Christine Vrem-Ydstie, and Susan Myburgh
consider the faces in the mirror.  Photo by Gerard Van Halsema.

Considering the warped nooks and crannies of Barsotti's brain, Aly and her team is in for a challenge.  If you're interested in contributing, click the Kickstarter link above.  The Ruckus has created an awesome video detailing the project and the work ahead.

Tickets to FACING ANGELA available now! 

Going to a Stupid baby Shower? The perfect gift: Ken Hite's Mini Mythos

Babies...stupid adorable disgusting babies....

...we at WildClaw are getting to the age were all of our friends are having little squirmers of their own.  So you have to go to a billion baby showers and eat chicken salad and drink mimosas.  Yum.  But what to buy?  I prefer to give the gift of Horror whenever possible.  So try this as an option...Kenneth Hite's Mini Mythos series of children's stories retold with a Lovecraftian bent.  Adorable little elder gods abound.

-Where the Deep Ones Are...
-The Antarctic Express
-Cliffoord the Big Red God

Lovecraftian Interweb Secrets Revealed

http://hijinksensue.com/2013/06/03/tentaculr/

please don't feel bad if you don't understand why this is funny.  hell, you should probably feel good about yourself for not concerning yourself with interwebby nonsense.

you should be concerned about the Elder Gods, however.  always.

Barsotti is Killing on the West Coast...Night-Tinted Glasses: Kill Me (review)

Check out a review of our very own Scott T. Barsotti's play Kill Me...currently being produced by Visceral Theatre...check it out if you can!


Night-Tinted Glasses: Kill Me (review): Spoilers ahoy! Kill Me as an original play premiered at the Wildclaw Theatre in Chicago. I mention this because when first learning th...

Tiny Hellboy...Awww Yeah!

C2E2:  HELLBOY GETS ITTY BITTY!

Aw Yeah Comics and Tiny Titans creators Art Baltazar and

 Franco Aureliani take on Mike Mignola’s cast of characters in a

brand-new all-ages title!

CHICAGO, IL, APRIL 28–Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani have created quite a stir with their work on some of the most fun and ageless comics of all time. They won an Eisner for Tiny Titans, their treatment of DC Comics’Teen Titans, and their recent Kickstarter campaign for their Aw Yeah Comics series surpassed its goal in record time.

Now, this dynamic duo takes on Dark Horse’s best-known character, Mike Mignola’s Hellboy, in an all-new comics series, Itty Bitty Hellboy!

A ghost named Rasputin has been spotted. And Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. are going to find out what’s he up to. Who is Hellboy, anyway? Why does he have such a big hand, and what is it used for? Who’s weirder, he or his friends? What is the B.P.R.D.? And what does chicken soup have to do with all of it? All this and more will be answered in the debut issue, where BIG things happen to Itty Bitty Hellboy!

“Itty Bitty HELLBOY! WOW! Such awesomeness! I haven’t screamed so much AW YEAH SHOUTOUTS in all my life! It is truly an honor to be the next creative team to add to the HELLBOY saga! I have been a fan of Mike Mignola since Hellboy’s early days at Dark Horse LEGENDS! It’s true. Can’t wait! Itty Bitty has never been so HUGE! AW YEAH HELLBOY!” said Art Baltazar, famous cartoonist.

“We get to work on HELLBOY? HELL YEAH!” exclaimed Franco Aureliani. “One of the most iconic characters in all of comics, and we get to bring our own style and story to it! Truly a dream come true! We’re big fans! Itty Bitty Hellboy is going to be a lot of fun . . . and we get to actually say HELL(BOY)!”

“Given the recent developments in Hellboy’s life—falling in love, discovering that he’s the rightful king of England, having his heart torn out and dropped into hell—this is clearly the next logical step in his evolution,” said Hellboy creator Mike Mignola.

For more information, check out the exclusive interview with Art & Franco on Nerdist News!

Itty Bitty Hellboy #1 arrives on shelves at your local comic shop on August 28!

Big Weekend: C2E2, Pat Smillie at 27Live

Look who's got a panel at C2E2!
WILDCLAW PRESENTS:
DEATHSCRIBE! WRITING AND PRODUCING HORROR RADIO PLAYS
Date: Saturday, April 27
Time: 12:15 pm - 1:15 pm
Location: W473
Speakers: Allison Amidei, Brian Amidei, Casey Cunningham, Chris Hainsworth, Ele Matelan, Michaela Petro, Paul Foster & Scott T. Barsotti
Including a Bonus Performance of Scott T. Barsotti's The Skinny Man!

One of our favorite people, Pat Smillie, who has graced us with performances at several Deathscribes and at our inaugural Wicked Winter Carnival is playing in Evanston at 27 Live, the hot new rock and roll supper club just opened by another one of our favorite people, Charlie Athanas.
Date: Saturday, April 27
Time: 9:00 pm
Location: 1012/14 Church St., Evanston, IL
The joint will be jumping. If you have ever seen Pat work up a sweat, you know what you're in for. If you haven't, oh boy. We'll see you there.

Horror & Lovecraft at Chicago's International Film Festival Oct 10th-24th, 2013

ZOMBIES, MURDERERS AND H.P. LOVECRAFT SET LOOSE IN FIRST EVER AFTER DARK COMPETITION


Chicago, IL-- The Chicago International Film Festival’s After Dark program��"a perennial October favorite in the lead up to Halloween��"has been expanded in its first ever competitive year to include an international mix of ten thrilling feature length and seven short films: things (human and inhuman) will go bump in the night. A Gold Hugo will be awarded to the jury’s selection for best After Dark feature.

“The After Dark competition this year represents the best new horror and genre cinema, including the first ever Israeli slasher film and the first ever Cuban zombie film. It’s a thrilling opportunity to combine the international focus the Festival is known for with an enhanced late night slate that will have hardcore horror fans and newcomers jumping in their seats…and coming back for more!,” said Festival Programmer Penny Bartlett.


From Juan of the Dead, a uniquely Cuban take on cult favorite Shaun of the Dead to Rabies, Israel’s critically acclaimed first foray into the slasher genre; A Lonely Place To Die, a breathlessly terrifying cat-and-mouse game set in the Scottish Highlands; an eerily deft recreation of 1930’s studio horror fare (Whisperer In Darkness); a thrilling short film program (Shorts 3: Midnight Mayhem) and more, this year’s After Dark competition will take audiences on a journey to the darkest corners of the human soul.


Cold Sweat Argentina (Director: Adrián García Bolagno)-- Online dating? What’s the worst that could happen? Well, apparently, you could find yourself trapped in an old house at the mercy of a pair of aging right-wing revolutionaries turned sadists with a penchant for torturing young women with decaying dynamite and buckets of nitroglycerin. Prolific low-budget horror maestro Bogliano serves up a stylish slice of extreme genre cinema, which also alludes to the troubled state of generational politics in his homeland. Chicago Premiere. Director Adrián García Bogliano is scheduled to attend.


Haunters Korea (Director: Min-suk Kim)-- A young thief’s ability to control minds is frustrated when he meets one just beyond his reach in this fast-paced Korean action thriller. On a routine robbery of a pawnshop, things go terribly awry and an epic cat-and-mouse game quickly ensues, taking the viewer on a supercharged tour of Seoul at night. Chicago Premiere.


The Holding UK (Director: Susan Jacobson)-- After Cassie murders her abusive husband, a manipulative neighbor tries to run her off her land. Help seems to come in the form of gruff Scotsman Aden, but Cassie soon regrets letting Aden into her life when his true nature begins to manifest itself. Stylish direction and taut performances keep adrenaline running high in this accomplished, atmospheric gothic thriller. US Premiere. Director Susan Jacobson is scheduled to attend.





Juan Of The Dead Cuba (Director: Alejandro Brugues)-- Juan is a lovable loser content to loaf around the streets of Havana wisecracking, womanizing, and wiling away the days with a motley crew of fellow drifters. But when what seems at first to be dissident rumblings in the city turns into a full-on flesh-eating zombie onslaught, Juan and his gang go into business as “Juan of the Dead” ��" a crack team of slayers specializing in the undead. This wild romp through the streets of the Cuban capital is a perfectly pitched blend of horror and laughs. Chicago Premiere.

A Lonely Place To Die UK (Director: Julian Gibley)-- A group of friends get much more than they bargained for when a weekend of extreme mountain climbing turns into a terrifying ordeal. This tension-filled thriller makes the most of its setting in the stunning but treacherous landscape of the Scottish Highlands with immersive camerawork, an atmospheric Celtic soundtrack, and imagery straight out of The Wicker Man. Featuring a chilling standout performance from Sean Harris (24 Hour Party People, The Red Riding Trilogy). Chicago Premiere.


Rabies Israel (Director: Aharon Keshales)-- Take the classic horror movie formula - hot girls lost in the woods, marauding homicidal maniacs, and gallons of blood and gore. Add some dark humor, sharp, witty dialogue, and unexpected twists and voilá, you get Rabies, Israel’s critically acclaimed first foray into the slasher genre. Sophisticated enough to appeal to a broad audience but with sufficient splatter to satisfy the hardcore genre fan, Rabies is an exhilarating and highly enjoyable viewing experience.Chicago Premiere.

Smuggler Japan (Director: Katsuhito Ishii)-- From the man who created the celebrated “O-Ren Ishii” animated sequence in Kill Bill, Vol. 1 comes this stylish and outrageous but brutal film that makes Tarantino’s work look like family fare. In serious debt to local yakuza gangsters, Kinuta is coerced into taking a job as a smuggler of dead bodies for the Japanese underworld to settle the accounts, only to find himself caught in the middle of a bloody gang war. Based on the popular eponymous manga, Smuggler has all the makings of a midnight classic. Chicago Premiere.


Snowtown Australia (Director: Justin Kurzel)-- Based on true events, this skillfully crafted psychological thriller centers on 16-year-old Jamie, who lives in a squalid, crime-ridden slum on the outskirts of Adelaide. When John Bunting, a charismatic older man, enters his life, he offers friendship and escape from his deadbeat existence. But as Bunting’s behavior becomes increasingly sinister, Jamie finds himself caught up in horrors he could never have imagined as he realizes his new father figure is actually a cold-blooded serial killer. Chicago Premiere.

The Yellow Sea South Korea (Director: Na Hong-Jin)-- When taxi driver Gu-nam finds himself in financial straits, he accepts a proposal from a local mob boss to travel to Seoul to carry out a hit on a professor. Once Gu-Nam arrives in the capital city, he discovers he isn’t the only person targeting the professor and in a quick turn of events, finds himself on the run. Gu-nam must use every survival instinct he has in order to stay one step ahead of his pursuers in this thrilling man-on-the-run crime drama.Chicago Premiere.


The Whisperer In Darkness USA (Director: Sean Branney)-- Based on a story by H.P. Lovecraft, The Whisperer in Darkness is an eerily deft recreation of classic 1930’s studio horror fare. Professor Albert Wilmart, a smug skeptic, is forced to question his views by a series of increasingly bizarre encounters with the supernatural. Genuinely terrifying and highly entertaining, Whisperer is a fitting homage for Lovecraft aficionados and, for newcomers, a perfect introduction to one of the great horror masterminds of the 20th century. Chicago Premiere. Director Sean Branney is scheduled to attend.


Shorts 3: Midnight Mayhem-- Thirty years after a zombie epidemic, the undead are used for cheap labor in the stylish The Unliving (Sweden). A mysterious vagrant is hiding in an empty house in the menacing Ghost (South Korea). There’s a new addition to the family in the form of a benign severed head in the darkly comedic Cropped (Australia). A little boy and a yeti-like monster go on a disturbing adventure in Dream Of 1st Of April 1999. (France). A gruesome scene unfolds in a peaceful home by the sea in Bleeding Hearts (USA). A young mother’s mental state deteriorates rapidly in the nightmarish Foal (Austria) and an army of mutant flies is unleashed in an orgy of bloodlust in Friend Of Flies (Sweden). Directors Christoph Rainer, Dave Wade and Matthew Garrett are scheduled to attend.






###


TICKET INFO


All events, except Opening Night, are at the AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois Street. Tickets for the 47th Chicago International Film Festival are on sale now. Opening Night tickets and festival passes may be purchased on the Festival website. All individual tickets must be purchased by phone 312-332-FILM (3456), in person by visiting the Festival box office at AMC River East 21 (322 E. Illinois St.), or through Ticketmaster.


FESTIVAL SPONSORSLed by Presenting Partner, Columbia College Chicago, the 47th Chicago International Film Festival’s sponsors include: Premiere Partners-- American Airlines, Lincoln; Producing Partners-- AMC Theaters, DePaul University's School of Cinema and Interactive Media, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; Major Partners-- Allstate, Intersites; Supporting Partners-- Applitite, Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, Brugal Rum, Kodak, Second City Computers, WBBM, and the Festival's Headquarters Hotel, JW Marriott Chicago. ABOUT CINEMA/CHICAGOCinema/Chicago is a not-for-profit cultural and educational organization dedicated to encouraging better understanding between cultures and to making a positive contribution to the art form of the moving image. The Chicago International Film Festival is part of the year-round programs presented by Cinema/Chicago, which also include the International Screenings Program (May-September), the Hugo Television Awards (April), CineYouth Festival (May), Intercom Competition (October) and year-round Education Outreach and Member Screenings Program.
For images and press materials go to http://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/press/ ;
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R.I.P., Jonathan Winters

Writing to celebrate a brilliant comedian and one of the most twisted minds I've ever had the privilege to see at work. I like to think that Jonathan Winters would have been Deathscribe's Number One Fan. Thanks for everything, Mr. Winters.

Arcade Brewery: Zombie Crawl, Evil Dead Brew & Tweet, and C2E2

From the fine folks at Arcade Brewery...

This Saturday, we'll be hosting our second monthly Brew and Tweet. The event will begin at 8:00 pm CST.  Location?  Basically anywhere you have access to Netflix Instant.

So, what is Brew and Tweet?

1. We, as a community, decide on a movie that's playing on Netflix Instant.  We use a Netflix Instant title, so more people have access.
2. Everyone who wants to participate presses play at 8:00 PM CST 
3. We all tweet our comments (e.g. MST 3000) and also talk about the brews we have in hand.  Don't forget to hashtag #kiltscreen after each tweet so we can all follow the same feed. 

If you missed the first Brew and Tweet. we watched Highlander to celebrate the William Wallace Wrestle Fest design competition.  This week, we've selected a few movies that we think would be fun for the event and need your help deciding what we watch.

Here are the options for this month's Brew and Tweet:
Evil Dead (1981), Tremors, Double Dragon, 13th Floor, & Shoalin Soccer.

To vote, go to our Facebook Page this week and tell us what we should watch together this Saturday! Coming up next for Arcade Brewery: We are providing some secret Arcade Brewery zombie swag, including a Tony Moore signed print and signed shotgun shells at this year's ph Productions' Zombie Pub Crawl on April 20th.   Come see us at this years C2E2!  We will be on a Beer and Comics panel with Revolution, 3 Floyds, Goose, Barnaby Starve, CB Cebulski, Tony Moore and more!  April 27th, 6:30-7:30 PM.   The brewery is moving along on schedule and are currently in review on our license.  We can't wait to get our brews in your hands!

Evil Dead yall...

So who is going this weekend?  We are... Tell us what you think.  I am pretty excited to have the snot scared out of me.

http://www.evildead-movie.com/?hs308=EVD6186

And just to wet your whistle...here is the red band trailer.  SCARY!  BLOODY!

Innsmouth Equivalent of the Bich-Poo

Learn more about the boutique pet that all the fashionable families in Innsmouth will be parading about town on leashes this season.

Chicago being attacked by the Working Dead

Grab your swords and crossbows Chicagoans, the Loop will be invaded by the Working Dead this week!



The Tribune is reporting of a print ad campaign for Solixir, an Evanston-based herbal supplement-infused drink company, is hitting the CTA trains this week, and will be enhanced by a Zombie invasion at certain train stops in the Loop.

More details are available here at tribune site or the Solixer site

Give Until It Hurts

Horror fans are always sniffing out fresh blood, so WildClaw is hoping you'll check out this kickstarter campaign for Yellow: A Modern Giallo Horror Film.

Gialli, the Italian psychological thrillers known for slowly building tension that culminated in grand guignol displays of gore, were named for the yellow-spined, mass-marketed paperback books that became synonymous with mystery and suspense thrillers in Italy. The Giallo movement is considered to be the predecessor to the American 1970’s slasher movie craze.

Filmed in Chicago and featuring WildClaw collaborator H.B. Ward, Yellow tells the story of a woman whose new life in the big city has barely started before it begins to unravel. Then the bodies start piling up.

Check out their trailer, read up on the cast, and donate some cash if you can. If anyone should be responsible for bleeding you dry, it’s these guys.

Tomorrow Night, The Curtain Falls on Kill Shakespeare!

Tonight and tomorrow at 8 p.m. are your last chances to catch WildClaw Theatre company members Brian Amidei and Steve Herson in Hugen Hall's awesomely ambitious comic-kaze midwest premiere of Kill Shakespeare!

Image by Andy Berlanger

 
William Shakespeare's most notorious villains have decided to destroy their creator and become masters of their own fates, and it's up to his greatest heroes to stop them! Will Lady MacBeth and Iago cheat their way to the top? Is Richard III as big a dick as everyone thinks? Will Hamlet finally decide living is worth killing for?

Originally a graphic novel, this page-to-stage transfer allows the audience to watch Andy Berlanger's beautiful artwork while by Anthony Del Col & Conor McCreery's dialogue is voiced by some of Chicago's finest voiceover talents, directed by Strawdog Theatre's own Anderson Lawfer. Hailed as, "Your chance to be entertained by a Shakespearean action adventure," this wildly innovative production combines the epic scope of a comic book with evocative sound design to bring this clever play on classic plays to life before your eyes.

Go HERE to buy tickets and for full event details.