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!

Strawdog's Plea Circus featuring Radio Plays Written by Me & Deathscribe Winner Chris Hainsworth!

Finally, a theatre company shameless enough finish out a season with a fundraising telethon.

Over two nights, four programs of our best original late-night material (and you don't have to stay up past midnight)! Our engaging and intriguing Hit Factory radio plays, original music from our shows, and personal essays, all mixed up with the most absurd and heartfelt pleas for money we can think of. And each night at 11pm, a new episode of Strawdog’s own Theatre Wars! Root for your favorite theatre companies as they compete for bragging rights and an ad in our program!

FRIDAY:
Features the Hit Factory pieces 'The Jazz Man of Jackson Square' by Aly Greaves and 'Remembrance' by Chris Hainsworth (both directed by Artistic Director Nic Dimond) as well as the personal essays 'One For Sorrow' by Anita Deely and 'How I Became A Robot' by Sean Mallary.

SATURDAY:
Features the Hit Factory pieces 'Schrodinger's Box' by Aly Greaves and 'Teeth' by Chris Hainsworth (both directed by Ensemble Member Jenny Avery) as well as the personal essays 'The Amazons' by Michaela Petro and 'Wheels of Steel' by Gregor Mortis.

Space is limited, so if you want to see it (and you do), get your tickets now!

If you don't live in Chicago, stay tuned for information on how to enjoy this event live on the internet! And if you can't attend but would like to help us keep doing what we do, please make a donation through Network for Good.

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