VIDEO: Nosedive's Apocalypse Gala

Nosedive's Apocalypse Gala from Pete Boisvert on Vimeo.

Here's to 2012!

Happy 2012, everybody! I hope everyone's holiday was joyous, restful and/or festive, and that your fledgling New Year is so far treating you okay.

And heck. We're not three days into this new year and already shit, as the kids say, is going down.

As you know, Molotov's Fat Men in Skirts opens in two days at UNDER St. Mark's Theatre. Since it's only running a scant three performances, you should buy your tickets now.

In other news, I've just purchased my ticket for Gideon Productions' ADVANCE MAN by Mr. Mac Rogers. In other other news, I have an erection.

Are these events connected? None of your God damned business, you invasive bastards.

Giving you the pieces but leaving it up to you to put them together,

James "Hand-Holding Boner-Wielding Benefactor" Comtois

Little Bucky Comtois: Someone to Know

Over at his Visible Soul blog, Zack Calhoon explains to his readers why Kid Sister Becky Comtois is a Person You Should Know. Having known her literally her entire life, I am inclined to agree with him.

As an added bonus, she talks a bit about Mac Roger's upcoming ADVANCE MAN, the first play in his Honeycomb Trilogy. It is on. Oh, yes. It is on.

All about the nepotism,

James "Lil Theatrical Caesar" Comtois

Nosedive Brings Molotov's FAT MEN to NYC

Nosedive Productions Brings Molotov Theatre Group to New York
for Fat Men in Skirts Run in January

“Surprisingly Sweet Show about Rape and Cannibalism”
Is the First Traveling Show from Washington DC’s
Notorious Grand Guignol Horror Theatre Company

Washington, DC (December 8, 2011) — Nosedive Productions, New York City’s “Theatre for Sick Little Monkeys,” will host DC-based Molotov Theatre Group, America’s second-oldest Grand Guignol theatre of horror, for a three-show run of Molotov’s critically acclaimed Fat Men in Skirts, January 5, 6 and 7, 2012.

Molotov’s Fat Men in Skirts will be performed at 8 PM each day, at the UNDER St. Marks Theatre, 94 Saint Marks Place, in New York’s East Village. Tickets are $15, and can be purchased in advance online here.

Advance purchase for this extremely limited run is strongly recommended, although tickets may also be purchased at the door on a space-available basis.

The run time of Molotov’s Fat Men in Skirts is approximately 95 minutes with no intermission. Please pee before entering.

Nosedive Productions Co-Founding Co-Artistic Director James Comtois said, "The folks at Molotov make exactly the type of theatre that excites us here at Nosedive Central: sweet, funny and horrifying all at once. So we're thrilled to be bringing their delightfully effed up play up to New York from DC."

“We’re grateful to the kindred spirits at Nosedive Productions for helping us put this show on its feet in New York,” said Molotov Artistic Director Kevin Finkelstein. “UNDER St. Marks is the perfect venue for us – shadowy, quirky and right in the middle of all the action. That’s the perfect recipe for Molotov’s special brand of nonsense.”

Written by Nicky Silver, Fat Men in Skirts was Molotov Theatre Group’s fifth Capital Fringe Festival production, and the first ever Capital Fringe show to be “Helen Hayes Awards Recommended.” The Helen Hayes Awards are Washington DC’s most prestigious theatre community honors – what the heck is Molotov doing getting this kind of recognition?

Critics reviewing the Capital Fringe production of Fat Men in Skirts heaped awkward praise on Molotov’s staging of the bizarre dark comedy:

"...a wonderful piece of theater art that inspires laughter, tears and three hot showers after viewing..." Maryland Theatre Guide (5 star review)

“…Surprisingly sweet for a play about rape and cannibalism…”: The Washington Post

“…Just the right tone for a Fringe play — it’s edgy, raw and a little nonsensical…”: DCist.com

“…I enjoyed [it] as much as one can enjoy a play that involves mental illness, rape, murder, and incest…”: dctheatrescene.com

“…Rethink your own revulsion when it comes to eating dead babies”: Washington City Paper

Fat Men in Skirts features DC area actors Katie Culligan, Dave Gamble, K. Clare Johnson and Matthew Marcus. The play follows the Phyllis Hogan and her son, Bishop, stranded on a desert island in an increasingly “interesting” relationship. Rescued five years later, they discover the family’s philandering patriarch involved with a young porn star. Chaos, insanity, violence, cannibalism, and sidesplitting hilarity ensue.

NOT RECOMMENDED FOR THE EMOTIONALLY OR PSYCHOLOGICALLY IMPRESSIONABLE OR FOR PEOPLE WITH CARDIAC OR NERVOUS CONDITIONS.

STRONGLY RECOMMENDED FOR COUNTER-CULTURAL, UNDERGROUND AND CULT FANS WITH PROPERLY WORKING HEART AND CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEMS.

FOR THE SAFETY OF THE ACTORS AND THE SEATED AUDIENCE, PEOPLE LEAVING THE THEATRE WHILE THE SHOW IS IN PROGRESS WILL NOT BE READMITTED.

About Molotov Theatre Group

Founded in 2007, Molotov Theatre Group is dedicated to preserving and exploring the aesthetic of the Grand Guignol, or French Theater of Horror. The company will strive to accomplish this in two ways:

• Through its ongoing project, “Grand Guignol DC,” to produce English translations of original Grand Guignol scripts to preserve and draw attention to this important, and essentially forgotten genre; and

• To apply ideals from the Grand Guignol to contemporary and classic works.

Molotov Theater Group will pursue these goals following the Grand Guignol model of employing a resident company of artists and working towards building a true rotating repertoire of plays. To our knowledge, no other company in the world is working to maintain this genre in such a traditional way. For more information, visit Molotov Theatre Group's site. Molotov Theatre Group is a not-for-profit professional theatre under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code — really!

Monkeys at the Monkey

Hey, folks. Tonight at 8pm at the Monkey Theatre, John Hurley will direct the opening scene from the debut play from Nosedive Productions, Monkeys.

Yes, this is the show that gave Nosedive it's logo.

Part One of Monkeys features Joe Mathers and Shashanah Dattilo. They're awesome. And awesome in this.

The excerpt will be part of Purple Rep's Dark Night Serials, which will take place for the next few Mondays (possibly longer) during the run of their latest show, The Myths We Need - or - How To Begin.

In addition to Yours Truly's show, tonight's Dark Night Serials feature excerpts from the work of Johnna Adams, Brendan Burke and August Schulenberg.

Next Monday features the work of Kristen Palmer, Adam Szymkowicz, Charlotte Miller and Larry Kunofsky.

And did I mention it's free?

The Monkey Theatre is on the 12th floor of 37 West 26th Street. A bunch of serialized plays by talented people are playing there tonight for free. So go there. And enjoy yourself. And be somebody.

Throwin' his poo art around,

James "Creative Biped" Comtois

My Profile on Mac Rogers

My profile on Mac Rogers is now up on nytheatre.com's Indie Theatre Companion.

"Talking to Mac Rogers is at times like talking to an over-caffeinated Jimmy Stewart clone that's wondering if he left the oven on while simultaneously realizing he's late for a train. To describe Mac's conversational style as "distracted" is putting it mildly. To say he's a fast talker is an understatement...[keep reading]"

Managing to be both sycophantic and insulting,

James "Hostile Benefactor" Comtois

Hazardous Cargo by Bryan Enk

Nosedive Central's good pal Bryan Enk, producer-director of The Big Bad, made this short film, Hazardous Cargo, last year for Nosedive's 10th Anniversary Gala. It's now up and available online. It makes me smile. Featuring Becky Byers.

Happy he has his thumbs,

James "Hazardous Playwright" Comtois

Coming this Halloween to a radio station near you...

This Halloween, FinalRune Productions and Aural Stage Studios presents an original horror story by Yours Truly...

Intensive Care

By James Comtois

Directed by Samantha Mason

Featuring
Nat Angstrom - Kristina Balbo - Janice Gardner
P.G. Lorusso - Hannah Kramer - Dave Marshall

Music by Barb Truex and Matthew J. Boudreau

Sound design by Matthew J. Boudreau

Recorded at the North Dam Mill in Biddeford, Maine, courtesy of mill owners and the City of Biddeford.

More details on the show, including where to hear it, can be found here.

Scaaawing your ears off,

James "Aural Nightmare" Comtois

Adventures of Nervous-Boy Now Available as E-Book!

And in Further Adventures in Naked Capitalism, my play The Adventures of Nervous-Boy is available online at indietheaternow.com.



Read the script now for mere pennies!

Offering you deals left and right,

James "Concerned Capitalist" Comtois

"Daddy's Bad Medicine" This Saturday

Hey, folks. For those of you who missed it the first time around, my one-woman horror monologue, "Daddy's Bad Medicine," which played as part of this summer's The Blood Brothers present...FREAKS FROM THE MORGUE, will be playing at the 2011 FAB! Festival.

The free festival also features excerpts from Crystal Skillman's Action Philosophers! Jon Hoche's Galactic Girl in: Attack of the Starbarians, Trav S.D.'s Trav S.D. of the American Vaudeville Theatre and Wide Eyed Productions & PlaylabNYC's Goldilocks and the Three Polar Bears.

FAB! Festival

Saturday, September 24th
1:30PM

The Club @ LaMaMa
E. 4th St between Bowery & 2nd Ave.

Curated by Sean Williams
Hosted by Andrea Alton

And again, this shit is free. Watch the hell out of it. With your eyeballs.

Awright. That's it for me (for now). Have a good weekend, folks. Catch all you adorable little fuckers later.

Always leading you astray,

James "Delightful Tour Guide" Comtois

Captain Moonbeam Opens This Tuesday

Hey, folks! Just wanted to give everyone the head's up that Nosedive's entry in the Brick Theater's Comic Book Theater Festival, Captain Moonbeam & Lynchpin, is opening this Tuesday at the Brick Theater in Williamsburg!

Since this is a very limited run (four performances), if you haven't got your tickets yet, now's the time to do so.

Captain Moonbeam is also playing as part of a double-bill with Brian Silliman's Savior, featuring Mac Rogers and Kristen Vaughan.

Tonight, of course, is our second performance of The Blood Brothers present...FREAKS FROM THE MORGUE, over at the Kraine Theater.

See you there!

Puttin on his cape,

James "Dandyman" Comtois

Important Update on Blood Brothers Run

Hey, folks. Quick update. Due to a scheduling snafu, the Tuesday, June 21 performance of The Blood Brothers present... has been canceled.

However, all is not lost. This Friday's performance, however, is still on. Plus, this means that you no longer have to choose between seeing Blood Brothers that night, or going to the opening night performance of Captain Moonbeam & Lynchpin, playing across the river at the Brick Theater.

Onwards and weirdwards,

James "Still Overbooked" Comtois

Late Spring/Early Summer Preview (of Shows Not By Yours Truly)

You'd think that having a bunch of shows going on would mean I'd have a ton of things to blog about. Well, oddly enough, not only have I been too busy to blog (with both the shows and the new day job, which has remarkably little-to-no downtime) but I don't have a lot to report, aside from the fact that Blood Brothers and Captain Moonbeam are in rehearsals and you should get your tickets for both.

In the meantime, I figured I'd take a break from plugging my own stuff to plug a few other shows of note from some buds and co-conspirators going on this summer. Believe me, I'm looking forward to making what little time I have to go see these.

Standards of Decency 3: 300 Vaginas Before Breakfast
Various writers and directors
The Blue Coyote Theater Company is doing a follow-up to their immensely popular—and potentially offensive—Standards of Decency series, where nine playwrights (including fellow homies Mac Rogers, Matthew Freeman and Adam Szymcowicz) create new short plays meditating on new media and pornography. (And if those Blue Coyote boys keep "meditating" like that they're going to go blind.)
Runs May 31 - June 18 at the Access Theater (380 Broadway). Click here for tickets.

Cut
by Crystal Skillman, directed by Meg Sturiano
And we here at Nosedive Central thought we were being prolific. In addition to her entry in the Blood Brothers show and her TWO entries in the Brick's Comic Book Theater Festival, The Management as residents of Horse Trade Theater Group just opened Crystal Crystal's latest play about three reality TV show writers—of course reality TV has writers—having to recut and essentially rewrite the season finale of their crap show. I'm seeing this on Friday. Join me?
Runs through June 4 at UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place). Click here for tickets.

Tulpa, or Anne & Me
by Shawn C. Harris, directed by Sarah Lyons.
A comic book author has the woman of her dreams, Oscar-nominated actress Anne Hathaway, climb into her apartment through her television set. If only Kate Winslet could do the same for me. But of course, there are some...problems...that develop along the way as their friendship develops. I saw a workshop production of this compelling show last year and am eager to see this again in a full production.
Runs June 2-19 at at the Robert Moss Theatre (440 Lafayette Street). Click here for tickets.

Ajax in War
by Ellen McLaughlin, directed by August Schulenburg
As a follow-up to their incredibly successful and brilliant Dog Act, Flux Theatre Ensemble continues their fourth season with a mash-up of Sophocles' Ajax and the modern war in Iraq. According to the promotional postcard I just received in the mail, the play follows the parallel narratives of the ancient Greek military hero Ajax and a female American soldier, both undone by the betrayal of a commanding officer. According to this company's past work, I'll sure as hell be there.
Runs June 3-25 at the Flamboyan Theater (107 Suffolk Street at Rivington). Click here for tickets.

Death Valley
by Adam Scott Mazer, directed by Dan Rogers
Wild West meets zombie apocalypse. Seriously. Oh hell's yes. I saw the serialzed version of this show when it went up at the Vampire Cowboys' last Saturday Night Saloon and enjoyed the hell out of each episode.
Runs June 23 - July 10 at the Bushwick Starr (207 Starr Street, Brooklyn). Click here for tickets.

Everything Else in The Brick's Comic Book Theater Festival and EndTimes' Vignettes for the Apocalypse V.
This isn't just a back-door plug (now there's an image) or a case of licking the hand that feeds you. There's a great deal of things in both festivals that I am quite pumped to see, from Derek Ahonen's The You Knows Know and Jerrod Bogard's The Madhouse in Vignettes to John Hoche's Galactic Girl In: ATTACK OF THE STARBARIANS! and Piper McKenzie's Bubble of Solace in the Comic Book Fest. I gotta say, I'm really pumped I get a discount to see these shows (right, respective festival curators?).
The Brick's Comic Book Theater Festival runs June 2 - July 1 at the Brick Theater (575 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn). Click here for tickets.
Vignettes for the Apocalypse V runs June 9 - July 3 at the Kraine Theater (85 East 4th Street). Click here for tickets.

I'm sure I'm missing a bunch of other shows going up this summer, so screw it: let's open up the floodgates. If you have a show going up in the Greater NYC area this June and July, feel free to plug to your heart's content in the comments section!

No time for going to Splish-Splash this summer,

James "Bathing Suit Area" Comtois

At the NYIT Awards Blog: Who/What For?

And lo and behold: my second entry on the NYIT Awards' Full of IT Blog is up.

Go ahead: check it out and BE Somebody.

At the NYIT Awards Blog: Upping the Ante

My first blog post for the Full of IT Blog is up. Check it the living hell out!

Amoral Cowboys

The Vampire Cowboys and the Amoralists are two companies that put on work that I always make a point to see no matter what. Currently, they have two shows up that have again reminded me why.

Although tickets for both of these shows are going fast (and are maybe already gone), if you haven't checked out the Vampire Cowboys' The Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G or the Amoralists' Bring Us the Head of Your Daughter, you need to rectify that as soon as possible.

Although radically different shows, they both mark turning points for each company, revealing the Cowboys and Amoralists branching out in new directions. What's even more interesting is that while you could technically call Agent G a sequel, it's still like nothing writing-directing team Qui Nguyen and Robert Ross Parker has ever made before. And with Bring Us the Head of Your Daughter (which features a whole news cast of actors not found in previous Amoralists shows), writer-director Derek Ahonen tones it down a notch, but doesn't make his play any less fun and engaging than his previous works.

Agent G tells two intersecting stories. In one, Paco Tolson plays Hung, a James Bond-esque secret agent who has to return to his native country of Vietnam to connect with and confront the daughter of the man he killed while on his way to America (this part of the story was originally told in Qui's first-ever play, Trial By Water). Meanwhile, William Jackson Harper plays playwright Qui Nguyen, who wants to tell the story of his cousin's journey from Vietnam to America, but feels hamstrung by the conventions of theatre as well as by his own brand of genre and stage combat theatre-making.

Sure, it has fun stage combat scenes, cinematic motorcycle chase sequences, and sing-a-longs with giant puppets, but Qui—both the writer and character—reveals that these elements ring false for this story, which is deeply personal for both him and his family. Even Trial By Water, according to Qui—which the Cowboys didn't stage—had too many artificial constructs (such as a villain). With Agent G, the Vampire Cowboys get the Charlie Kaufman treatment.

In Daughter, a lesbian couple's relationship is rapidly deteriorating, due in no small part to their daughter Garance being on the run, wanted for murdering—and eating—a series of housewives. Their phone rings off the hook from anonymous callers wishing death on them. Where the hell did they go wrong? Or more importantly, what the hell can they do about it now?

Jackie's (Anna Stromberg) answer apparently, is to drink herself to death. Contessa's (Mara Lileas) response seems to be to enable Jackie while burrowing deeper into quiet tearful despair.

Before the couple has time to completely implode upon itself, Contessa's long-lost half-brother, Dexel (Jordan Tisdale) shows up at their doorstep. And without revealing too much here, we soon discover that Dexel and Contessa have been estranged for very good reasons.

And of course, eventually, the alleged cannibal-murderer finally returns home.

I admired the way Daughter still had that intense energy often found in Derek's shows, but bottled it for the most part, allowing the story to unfold slowly, and allowing its actors to engage in long silences. Despite it being a surreal black comedy—yes, I realize I've made the above sound very dour and morose, but it is a very funny show—there were still plenty of moments for quiet and tender scenes. I also found Daughter to live up to the company's name more than any other play I've seen by them—we've got some seriously damaged goods in this show, including a confessed rapist, yet they're all thoroughly sympathetic, likable and endearing.

I should also point out that the casts in both plays—mostly Cowboys vets in Agent G, all fresh faces in Daughter—are of course excellent.

The Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G and Bring Us the Head of Your Daughter are both incredibly surefooted works by incredibly talented writers and directors ready and able to expand from whence they came. Even though these shows didn't surprise me in terms of ability and enjoyment, they definitely surprised me in terms of tone and content. These veteran companies show they're not afraid to take risks and try different things, even this late in the game.

Both plays—and companies—remind me why I love theatre.

The Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G is playing at Incubator Arts Project on 131 East 10th Street until April 16. For tickets go directly to the box office.

Bring Us the Head of Your Daughter is playing as PS 122 on 150 First Avenue until April 24. For tickets go here.

Getting tasered for fun,

James "Public Menace" Comtois

I Guess That's The Answer

Well, that didn't take long. As you can see from the button on the right, I have indeed joined Twitter. @JamesComtois. You can follow my up-to-the-minute micro-blatherings here.

Thanks to those of you who weighed in and gave me the extra push over the fence. We shall see how this goes. As always, we shall see.

So, feel free to follow me. I'll try not to lead you astray.

But no promises.

Keeping it short,

James "Sweety Bird" Comtois

Discount Tix Still Available For AGENT G on Mar. 31

Hey, gang. Just wanted to shoot y'all a reminder that discounted tickets are still available for this Thursday night's performance of Vampire Cowboys' excellent new show, The Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G at the Incubator Arts Project on 131 E. 10th St.

You can get your tickets by going here.

And stick around after the show for some drinks and merriment.

Having seen this on opening night (and being quite excited to see it again), I can attest that this is one of the Cowboys' most ambitious, touching and engaging plays. Qui, Robert & Co. have taken their staple genre mashup/stage-combat style and given it the Charlie Kaufman treatment. The result is truly beautiful and stunning. Not to mention fun and funny as all hell.

So see you there! I can't wait to see this again...

Your boatswain to the beatific,

James "Deckswabber" Comtois

Yours Truly to Perform Some Sketch Comedy in L.A. This Weekend

Hey, gang. For those of you in the Los Angeles area this weekend, I'll be performing with my ole' college sketch comedy troupe, Slow Children at Play, for a just-fer-the-fuck-of-it reunion show this Saturday at the Complex on 6476 Santa Monica Blvd.

The show's at 8 p.m., with a suggested donation of $10. Booze will be served, yuks will be had.

For the rest of y'all, have a great weekend. I'll hope to see a bunch of you in the New York area at the Thursday night performance of Vampire Cowboys' The Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G, a truly stunning piece of work.

Hunting for his boarding pass,

James "Gimme the Pat-Down" Comtois

Discount Tickets/Afterparty for Vampire Cowboys' Agent G March 31st

Hey, gang. Little Jimmy Comtois here, ready to let you in on some cross-promotional goodness between the Vampire Cowboys and the folks at Nosedive Central. Basically, it's a fundraising event that will wind up saving you money. For reals.

For those of you who have yet to buy tickets for Vampire Cowboys' latest, The Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G, we're offering discounted ($15) tickets to the Thursday, March 31st show.

You can take advantage by clicking here.

And after the show, libations and refreshments (read: beer, snacks and Jell-O shots) will be served.

A portion of these discounted ticket sales will go to Nosedive Productions.

So. To recap:

You get to see an awesome show for less money.

You get free drinks afterwards.

Vampire Cowboys gets an awesome audience (yes, that means you).

Nosedive makes some money for its 11th season.

Everyone. Freakin. Wins.

So see you there at The Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G on March 31!

Loving you always,

James "Purr Machine" Comtois