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DMTheatrics proudly presents the MASTERWORKS OF EDWARD D. WOOD, JR. series, an ongoing tribute to the man the smug and hip would call "the worst director of all time". Part sincere appreciation, part affectionate spoof, this series intends to shed some light on the life and work of this idiosyncratic and infamous cinema artist. The original five performances (plus a few surprises) were originally presented in the first wave of the Masterworks festival in 2000 at the late NADA Classic, and were featured, in slightly amended form, during the hugely successful EdFest 2000, which ran as part of the NADA 2000 Pure Pop Festival. This series continues sporadically as time and space permits, and it is hoped by all involved that the series will eventually rescue from obscurity and mockery the complete oeuvre, both filmed and written, of this rewarding and fascinating "outsider artist." The Masterworks series was devised and developed by Frank Cwiklik and Ian W. Hill. The first wave was curated by Frank Cwiklik. All shows produced by Frank Cwiklik, Ian W. Hill, and Michele Schlossberg unless otherwise indicated. |
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LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This series is NOT endorsed or authorized by the estate of Edward D. Wood, Jr. or its agents. All works produced in the Masterworks series are based on titles currently in the public domain or under copyright dispute and are covered for stage adaptation and reference under the fair use laws of the United States Copyright Office. |
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EDWARD D. WOOD, Jr: AN APPRECIATION ***************
Easily the most freewheeling of all the first wave EdFest offerings, The Sinister Urge! is the cautionary tale of young starlets being tricked into the deadly world of "adult" entertainment. Innocent young maidens fooled into donning unrevealing "lingerie" for half-blind "photographers"! Inept cops stumbling onto clues through simple blind luck! The evil chainsmoking porn queen and her inexhaustible showbiz wardrobe! And, most alarmingly, the braindamaged psycho serial killer Dirk Williams, who may or may not also be a Hasidic hitman (don't ask). Part Zucker Brothers, part Mel Brooks, this wild, energetic parody of 50's crime melodramas was the first of the Masterworks series and quickly became an underground sensation, eventually making two encore appearances and earning unprecedented repeat business and enthusiastic audience response. The Sinister Urge! originally opened in March of 2000, playing for eight performances, returned as part of a popular double bill with Jail Bait in May of 2000 for six more performances, and played for three more encore appearances during rhe Fall 2000 EdFest. WRITTEN BY EDWARD D. WOOD, JR. PRODUCED BY FRANK CWIKLIK, IAN W. HILL, AND MICHELE SCHLOSSBERG ADAPTED, DESIGNED AND DIRECTED BY FRANK CWIKLIK Your Cast of Characters in order of their appearance on our stage... BRYAN ENK as Dirk Williams/Lackey/Hasidic Henchman * CARRIE JOHNSON as Dead Meat * BOB BRADER as Lt. Matt Carson * MARK G. CISNEROS as Sgt. Randy Stone * J. KEVIN TALLENT as Jaffe/Thug/Cunning Decoy (roles played by FRANK CWIKLIK in revivals) * CHRISTIAAN KOOP as Pinup Girl/Janet/Department Store Clerk * AMY CAITLIN CARR as Pinup Girl/Mary Smith Who Was So Good in the School Play) * DOUGLAS SCOTT SORENSON as Paul/Commissioner/Soda Jerk/Kelton/Jeweler/Casting Agent * IAN W. HILL as Mr. Taxpayer/Jaffe/Danny/Hasidic Mob Boss * MICHELE SCHLOSSBERG as Gloria Henderson, Porn Queen * YURI LOWENTHAL as Johnny Ride (role played by JOSEPH POLACIK in first revival) PHOTOS AND PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS FROM ORIGINAL PRODUCTION GRAPHICS INTENSIVE SINISTER URGE! PROMO PAGES ***************
JAIL BAIT is a noir thriller about a good boy gone bad, the bad guy who makes him that way, and the terrible events that occur when one mistake leads to tragedy, mistaken identity, and murder. Troubled young Don Gregor (Bryan Enk) finds himself trapped in a life of crime, a spiral of regret and grief that sucks him deeper when the perfect holdup results in the death of a night watchman and a desperate manhunt for both him and his cowardly mentor, Vic Brady, a man who will stop at nothing -- not even the loss of his own identity -- to stay clear of the cops. Jail Bait was the happy and startling surprise of the Masterworks festival, a searing, straightforward thriller directed with sensitivity and surprising emotional heft by Michele Schlossberg (Kookamonga Falls). Originally appearing as the second of the Masterworks offerings in May of 2000, Jail Bait returned for the Summer 2000 EdFest, playing a total of eight performances. WRITTEN BY EDWARD D. WOOD, JR and ALEX GORDON PRODUCED BY FRANK CWIKLIK, IAN W. HILL, and MICHELE SCHLOSSBERG ADAPTED and DIRECTED BY MICHELE SCHLOSSBERG Your cast of characters in order of their appearance on our stage... CHRISTIAAN KOOP as Marilyn * IAN W. HILL as Inspector Johns * DOUGLAS SCOTT SORENSON as Lt. Lawrence * BRYAN ENK as Don Gregor * BOB BRADER as Dr. Boris Gregor * FRANK CWIKLIK as Vic Brady * JOSEPH POLACIK as The Night Watchman/Coroner (roles played by YURI LOWENTHAL in revival) * STACIA FRENCH as Loretta * CARRIE JOHNSON as Miss Willis ***************
What is going on at the old Willows Place? Bodies have been turning up, there are stories of awful sea monsters, and the cops -- and certain foreign authorities -- are getting a mite suspicious. Could it have something to do with the mysterious Doctor Erik Vornoff, who keeps to himself in his creepy castle on the old Willows Estate? Or is it just more Ed Wood lunacy, nonsensical, illogical, and bizarre good fun? As if you couldn't guess. The Ed cult classic comes alive in this hilarious parody of every mad scientist movie you’ve ever seen. Includes the obligatory Chair Of Evil, Hulking Hunchbacked assistant, and the cheapest, silliest, dumbest-looking monster ever thrown under stage lights. Oh, and gratuitous use of sugar and cream. Will the evil Dr. Eric Vornoff complete his dastardly plan for world domination? Or can moronic Lt. Dick Craig actually save the day? Bride of the Monster made its stage debut in June of 2000, running for eight performances, and made a return appearance as the opening night show of EdFest 2000 that September. Wildly funny and a great party show, Bride proved to be an audience favorite. Directed by underground cult filmmaker Bryan Enk. WRITTEN BY EDWARD D. WOOD, JR. PRODUCED BY FRANK CWIKLIK, BRYAN ENK, IAN W. HILL, AND MICHELE SCHLOSSBERG ADAPTED AND DIRECTED BY BRYAN ENK Your Cast of Characters in order of their appearance on our stage... IAN W. HILL as Monster Meat/Town Drunk/Martin * DOUGLAS SCOTT SORENSON as Scientist Meat/Kelton (understudy: YURI LOWENTHAL) * BOB BRADER as -- ahem -- Dr. Erik Vornoff * CARRIE JOHNSON as Lobo/Tillie * MATTHEW GRAY as Desk Cop/Prof. Strowski * MICHELE SCHLOSSBERG as Captain Robbins * FRANK CWIKLIK as Lt. Dick Craig * CHRISTIAAN KOOP as Janet Lawton * and THE MONSTER as Himself ***************
Far and away the smash hit of the Masterworks series thus far, The Fugitive Girls! became an instant cult classic, earning sellout business during its initial run and gaining a legion of fans who continually request its return appearance. The Fugitive Girls! presents four deadly women and their desperate bid for freedom as they rape, pillage, and plunder their way through late-60's America, leaving a trail of death, destruction, and horror in their wake. Sex, violence, pop culture, and shocking ugliness abound in this gruesome, shocking, brutally entertaining bad girl action comedy. Inspired by the works of Russ Meyer and Doris Wishman, Ed Wood's obscure softcore exploitation feature is staged with brutal ferocity and savage intensity. Originally presented in July and August of 2000 for twelve performances, Fugitive Girls! made a popular return engagement during the September 2000 EdFest for two more appearances. The show was revived in March of 2002 to record-breaking business, and is scheduled for yet another return engagement in 2005, proving that nothing, but nothing, can stop the Fugitive Girls! WRITTEN BY EDWARD D. WOOD, JR. PRODUCED BY FRANK CWIKLIK, IAN W. HILL, AND MICHELE SCHLOSSBERG ADAPTED, DESIGNED, AND DIRECTED BY FRANK CWIKLIK Your Cast of Characters in order of their appearance on our stage... BRYAN ENK * CHRISTIAAN KOOP * DOUGLAS SCOTT SORENSON * MATTHEW GRAY * SARAH JANE BUNKER * TANIA RADCLIFFE * DANIELLE DAGGERTY GRAPHICS PAGES FROM ORIGINAL RUN OF THE FUGITIVE GIRLS! FUGITIVE GIRLS! 2002 REVIVAL PAGES AUDIO TRAILER FROM 2002 REVIVAL ***************
.. Being the startling almost-kind-of true story of a gang of deadly juvenile delinquents on a terrible rampage, holding up gas stations, throwing all-night parties, destroying the hated schoolhouse, all out of sight of their oblivious and largely disinterested parents. The Violent Years was great fun for all, featuring shootouts, exciting chases, sloppy makeout sessions, and cinematic montages, all presided over by the stern voice of authority and capped with a haunting final image that left audiences either spellbound or scratching their heads muttering, "what in the--?" Originally presented as the final show of the 2000 Ed series in August, the show's run extended into the two weeks of EdMania that was EdFest 2000. Cute babes, guns, slow witted gas station attendants, dopey guys getting clocked in the mouth -- how could you possibly want for more? Oh, and -- the infamous girls-on-boy gang bang!! Jesus, Ed.... WRITTEN BY EDWARD D. WOOD, JR. PRODUCED BY FRANK CWIKLIK, IAN W. HILL, AND MICHELE SCHLOSSBERG ADAPTED AND DIRECTED BY IAN W. HILL Your Cast of Characters in order of their appearance on our stage... CARRIE JOHNSON as Paula * NICOLE MARSH as Phyllis/Jury Foreman * SHELLEY RAY as Geraldine/Nurse * MELISSA DeLANCEY as Georgia * BRYAN ENK as Bailiff/Lt. Holmes/Manny * TRAV S.D. as Judge Raymond Clara * BOB BRADER as Father/Used Car Dealer * MARLA YOST as Mother/Shirley * ROBERT PINNOCK as Gas Station Attendant/Barney/Innocent Bystander * MATTHEW GRAY as Tom/Johnny/Lawyer * MICHELE SCHLOSSBERG as Sheila * and various members of the company as THE PUBLIC and THE LONG ARM OF THE LAW ***************
It is said, on clear nights, beneath the cold light of the moon, howl the dog and the wolf, and creeping things crawl out of the slime... it is then that the ghouls feast in all their radiance! It is on nights like this most people prefer to steer clear of burial grounds. It is on nights like this that the creatures are said to appear... and walk... and DANCE! MONSTERS TO BE PITIED! MONSTERS TO BE DESPISED! A night with the GHOULS!!
Lower East Side Theater legend Trav S.D. joined forces with DMTheatrics to present the continuation of the notorious Masterworks of Edward D. Wood, Jr. festival... ORGY OF THE DEAD! The gripping and baffling non-epic saga of the Emperor and Empress of the Dead came to life on the stage of Surf Reality, home of the avant garde burlesque movement, including the legendary Grindhouse-A-Go-Go. Featuring six -- count 'em -- six beautiful babes, bumping and grinding their way through the harrowing stories of lost souls trying to gain their entrance into the underworld by shaking everything they've got for the amusement of the denizens of a very cardboard cemetery. A young couple out for a moonlight drive are held captive by the nefarious rulers of the undead, who demand absolute fealty to their reign of cluelessness! SEE! The slave girl and her torturers! SEE! The Matador's Mistress! SEE! The Wolfman and the Mummy in hilarious comedy routines! (No, really.)
Second only to The Fugitive Girls in popularity among the EdFest shows, Orgy played to sold out houses during its six week run, and inspired a popular club night at NYC nightlife hotspot Spa (hosted by special guest Ron Jeremy -- what???). Orgy opened March 2nd, 2001, and closed April 13th.
WRITTEN BY EDWARD D. WOOD, JR. PRODUCED BY TRAV S.D. ADAPTED, DESIGNED AND DIRECTED BY FRANK CWIKLIK Your Cast of Characters in order of their appearance on our stage... TRAV S.D. as Himself * CHRISTIAAN KOOP as Linda * MICHAEL LESTER as Bob * IAN W. HILL as the Wolfman * ADAM SWIDERSKI as the Mummy (understudy: MATTHEW GRAY) * ROBERT PINNOCK as the Emperor of the Dead * MICHELE SCHLOSSBERG as the Empress of the Dead and THE DELICIOUS DAMSELS OF THE DEAD featuring... SARAH JANE BUNKER * AMY CAITLIN CARR * MISS LORA MARIE * MICHELLE CARLO * LYNN THE SIN * THE WORLD FAMOUS BOB * MISS KELLY WEBB * SIR REAL * and EXTRA SPECIAL SURPRISE GUESTS ORIGINAL PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS AND PLAYBILL
PHOTOS FROM THE ORIGINAL PRODUCTION *************** |
