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Sacred Fools Theater Company presents the double feature I Wrote This! and Ten West

By Roberta Lage

Two plays for the price of one.  A show by kids...for adults. And a show by adults...for the kid in all of us. Performed by the Sacred Fools Theater Company and Ten West.

"I Wrote This!' consists of stories written by Sacred Fools and their friends when they were children. Their ages ranged from 4 to 10 years at the time they crafted their tales. "I Wrote This!' is a play written by kids for adults. The stories depict with imagination emotional experiences such as hope, anger, joy, sorrow and laughter.

Jon Monastero, Taylor Parker and David LM McIntyre in
Jon Monastero, Taylor Parker and David LM McIntyre in "I wrote This" at Sacred Fools Theater. Photo by Desi Doyen

Co-adaptor and co-director, Corey Klemow states 'It's about how clearly children see the world, more so than adults often give them credit for. It's about how their emotions are exactly the same as ours, and how easily their concerns can translate into adult concerns.'

The scenario is simple and each story starts with a child's voice narrating. The cast is  amazing in their performances. With the exception of a brief episode concerning a difficult childbirth, containing an image that a few parents may consider inappropriate for very small children (although the piece itself was written by a then six-year-old child).

Taylor Parker, Shelley Wenk and Stephen Simon in
Taylor Parker, Shelley Wenk and Stephen Simon in "I wrote This" at Sacred Fools Theater. Photo by Desi Doyen

There are 16 delicious pieces in all ranging from a few seconds to fifteen minutes long. Included in the tales are The Little Farmar and Math Homework, Escape from Mars, Queen of Bad Jewels, Brandon (Alex) a.k.a. You are a Idiot and A Poem About Cowboys. You'll also hear about  a caged baby, a dangerous scientific experiment, and moral outrage. This show proves kids notice more than you think.

The child/adult writers are Vanessa Claire Smith, Amir Talai, Corey Klemow, Dara Klemow, Ariadne Shaffer, Padraic Duffy, Dean Cameron, Ruth Silveira, Jessie Marion, Aaron Greenbaum, Jenelle Riley, Becky Harrison, and Tenaya C.Cleveland. Adapted for stage by Jessie Marion and Corey Klemow.


Second half of this double feature is 'Ten West.'  Ten West is the name of a comedic performance duo consisting of Jon Monastero and Stephen Simon. This vaudvillian piece is performed in silence and reminds one of great silent performers like Charlie Chaplin and Red Skelton. The duo are fluidly acrobatic in their movements and slapstick performances. Full of heart and lots of clowning around these guys make having so much fun look easy. "Ten West" brings back good old-fashioned comedy to a contemporary audience.

Ten West
Ten West

"Ten West" is written and performed by TEN WEST and is directed by Bryan Coffee

Both performances last about 2 hours, with a 10 minutes intermission.

"I Wrote This!" Cast

Taylor Parker
Jon Monastero
David LM McIntyre
Brandon Clark
Stephen Simon
Tenaya Cleveland
Kirstin Eggers

"Ten West" Cast

Jon Monastero

Stephen Simon

Ten West
Ten West

"I Wrote This!" and "Ten West" Production Staff

Directors/Producers Corey Klemow & Ruth Silveira
Assistant Director/Choreographer Jessie Marion
Stage Manager Hans Gelpke
Assistant Stage Manager Rebecca Crown
Associate Producers John Mitchell & Frank Stasio
Sound Designer Jason Tuttle
Lighting Designer & Operator Hans Gelpke
Set Designer Carlos Fedos
Lead Costume & Prop  Designer Ruth Silveira
Associate Costume Designers Rachel Bickley  & Monica de La Cruz
Costume Assistants Lou Burnstein & Rebecca Crown
Scenic Design Brandon Clark & Tenaya Cleveland
Sphere Construction John Mitchell
Additional Scenic Elements Lou Burnstein
Music, (Brandon) Alex - Brenda Varda
Build Crew - Aaron Francis, Joe Jordan & Tom Kiesche
Light Crew - Padraic Duffy, Hans Gelpke, Paul Plunkett & Jason Mullen
Costume Crew -  Kathi Copeland & Jenifer Hamel
Sound Operators Corey Klemow & Aaron Francis
Swing Sound Operator Frank Stasio
Publicity Photos Desi Doyen
Publicity Philip Sokoloff

Two remaining performances: Friday February 3rd and Saturday the 4th at 8 pm.

SACRED FOOLS THEATER COMPANY
660 N.Heliotrope, Los Angeles, CA 90004
310-281-8337  www.SacredFools.org





Published Jan 29, 2006
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