Douglas Morrisson Theatre to Continue Season with Solo Festival ONE FOR ALL

The Douglas Morrisson Theatre 2015-2016 Revelations Season continues with ONE FOR ALL: A Solo Artists Festival celebrating the amazing diversity of solo performers in the Bay Area. DMT's two-week solo theatre festival features nine different solo artists, April 8 through April 17, 2016, at the Douglas Morrisson Theatre, 22311 N. Third St. in Hayward, CA. Tickets are $20 general admission, children under 12 are $5, and are available through the Box Office at (510) 881-6777 or online at www.dmtonline.org.

The Bay Area hosts a myriad of exciting and inventive solo artists who captivate audiences with their personal narratives. The Marsh in San Francisco and Berkeley continues to nurture a steady stream of talent. Now it's time for DMT to bring these artists to Hayward! DMT's festival includes Bay Area luminaries Marga Gomez, Josh Kornbluth, and Ann Randolph, as well as children's entertainer Unique Derique, and a special matinee featuring short pieces from five talented local solo artists: Linda Ayres-Frederick, Carolyn Doyle, Amy Kilgard, Margery Kreitman and Rachel LePell.

The Shows & Artists

MARGA GOMEZ: LATIN STANDARDS

Marga Gomez's new solo play, based on true events, about never giving up in life or in love. As she looks back on a very particular day in 1996, her father's stories of Cuba, showbiz and the American dream come to life.

JOSH KORNBLUTH's BEN FRANKLIN: UNPLUGGED

Kornbluth's comedic historical mystery (what caused the painful split between Ben and his son?), as well as a poignant and enchanting autobiographical tale.

ANN RANDOLPH's LOVELAND

With a laugh-out-loud combination of absurdity and emotion, Ann Randolph brings humanity to the story of an irreverent oddball trapped on a plane as she travels from California to Ohio to attend a family member's funeral.

ANN RANDOLPH's INAPPROPRIATE IN ALL THE RIGHT WAYS

Randolph fuses her trademark irreverent observations with hilarious TED-style self-help messaging to create a has-to-be-seen-to-be-believed transformational theatrical experience. Plus Workshops!

UNIQUE DERIQUE: FOOL LA LA!

Unique Derique, the always-popular clown - and one-man band - delivers a comedy show for the whole family!

ONE x 5: Short Pieces by Five Local Solo Artists

LINDA AYRES-FREDERICK: Excerpt from the Turtleneck Diaries

CAROLYN DOYLE: Bonne Bell Cotton Candy Lipsmacker

AMY KILGARD: Returns and Other Consumer Tragedies (Excerpts from Triskaidekaphobia: 13 Consumer Tragedies)

MARGERY KREITMAN: Kicking Facebook

RACHEL LEPELL: Playing My Hand

See Below for Complete Description of Shows and Artist Bios

ABOUT THE DOUGLAS MORRISSON THEATRE

The Douglas Morrisson Theatre is owned and operated by the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District. The DMT is located at 22311 N. Third St. in Hayward, next to the Senior Center and the Japanese Gardens. The Box Office is open Tuesday through Friday, 12:30 to 5:30 and can be reached at (510) 881-6777. Information is also available at www.dmtonline.org.

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Complete Description of Shows and Artist Bios

(in order of performance date)

BEN FRANKLIN: UNPLUGGED

Friday April 8 at 8pm

Saturday April 9 at 8pm

One day, as he was trying to think of what his next monologue should be about, Josh Kornbluth was shaving -- when all of a sudden, the steam parted, he saw his reflection in the mirror, and realized that he looked like Ben Franklin! This discovery led Josh to begin researching the great man -- and to learning surprising things about American history, and about Franklin himself: for example, that Franklin's son, William, became the Royal Governor of New Jersey and ended up being a fierce enemy of the American Revolution (and his dad). Ben Franklin: Unplugged is a comedic historical mystery (what caused the painful split between Ben and William?), as well as an autobiographical tale -- as Josh, amid his Franklin-related investigations, must deal with his opinionated mother, Bunny, his force-of-nature Aunt Birdie, and a brilliant, eccentric Franklin scholar named Claude. It is a story of fathers and sons, mothers and aunts -- and a true-life historical adventure.

"Kornbluth has taken what was an entertaining monologue and turned it into a remarkable piece of theater that not only crackles with Kornbluth's sharp and engaging humor, but creates a delightful emotional bond between him and his audience." - Pat Craig, Contra Costa Times

" ... an enchanting tale, divided between the story of Franklin and that of Kornbluth's Josh as a lazy researcher getting drawn into the mystery of Franklin's relationship with his son William. ... The further Kornbluth gets into his subject, the more his mischievous wit reflects Franklin's own. " Robert Hurwitt, San Francisco Chronicle

"Ben Franklin: Unplugged works on a lot of levels. ... Above all it's a poignant and penetrating father-son saga ...." Lloyd Rose, Washington Post

Josh Kornbluth has been doing autobiographical monologues since 1987, when he held his first full-length solo performance in a basement space in North Beach called Enrico Banducci's hungry id. Since then, he has performed his pieces all over the Bay Area and around the U.S., as well as in Canada, Poland, and India. He made his Off-Broadway debut in 1989, at the Second Stage Theater, with Red Diaper Baby (which was nominated for a Drama Desk Award and selected for the Best American Plays of 1989 collection); his other shows include Haiku Tunnel, The Mathematics of Change, Ben Franklin: Unplugged, Love & Taxes, Citizen Josh, Andy Warhol: Good for the Jews?, and (most recently) Sea of Reeds. In 2002 he collaborated with the San Francisco Mime Troupe on the script for their summer show, Mr. Smith Goes to Obscuristan. He has made two feature films with his brother Jacob -- Haiku Tunnel (Sony Classics, 2001) and the forthcoming Love & Taxes -- as well as two concert films (Red Diaper Baby, directed by Doug Pray, and The Mathematics of Change, directed by Jacob Kornbluth). For two years he hosted an interview program on KQED-TV, cleverly titled The Josh Kornbluth Show. His work has been collected in one old-fashioned book (Red Diaper Baby) as well as in two audiobooks (Red Diaper Baby and Ben Franklin: Unplugged ... and Other Comic Monologues). For six months he was the very first artist-in-residence at the Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco, where he continues to serve as a volunteer caregiver. Josh lives in Berkeley with his wife and son.

For more about Josh Kornbluth, visit http://joshkornbluth.com/

FOOL LA LA!

Saturday April 9 at 2pm

Saturday April 16 at 2pm

Written by Unique Derique

Directed by Calvin Kai KU

This circus-inspired show features slapstick comedy punctuated with dance and percussive music, transforming into a live one-man dancing-band. With a whole new bag of tricks, the always-popular clown Unique Derique delivers a comedy show for the whole family. Following the show, Derique will lead a twenty-minute Hambone and juggling workshop so the whole family can put a little zip in their step.

"Derique..., demonstrated his rapid-fire hands as they passed over his body in a blur of motion." - NY Times

A Major talent." - The San Francisco Bay Guardian

"Derique will be back, remember the name."- The San Francisco Chronicle

Unique Derique (Fool-Clown) aka Lance McGee wears many hats for many Hearts as an Entertainer, Circus Arts Instructor, Drama Therapist, and Mindfulness Life Coach. Unique Derique has made international television appearances as well as sharing the stage with such entertainers as Bobby McFerrin, The Temptations, Lou Rawls, and Sammy Davis Jr. His television credits include performing on It's Showtime at the Apollo in Harlem N.Y., the Disney Channel, Universal Studios Hollywood and on Sabodo Gigante. At the age of 15, he learned Hambone and began his clown training in Berkeley with Circus A La Mode and later joined San Francisco's Pickle Family Circus and Make-A-Circus. For the last 20 years he's been an artist in residence teaching Hambone body percussion and Circus skills with the Prescott Circus Theater (an after school Circus-Arts program in West Oakland).

For more about Unique Derique, visit The Marsh at:

https://themarsh.org/fool-la-la/unique-derique/

ONE x 5: Short Pieces by Five Local Solo Artists: LINDA AYRES-FREDERICK, CAROLYN DOYLE, AMY KILGARD, MARGERY KREITMAN AND RACHEL LEPELL

Sunday April 10 at 2pm

Excerpt from the Turtleneck Diaries by Linda Ayres-Frederick.

A serio-comic panic at a birthday that even the government reminds you about.

Linda Ayres-Frederick* Phoenix Theatre's Artistic Director since 1985 (www.phoenixtheatresf.org), two-time Shubert Playwriting Fellow, actor, director, producer, critic. Linda's plays have received over 20 productions; she's seen her work performed in NYC, Edinburgh, France and Alaska. Recent credits include: Best of SF Fringe, 2014 (Assorted Domestic Emergencies: Blizzard), 2010 & 2011 (Afield); Best Play, Marin Fringe 2012 (Cantata #40), SF Fringe 2015 (Accidents & Other New Work). Her plays have had productions in two Bay One-Acts Festivals and seven readings at the Last Frontier Theater Conference. Full-lengths include Kiska Bay, The Unveiling, Black Swan, The Umbrella Play, One Foot on the Water, and The Mav Mum Murder. Member: SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle (VP), American Theatre Critics Association, the Dramatists Guild of America, AEA, and AFTRA/SAG. Linda lives in San Francisco with her partner. *Member AEA

Bonne Bell Cotton Candy Lipsmacker by Carolyn Doyle

A humorous look at one of life's most poignant milestones: the first kiss.

Carolyn Doyle is thrilled to participate in Douglas Morrisson Theatre's first-ever Solo Artists Festival! Locally, she has worked with Marin Theatre Co., Encore Theatre Co., San Jose Rep's Red Ladder, Willows Theatre, Theatre Rhinoceros, Signal Theatre, Kaliyuga Arts, Eastenders Repertory, The Western Stage, Shotgun Players, Woman's Will, California Shakespeare Theatre, SF Shakespeare Festival, Rough and Tumble and Boxcar Theatre (BATCC nomination for A Lie of The Mind). As a solo performer, her Confessions of a Refrigerator Mother (directed by Susan E. Evans) enjoyed a highly successful 4-week run at The Marsh, playing to sold-out crowds. Film and television credits include Steven Soderbergh's Contagion, Nash Bridges and an ABC pilot titled Metropolis.

Returns and Other Consumer Tragedies Excerpts from Triskaidekaphobia: 13 Consumer Tragedies Created and performed by Amy K. Kilgard

The filthy pigs-er, customers-have wreaked havoc in the Targé aisles and left a disaster area in their wake. Amy secretly plots their destruction from lane 13. Will she finally crack the mystery of bizarre customer behaviors-or will she just crack?

Amy K. Kilgard is a Professor of Performance Studies at San Francisco State University where she teaches classes in performance art, performance of literature, and ensemble performance. Her interests include the intersections among performance art, consumerism, performance methodologies, collage, and pedagogy. Her solo show, Triskaidekaphobia: 13 Consumer Tragedies, toured 13 cities in 2013. Amy is currently directing a devised ensemble performance about experimental travel and is working on new solo performances about ambivalence and queer family narratives.

For more about Amy Kilgard, visit: www.amykilgard.com

Kicking Facebook by Margery Kreitman

After the breakup of a long term relationship, a woman finds herself addicted to Facebook and other social media.

Margery Kreitman is a San Francisco playwright, creator and curator of LEZWRITES!, a reading series for lesbian writers, and also a monologist and solo performer. Her solo pieces, The Boot, A Singular Story and Soul Stone were launched in the 3Girls Theatre reading series. Margery's other solo works include Home Plates (Dean Goodman Choice Awards), Thirty Years Later, Phenomenal Dread of Intimacy, Mug Shots, Payday at Pukalani (A Maui Fringe Festival winner) and Bouncing. Her most recent solo work, Kicking Facebook, was presented in 3Girls Theatre's 2015 Salon series. Her award-winning comedies, one acts, and sketch comedy shows have been produced in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York and her short stories have appeared in numerous journals and reviews. She has taught Theater Arts extensively at public and private schools, including ACT'S Young Conservatory, The Academy of Art University, and The New Conservatory Theatre Center.

For more on Margery Kreitman, visit: http://www.margerykreitman.com/

Playing My Hand by Rachel LePell

Thrilling and terrifying, LePell takes us on the ride of casino gambling, looking for a self awareness, self reflection, and new definitions of love.

Rachel LePell is now expanding her work in the direction of solo performance, combining her love of text and live performance-story-telling in real space in real time. Rachel has written, directed and produced nearly a hundred shows in her 30 plus years; her work includes: Particulate Matter, Tima, It Falls...Remodeling, Belly Aches, and The Time Dance. She is twice the winner of the regional David Cohen award for playwriting from the American College Theater Festival, as well as the honor of a Distinguished Educator in Theater Arts. She has been a guest artist at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, both in playwriting and directing, and has worked for such Bay Area theaters as Berkeley Rep, Virago, and The New Conservatory Theatre, where she served as literary manager in the 80s. She is currently lead faculty at Chabot College in Theater Arts, where she has developed the Emerging Work new plays program.

LOVELAND

Thursday April 14 at 8pm, Plus Workshop

Critically-acclaimed writer/performer Ann Randolph's Loveland is an "unforgettable, over-the-top comedy that forces people to think" (The Huffington Post). Randolph, recognized as the "Best Solo Performer of San Francisco 2010" (San Francisco Examiner), brings humanity to the role of Frannie Potts, an irreverent oddball trapped on a plane as she travels from California to Ohio to attend a family member's funeral. Accompanied by a cast of hilarious characters, all portrayed by Randolph, we witness the tragedy, beauty and humor that unite us all in grief. "Compared to the late Gilda Radner" (The San Francisco Examiner) and called "a genius" by comedy master Mel Brooks, Randolph exposes the laugh-out-loud combination of absurdity and wrenching emotion that results when grief strips us of our inhibitions.

"Loveland is Inappropriate in All the Right Ways. Outrageous. Hugely Moving. Cathartic. Tour de Force." Celia Wren, Washington Post

"You'll laugh. You'll cry... Randolph mines new depth of hilarity." - Robert Hurwitt, San Francisco Chronicle

"Riotously demented and brilliantly humane. Not to be missed." - Rob Avila, San Francisco Bay Guardian

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INAPPROPRIATE IN ALL THE RIGHT WAYS

Friday April 15 at 8pm, Plus Workshop

Popular and provocative performer Ann Randolph takes comic catharsis to a new level with her new one-woman show, Inappropriate In All The Right Ways, Randolph fuses her trademark irreverent observations with hilarious TED-style self-help messaging to create a has-to-be-seen-to-be-believed transformational theatrical experience.

"...a show like no other...100% fun..." - Huffington Post

Inappropriate starts with Randolph sharing her own wild ride: from living as a volunteer in a mental institution in Appalachia; to living on a boat off the coast of Alaska pretending to clean the Exxon Oil spill with some good ol' boys from Louisiana; to a homeless shelter in Santa Monica; to hooking up with Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft for an Off- Broadway run on 42nd St; to teaching thousands to take the stage and speak their truth. Each step of the way, we watch Randolph face tremendous obstacles and defeats and are witness to how each of these challenges led to the unfolding of this always unique and always surprising artist.

Ann Randolph is an Ovation Award winning playwright and performer. Her multi-character solo show Squeeze Box was originally produced by Mel Brooks and the late Anne Bancroft and went on to become a critically acclaimed Off-Broadway hit. Her most recent solo show, Loveland, premiered at The Marsh and for which she was named "Best Solo Performer" by the San Francisco Examiner. The show has toured both nationally and internationally and enjoyed a critically-acclaimed run at the Arena Stage in D.C. It also won San Francisco Bay Area Critics Circle Award for "Best Original Screenplay." Randolph's previous solo shows and plays have garnered many awards. She was a former member of the Groundlings and Unsafe Sketch, receiving LA Weekly's "Best Female Comedy Performer." Her solo show Miss America was awarded "Best Solo Show" and as an actress she has appeared in numerous plays including the long running cult classic, Bob's Office Party, for which she created the roles of Brandy and Carol. The LA Times wrote of Randolph's performance: "In a pair of wickedly hysterical roles, Randolph steals the show." As a writer, she has contributed personal essays to NPR, Weekend America and the BBC. Ann has also made numerous TV and film appearances including the release of Internet Dating with Kat Williams. In addition to writing for the stage, she has also created original programming for Gullane Pictures, PAX, Lifetime, and Klasky Csupo. As an educator, she travels around the country, leading a multitude of writing and performance workshops. The emphasis of these workshops varies from transformational writing for healing to crafting a performance monologue. She has taught at NYU, Ohio University, Wells College, Esalen, Kripalu, Omega, Yoga Oasis and many other academic institutions.

For more on Ann Randolph, visit: http://www.annrandolph.com/

LATIN STANDARDS

Saturday April 16 at 8pm

Sunday April 17 at 2pm

Written/Performed by Marga Gomez

Marga Gomez's Latin Standards is a new solo play, based on true events, about never giving up in life or in love. In 1996 Marga and her soon to be ex girlfriend enter the New York offices of NPR where Marga is to be interviewed about her father's career by the legendary Terry Gross. Just before Marga goes on air to honor her father's memory, and become "NPR Famous," she gets dumped. Marga remains in shock and squanders her entire twenty minute public radio interview on girl trouble. As she looks back on that day, her father's stories of Cuba, showbiz and the American dream come to life. Latin Standards is Marga Gomez's 12th solo show and has been developed in San Francisco at Brava Theater, The Marsh and Solo Sundays.

Marga Gomez is the writer/performer of eleven more solo plays which have been presented Off-Broadway and internationally. The SF Weekly named Gomez one of "2016's Artists To Watch." She is also a GLAAD Award winner, Los Angeles Ovation Award winner, New York Drama Desk nominee and triple winner of the San Francisco Bay Guardian's "Best of The Bay Comedian Award." Marga has been hailed as "deliciously cheeky and incendiary" by the New York Times and declared "salaciously surreal" by the San Francisco Chronicle. She is a tenured Artist-In-Residence at San Francisco's Brava Theater where she teaches solo performance. Gomez's acting credits include roles in Tracey Ullman's "Tracey Takes On..." and Warner Brothers films "Batman Forever" and "Sphere." As a stand-up comedian she has appeared on LOGO's "One Night Stand Up," Showtime's "Latino Laugh Festival," Comedy Central's "Out There" and HBO's "Comic Relief" at the invitation of Robin Williams who called her "Amazing... a lesbian Lenny Bruce." She has been a guest on leading comedy podcasts "Marc Maron's WTF" and the "Keith and The Girl Show." She is a regular at SF Comedy Day and has been featured at numerous comedy festivals including SF Sketchfest, Montreal's Just For Laughs, South Beach Comedy Festival, Vancouver Comedy Festival and The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She has been on NPR's Fresh Air twice.

For more on Marga Gomez, visit: www.margagomez.com

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