Recent Cutbacks' Dinosaur Parody HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS to Stomp Into Chicago

New York-based Recent Cutbacks announces the return of its acclaimed theatrical comedy Hold On To Your Butts, a live, shot-for-shot remake of Jurassic Park performed by just two actors and a foley artist, to Chicago for a limited engagement at Donny's Skybox Theater at The Second City Training Center (230 W. North Ave, 4th Floor) April 20 through 23, 2017.

We all have our nostalgia flick: one movie that blew our pre-adolescent minds with its epic story, special effects, and iconic score. For these artists who grew up in the '90s, that movie is Jurassic Park, which has remained the gold standard of dinosaur flicks for the past twenty-five years. Part spoof, part tribute, this highly theatrical version is intensely physical, imaginative, and silly, using only specific costume pieces and rudimentary props to recreate iconic moments from the film. Under an hour!

Created by Recent Cutbacks, a company that has developed theatrical parodies of blockbusters including Fly, You Fools! (Lord of the Rings trilogy) and KEVIN!!!!! (Home Alone), Hold On To Your Butts was named a "Critic's Pick" and the "#3 Comedy Show of 2014" by Time Out New York. StageBuddy.com called it "amazing and hilarious" while The Happiest Medium raved, "this is something that can't be missed."

Directed by Kristin McCarthy Parker (Puffs, Kapow-i GoGo), Hold On To Your Butts features actors Nick Abeel and Kyle Schaefer along with foley artist Kelsey Didion. Lanie Zipoy serves as the producer.

Performances of Hold On To Your Butts will be at Donny's Skybox Theater at The Second City Training Center (230 W. North Ave, 4th Floor) beginning Thursday, April 20th at 8:30pm, and run through Sunday, April 24th at 8:30pm. Tickets are $18 for general admission. Tickets are available at www.secondcity.com/shows/chicago/hold-on-to-your-butts and at the door. For more information, visit www.recentcutbacks.com.

Watch a teaser below!

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ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

The Second City Training Center (Presenter) was established in the 1980's to teach the skills which underlie the work on The Second City's stages. The classes, taught by professionals working in their fields, are dedicated to helping students develop their artistic voice, both individually and within an ensemble, and to provide the tools and techniques needed to express that voice. The Training Center draws from The Second City's history of ensemble improvisation, satire, and revue comedy developed and practiced by its artists. The Training Center serves as a laboratory for the exploration of the future of the art form.

Recent Cutbacks (Company) takes parody seriously. We're inspired by nostalgia, irreverence, pop culture, and high theatricality. For more information and to join our mailing list, check out: www.recentcutbacks.com

Nick Abeel (Co-Creator/Performer) is an actor and theater artist based in New York City. He's performed at HERE Arts, Dixon Place, 59E59, UCB, the PIT, The Duplex, Indiana Rep, Geva Theater, Denver Center, and the Kennedy Center. He's developed new work in NYC with New Dramatists, The Lark, MTC, NY Stage and Film, Partial Comfort, Primary Stages, and New Georges. Nick is also a company member with Broken Box Mime Theater and a voice over artist. Proud graduate of the University of Evansville.

Kelsey Didion (Co-Creator/Foley Artist) is a co-founder of Recent Cutbacks and is currently collaborating long-distance from Colorado. She was an original performer in Hold On To Your Butts and created music for Fly, You Fools! Credits include: Colorado Shakespeare Festival, The PIT, Theatre Row, Chautauqua Theater Company, PlayMakers Repertory Company, New York Shakespeare Exchange, The New Harmony Project and others. Film: Ricki and the Flash. University of Evansville (BS) and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (MFA).

Kristin McCarthy Parker (Co-Creator/Director) is a freelance director in New York City and founding member of Recent Cutbacks. Her work includes Matt Cox's Puffs and Kapow-i GoGo, Recent Cutbacks' Hold On To Your Butts and Fly, You Fools!, Lizzie Vieh's Monsoon Season (Sam French OOB Festival Finalist), Ship of Clowns (Fordham/Primary Stages), Franny's Way (Rutgers University) and Dracula (Three Day Hangover). She has directed and developed work at Ma-Yi, 59E59, The Flea, HERE Arts, Dixon Place, Columbia University, Atlantic Acting School, and the University of Florida, among others. She also worked on Season 1 of web series The Weekend Detectives. Assistantships include Ed Iskandar, Michael Greif, Wendy Goldberg and Trip Cullman.

Kyle Schaefer (Co-Creator/Performer) was most recently seen in Hedda (Gabler) with Wandering Bark Theater Co. He co-created Fly, You Fools! and Hold Onto Your Butts with Recent Cutbacks, and is a founding member of the Group Lab. NEW YORK: Ivanov, True Love, Plunge, A Christmas Carol. REGIONAL: Tosca Cafe (American Conservatory Theater [World Premiere], Canadian Tour), Candide (Berkshire Theatre Festival), Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson (Williamstown Theater Festival Workshop), A Christmas Carol (ACT), and performances at Arkansas Rep, Shakespeare & Company, New Harmony Project, Kennedy Center, Williamstown Theater Festival, San Francisco Symphony, and College International de Cannes in France. FILM/TV/WEB: Float, Turnpike, Shaking, BokTV, We the Groupies, and Celebrity Ghost Stories. BS: University of Evansville. MFA: American Conservatory Theater. Proud member of AEA. www.kyleschaefer.com.

Lanie Zipoy (Producer) is a theater and film producer. Her theater credits include Laura Marks' Bethany, starring America Ferrera (Associate Producer, Women's Project, 2 Lortel nominations); the Brooklyn premiere of Caroline, or Change and Voices Inside/Out, starring Michael Shannon, Michael Chernus and Teddy Sears. She is the producer of the long-running comedy show from Letterman Emmy Award-winning writer TEd Greenberg, The Complete Performer. Her recent film credits include Ben Barenholtz's Alina and April Flowers, starring Celina Jade and Keir Dullea.

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