West Coast Premiere of PUNK GRANDPA! Starring LaurA! Force Scruggs to be Presented at Whitefire Theatre SoloFest 2024

 Get ready for the West Coast premiere of "PunK GrandpA!" at Whitefire Theatre SoloFest 2024. 

"Punk Grandpa" is like a modern-day Auntie Mame, with genders reversed. It's all about being yourself, embracing life and humor and the value of the grandparent/grandchild relationship. It also touches on the topics of Alzheimer's (as Laura's grandpa passed away due to Alzheimer's and the show has been used as a fund-raiser for various branches of The Alzheimer's Association) and Big Band/Jazz music.

The show is Punk Grandpa was first performed as a one-woman show at the 2013 Chicago Fringe Festival by the playwright LaurA! Scruggs. And, it had a partial reading (15 minutes of it) at Chicago Dramatists' Saturday Series in July of 2013. It has since been performed as a one woman show around Chicago at numerous venues such as: Three Cat Productions' SOLO Chicago Festival, David Boyle's Chicago Solo Theatre, Chicago Home Theater Festival and Stage 773 (alongside "Hip Hop Grandma") as well as at the 2015 NYC Planet Connections' Theatre Festivity, the 2014 Orlando Fringe Festival, 2014 Elgin Fringe Festival and The Hammond Academy for the Performing Arts (three times in one day in 2013 as a fund-raiser for their Performing Arts Department).

The first time it was performed with multiple characters was at Three Brothers Theatre in Waukegan, Illinois at their Waukegan Theatre Festival (a new works play festival) and then it was featured in Three Brothers' 2016 season (had a one month run). It was also performed with a multiple character cast at the 2016 NYC FRIGID Festival at Under St. Marks. In addition, it has been performed with multiple characters online with the Incarn Virtual Theatre out of Brooklyn, New York and Act Your Page as well as internationally with The Adelaide Fringe Festival and in England with Under The Headstocks Theatre and a scene from it was read with Canada's Sing for Your Supper. The show has also served as a fund-raiser for the Alzheimer's Association. So far, Punk Grandpa has raised about $3,000 for Alzheimer's.

"Punk Grandpa" has won several awards. At 2016 FRIGID NYC, it received the Sold Out and Hangover (one of the top selling shows in the venue, so it received an additional performance) Awards. At the 2015 Planet Connections Theatre Festivity in NYC, it won The Outstanding Performance in a Solo Show Award and Playwright/Performer Laura Scruggs also won the Congeniality Award. "Punk Grandpa" was a Quarterfinalist for the 2020 Screencraft Stage Play Contest as well.

LaurA! Force Scruggs is a produced, published and commissioned playwright. She has her B.S. in Elementary Education, with a Jr. High/Middle School Theatre endorsement and M.A. in Communication, Media and Theatre. She taught theatre for about ten years (ages 18 months - senior citizens) in a variety of environments. She also plays piano and sometimes teaches kids how to be fairies. She was a 2008 Golden Apple semi-finalist and is a published, produced and commissioned playwright. She is a Resident Playwright at Three Cat Productions in Chicago. She also produced and directed a documentary about the late Chicago toy store, Uncle Fun, and its creator, Ted Frankel, called "Uncle Fun: You're The One," which has been featured at several festivals and other venues and has won numerous awards, among them being a tie for Best Documentary at The Lonely Seal Festival. She also loves playing with her nieces and nephews, thrift shopping, reading, exploring and creative reuse centers.

Punk Grandpa Details

Performed and Written by LaurA! Force Scruggs

Directed by Jacob Baierl

Performance Schedule:

Saturday, February 10th at 8 pm

as part of Whitefire Theatre's Solofest 2024

The Whitefire Theatre (Main Space)

13500 Venture Blvd.

Tickets are available here:

https://whitefire.stagey.net/projects/10191?tab=tickets

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