Big Plastic Heroes Plays The Sanctuary at Sandy Plaza 1/21-2/4

Portland comedian/Fertile Ground and Second City alum auGi and award-winning PBS writer Slash Coleman will present the world premiere of "Big Plastic Heroes" beginning on Saturday, January 21 with six shows running through February 4, at The Sanctuary at Sandy Plaza. The production is being presented as part of Fertile Ground Festival of New Works 2012.

Set against the backdrop of two small towns in the 1980s, "Big Plastic Heroes" features two autobiographical solo-performances that highlight what bad things can happen when oddball teen boys try to be their action-hero idols. Each night includes appearances by two Portland storytellers who will tell their own 10-minute "misplaced hero" story. Local stortytellers include: Stacey Hallal, Meg Worden, Ry Stroud, Andrew Bynum, Jimmy Radosta, Karol Collymore, Cory Huff, Meagan Kate, Penny Walter and Molly Norton.

Teenage Commando: What happens when a "nurd" tries to be Rambo? By auGi
Growing up in a tiny Michigan town surrounded by endless cornfields isn't exactly the life of an action hero. So what's a teenage "nurd" with a hyperactive imagination to do? auGi reveals how he and a group of oddball friends formed a fantasy commando squad with very real consequences. This funny, humbling, true-life story proves that being yourself is all the adventure you need.

Last American Gladiator Part 3: Can a kid who idolizes Evel Knievel survive a crush? By Slash Coleman
Set against the background of bicentennial fever, Slash Coleman, creator of the PBS special, The Neon Man and Me, tells the story of his eccentric family, his obsession with Evel Knievel and a crush on his third-grade teacher that lands him in the hospital. Join Slash on this humorous journey of a young boy finding out that-while anything is possible-sometimes you have to wait for what you want.

Big Plastic Heroes – Warning: Trying to be Your Idol is Dangerous
Teenage Commando by auGi
Last American Gladiator by Slash Coleman
With "misplaced hero" stories from Stacey Hallal, Meg Worden, Ry Stroud, Andrew Bynum, Jimmy Radosta, Karol Collymore,
Cory Huff, Meagan Kate, Penny Walter and Molly Norton

Performance dates: Jan 21, 26, 27, 28; February 3, 4 at 7:30 pm
Venue: The Sanctuary at Sandy Plaza which is located at 1785 NE Sandy Blvd Portland, OR 97232
Tickets: $15 - $17.50; www.BigPlasticHeroes.com or call (804) 353-3799.
Limited reserved seating available. Advance tickets are recommended.

Fertile Ground Festival focuses on new, local work in the arts and features world premiere projects, staged readings and a myriad of other arts events from the Portland creative community. For more info about the Fertile Ground 2012 visit www.fertilegroundpdx.org.

"We met in Portland last year and really hit it off," said auGi, who was featured on NBC's Last Comic Standing and Comedy Central. "We found we both had these funny, humbling, true-life stories and both shared a need to use our performance skills to help others." This is auGi's second World Premiere production as a playwright, performer and producer during Fertile Ground. He premiered SexyNurd-Rockstar Trapped in a Nurd's Body in Fertile Ground 2010.

"I raised over $100,000 for children's hospitals and bereavement groups with my last Off-Broadway production," Coleman said, "and I just felt we could use "Big Plastic Heroes" to promote local heroes and raise money and awareness for organizations with a similar mission."

auGi – Performer/Playwright/Producer

auGi created, wrote, produced, and performed in hundreds of shows at both The Second City and the world famous Improv in Hollywood, was a regular feature on "The Best of the Worst" on NBC's Last Comic Standing, and appeared on Comedy Central and E!

auGi co-wrote and starred in his autobiographical solo show, SexyNurd: Rockstar Trapped in a Nurd's Body, which played to sold-out audiences during both the 2010 Fertile Ground and Singlehandedly festivals, was a Willamette Week pick, and is the featured act in a benefit for the Nat'l MS Society called Superuckus. auGi has also made appearances on Live Wire!, Entertainment for People, and Mortified.

Slash – Performer/Playwright

Best known for his PBS special and Off-Broadway one man show, The Neon Man and Me, Slash's most recent performances include shows at The International Storytelling Center, The National Storytelling Festival, and Pete Seeger's Clearwater Festival. He's also a blogger for Psychology Today and a regular contributor to Storytelling Magazine.

Coleman lived in southeast Portland from 1997 - 2001, and worked as a visual artist, an educator and a performing artist. His Production Company About Vision Entertainment, created with Stash Tea CEO Tom Lisicki, which produced over a dozen multidisciplinary products with ties to the city, was based in Portland until 2004. Coleman frequently visits his family in the area which often coincides with performance opportunities as it did last year during his performance residency with Portland Story Theater and Valentines Day production this year. Slash currently lives in New York City where he continues to write and develop material for the stage, film and TV.

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