Awesome Theatre Announces 6 New Episodes Of 'The Awesome Theatre Hour'

Awesome Theatre announces THE AWESOME THEATRE HOUR. A web series hosted by Artistic Director Colin Johnson will premiere new episodes on Facebook and YouTube at 8 PM every second and fourth Tuesday of the month this summer. Beginning June 11 with part one of a two-part spotlight on Coffee Lady by Bridgette Dutta Portman, followed by a tour of SF's Chinatown like you've never seen before, and a contest where six writing teams vie for the chance to get their original musical produced.

After Covid-19 forced Awesome Theatre to end its run of CLICKBAIT early and postpone several upcoming productions, they decided that instead of closing their doors for the foreseeable future, that this was an opportunity to continue its mission in a new and exciting way. Executive Director, Anthony R.Miller explains, "Our mission is to present new and relevant theatre designed for people who regularly wouldn't see theatre, we are lucky enough to have the resources and ability to make a shift to streaming video. It also gives us the chance to keep paying artists to create and to continue the projects we had already begun. It's going to be some time before we can go back to performing in front of large groups of people, it's possible to embrace that reality and still be innovative and create."

Artistic Director Colin Johnson adds," Our creative pivot was initiated out of necessity and a sense of obligation to our employees, collaborators, and our audience. It has also enabled us to throw more resources into the production elements which we have experimented with since our inception; the intersection of theatre and film and the softening of its dividing line."

With a format inspired by arts programming on public television, public access, and late-night television, THE AWESOME THEATRE HOUR promises to be fun, experimental, and diverse in its programming. Beginning in June with a two-part episode that shines a light on Coffee Lady, a new play by Bridgette Dutta Portman inspired by the "McDonalds Coffee Lady" lawsuit. Originally scheduled to be produced this summer at PianoFight, the production itself has been postponed until February 2021. "We already had a cast, a brilliant director in Nikki Meñez, graphics had already been designed, so we decided to spend what would have been the first week of rehearsal workshopping the play via zoom with the cast," Miller explains. This two-part episode (Airing on June 11 and 25 respectively) will feature a reading of the play with the whole cast. Interviews with the Writer and Director, and background on the story that inspired it.

Episode 3 takes one of the most popular and notorious tours of San Francisco and brings it into your home. Airing on July 9, The Fighting History of San Francisco's Chinatown starring local writer and lecturer, Marc Pomerleau is a fascinating virtual tour of Chinatown like you've never seen. Based on his award-winning Airbnb tour, The Fighting History of SF Chinatown takes you back to the birth of the first and largest Chinatown in the United States and tours you through stories of brutality, beauty, resilience, and sheer audacity and creativity that have enabled the Chinese to survive and thrive against the odds. From the Tong Wars of the 1800s, The Chinese Exclusion Act and relentless racism, to Bruce Lee's battles in the bay area, and the gang wars and Triad presence of modern-day, this tour promises to transform the way you see San Francisco and the Chinese immigrant experience forever.

Episodes 4, 5, & 6 will feature Your New Favorite Musical a new web series featuring 6 local writing teams "pitching" their original Musical to a panel of judges. The winning team will have their musical developed and produced by Awesome Theatre. This "Shark Tank for musicals" is hosted by SF favorite, Wonder Dave, and will air on July 23, August 6, and 20.

Go to awesometheatre.org to watch past episodes and for more information.

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