SPF Presents THEATER OF PAIN! 3/13, 3/14

SPF is Seattle's annual solo performance theatre festival, and is dedicated to presenting fearless, cutting-edge, diverse performances by solo theatre artists. SPF (Solo Performance Festival) strives to create a resonance in the community by illuminating the compelling nature of solo performance that exists between just one performer on stage and an entire audience.

The Solo Performance Festival was founded in 2007 by a group of theatre artists who wanted to support each other in producing their solo shows. The nature of solo shows is so lonely--why not band together. The history of solo performance has exploded over the last 20 years. It seems as though everyone has a solo show and why not? It is the most frightening thing an actor/creator can do: standing alone and speaking their truth (both real and imagined) and then suffer the consequences of owning it. When the bad reviews come out there is no one to blame and when the good reviews come out there is no one there to celebrate. The dressing room is empty and there is no one to laugh with about the lines that got flubbed. There is no way out. There is also a bigger risk for the audience. Generally the actor is looking right at you. The audience is the scene partner. The actor must listen to the audience and include them while not letting the audience and their yawns, clapping, laughing, cell phones and candy wrappers derail the show. At its best it is one person's voice, body and imagination taking flight and bringing the audience along for the ride. This festival was co-founded and curated by Keira McDonald.

Keira McDonald (Creator/Performer) is a self-producing theatre artist who lives in Seattle. Her first one woman show "Showerhead" was seen at Mae West Fest, Odd Duck Studio, Re-BAR (Seattle, WA.), Frontera Fest (Best of fest, Austin, TX) UNO SOLO festival (Victoria, BC) and Manhattan Theatre Source's EstroGenius Festival (NY, NY.) Her second one woman show "The Bridesmaid" premiered at The Comedy Tree (London, UK) and was featured at Theatre Off Jackson and CHAC (Seattle, WA.) and Bryant Lake Bowl (Minneapolis, MN.) It toured The Canadian Fringe Festival Circuit to sold out audiences in Regina, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Vancouver 2007. Her third one woman show 'BLAsT!' premiered at The Regina International Theatre Festival and toured to Winnipeg and Saskatoon. She is the Founder and Producer/Curator of Seattle's Solo Performance Festival (SPF) at Theatre Off Jackson which is about to launch it's third season.

Since being created SPF has produced the work of 31 artists from Washington, California, Alberta and Ontario (Canada.) The stories that have been shared have been about weddings, zombies, suicide, Boobs, camping trips, gloomy head masters, prodigal sons, the ethics of cat surgery, bombs, the seven deadly sins, condos, yoga retreats, horse obsession, shop lifting, maggots in your shoe and one Giant Invisible Robot among other things.

SPF # 3 continues to take risks. This year we are partnering with:

Local theater, dance and performance artists including both first time solo performers and veterans in "Shorties! An Evening of Short Solo Performance" (Wed-Thur Mar 4-5, 8PM)
San Francisco's James Judd returns to SPF with "7 Sins" (Fri-Sat Mar. 6-7, 8PM)
The Burlesque Community: "xxperience Boylesque" curated by and featuring Waxie Moon (Fri-Sat Mar 13-14, 10PM)
Local playwright S.P. Miskowski's "my new friends (are so much better than you)" featuring Morgan Rowe (Thur-Sat Mar 12-14, 8PM)
People's Republic of Komedy presents "Theatre of Pain" (Fri-Sat Mar 13-14, 10PM)
Local playwright Keri Healey's "Otter Pop" featuring Keira McDonald (Thur-Sat Mar 19-21, 8PM)
"xxplicit" by Seattle's gender-bending queer boylesque performer (Thur-Sat Mar 19-21, 8PM)
London, Ontario's J. McDonald presents his third show at SPF, "Fall Fair" (Thur-Sat Mar 19-21, 8PM)

EVENT: THEATER OF PAIN! by The People's Republic of Komedy

DATE: Friday and Saturday March 13 and 14, 2009

TIME: 10:00 p.m.

VENUE: Theatre Off Jackson, 409 - 7th Ave S in the International District, www.theatreoffjackson.org

PARKING: On-street or $3 in the lot at 8th & Jackson

PRICING: $13 adv/$15, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/56851

People's Republic of Komedy (http://www.prokomedy.org/)Brings You...THEATER OF PAIN!

Theater of Pain is a two night event. The first night 6 performers will bring either a prepared stand up comedy piece, or character piece of their creation. The following night the same performers will change roles, and showcase the other discipline. The audience is encouraged to return for the second night to witness the transformation.

Hosted by: Kevin Hyder
Featuring: Derek Sheen 

Jimes/Brandon Ivey
Paul Merrill
Solomon Georgio
Amanda Williams
Jessica Strauss

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