Horse Trade Theater Group Presents:
DONATION
PLATE Stories Written by Clay McLeod Chapman Music Written & Performed by One Ring
Zero Performances by Hannah Bos*, Isaac Butler, Clay McLeod Chapman, Hanna Cheek, Anthony Mascorro and Paul Thureen *member: AEA Lighting Design by Sabrina Braswell FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS MARCH 28 to MAY 3
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Enter the realm of THE PUMPKIN PIE SHOW. . .
a storytelling session delivered with the punk rock Kamikaze intensity of an
artistic three-way between literature, theatre and music.
Backed by a live soundtrack from One Ring Zero, Clay McLeod Chapman and company
shatter the dividing line between spectator and actor; earning a worldwide cult
following that grows with each new performance.
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"DONATION PLATE" centers around mass murderer and serial rapist
Wallace Reese. Days away from the gas chamber, an artist asks Reese to
donate his body; his anatomically precise physique to be rendered in a
sculpted portrait that becomes a chance at immortality. "DONATION PLATE" uses musical logic to create a Pumpkin Pie Show whose monologues interconnect to form a singular narrative. . . . while further expanding the unique/rich theatrical effect of Chapman's text merged with the music of One Ring Zero. Built upon a seemingly un-musical storyline, these characters reach their lowest emotional depths; hitting points of depravity that can only be ascended by song. |
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| Critical Praise for The Pumpkin Pie Show "Like a younger,
weirder, hornier, and, well, alive Eudora Welty, "Hauntingly poetic
tales . . . compelling and bizarre" ". . . performed
with extreme talent by Hanna Cheek "Chapman stuns
his audience with brilliant forays into grotesque narrative territory.
. . accompanied by the awesome sounds of One Ring Zero. . . They capture
the essence of every line of Chapman's stories." "Chapman's gift
is to turn the silly and the grotesque into the beautiful and the real." "Simultaneously
funny, intense and oddly poetic." Playwright and storyteller
Clay McLeod Chapman has been transposing his fiction to the stage for
over ten years; producing in Romania, Scotland, Ireland and the United
States. In 2002, Hyperion released "Rest Area," a collection
of Chapman's short stories (some of which have been performed in Pumpkin
Pie Shows). "Miss Corpus" (his first novel) was released by Hyperion in February, 2003. Chapman was recently selected by the New Yorker as 2003's Reading Glasses Author. Critical Praise for Clay McLeod Chapman & The Pumpkin Pie Show "energetic and
richly theatrical." "Chapman stuns his
audience with brilliant forays into grotesque narrative territory." "Chapman's gift
is to turn the silly and the grotesque into the beautiful and the real." "Chapman is like
Stephen King transmogrified into a post-punk preacher-poet." Critical Praise for One Ring Zero & Hanna Cheek "One Ring Zero
creates the delightful and original musical underscoring. . . "A haunting live
score backs these tales, written and performed ". . .performed
with extreme talent by Hanna Cheek. . .convincingly and completely in
the moment. . .nicely varied and emotional performances. . .One Ring Zero
captures the essence of Chapman's stories." |
| ONE RING ZERO
is Michael Hearst and Joshua Camp. The duo began working together shortly
after both graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University. Their live soundtrack
to The Pumpkin Pie Show is held together by a wide collection of homemade
and highly unusual instruments which are often recorded using experimental
techniques. With the release of their first record, Tranz Party, a six-piece
band was put together to perform live and has shared billings with Cibo
Matto, Medeski, Martin, and Wood, The Magnetic Fields, Thurston Moore and
The Roots. One Ring Zero can be seen weekly at the store associated with
McSweeney's publishing in Brooklyn, and frequently plays at other literary
events around the city. Recently, One Ring Zero completed two new albums;
one of which features music composed for The Pumpkin Pie Show. Joshua Douglas Camp grew up in the central Virginia area. In 1992, he received a Bachelor's degree in music from Virginia Commonwealth University (during his third year, Joshua studied electronic music composition at Middlesex University in London). Currently residing in NYC, his various musical projects have included folk, rock, modern music, avante garde cabaret and collaborations in film, theatre, sculpture and dance. Michael Hearst has a degree in music composition from Virginia Commonwealth University (1995). After graduation, he worked as a harmonica technician at Hohner, Inc. while experimenting with recording his own music as well as other bands. This developed into Urban Geek Studios, which he runs to this day. Hearst has recently given lectures at Tufts University and currently teaches at Virginia Commonwealth University. HANNA CHEEK spent the last four years of her acting career bouncing between New York, Los Angeles and Chicago in a feverish attempt to become a working tri-coastal actress. She most recently performed The Pumpkin Pie Show: Big Top (a collection of long character monologues) to rave reviews, The Red Room in NYC. Other stage credits include The Seagull (Nina) and Kindertransport (Ava) at Sarah Lawrence College. She performed with Judith: A Comedy Troupe at The Kitchen, NYC, and would have replaced Rachel Miner or Margot in The Diary of Anne Frank (Music Box Theatre, NYC) had they not decided to close the show. Damn. In Los Angeles, she co-wrote, directed and performed in Bad Touch: A Sketchy Show at Masquers Theatre, as well as many improvised comedies at the Improv Olympic Theatre. Television credits include a guest starring role on Titus (Fox), a recurring role on Undressed (MTV), and a featured role on The West Wing (NBC). Hanna studied at Sarah Lawrence College, The British Academy of Dramatic Arts and Improv Olympic West. |
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