FRIGID New York Interview - Denmo Ibrahim of "FUNNY a trunk show"

By Byrne Harrison
Photo by Wesley Cabral

Name: Denmo Ibrahim
Show: FUNNY a trunk show
Website: www.adenmoproject.com

How did you first get involved in theatre?

Well, I had wanted to be a US Olympic gymnast but was too pudgy. So I decided to be a famous doctor. But the site of blood made me sick. Then I realized what I really wanted to do was be a shopkeeper in Italy, but I don't speak Italian. So naturally theatre became my heartbeat -- it was the only way could I be everything and anything all at once.

Who are your biggest influences?

Carol Burnett, Jacques Lecoq, my mom, San Francisco bus drivers, Lucille Ball, Bill Cosby, the color orange, Nina Simone, Bugs Bunny, organic produce and you.

Tell me a little bit about your show.

FUNNY A TRUNK SHOW tells the ridiculous story of Mohamed who, after numerous denials at the immigration agency -- (not legible, not the proper forms of ID, used pencil instead of pen) -- returns and this time, brings a trunk full of life -- songs, dreams, memories. A hilarious portrait of the absurdities foreigners deal with in America on a day-to-day basis.

Inspired by a true story, FUNNY A TRUNK SHOW looks at what we leave behind in our search for the American dream -- from the perspective of the eternal foreigner living in the U.S. FUNNY A TRUNK SHOW smashes traditional clown, vaudeville, and bouffant with real life accounts of an incredibly heartbreaking tale -- a patriotic Egyptian immigrant, who will always be seen as an outsider despite his ability to vote. Funny, moving, and undeniably real.

What inspired you to write it?

The truth -- I so badly wanted to make something up that was clever, witty, insightful. In the end, it was the truth that won. You can't make this stuff up. I took a heartbreaking tale full of love, loss, paranoia, and a battle of custody and made it ridiculous.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

Christina Augello -- Artistic Director at EXIT Theatre in SF -- has supported my work for over 8 years. This year A Denmo Project is a proud resident at the EXIT. www.sffringe.org

Christian Cagigal is my collaborator for the piece. He basically says 'that's awesome', 'that's better', or 'what about this'? He helps make things happen. I love him to pieces. He's also a magician and a performer who makes awesome things happen. www.christiancagigal.com

Wesley Cabral - Road Crew - he schleps heavy things from here to there. He designed a simple set we can travel with and makes great pancakes. What more can you ask for? www.wesleycabral.com

Sean O'Leary - Graphic Designer -- He created a kick ass poster for FUNNY -- and consulted with me on the script through the process. Based in Minneapolis, Sean is a force to reckon with.

What's next for you after FRIGID?

FUNNY tours the U.S. ! We're going to Minneapolis, Chicago, Indianapolis, and San Francisco!

And finally, if you could say anything to your potential audience, what would it be?

With a revolution in Cairo occurring right now and the Middle East at the heart of such charge, FUNNY an excellent way to digest, process, and invite humor to parts of ourselves that we have always considered foreign or those we know of that never belonged. You have 6 shots to see this show.

FUNNY a trunk show
Presented by Denmo Ibrahim, San Francisco, CA

UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place)

$15

Thu 2/24 @ 9pm, Sat 2/26 @ 5:30pm, Sun 2/27 @ 5:30pm, Tue 3/1 @ 7:30pm, Sat 3/5 @ 1pm, & Sun 3/6 @ 4pm

FRIGID New York Interview - Randy Anderson of "Yippie!"

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Randy Anderson
Show: Yippie! presented by The Beggars Group
Website: Book website at www.onmakingoff.com

How did you first get involved in theatre?

I auditioned for Cheaper by the Dozen in the 6th Grade and loved the experience. By the time I was in high school I was writing and directing shows. Our teacher didn’t know much about theater (he was an English teacher), so he let us create the curriculum and teach each other. That laid the groundwork for my collaborative style.

Who are your biggest influences?

Without a doubt, Theatre De Complicite. I saw three of their shows in London in 1994 and instantly got hooked by their physical, thematic, and non-linear style of storytelling. As far as writing goes, it would be Nicky Silver’s combination of crisp dialogue, short scenes, and direct address monologues which is masterful.

Tell me a little bit about your show.

Yippie! looks back on the life of Yippie founder Jerry Rubin and his transformation from laid back (yet concerned) 1960s activist, to super left-wing radical anarchist, to (what the courts deemed him as) hardcore political subversive who would stop at nothing to overthrow the government. Which, included risking the lives of thousands of young people during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Yippie! explores this period as Yuppie Jerry Rubin (yes, he transformed yet again into a Yuppie in the ‘80s) contemplates his past actions in the face of the new youth movement’s demise.

What inspired you to write it?

The Beggars Group produced this show in 2001. It was called Do It! then and was based on Jerry Rubin’s book of the same title. I found the book at a used bookstore in college and the second I started flipping through it, I knew it would make a great play. There are pictures, poetry, sex, drugs and hysterical hijinks. Not to mention some fantastic ‘scenarios’ that lent themselves perfectly to my newly emerging esthetic.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

Harrison Williams is co-writing and co-directing the production with me. He’s been with the Beggars Group since 2000. Scott Rad Brown is co-producing and Justin Sturges is designing the sound. We have a great cast who will portray characters such as; Jerry Rubin, Dave Dellinger, Nancy Kershon, John and Jane Doe (our '50s cautionary tale), and the show-stopping Sunny Tits.

What's next for you after FRIGID?

I’ll be publishing my book, On Making Off. It’s a memoir (I write that loosely) about a young kid (me) moving to New York and starting a theater company called The Beggars Group. Complete with porn stars, Asian trannies, drunken performances, heartbreak and hysteria, On Making Off glamorizes the grit of making theater in the basement theaters of New York. I’m self publishing on Amazon, Kindle, and Nook in March. It’s a great read!

And finally, if you could say anything to your potential audience, what would it be?

Come see Yippie! Sunny Tits will be serving shots of tequila.

YIPPIE!
Written and Directed by Randy Anderson & Harrison Williams
Presented by The Beggars Group Brooklyn, NY

The Kraine Theater (85 East 4th Street)

$16

Wed 2/23 @ 9pm, Fri 2/25 @ 8:30pm, Sun 2/27 @ 1pm, Thu 3/3 @ 9pm, & Sat 3/5 @ 7pm