Pagans on Bobsleds XXIV: One More Splash! pays tribute to late, great Sandy Baskin

ROT Pagans SandyPagans on Bobsleds XXIV: One More Splash! is newest installment in the long running holiday tradition for Red Octopus Theater. Pagans on Bobsleds XXIV: One More Splash! will run December 10-12, 2015 at The PUBLIC Theatre, located at 616 Center Street, in downtown Little Rock, AR.  Doors will open at 7:30PM and the show will start at 8:00PM. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for senior citizens, military and students.  Tickets are general admission, no reservations and there will be refreshments available.  The show is recommended for mature audiences, child tickets are $490.

Pagans on Bobsleds XXIV: One More Splash! a memorial to Sandy Baskin, long time head writer and director of Red Octopus Theater, who passed away earlier this year.  There is no adequate way to measure the influence Sandy Baskin had on the central Arkansas performing arts community and countless actors in her 3 decades of performing, writing and directing.  Sandy Baskin performed with Red Octopus theater for over 20 years and for much of that time was the head writer and director of countless live sketch comedy shows, short films and other performances.  Ms. Baskin may have left this plane of existence, but she will always be the head redhead in Red Octopus.

This year, Pagans on Bobsleds, the long running Red Octopu holiday tradition, will be a greatest hits of Sandy’s  favorites including Fauzio’s, The Nutcracker Suite, Elves What Woo, The Old Lady, They’re Having Eggnog, Devil Hound, Santaman, Fruitcake and many more. Unfortunately, due to her passing, Sandy really left the other Octopi in a lurch for a funny lady with a red bouffant that can cuss like a sailor.  That role is in a lot of these sketches, but  Red Octopus thought, the only thing to do without Sandy Baskin, was to make everyone try to fill her comedy shoes.  It will take a cast of 12 including Frank Butler, Alli Clark, Brian Chambers, Sarah Cunningham, Lesley Dancer, Michael Goodbar, Jeremiah Herman, Nichole Henry, Anderson Penix, Luke Rowlan, Brittany Sparkles, Evan Tanner, Jason Thompson and Jason Willey

Current Executive Director of Red Octopus, Jason Willey said, “Sandy loved hanging out with her people and often she’d say she was just going to have “one more splash” before we called it a night. That usually turned into another hour and a lot of laughs. Everyone in Red Octopus will miss having one more splash with Baskin.  We thought, that’s what this show should be for Red Octopus and our fans, one last splash, for Baskin.”

Red Octopus Theater looks forward to seeing all our friends and fans for Pagans on Bobsleds XXIV: One More Splash, a tribute to the one and only Sandy Baskin.

For more information please contact Jason Willey, Executive Director, Red Octopus Theater at (501) 291-3896, or RedOctopusTheater@gmail.com. Red Octopus is also online atwww.redoctopustheater.com.

To contact The PUBLIC Theatre, call 374-PLAY.

 

Have a Blast with Summer Oven presented by Red Octopus Theater

Members of the cast rehearse “Free Yoga” a sketch for Red Octopus Theater’s upcoming Summer Oven sketch comedy show.

Members of the cast rehearse “Free Yoga” a sketch for Red Octopus Theater’s upcoming Summer Oven sketch comedy show.

Summer Oven, the new original sketch comedy show by Red Octopus Theater, will run August 14, 15, 20, 21, 22 at The PUBLIC Theater, located at 616 Center Street, in downtown Little Rock, AR.  Doors will open at 7:30PM and the show will start at 8:00PM.  Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for senior citizens, military and students and are available before the show. There are no online ticket sales or reservations. There will be refreshments available.  The show is recommended for mature audiences and child tickets are $567, plus a lock of hair.

August in Arkansas makes you want to kiss the person that invented air conditioning and drink your own weight in sweet tea.  Naturally, Summer Oven is about Arkansas’s oppressive summer heat and all the crazy it brings out in us.

Several new sketches planned for the stage include “Mr. Science”, the story of a local kids science show host who has reached his breaking point with baking soda volcanoes.  “An Apology for Hulk Hogan” where a wrestling fan tries to apologize to everyone Hulk Hogan has insulted.  “Free Yoga,” the sign says free, but what about your soul?  Also “Humid Hair, the newest beauty trend and “The Sweat Report”, Arkansas’s newest web weather forecast.

“We don’t want to remind you it’s hot, we want to make you laugh while you sweat,” said Jason Willey, Red Octopus Executive Producer.

The cast includes Sandy Baskin, Brian Chambers, Lesley Dancer, Drew Ellis, Michael Goodbar, Sam Grubb, Jeremiah Herman, Evan Tanner, and David Weatherly. Performances are open to all ages, but recommended for mature audiences because of adult language and situations, again, child tickets are $567 and a lock of hair.

Red Octopus Theater has been performing original, live sketch comedy in central Arkansas since 1991.

For more information please contact Red Octopus Theater at (501) 291-3896, or RedOctopusTheater@gmail.com. Red Octopus is also online at www.redoctopustheater.com.

The Peeps Show is latest offering from Red Octopus

The Peeps Show, a new original sketch comedy show by Red Octopus Theater, will run April 24, 25, 30 and May 1, 2, at The PUBLIC Theatre, located at 616 Center Street, in downtown Little Rock, AR.  Doors will open at 7:30PM and the show will start at 8:00PM.  Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for senior citizens, military and students and are available before the show.  No reservations are necessary and there will be refreshments available.  The show is recommended for mature audiences, children tickets are $549.

Red Octopus Theater, performing since 1991, starts off their 2015 season with The Peeps Show, a show about spring, warm weather, rebirth and marshmallow candies.  The Peeps Show will also begin a series of productions featuring aspiring Red Octopus members.

The Peeps Show will feature five new faces for audience members as well as a strong cast of veteran performers.  New performers auditioned earlier in 2015 for a spot in a Red Octopus show and perhaps an invitation to join the regular cast.

Jason Willey, Red Octopus Board Member said, “Sketch comedy and theater, in general, need new blood to keep it going and to keep it fresh.  We held auditions after getting a lot inquiries and we found some funny people.  Hopefully, we won’t scare them all off.”

The Peeps Show will exam the many facets of Spring, sparing no one or thing in it’s path.  Religious themes pop up in “Jesus Saves”, about the onslaught of retail business on holidays.  The show will feature live coverage of the Arkansas Legislature in, “So This Is What They Did Now…”  The children’s PBS show “Bumblechunks & Friends” will teach kids about Easter around the world.  And Park rangers, Thomas and Tom will get you ready for your “first date hike” up Petit Jean in “Love at the Top.”  There will be some old favorites mixed in and a bunch of new material all lampooning all your favorite things to love and hate about the change in seasons.  So come out and support live sketch comedy with Red Octopus Theater.

The cast includes Brian Chambers, Alli Clark, Drew Ellis, Michael Goodbar, Evan Tanner, David Weatherly and Jason Willey and featuring Scott Dombroski, Sam Grubb, Nichole Henry, Jeremiah James Herman and Anderson Penix.. Performances are open to all ages, but recommended for mature audiences because of adult language and situations, again, child tickets are $549.

For more information please contact Red Octopus Theater at (501) 291-3896, or RedOctopusTheater@gmail.com. Red Octopus is also online at www.redoctopustheater.com.

 

Little Shop of Horrors at UALR this weekend and next

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Theatre Department is hosting several performances of the play, “Little Shop of Horrors,” about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a man-eating plant, in October.

Little Shop of HorrorsPerformances started on October 9 and continue tonight (October 11) and again on Oct. 16, 17, 18.

The first week’s showtimes on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are all at 8 p.m. For the second week’s shows on Thursday and Friday, performances are at 8 p.m., and the last Saturday’s performance is a matinee at 2:30 p.m.

Performances will be at University Theatre in the Center for Performing Arts at UALR. Ticket prices are $10 for the general public and $5 for  senior citizens and UALR students, faculty, and staff.

For more information or tickets call 501.569.3456.

The cast includes Heidee Alsdorf, Hope Boyd, Marquis Bullock, Brian Chambers, Gabrielle Confer, Brianna East, Jeremy Grandison, Katie Greer, Ashley Mahan, William Wofford, and Jay Raphael.

Little Shop of Horrors is an award winning musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics and book by Howard Ashman.