HAPPY FALL: A QUEER STUNT SPECTACULAR
Premiering August, 2024
Happy Fall: A Queer Stunt Spectacular follows the professional and romantic rise and fall of two queer, closeted stuntmen in the Hollywood world of faux masculinity, bringing the intoxication of film trickery and its toll on the body and psyche to center stage through life-size and miniature puppetry, live video, cinematic illusions and heart-pumping physical acts. Based on true-life stories and direct testimonies, this exuberant production is a joyful tribute to the resiliency of the LGBTQIA+ community. Happy Fall illuminates issues of racial and cultural identity in the industry and uncovers the real price of a love story, unmasking the importance — and danger — of being true to oneself.
Suitability Suggestion: Strong language, sexual content, simulated consensual sexual power dynamic play, simulated violence, and depiction of a hate crime.
Happy Fall is a produced in partnership with Los Angeles LGBT Center and Contemporary American Theater Festival.
TICKETS
PREVIEWS:
Saturday, Aug. 10 at 8 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 11 at 3 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 15 at 8 p.m.; and Friday, Aug. 16 at 8 p.m.
Performances:
August 17th through September 8th, 2024
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.
Sunday, August 18th’s performance will be at 7pm, to avoid traffic from Ciclavia.
No Performance Saturday, August 24th.
A pay-what-you-can understudy performance will take place Sunday, Aug. 25 at 7 p.m.
Location:
Renberg Theatre at the Los Angeles LGBT Center
1125 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Parking available on the street or in the paid underground parking lot at the corner of Santa Monica Blvd. and McCadden Place.
Suitability Suggestion: Strong language, sexual content, simulated consensual sexual power dynamic play, simulated violence, and depiction of a hate crime.
Happy Fall is a produced in partnership with Los Angeles LGBT Center and Contemporary American Theater Festival.
TICKETS
PREVIEWS:
Saturday, Aug. 10 at 8 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 11 at 3 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 15 at 8 p.m.; and Friday, Aug. 16 at 8 p.m.Performances:
August 17th through September 8th, 2024Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.
Sunday, August 18th’s performance will be at 7pm, to avoid traffic from Ciclavia.
No Performance Saturday, August 24th.
A pay-what-you-can understudy performance will take place Sunday, Aug. 25 at 7 p.m.
Location:
Renberg Theatre at the Los Angeles LGBT Center1125 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Parking available on the street or in the paid underground parking lot at the corner of Santa Monica Blvd. and McCadden Place.
Premieres August 2024 at the Los Angeles LGBT CenterSPECIAL EVENTS
Take/Action: Stunts, Spectacle and Queer History in Hollywood
Coinciding with the production and sure to expand the experience, Advocate & Gochis Galleries, home to the visual arts at the Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center, will present a visual and mixed media art exhibit titled “Take/Action: Stunts, Spectacle and Queer History in Hollywood.” This exhibit examines the role of the action star through a distinctly queer lens, featuring interpretations of Hollywood and a look at the history of stunts by LGBTQIA+ artists.
The gallery will open 45 minutes before each performance and will feature unique interactive photo opportunities, allowing you to place yourself in the movies.
GALLERY ADMISSION IS FREE
More about the exhibition and artists - coming soon
Performance Events
Come by before the show to check out the gallery exhibition and check out the wonderful events below to get a behind the scenes glimpse!
- Sunday, Aug. 18: an Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Affinity event with a “Golden Hour” reception prior to the performance (beginning at 2:15 p.m.) and a post show talkback.
- Thursday, Aug. 22: pre-show reception (7:15 p.m.) and post-performance discussion, hosted by the LA Guild of Puppetry on how the puppets were created for Happy Fall.
- Sunday, Aug. 25: an interactive stunt demonstration with stunt coordinator Celina Lee Surniak follows the performance.
- Thursday, Aug. 29: a pre-show stunt puppet-making workshop (7 p.m.) at the Advocate & Gochis Galleries; create your own puppet and learn how to get involved in the puppetry community.
- Friday, Aug. 30: a pre-show “Meet-the-Artists” celebration (7:15 p.m.) at the Advocate & Gochis Galleries, to uplift the visual artists whose work is on display at the “Take/Action: Stunts, Spectacle and Queer History” exhibit.
- Saturday, Aug. 31: a pre-show blessing from the Los Angeles chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and a post-show discussion on the history of drag. Come dressed to express and join in the fun!
- Sunday, Sept. 1: post-performance Rogue Artists Ensemble VIP Fundraiser celebrating 20 years of groundbreaking new work in Los Angeles. This is a ticketed event/separate admission; information coming soon.
- Saturday, Sept. 7: a post-performance conversation with Happy Fall composer Adrien Provost.
- Sunday Sept. 8: an Action Star Dress-Up event; come dressed as your own action star and join Rogue Artists for a special fashion runway with prizes for selected winners.
The Cast
BEHIND THE SCENES
Photos by Bryce Darlington
Creative Team
Lisa Sanaye Dring - Playwright
Sean Cawelti - Conceived by and Director, Video Designer, Scenic Designer
Andrew Jordan - Costume Designer
Soran Schwartz - Lighting Designer
Glenn Schuster - Sound Designer
Sam Lopez - Associate Video Designer and Programmer
Keith Mitchell - Scenic Designer
Lily Bartenstein - Properties Deisgner, Associate Scenic Designer
Celina Lee Surniak - Stunt Coordinator, Intimacy Coordinator
Adrien Prevost - Composer
Cody Brunelle-Potter - Choreographer
Jack Pullman - Lead Puppet Designer
Greg Ballora - Puppet Fabricator
Morgan Rebane - Pupept Fabricator
Adrian Rose Leonard - Puppet Miniature Designer
Kelsey Kato - Puppet Fabrication Assistant
Jonathan Josephson - Marketing Consultant
Dillon Nelson - Associate Scenic Designer
Matthew Richter - Technical Director
Deena Tovar - Stage Manager
Eric Elias - Pyrotechnician
Zach Davidson - Producer for the Los Angeles LGBT Center
Hayden Evans - Poster Design
Bryce Darlington - Photographer
PERFORMERS - PREMIERE, AUGUST 2024
David Ellard - Clay
Amir Levi - The Host
Kurt Kanazawa - Felix
Ensemble: Lucas Brahme, Carlos R. Chavez, Gabriel Croom, Kelsey Kato, Maia Luer, Candy Pain, Tiana Randall-Quant and Jerry Zou
PERFORMERS - Workshop, April 2024
Julian Abelskamp
Sam Brinker
Justin M. Cabanting
Helen Day
David Ellard
Kurt Kanazawa
Kelsey Kato
Miles Taber
Mol Wilson
SPONSORS
The production is made possible by the generosity of the Venturous Theater Fund, a fund of Tides Foundation; National Endowment for the Arts; Jim Henson Foundation; City of West Hollywood; City of Culver City; National Performance Network Creation & Development Fund; Perenchio Foundation; Skirball Cultural Center; and the LA New Play Project. Stunt equipment is provided in part by Action Factory, a one-stop action resource company providing equipment sales, rentals, and services to the entertainment industry. Audio and visual equipment are provided in part by Q-SYS. Truss was provided by Killswitch Inc., an ETCP-certified rigging company that specializes in staging supervision, production rigging and gear rental for the greater Los Angeles area. Decking provided by Accurate Staging, specializing in design and stage fabrication for every component in entertainment, production and touring, since 2001. Happy Fall’s cameras are powered by Blackmagic Design one of the world's leading innovators and manufacturers of creative video technology. Lighting supported in part by Illumination Dynamics that services Live Broadcast, Film, Television, Theatrical and Special Events providing Automated and Film Lighting equipment, Transportation, Redundant Power systems, Technical services, and Crew.
Happy Fall: A Queer Stunt Spectacular is a National Performance Network (NPN) Creation & Development Fund Project co-commissioned by the Skirball Cultural Center, Contemporary American Theater Festival, Los Angeles LGBT Center and NPN. More information: www.npnweb.org
Rogue Artists Ensemble
P.O. Box 274
Sun Valley, CA 91353
P.O. Box 274
Sun Valley, CA 91353
©2022 Rogue Artists Ensemble. All Rights Reserved.
Rogue Artists Ensemble is a public charity as outlined in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Federal Business ID 11-3706211.
Federal Business ID 11-3706211.