Get it? Got it. Good! by Dan Wilson had its world premiere on Sep 7, 2006 at the Exit TheatreGet it? Got it. Good! was part of the SF Fringe Festival!
Felix and Kippi want it, but they can't seem to find it, so they hire Stim and Franco to get it. Stim and Franco come close, but can't lay hands on it either, so they turn to Hamburg, a renowned "Fixer" with an impeccable reputation to finish the job. As Hamburg undergoes his quest, doubts about its very existence begin to emerge. ... but that's just the beginning.
This existential comedy was part of the SF Fringe Festival and featured
Dave Austin-Groen*
Stephanie DeMott
Catz Forsman
Stefanie Goldstein
Paul Jennings
Kevin Karrick*
Hal Savage
Sam Shaw
and the voice of Dan Wilson.
*members of Actor's Equity
An Equity Approved Production
Listen to a podcast from Cool As Hell Theatre about the show!
here's what critics had to say:
Tom Kelly, SF Bay Times:
For a head-scratching evening of daunting deconstruction, check out Get It? Got It. Good! by local playwright Dan Wilson (mounted by Cassandra's Call Productions). Control issues proliferate this quirky Pirandello-esque script (it's "Eight Actors in Search of... Something").
Three short acts comprise this one-act play. Hmmm, that's odd. Indeed. In act one (the "get it"), disparate characters desperately seek... something. In act two (the "got it"), a nutty narrator and control freak loses his cool during constant interruptions. And in act three (the "good"), a preacher denounces recreational sex while cunnilingus takes place a few feet away, and the rest of the rebellious cast talk candidly to each other and the audience about the play itself and the playwright.
The ensemble fully invests in their characters, lending the mysterious proceedings a goofy gravitas. Interactions between Stefanie Goldstein and beefy Kevin Karrick succinctly capture the weariness of a couple seeking an unidentified "something" to help them establish equilibrium despite their control issues. Catz Forman conveys an edginess that amply amps the play's provocative nature. Poor Paul Jennings, who must rant and rave his way through act two, could explore intensity over volume within such an intimate space. And completing the great ensemble are David Austin-Groen, Stephanie DeMott, Hal Savage, and Sam Shaw.
Local playwright Dan Wilson, who recently brought SF audiences Vagina Dentata (this guy has range!), here experiments with non-linear, self-referential, and provocative theatre, much of which is written in the negative space (figure that out!). Perfect fare for an anything-goes Fringe Festival! GIGIG is ultimately a riddle, possibly without an answer, that challenges the audience to think way outside the box. Is there a specific meaning herein, or is it a clever invitation to the audience to stretch their imaginations?
Directed by Wilson, the intent of each moment is clearly delineated, and the meaning of each moment is purposely elusive. The extremely episodic script (where some scenes may last just a heartbeat or two) demands and receives a quick pace. He valiantly tries to maintain audience interest despite the eventual frustration some may feel from not "getting it."
Get It? Got It. Good! may confound you. And then again, if you just let the mysteries flow past you, you can enjoy the non-stop series of surprises. Recommended for those crave something decidedly different."
Robert Avila, SF Bay Guardian:
" ...The following night saw two premieres with strangely similar themes by SF companies. Get It? Got It. Good., an absurdist three-act play by SF playwright-director Dan Wilson (Vagina Dentata), begins as a desperate hunt by two losers (Catz Forsman and Sam Shaw) for an elusive "it" sought by their clients (a frustrated couple played by Kevin Karrick and Stefanie Goldstein) and ends with an inquiry into the nature of good and bad that devolves into a Luigi Pirandello-like unraveling of the play itself. Although the play tends to substitute volume and verbosity for more penetrating writing at points, Wilson and his capable eight-person cast reach several high notes (not least actor Hal Savage's Catholic sermon)."
Robert Hurwitt, SF Chronicle:
" Dan Wilson's "Get It? Got It. Good!" (Cassandra's Call Productions) at the Exit takes the issue of issues to absurdist extremes as a large cast tries to find the "it" that everybody wants but nobody has. It's another underdeveloped piece, but one with brightly comic moments, such as Paul Jennings' overwrought motivational lecture and a midsermon sex scene between Stephanie DeMott and Catz Forsman. For the most part, the performers seem to be having so much fun that the script's unfinished quality scarcely matters. Which is a definitive Fringe experience on its own."
Vagina Dentata by Dan Wilson had its world premiere on June 28th, 2006 at the Eureka Theatre
Vagina Dentata Gallery
Vagina Dentata was directed by Dan Wilson and featured:
Jean Forsman
Suraya Keating
Eleanor Reinholdt
Emily Rosenthal
Sandra Weingart
THE SF BAY TIMES LOVES VAGINA DENTATA!
" Strong women unite! The war of the sexes may wage on elsewhere, but in Vagina Dentata by local writer Dan Wilson, the women resolutely rule. Cassandra's Call Productions presents this cleverly caustic comedy with a top-notch cast at the Eureka Theatre. Because of the adult situations and pointedly profane language, it's labeled "for mature audiences." Cool.
A dynamic and gutsy author (Emily Rosenthal) pitches her new book titled Vagina Dentata to the hip feminist magazine EstroGeneration. Her in-your-face primer about profanity and body image convinces the editor-in-chief (Suraya Keating) to enter the world of small press. Sensationalism sells, so despite an abundance of pitfalls and reservations, the project lurches forward. Inner office politics and back biting surface as controversial issues arise. Alliances form, shift, and then re-form. Why does the lesbian founder of the magazine, Gloria (Jean Forsman), detest the transsexual secretary (Sandra Weingart)? And can the feminist movement progress into the future without inclusion and constant redefinition?
The ensemble of talented women works together seamlessly. Portraying the central character, Rosenthal skillfully balances toughness with sexiness, brains with sensuality, and sharp insights with mischevious rebelliousness. As the tough editor-in-chief, Keating creates a powerful woman who is decisive, smart, and oh-so-savvy. Weingart's depiction of a transsexual never goes for a cheap laugh at the expense of her character. her choices are always well made and well informed. Perhaps shouldering the most difficult role, Forsman, as the tunnel-vision lesbian who created the magazine, must put forth an angry woman trapped by her own inertia who must also maintain some audience sympathy. She pulls it off admirably. And completing the superb cast, Stefanie Goldstein and Eleanor Reinholdt create duly complex portrayals.
Playwright Wilson has scripted an incredible array of assertive women, all working towards similar goals, but from different angles. They are believably conflicted, cleverly resourceful, and three-dimensional... and they never need a man to rescue them. Actually, in a savvy twist, the only male role in the script is in a subservient position (a bartender/waiter portrayed by Wilson). Not satisfied to tell a cutesy corporate comedy, Wilson intstead tackles the alrger issue of the evolution of a socio-political movement. He posits that the forces of change will thrive only through the ongoing challenge of constant re-definition. Wilson's script shines at its brightest when the ideologies of the test are voiced through the conflicts between the characters. And yet, ironically, the fascinating and challenging monologues occasionally venture into the tricky realm of diatribe (at which point the actively-involved audience must settle for the role of passive observers). But over all, this is an ambitious and savvy work that will speak volumes to all audiences.
Director Wilson (yes, the playwright did double duty) stages his extremely episodic script with minimal transitions between scene locations. This keeps the proceedings appropriately brisk, the timing necessary for good comedy. He skillfully focuses on key moments and ideas, and he garners wonderful performances from the entire cast. Costumes by Gabrielle Guthrie provide a delightful visual shorthand – what they're wearing instantly tells us much about each character.
Publishing and politics make for strange bedfellows! Despite all the bickering and office intrigue, Vagina Dentata offers lots of laughs and a feast of food for though. And it concludes happily with empowerment and bridge building inclusion. Recommended for all (mature) audiences!"
-Tom W. Kelly, SF Bay Times
Manumission by Nebula Award Winner Martha Soukup had its World Premiere on October 6th at the Exit Theatre
Douglas Eberwein is sick of it. He's sick of the world's governments waging war in his name, passing laws in his name, putting people in prison, levying taxes, and generally making a mess of things. So he gets out. Douglas petitions to be legally divorced from the human race, the body politic.Divorcing himself from the world get's the world's attention, but soon a battle of wills is engaged between Douglas and the Society that he's attempted to abandon.
Manumission was performed at the Exit Theatre
156 Eddy St., San Francisco
Oct 6-29th
Manumission was directed by Dylan Russell
and featured:Arwen Anderson*
David Austin-Groen*
Kate Austin-Groen
Chris DeJong
Paul Silverman*
Trish Tillman*Member of Actor's Equity
Manumission was an Equity Approved Project
Manumission was originally commissioned and developed by PlayGround
James A. Kleinmann, Artistic Director
411 by Dan Wilson had its world premiere on Oct 8th, 2004 at the Next Stage Theatre411 was Cassandra's Call Production's first endeavor.
photo courtesy of Marcie Prohofsky
Photo GalleryDebbie Siefer discovers that when she dials "information" on her new phone, it connects her to an oracle. Confronted with unlimited knowledge of the past, present, and future at her fingertips, Debbie begins to discover just how powerful information can be. But when she begins to explore her own life, Debbie finds that a lot of knowledge can be a dangerous thing.411 world premiered at the Next Stage theatre on Oct 8th, 2004
It was directed by Claudia Weeks and featured:Melissa Culross
Paul Jennings
Eric Moore
Stephanie Prentice*
Robin Schild
Lloyd Vance
and Gabe Weiss*Member of Actor's Equity Association
