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Batboy: The MusicalApril 15 - May 8, 2016
Ferndale Repertory Theatre, Ferndale CA Patrick Spike - Director David Power - Musical Director JuanCarlos Contreras - Stage Manager Ray Gutierrez - Scenic Designer Tech Director - Carl McGahan Olivia McGahan - Lighting Designer Greta Turney & Tyler Egerer - Props Leira Satlof - Artistic Producing Director Adrienne Ralsten - Ruthie/Ned Alexandra Blouin - Meredith Parker Bohdan Bauducci - Rick/Lorraine/Dillon Bradley Harrington - Sheriff David Powell - Dr. Parker Joey Lawrence - Bat Boy Johanna Turney - Shelley Parker Laird Leatherwood - Daisy/Bud/Pan Ruben Botello - Mrs. Taylor/Roy/Rev/Inst Man Veronica Ruse - Ron/Maggie/Clem |
Production Photographs (please do not download without permission)
from photographer Dan Tubbs
From photographer/director Patrick Spike
Reviews
URGE Time Standard by Beti Trauth (above):
http://www.pageturnpro.com/NORCAL-Community-Newspaper-Group/58077-Urge--Times-Standard/index.html#2
North Coast Journal:
http://www.northcoastjournal.com/humboldt/creature-feature/Content?oid=3704848
Mad River Union:
http://madriverunion.com/25318-2/
http://www.pageturnpro.com/NORCAL-Community-Newspaper-Group/58077-Urge--Times-Standard/index.html#2
North Coast Journal:
http://www.northcoastjournal.com/humboldt/creature-feature/Content?oid=3704848
Mad River Union:
http://madriverunion.com/25318-2/
Director's note for Playbill:
I was standing in front of the theatre following a rehearsal for Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, such a charming intimate show, when Leira asked me... “So do you want to direct Batboy next season?” BAM! Yeah, it was not at all what I was expecting at that moment. I knew the show. It is crazy and risky and bold and funny (in a dark way) and... “Sure!” I heard coming out of my mouth.
After having directed Return to the Forbidden Planet on the FRT stage years ago, I knew that audiences could handle the strange and wonderful quality of the show, but even so it has included a number of firsts for my theatre directing career. In over 25 years I've never had to discuss blood at such length, or to incorporate twerking into a scene. I've never actually had rap of any sort in one of my former productions, had to deal with an actor wearing bat ears, or a large man-sized cage... And I've loved ever minute of it.
Starting from early production meetings discussing the vastly strange array of props, to auditions over Skype, to the above details, this has been a project of epically unusual proportions. But underneath all the crazy details, and rehearsals filled with fits of laughter, there are universal messages, and recognizable struggles being lived by these characters. This strange and wonderful story enables us to explore current and familiar stories being lived right now! How do we face our fears of people not like us? How do we embrace our differences to expand our view of the world? How do we come together as a community to address the challenges of our modern dilemmas in positive ways, instead of buying into hate and prejudice as those who would seek to destroy our way of life hope we will? And on a much more personal level, how do we work together to find or restore our love rather than let our fears drive us apart?
Batboy is a crazy roller coaster of a bloody ride through a mythical allegory founded in a tabloid cover. But from that we can laugh, cry and hopefully be reminded of what matters most in our lives... to embrace, to love, and to raise cows where they belong! Enjoy.
I was standing in front of the theatre following a rehearsal for Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, such a charming intimate show, when Leira asked me... “So do you want to direct Batboy next season?” BAM! Yeah, it was not at all what I was expecting at that moment. I knew the show. It is crazy and risky and bold and funny (in a dark way) and... “Sure!” I heard coming out of my mouth.
After having directed Return to the Forbidden Planet on the FRT stage years ago, I knew that audiences could handle the strange and wonderful quality of the show, but even so it has included a number of firsts for my theatre directing career. In over 25 years I've never had to discuss blood at such length, or to incorporate twerking into a scene. I've never actually had rap of any sort in one of my former productions, had to deal with an actor wearing bat ears, or a large man-sized cage... And I've loved ever minute of it.
Starting from early production meetings discussing the vastly strange array of props, to auditions over Skype, to the above details, this has been a project of epically unusual proportions. But underneath all the crazy details, and rehearsals filled with fits of laughter, there are universal messages, and recognizable struggles being lived by these characters. This strange and wonderful story enables us to explore current and familiar stories being lived right now! How do we face our fears of people not like us? How do we embrace our differences to expand our view of the world? How do we come together as a community to address the challenges of our modern dilemmas in positive ways, instead of buying into hate and prejudice as those who would seek to destroy our way of life hope we will? And on a much more personal level, how do we work together to find or restore our love rather than let our fears drive us apart?
Batboy is a crazy roller coaster of a bloody ride through a mythical allegory founded in a tabloid cover. But from that we can laugh, cry and hopefully be reminded of what matters most in our lives... to embrace, to love, and to raise cows where they belong! Enjoy.
Batboy – Director's blog article about preparation process - by Patrick Spike, Director
Born in a Cave
“Do you want a cute cuddly baby? Or do you want ooey gooey post birth baby?”
When you're directing Batboy, the musical, about a boy that is half bat, drinks blood, eats a rat, rips the head off a cow, and teaches a family to love again, you kinda have to go all-in with the strange choices. There's no half-way in this type of project. The audience is counting on having an Experience (capital E intended), and we simply have to deliver.
“Just say yes” they all said, staring at me in anticipation.
“Let's go for ooey gooey.” And my entire production team cheered.
This was just one of the decisions I get to make with utter glee, at just one of our production meetings starting months ago via Skype. The team was all together having wine and snacks at artistic director's house, while I'm still up in Portland, OR. It was actually oddly cave-like, having to meet and hold auditions all over Skype. Me at my kitchen table talking to actors telling them to try crazy things during their readings and songs, while they eye me curiously on a tablet camera. This was definitely a first. But we made it work!
Soon I'll be heading down to Ferndale in my rolling home, I lovingly call “Wellington.” He's a 36 foot motorhome that I live in full time after downsizing, selling my home, and working on saving money to travel more. Lucky decision too since now having cause to spend time in Brazil multiple times each year. Wellington also has enabled me to take fun projects such as Batboy, and last season's “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks.” I drive my home down and hold up at the fairgrounds for several weeks while directing at Ferndale Rep. I love the theatre I first worked at during grad school in the late 90's. It's been a pleasure to be able to get away from it all and direct a fun project with great people for a while... even though I'm still working my day job remotely.
Music rehearsals have now begun. The set design is nearly completed. Costumes and props, such as said gooey baby, are underway and I'm excited to arrive in town to hear the progress on the music and start working on the staging of the show. On the 29th I'll get to meet the cast and others in-person for the first time. I will give my usual presentation of the preparation work and research I've done to help give everyone a focal point and context for what we're about to embark upon. The designers will also give presentations to the group about their work to help everyone to envision how things will look and feel to them and the audience, come opening night, and then we'll read/sing through this beast. And it is. A beast. Batboy, for all its deliciously dark comedy, double entendre and blood and gooey babies, is a monster of a show. This is a very demanding piece vocally, with music ranging from rap to rock to gospel to beautiful ballads. Physically it's demanding on the cast who play a range of odd characters requiring fast changes both of their costume and of their physicality and mannerisms (not to mention some bat-tastic feats by the boy himself (get ready Joey!!). I once read that performing a musical on stage is the energy equivalent of running a marathon each night. I've done it. Many times. I believe it. And this beast is no exception. I've already warned the cast to work on their endurance and energy NOW. They'll need it.
So on the 29th, with music firmly lodged in their brains, we'll leap from the cave and go careening down the mountain of work together, speeding ever faster toward opening night. There will be fear. There will be sweat. There will be blood... lots of blood. Ultimately, there will be another wildly fun show on the boards at FRT for audiences to sink their teeth into. Get ready Ferndale!
Born in a Cave
“Do you want a cute cuddly baby? Or do you want ooey gooey post birth baby?”
When you're directing Batboy, the musical, about a boy that is half bat, drinks blood, eats a rat, rips the head off a cow, and teaches a family to love again, you kinda have to go all-in with the strange choices. There's no half-way in this type of project. The audience is counting on having an Experience (capital E intended), and we simply have to deliver.
“Just say yes” they all said, staring at me in anticipation.
“Let's go for ooey gooey.” And my entire production team cheered.
This was just one of the decisions I get to make with utter glee, at just one of our production meetings starting months ago via Skype. The team was all together having wine and snacks at artistic director's house, while I'm still up in Portland, OR. It was actually oddly cave-like, having to meet and hold auditions all over Skype. Me at my kitchen table talking to actors telling them to try crazy things during their readings and songs, while they eye me curiously on a tablet camera. This was definitely a first. But we made it work!
Soon I'll be heading down to Ferndale in my rolling home, I lovingly call “Wellington.” He's a 36 foot motorhome that I live in full time after downsizing, selling my home, and working on saving money to travel more. Lucky decision too since now having cause to spend time in Brazil multiple times each year. Wellington also has enabled me to take fun projects such as Batboy, and last season's “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks.” I drive my home down and hold up at the fairgrounds for several weeks while directing at Ferndale Rep. I love the theatre I first worked at during grad school in the late 90's. It's been a pleasure to be able to get away from it all and direct a fun project with great people for a while... even though I'm still working my day job remotely.
Music rehearsals have now begun. The set design is nearly completed. Costumes and props, such as said gooey baby, are underway and I'm excited to arrive in town to hear the progress on the music and start working on the staging of the show. On the 29th I'll get to meet the cast and others in-person for the first time. I will give my usual presentation of the preparation work and research I've done to help give everyone a focal point and context for what we're about to embark upon. The designers will also give presentations to the group about their work to help everyone to envision how things will look and feel to them and the audience, come opening night, and then we'll read/sing through this beast. And it is. A beast. Batboy, for all its deliciously dark comedy, double entendre and blood and gooey babies, is a monster of a show. This is a very demanding piece vocally, with music ranging from rap to rock to gospel to beautiful ballads. Physically it's demanding on the cast who play a range of odd characters requiring fast changes both of their costume and of their physicality and mannerisms (not to mention some bat-tastic feats by the boy himself (get ready Joey!!). I once read that performing a musical on stage is the energy equivalent of running a marathon each night. I've done it. Many times. I believe it. And this beast is no exception. I've already warned the cast to work on their endurance and energy NOW. They'll need it.
So on the 29th, with music firmly lodged in their brains, we'll leap from the cave and go careening down the mountain of work together, speeding ever faster toward opening night. There will be fear. There will be sweat. There will be blood... lots of blood. Ultimately, there will be another wildly fun show on the boards at FRT for audiences to sink their teeth into. Get ready Ferndale!
Director’s Preparation Notes to the Company:
Batboy is a musical about a scapegoat.
Batboy is a musical about fear based prejudice.
Batboy is a musical about the damage that is done when we try to force people into change to what or who we want them to be.
Batboy is a love story… a darkly comic musical tragedy, where love does not triumph over all. In fact love is killed by fear > anger > hate & suffering of people unwilling to face their own realities.
Batboy is an allegory.
- This is set up in the opening group song with “you can’t just stand by, you can’t let him die” and “he has suffered and now it’s your turn. You are hear not to laugh but to learn.” “Head the tale of a filthy freak, who’s just like you and you and you!"
- This is brought back around in the finale with “in his precious hours on earth he taught us all”.
Some background
Bat Boy is a creature who made several appearances in the defunct American supermarket tabloid Weekly World News. The Weekly World News published patently fabricated stories which were purported to be factual. Within the pages of the paper, Bat Boy is described as a creature who is 'half human and half bat'. His pursuers, according toWeekly World News, are scientists and United States government officials; he is frequently captured, then later makes a daring escape. The original scientist who found him was named Dr. Ron Dillon.
Bat Boy was created by former Weekly World News Editor Dick Kulpa. He debuted as a cover story on June 23, 1992. The original front-page photo of Bat Boy, showing his grotesque screaming face, was the second-best selling issue in the tabloid's history, and he has since evolved into a pop-culture icon. He became the tabloid's de facto mascot of sorts.
According to Weekly World News, Bat Boy has a chaotic sense of morality. He has been said to steal cars and not to come to the aid of the needy. According to the mythos, the only person who cares about the chiropteran child is Dr. Ron Dillon, who discovered him in a West Virginia cave (Hellhole Cave in Pendleton County, WV). Origins of Bat Boy are sometimes credited to being in Lost World Caverns in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. The original Weekly World News article lists "Hellhole Cave in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia". At the time of capture, he was two feet tall and weighed nineteen pounds. By February 2001, he was 2' 6". In 2004, he was five feet tall and his weight was unknown. He sheds his wings every three years, and regenerates a new pair.[1]On August 14, 2003, WWN reported he was running in the California gubernatorial election.[2]
In October 2006, Weekly World News posted a video of Bat Boy "captured" on film riding on top of a New York City subway car. Bat Boy was said to be living in the subway system's tunnels during this time. This story was converted into a "documentary" video on the Weekly World News website.[3]
In October 2008, Bat Boy supposedly endorsed John McCain but switched to Barack Obama soon after.[4]
In November 2008, Bat Boy was allegedly seen protesting the passing of Proposition 8.[5]
According to the Weekly World News, the discovery of Bat Boy's family tree on a genealogy chart recently "stunned" evolutionary scientists who used to think the famed imp was a pitiful, one-of-a-kind mutant - but now believe he belongs to a race of creatures who have interacted with humans for at least 400 years. In the tabloid's account, the chart itself was written on vellum and found in the same Ozark Mountains cave where Dr. Ron Dillon, a biologist, rescued Bat Boy after he was trapped by a falling rock in 1992 (it should be noted, however, that the Ozark Mountains are nowhere near West Virginia). Carbon dating supposedly revealed the chart to be over a hundred years old.
Artemis "Pip" Boee1591-1622Little is known of his life. Arrived in the New World days after the landing of the Mayflower at Plymouth Rock on the lesser known vessel, The June Bug. Was a successful jet airliner conductor of the underground railroad.
Charles Alexander "Cotton" Boee1612-1691The son of Artemis, he was a prosperous farmer in Massachusetts.
John "Little Cotton Joe Bundy" Boee1658-1722The deeply religious firstborn of Charles who was devoted to his wife Rebecca. It is noted that her own birth was hard and long, resulting in slightly elongated ears.
Susannah Boee1661-1692John and Rebecca's daughter; she gave birth to two children, Alexander and David. The townspeople, perhaps frightened by her pointy ears, accused the woman of "consorting with Satan" during the Salem witch trials. She was burned at the stake; however, her children were not (in reality none of the victims of the Salem witch trials were burned at the stake).
Alexander Boee1679-1769The shortest family member on record, standing at thirteen inches tall. Remembered for having changed the spelling of his last name to "Boie" ("because he wanted people to think he was French").
David Boee1682-1776The younger brother of Alexander Boee. He is revered as the oldest soldier to fight for American independence. He was killed the day theBritish surrendered. He will be remembered by his one hit wonder "magic pants dance."
Catherine Boie1735-1815Alexander's daughter who was best known for her work with wildlife. She studied animals and kept many unusual species as pets, including bats. Her oldest child, Andrew, was fascinated with the nocturnal critters but became a gourmet chef.
Andrew Jackson Boie1785-1866Made delicious meals out of nocturnal creatures, but soon became a cannibal and ate his ears.
Rodney Boe1787-1869Was Catherine's youngest child, an inattentive speller who inadvertently dropped the "i" from the family name. Family friends presume Rodney's poor scholarship was an attempt to focus attention on his smarter siblings, to divert eyes from his short stature, oversized eyes and pointed ears.
Archibald Boe1825-1911Rodney's firstborn, he left the family's ancestral home in Massachusetts and moved to California, where people were "more tolerant" of unusual looking people.
Marcus Boe1875-1930Eldest son of Archibald, he established himself as respected "bug man" with a successful exterminating business. There were rumors that he did not use flypaper or traps, but caught them with his mouth.
Horace "Joe Ears" Boe1890-1931Archibald's youngest son who left California at age thirteen, hopping an eastbound train to Chicago. Horace was shot dead in a shootout with famed federal agent Eliot Ness in 1931.
Margaret Boy1910-1983Horace's only child. She dropped the "e" from the family name and added a "y" so people would not associate her with her mobster dad. She left Chicago and moved to West Virginia.
Herbert Hoover Boy1944-1972Worked in the coal mines of West Virginia as a child of 12, not of financial need, but because he liked caves and the job.
Susan Boy1954-?Herbert Sr.'s daughter. She achieved regional success as a country singer with a persona that has been likened to that of mountain songbird Dolly Parton. Susan's liaisons with an unnamed country legend produced two children: Ruth Carter Cash Boy and "the one they call Bat".
Ruth Carter Cash Boy1972-?"a quick learner who was able to quit school after the sixth grade." She now lives in Wayne, West Virginia, Wayne Middle School.
Bat Boy1982-?The brother of Ruth Carter Cash Boy. He is a decorated U.S. Marine who has confounded the authorities by stealing cars and biting children after serving his country as a "super patriot" on the front lines in Afghanistan and Iraq. After the nuclear fallout as a result of the Cuban-Jamaican War, he now wanders the wastelands of Jamaica searching for hippopotamus droppings to sell on the white market.
Adventures of Batboy
Cartoonist Peter Bagge originally penned the "Adventures of Batboy" for the Weekly World News. According to the cartoon, Bat Boy is currently hitchhiking with a typical American family after resigning from being the President of the United States (and King), has placed Weekly World News columnist Ed Anger under arrest and saying goodbyes to Beyoncé Knowles, a half sasquatch (with whom he was romantically involved), and Dr. Ron. According to past issues of WWN, Bat Boy has joined a death metal/thrash metal band as their lead singer. On a side note if ever spotted offer him eggs and he won't suck your blood through a crazy straw.
Themes:
The book deals with serious themes (such as hypocrisy, acceptance, forgiveness, racism, revenge and scapegoating), but often punctures the most serious moments with slapstick, surreallism, camp-horror and irony. The show also contains religious themes with biblical allusions, such as the quoting of Psalm 23 and Genesis 9:4 in scene 9. Act II begins with a religious revival tent meeting featuring a faith healer.
Spelled out -
A lack of understanding and acceptance of who we truly are, will lead to societal pressures that bring about horrible acts.
Attempting to force a person to be someone or something they are not will lead to regret, hostility, lashing out and hatred.
Love, forgiveness, understanding are the only way to transcendence.
From hold your batboy (reprise):
Love your neighbor
forgive
keep your vows
A mountain’s no place to raise cows
Revenge is something god forbids
To scapegoat folks is wrong
Let go the fears to which you cling
Don’t deny your beast inside
Hold your batboy, love your batboy
(Question for all: Who or What is YOUR batboy? If Batboy is a creature/monster/animal that can’t be explained, understood or changed…and must be merely accepted for what he is, what is that thing for YOU in your life that you struggle with accepting?)
How do these themes play out?
Rick is a bully. His insecurity leads him to lash out at anything that threatens his position of strength among his pears.
Parker longs for the old days when Meredith really loved him. He’s trying to manipulate all ends to get it back, when it’s truly impossible to go back. He doesn’t understand that to move forward you must come to grips with the past together and agree to start again.
Meredith desperately wants to bring about the past she was cheated of and thinks that converting this animal batboy into her upright son will fix everything. But she can’t change who and what he is. The more she tries to overwrite his animal side, the more it festers underneath and it leads to Batboy’s confusion and ultimate demise.
Batboy tries so hard to be what everyone wants him to be. But had he been left alone he was formerly content in the cave. It wasn’t until he was shown a world he could never truly own and tried to be something he wasn’t that he came to be so unhappy with himself. His ultimate way out is to force others to take his life.
The towns people are unwilling to face the situation they are in. The mine has dried up. Cows don’t thrive in their environment. Instead of trying to address the situation in a realistic way they look to scapegoats, religion and lies to drive away their fears. Their path is doomed from the start.
Shelly is the only person in the show who actually understands who batboy is, and accepts him. But with limited resources, and the lies that she and Edgar have been told that have created an unsustainable situation, their relationship ends in tragedy.
How does all this relate to today?
Consider current events in the world -
Syrian refugees. Muslims. Mexican immigrants. Terrorists. Gay Marriage. Fear mongering the american public to make us so afraid we’ll vote for Donald Trump who proposes building walls and turning everyone away and deporting the rest.
Politicians accepting enormous campaign contributions from huge corporations.
Politicians who risk not being elected unless they claim to be god fearing christians, and others being accused of not being citizens, or christians, as a means of trying to disqualify them.
Characters:
Batboy is an anti-villain - His journey is really not of his own making or choosing. His change is forced upon him and brings about his ruin.
Meredith and Parker have journey’s that end in last minute revelation before their demise.
Shelley has a journey that leads to hear learning that we can believe she will carry into her better future.
Our real villains are Rick as a bully, and Parker as a love starved confused husband and father.
Style:
Dark Comedy
Horror camp
DRIVES forward. Non-stop fast pace from beginning to end.
Like a train about to fly off the tracks.
Like a ticking time bomb that none of them know could explode at any moment.
Performance - for the characters, this is serious business. Like all comedy, we laugh at them. They don’t laugh at themselves. They are extraordinary and even ridiculous circumstances and characters, but they are still fearful, angry, struggling within their own situations. So while I’ll be working with you on comedic timing, comedy moments, etc. Your ultimate goal is to play the reality of your characters, WITHIN their situations and their own oddities.
Remember: 1) In a musical, characters move to song when they can’t relate the intensity and emotions of the moment without signing, and 2) We tell stories on stage of the MOST intense and climactic moments in the character’s lives. Not the mundane ones.
Performance of multiple characters - This is a very specific theatrical trick that takes precision, specificity and commitment to pull off. Audiences are always willing to suspend their disbelief as long as we establish a logic that they can count on. So the characters you create MUST be clear, specific and consistent. The devices we will use for the changes must also be consistent. We will all need to work on very specific physical and vocal characteristics for each character you play. Consider physical and vocal signatures for each so that as soon as you appear as that character the audience can identify them based on the signatures, such as a vocal tick, a physical gesture or oddity. We’ll be working on these this week.
Performance of an allegory with prologue and epilogue - These pieces take place OUTSIDE the time/space of the story. So the story is in essence like a flashback… the story they are telling us to learn a lesson by. So there’s a caution, a warning, a wisdom to the performance of those pieces, as compared to a naiveté to the story itself as it is unfolding.
#batboythemusical #savethebatboy #ferndalerep