Theater Review: JIM STEINMAN'S BAT OUT OF HELL––THE MUSICAL (2019, New York City Centre)

Bats: 5 of 5.

Running Time: 165 minutes, including intermission and curtain call.

I don't usually write theater reviews, but I think you'll see why I made an exception for BAT OUT OF HELL––THE MUSICAL.

Sure, there might not actually be bats in this show. Hell, there might not even be Hell. I guess we do get to see a projection of flames after a certain character dies, but I hardly think that counts. Consider this: all I wanted out of this show was to see a motorcycle being swarmed by bats as it was launched out of Satan's lava-spewin' jaws. Remarkably, the show does not deliver on this tableau, and yet it still stirred the depths of my soul. That probably had something to do with it being, essentially, as if Ken Russell and David Lynch had co-directed Samuel Beckett's porn parody adaptation of the "Dancing With Myself" music video. If I didn't know better, I'd think that somebody had been reading my 1990: BRONX WARRIORS / RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 3 / ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK fan-fiction.
 
Courtesy of Specular

I don't understand why there haven't been more musicals inspired by Cannon Films' CYBORG (right on down to characters being named for famous guitars). Or why the visual vocabulary of early '80s local access cable, abandoned Eastern Bloc discotheques, cyberpunk rec rooms, and Jersey biker bar parking lots are so rarely combined. Or why more characters named Jaguar don't spell it like "Jagwire." I don't understand critics who are unsatisfied with the answer to every dramaturgical question being: "cocaine... and fever dreams."

Courtesy of Little Fang Photo

Don't walk––hell, don't even run––glide on a slow-moving motorcycle across a fog bank straight to this show. A good drinking game might be every time there is a Peter Pan reference. Or each time someone "offers their throat to the wolf with red roses." Or whenever someone collapses completely, limp in a melodramatic frenzy.

A part of me will be at this show forever. To paraphrase THE GRAPES OF WRATH: "I'll be in the dark. Wherever you look. Wherever there's a futuristic riot cop beatin' up a post-apocalyptic street urchin, I'll be there. I'll be in the way undead (?) kids laugh when they're hungry an' they know supper's ready at the weird sewer dive bar they hang out at. An' when folks are doing open mic poetry night in the skyscrapers they build––why, I'll be there, too. Wherever there's a plutocrat-with-a-heart-of-gold struggling against the tide to name what part of his body hurts the most, I'll be there. I'll be there during the power ballads, and, um, I guess during the regular ballads, too. Wherever there's a Bridge n' Tunneler in the audience fondly mumbling along to 'Paradise by the Dashboard Light,' I'll be there. And whenever a kid gets so frustrated by their parents' adolescent sexual fumblings that they rip the engine block out of a car and hurl it into the orchestra pit... I will definitely, definitely be there."

DEAD DREAM MACHINE on NY1

Everyone's favorite local channel has been running a feature plugging my latest theatrical endeavor, THE DEAD DREAM MACHINE!  

Time Warner Cable customers can watch the clip here.

This is the last weekend you can see THE DEAD DREAM MACHINE: get your tickets here, watch the trailer I made here, and get more information here!

More praise for THE DEAD DREAM MACHINE!

More reviews are in!

New York Magazine names it a "Critics' Pick" and says: "In this very strange play, a mad scientist has built a machine that extracts dreams from a young woman’s brain. At the finale every night, a crew of alt-venue stars—drag queens, born-to-showbiz kids, burlesque artists— all join in on a goth performance of a Nick Cave tune."

Downtown Traveler says:  "New York City has no shortage of Halloween attractions...but if you are looking for more high-brow entertainment– with a decidedly anti-Wall Street bent– head to Brooklyn for Dead Dream Machine.  This off- off- off- Broadway show features a talented cast and scenes that range from hysterical to bizarre... a uniquely Brooklyn production that combines elements of burlesque, acrobatics, puppetry and bondage. ... so hysterical, offbeat and downright bizarre [some segments] played over and over in my mind throughout the weekend.  ...You’ll feel trendy just for attending this show."

Brooklyn Spaces says:  I was lucky enough to catch a press preview of ...the incredible Dead Dream Machine... and it RULES. Go!"

Courtesan Macabre says:  "I had the pleasure of trekking out to East Williamsburg (Bushwick) NY last night to experience the new production, The Dead Dream Machine... It was disturbing and made you squirm... [director Rachel Klein] mixes style and sensuality into her visual storytelling."

My Entertainment World says:  "Consistently entertaining. ...a series of both horrifying and comedic skits.  ...the ensemble of The Dead Dream Machine was remarkable.  ...I enjoyed living the nightmares produced by the The Dead Dream Machine."

There are still two more weekends to go– get your tickets here, watch the trailer I made here, and get more information here!

Praise for THE DEAD DREAM MACHINE!

The reviews are in!

Flavorpill says: "The Dead Dream Machine is a thoroughly entertaining compendium of dark skits ranging from a teenage horror spoof to a hilariously foul-mouthed puppet show to gothic burlesque ballets and aerialists... [Sean Gill's] creepy projections on an old red velvet curtain complete the Silencio-scene-in-Mulholland-Drive vibe."

Time Out New York names it a "Good Odds" pick: "a boundary-dissolving horror show, which includes magic, puppetry, aerialism and live song and dance... the imaginative Rachel Klein directs and choreographs."

Black Book Magazine says: "The show stars various luminaries from the alternative stages of New York City... The whole shebang is directed and choreographed by the amazing Rachel Klein... this is amazing. You must go."

City Guide says:  "...this Brooklyn-based show pumps the horror genre through a mad-scientist’s dream-extracting device, spinning out musical numbers, a zombie dance, aerialists, puppetry and assorted luminaries from the City’s alternative stages – all profoundly nightmarish."

Broadway Spotted says: "... the best parts of old school horror movies [are] the comedy, and when Machine connected to that, it was gold... with Halloween coming up it is just the right kind of show to get you into the spooky spirit!"

There are still three more weekends to go– get your tickets here, watch the trailer I made here, and get more information here!  Our luminary guest shamans for this weekend include Mx Justin Vivian Bond (September 26th), Lady Rizo (September 27th), and Michael Musto (September 28th)!

Further Praise for SYMPHONY OF SHADOWS

Photo by Michael Blase.
Graphic Design by Sean Gill.

A few more  press responses to SYMPHONY OF SHADOWS (a description of which can be found here):

Flavorpill says:  "[SYMPHONY OF SHADOWS] depicts two familiar worlds– the workplace and dreams– only this symphony in shadows is far more exhilarating and terrifying than the norm or even Freud... Klein's Sleeper and her pesky Shadows move gracefully through the realms of modern dance, burlesque, gymnastics, and Romantic-era ballet.  The erotic dreams may be too much for the delicate heroine, but they are stunning stage pictures that are a genuine and refreshing reality." 

The New York Theater Review says: "Rigorous and dangerous... I could fully relate to the experience of dreading sleep... the company of dancers, aerial acrobats, clowns, and contortionists take on many roles and costumes, each one more arresting than the last."


New York Nearsay says:  "Dive deep into the Bowery for this sexy, macabre performance... don't miss this one!" 
 
SYMPHONY OF SHADOWS runs for just one more weekend– more information is available here and tickets are available here.

The Village Voice on SYMPHONY OF SHADOWS

Photo by Michael Blase.
Graphic Design by Sean Gill.

Some excerpts from the Village Voice review of SYMPHONY OF SHADOWS (a description of the show can be found here):


"A lively and fantastical depiction of how we hide from our own issues, pushing them down in our daily lives until they have no other choice but to come after us in the night...  one of Symphony's greatest strengths  is its ability to depict a setting that's no so much unlike ours, yet one that's just cloudy enough to play with the performance's levels of reality...  a charming commentary on the pressures we hide from every day in our world– and the ones we discover with our head on the pillow."


SYMPHONY OF SHADOWS runs for one more weekend– more information is available here and tickets are available here.

More praise for SYMPHONY OF SHADOWS

Photo by Michael Blase.  Graphic Design by Sean Gill.

More reviews of SYMPHONY OF SHADOWS (a description of which can be found here):


Backstage says:  "The world that the dancers craft is visually sumptuous. Klein's staging fills the theater from floor to ceiling, and each of the fantasy sequences allows a different dancer to perform a virtuosic set piece in one of many worlds sensuously imagined..."


Courtesan Macabre says:  "The production is an extravaganza of ballet, aerialists, musicians, surreal costumes, acrobats, burlesque and dancers telling a dark, but beautiful story...The eerie violin concerto is a sensuous score to this seamless, elaborate production.  Creator Rachel Klein started with a concept of the horrors of sleep paralysis.  She worked with co-story writer Sean Gill on how to portray the different nightmares... If you are in NYC the next few weeks, definitely make the time to enjoy this show!"


Black Book Magazine says:  "Every so often these "I've seen it all” eyes see something that flabbergasts me...so mark this on your calendar, get a babysitter, empty the cookie jar, and if necessary kick the reluctant lover to the curb and attend the world premiere!"


SYMPHONY OF SHADOWS runs for two more weekends– more information is available here and tickets are available here.

Praise for SYMPHONY OF SHADOWS

Photo by Michael Blase.  Graphic design by Sean Gill.

A few early press responses to SYMPHONY OF SHADOWS (a description of which can be found here):

Call Me Adam says:  "A show that will stay with me for years to come! One of the best performance pieces I have seen...The extremely talented cast of performers engulfed the audience with their artistry."

Theater for Nerds says: "Eye-catching and exciting, with a very wide range of performance styles... spider women will swing over the stage, ballerinas dance en pointe, and busty burlesque queens strut in skimpy outfits...  the cast (A whopping 25 of ‘em) is quite talented and athletic."

SYMPHONY OF SHADOWS runs for two more weekends– more information is available here and tickets are available here.

Theater Review: NEVERMORE, AN EVENING WITH EDGAR ALLAN POE (2011, Stuart Gordon)

Stars: 5 of 5.
Running Time: 90 minutes.
Notable Cast or Crew: Jeffrey Combs (RE-ANIMATOR, THE FRIGHTENERS, CASTLE FREAK, THE BLACK CAT). Written by Dennis Paoli (BLEACHER BUMS, GHOULIES II, THE DENTIST). Directed by Stuart Gordon (ROBOT JOX, DOLLS, FROM BEYOND).

I was lucky enough this year to spend a portion of my Halloween in the mad, increasingly inebriated company of the Nineteenth Century's greatest poet and weaver of macabre tales, Edgar Allan Poe. Upon a candlelight-flicker'd stage at Lincoln Center, Jeffrey Combs performed a special New York engagement of his one-man show, NEVERMORE.

I'm a longtime fan of Mr. Combs (one of the more committed, versatile actors of modern genre cinema) as well as the rest of the creative team: the director is the great Stuart Gordon (Mamet crony, Lovecraft-adapter extraordinaire, and the man who brought ROBOT JOX into the world) and the playwright is Dennis Paoli (rarely has an accomplished dramatist also penned the best GHOULIES movie, which was 2, by the way). It is difficult to describe the sheer power of this show– its resonance, its poetic value, its sense of history– but I shall try.

A candle journeys from its first lighting to its natural end as a whispery nub of extinguished wick. In between, Edgar Allan Poe exists. Even an intimate familiarity with Combs' body of work cannot prepare you for his transformation. Sure, a prosthetic nose, a wig, and a well-tailored costume are employed, but Combs becomes Poe. Even actively looking for it, you can only see glimpses of Combs beneath his performance, a glint in his eye here, an off-handed remark there. Combs is so profoundly in the moment that a patron's cough, the New York milieu, or Halloween night itself might bring forth an unexpected reaction, a measured improvisation.

Combs imbues Poe with a singsongy drawl and much humorous pomposity, then enshrouds him in madness and submerges him in the haze of drink. He reads aloud "The Tell-Tale Heart" ("The Tell-Tale Heart"....perhaps you've heard of it...?," he smartassedly inquires) with a manic energy which brings alive the story's humor and derangement as never before. He physically stomps upon the carpet in an approximation of the story's terrible, persistent heartbeat, injecting a sense of rhythm to the piece that one usually only associates with Poe's poetry. He reads a line like "ALL IN VAIN, because Death in approaching him had stalked with his black shadow before him and enveloped the victim" with a wet malevolence that drips morbidly from every syllable.

Claiming the birthright of his actor parents to 'perform,' Combs' Poe lays siege to the stage against the better judgment of unseen handlers, stagehands, and the poetess Sarah Helen Whitman in the audience, whom Poe was courting at the time (in the wake of his wife's death). He rants against Longfellow, pokes at the Transcendentalists, and razzes Washington Irving. He brags at length about his career at West Point and his achievement of swimming the James River. But a bottle of Rye (at first swigged surreptitiously, then guzzled out in the open) causes the evening's events to grow increasingly and exponentially unhinged. "WHOOOOOOOOPS," he blurts as he gulps down the sauce again and again and again, promenading about the stage like an irrepressible beast. His ever-roaming, drunken tongue practically becomes a character in and of itself. He stumbles and staggers and teeters and falls; he earns our applause through the Herculean act of "standing up." He straddles a music stand like a horse, amuses himself by playing with a length of his ruffly shirt caught in a gap through his unbuttoned vest, battles the forces of gravity with great slapstick physicality, and shrugs it all off with a mad, wheezy cackle. There's an insane, boozy recitation of "The Bells," whereupon Combs hurls his arms about and boogies across the stage, flinging himself and suspenders alike with reckless abandon, ultimately whimpering in the aisle, wounded and bitter, but not quite broken. And for all the humor, there is a tremendous emotive core, perhaps best exemplified by the air of melancholy that results when a dried flower falls out from between pressed pages, a sudden and unexpected reminder of his dead wife. And I can't even begin to chronicle the profundity of Combs' reading of "The Raven," a reading which transports you face-to-face with the sullen, saggy-eyed countenance from the famous daguerreotype by which most of us know Poe's face.

NEVERMORE is a masterful work. Stuart Gordon's sure, even-handed direction is capable of handling all of Poe's heights and depths and tonal shifts; Dennis Paoli's script (with much assistance from Poe's prose and poetry) is in turns hilarious and heart-wrenching; and Jeffrey Combs' performance is a staggering portrait of a majestic poet and a gutter philosopher, a man whose mind and body tested themselves against the maelstrom for only forty short years. I'm not sure when this show will be performed again, but if it's ever in your power to see it, you must.

-Sean Gill

DREAMS OF THE CLOCKMAKER a Time Out New York pick

DREAMS OF THE CLOCKMAKER is a "Good Odds" pick on Page 97 in this week's issue of Time Out New York, and they describe it as "a dystopian metatheatrical fantasia." This weekend marks the end of CLOCKMAKER's run, so see it now that you have the chance!

Info on the show:
It's a sweeping narrative which shepherds us from Dust Bowl occultism to a low-rent 80's magic show to troubling mystical visions of a dystopian future. Written & directed by Sean Gill and starring Jillaine Gill. It will run through this October at The Wild Project (195 E. 3rd St. between Avenues A & B) from October 17-30 with 7:00 p.m. shows on Sundays and Mondays, and 9:30 p.m. shows on Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets are available via Smarttix at smarttix.com ((212) 868-4444).

More Praise for THE TRAGEDY OF MARIA MACABRE

The New York Theater Review says "the audience is arrested and seduced by a sequined circus of rigor morticized dancers and costume acrobatics," and of the my contributions: "music lovers will be excited about Sean Gill's sound design." Cultural Capitol writes "Of course it’s always better to watch someone else experience madness and murder than to experience it yourself, and that’s why we go to the theater! We play a game of 'what if' when we sit in the dark and watch as a little girl goes to Hell – literally. And that is why The Tragedy of Maria Macabre is so much fun." Of my sound design, they note: "The music, a blend of Philip Glass, Mozart, and the Tiger Lillies, is remixed by Sean Gill into a catchier, more upbeat version of Night on Bald Mountain." Nytheatre.com reports "We are truly hypnotized until the end, wondering where the storytellers are taking us and questioning if there ever is an ending to the menagerie of characters and situations." On my work, they proclaim: "Klein and collaborator Sean Gill put together a superb sampling of music to complete the dark and twisted world that Klein has created."

And check out the black carpet opening night of MACABRE, where you'll see yours truly hobnobbing with the rich and famous and heads of state and other dignified personages.

Four performances still remain– see the trailer and get the details HERE.

The Huffington Post's Bess Rowen on DREAMS OF THE CLOCKMAKER

As part of a larger piece on the art of storytelling, Bess Rowen touches upon DREAMS OF THE CLOCKMAKER in this article from the Huffington Post. An excerpt:

"As Gill brings us into her world of mysterious vials and a masked character known as 'the clockmaker,' her words are what make the pictures clear and crisp. I see what she describes, my brain making the leap from aural to visual as I listen and watch her speak. conveying. ...There is something primitively human in listening and watching as a story unfolds, and if you are lucky enough to be in the presence of someone who is truly talented in this regard, allow yourself to imaginatively engage and enjoy the experience."

Read the whole story HERE. See the show– info HERE. (Only three more performances.)

THE TRAGEDY OF MARIA MACABRE appearing March 2nd at Dixon Place!

For you New Yorkers, this Wednesday will mark the full-length theatrical premiere of Rachel Klein's THE TRAGEDY OF MARIA MACABRE, a morbid fantasia of movement and dance. Rachel conceived, directed, choreographed, and costumed the piece, and I helped co-write the scenario, did the sound design, and last year I made a short film adaptation. It also features original music from Borut Krzisnik (THE TULSE LUPER SUITCASES) and stage management by Marina Steinberg. It stars Abigail Hawk (CBS' BLUE BLOODS), Michael Porsche (LA ENFERMA), Elizabeth Stewart (AENIGMA), Preston Burger (GO-GO KILLERS!), Danielle Marie Fusco (STAGE BLOOD IS NEVER ENOUGH), Freddy Mancilla (GO-GO KILLERS!), Megan O'Connor (STAGE BLOOD IS NEVER ENOUGH), Brian Rubiano (GO-GO KILLERS!), and Eric Schmalenberger (THE VOLUPTUOUS HORROR OF KAREN BLACK).

The plot is as follows: Upon dying, Maria Macabre is not granted eternal slumber, but instead a whirling, kaleidoscopic carnival of horrors: a morbid funhouse where humanity is stripped away and a permanent place in the gruesome chorus line is all but assured. Flavorpill calls Rachel "a mistress of the macabre" and BeaconPass calls it "darkly glamorous" and proposes that "rarely do you get to witness someone else’s nightmares — and rarely are they so vivid." See also: Backstage Pass with Lia Chang, New York Cool, Time Out New York, and the Village Voice.

WHO: You.
WHAT: THE TRAGEDY OF MARIA MACABRE at Dixon Place.
WHEN: Wednesday, March 2nd at 7:30 P.M.
WHERE: Dixon Place- 161A Chrystie Street. Manhattan, NY.
HOW MUCH: 15 dollars.

Also, this Sunday, a few of my short plays are going up at the Bowery Poetry club as part of a residency- the information is available HERE.

Broadway After Dark on PRINCES OF DARKNESS

Though the run is over, more reviews keep coming in. Broadway After Dark weighs in on the show HERE. Of yours truly, they say "Sean Gill's sound design is excellent."

The Happiest Medium on PRINCES OF DARKNESS

Well, the run may be over, but praise for PRINCES OF DARKNESS continues: The Happiest Medium weighs in with thoughtful review, here. On the sound design of yours truly they say: "Before PRINCES OF DARKNESS (written and performed by Bill Connington) even begins, there’s an ambiance created by sound designer Sean Gill that does its best to set a tone of creepy nervousness. Resonating within the small theatre, which is completely draped in black cloth, is the kind of music reserved for the scenes in movies that have the most startling effect – a subtle drop of blood oozing down a table, a shadow crossing a deserted hallway. Let yourself get pulled too deeply into the sounds and you’ll find that you’ll jump when the seat behind you thuds down."

J.B. Spins on PRINCES OF DARKNESS

J.B. Spins reviews PRINCES OF DARKNESS, a new play written, produced, and performed by Bill Connington and directed by Rachel Klein which I've done the sound design for- and you can read the full review here. Regarding yours truly, Spins says "the creepiest aspect of Darkness might be Sean Gill’s unsettling audio effects."

Four performances remain:
Wednesday, August 11th @ 9:00 pm
Thursday, August 12th @ 9:00 pm
Friday, August 13th @ 9:00 pm
Saturday, August 14th @ 7:00 pm

and tickets/other information can be found here.

Theater Review: A JOHN WATERS CHRISTMAS (2009, John Waters)

Stars: 5 of 5.
Running Time: Approx. 65 minutes.
Notable Cast or Crew: John Waters.
Best one-liner: "Let's talk about the Easter Bunny...I hate the fucker. What sex is the Easter Bunny? You know, you see the Easter Bunny in malls, not that many people do it. You can tell they don't even care, because they don't even clean the outfits, they have mold on them, they don't even send them to the cleaners. It's some poor woman, usually, another step backwards for feminism, because...the Easter Bunny is the ultimate bottom, really. And not a good bottom. Not a greedy bottom, not a bossy bottom, but an impotent, powerless bottom that no childhood hero could ever top. And Easter is an S&M holiday, anyway..."


I'm a Halloween guy. Thus, I'm pretty resistant to all things Christmas, and especially resistant to people who adore all things Christmas. My general stance on the holiday is that only Michael Ironside should be allowed to dress up as Santa and only Wham! should be allowed to release Christmas albums. (I would also permit Bruce Willis to release one, should he decide to revisit the whole RETURN OF BRUNO concept.) I suppose I also embrace the slew of action movies (TRANCERS, RENT-A-COP, LETHAL WEAPON, DIE HARD, KISS KISS BANG BANG, et al.) that use Christmas as a piffling backdrop for Gary Busey putting Mel Gibson in a headlock or Burt Reynolds using "Merry Christmas" as a one-liner or, shit, even William Powell drinking like forty-seven martinis and punching out his wife (ostensibly, in order to save her). Regardless, I shall now update my stance– John Waters is permitted to enjoy the holiday.

His kitschy selections of off-the-beaten-path carols (from Fat Daddy to Little Cindy to Alvin and the Chipmunks) have yielded a well-known compilation album entitled A JOHN WATERS CHRISTMAS. He has an accompanying monologue show as well, one that I had heard of, but had never been lucky enough to attend until this year. The man is endlessly entertaining and full of this lively, benevolently perverse energy- you can't help but to have a bemused grin on your face the instant he comes on stage- before he's even said anything. And as soon as he begins, hold on tight– he delivers a whirlwind of relentless anecdotes, wisecracks, ruminations, and obsessions- which, for me, rival (if not eclipse) canonical masters of the art form like Spalding Gray.

He recalls, as a child, how he wanted to sit on William Castle's lap instead of Santa Claus'; the juvenile thrill of breaking in and opening strangers' presents; his deviant zest for Alvin and the Chipmunks (including, but not limited to, him wearing Alvin's giant "A"-emblazoned hoody to a theater full of children attending a CHIPMUNKS screening); his extreme loathing of gift cards and the people who give them; his deep-rooted hatred of the Easter Bunny as a holiday mascot (see above); and his desire to have his own amusement park and freak show and 'abortion movie' film festival (he wants to wear costumes and shout out dialogue for 4 MONTHS, THREE WEEKS, AND 2 DAYS). He recounted fond memories of Divine; spoke of his hopes for a possibly upcoming HAIRSPRAY 2 and his own long-anticipated Christmas movie, FRUITCAKE; and made many obscure self-references to a crowd whom I doubt had even heard of, much less seen, films like MULTIPLE MANIACS or ROMAN CANDLES. In short, this thing is fantastic. (And I've hardly even scratched the surface.) Five stars.


The fact that John Waters is my new best bud did not cloud the judgment of this review.

-Sean Gill

PinkRayGun interviews STAGE BLOOD IS NEVER ENOUGH's Rachel Klein (Part 2)

This is Part 2 of an interview series with Rachel Klein, director and choreographer of my plays GO-GO KILLERS!, AENIGMA, OUR PRISON, and several of the pieces in my new show, STAGE BLOOD IS NEVER ENOUGH. They talk about punk, Go-Go gals, Abel Ferrara, and yours truly. The second part of Teresa Jusino's piece can be found HERE. Pink RayGun calls STAGE BLOOD IS NEVER ENOUGH “perfect Halloween fun.”

THIS THURSDAY: STAGE BLOOD IS NEVER ENOUGH!

My new show opens this Thursday in New York City! It's a classic 80's horror portmanteau in the vein of CREEPSHOW or TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE, and features ten pieces, each paying homage to one or more 80's horror films. Details are below– I hope those of you in the NYC area can make it!

OCTOBER 22 & 29 @ THE DUPLEX @ 9:30PM
2 Performances Only!
$8 in advance, $10 at the door--for reservations please go HERE.




Praise for my work:

"[Sean Gill] is an imaginative, experienced playwright filmmaker [with] apocalyptic vision."
-Papermag

"A brilliantly integrated piece, moving from live action, to impressions of video playback, to fantasy (or nightmare) cycles by way of key lighting and music changes which trigger the audience’s subterranean understanding without missing a beat. Gill’s dips into the surreal are masterful, while surface dialogue, humor and character quirks seem perfectly natural and coexistent as well."
-OffOffOnline on AENIGMA

"Pure Grindhouse...with perfect B-movie dialogue."
-Flavorpill

"[Sean Gill] feeds on the visual language of film... [and] shows a savvy awareness of our stock skepticism, focusing instead on how a story is told."
-Nytheatre.com

"For most of the show I was either slack-jawed in disbelief or doubled over in giddy giggles."
-NY Press on GO-GO KILLERS!

"Deep into left field," "daring," and "inject[ing] theory into the weirdness"
-Blogcritics on AENIGMA

"Macabre," "unpredictable," "perverse," and "a parody of an original that has never existed!"
-OffOffOff on AENIGMA


STAGE BLOOD IS NEVER ENOUGH

STAGE BLOOD IS NEVER ENOUGH is a a theater spectacle paying tribute to the horror films of the 1980's, integrating the talents of actors, dancers, clowns, and burlesque artists into a cohesive evening of creepy comedy and eccentric tragedy:

•••Medusa
A glittery, glam rock retelling of the myth.

(Desmond Davis' CLASH OF THE TITANS)

•••A Doll’s House
An abusive mother finds that retribution can come clothed in… porcelain and petticoats!

(Tom Holland's CHILD'S PLAY and Stuart Gordon's DOLLS)

•••Versus
A reinterpretation of the Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees saga, as realized through an epic burlesque catfight between The Luvely Rae and Kristen Lee.
(Wes Craven's A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and Steve Miner's FRIDAY THE 13TH PART III in 3-D!)

•••What’s in the Basket?
In them days, folks’d come from miles around and pay a pretty penny to see what was inside my basket…

(Frank Hennenlotter's BASKET CASE)

•••Feel The Burn
It’s Jazzercise time! But be careful—you might get a Killer Workout!
(Lucio Fulci's MURDER ROCK and David A. Prior's KILLER WORKOUT)

•••After Prom
It’s Prom Night and the kids are getting wild—dead wild.
(Paul Lynch's PROM NIGHT)

•••Feed my Frankenstein
A lonely Dr. Man Candy builds himself the perfect woman—only he built her out of very, very bad parts!
(Frank Hennenlotter's FRANKENHOOKER)

•••Unhappy Campers
Anybody who says Summer Camp was all just fun and games is a goddamned liar!

(Robert Hiltzik's SLEEPAWAY CAMP)

•••Space Invaders
Mysterious visitors from another planet bring a lot of Kotton Kandy, but not a whole lot of Klass!

(John Carpenter's THEY LIVE and Stephen Chiodo's KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE)

•••Blood Lust
A new wave nightclub filled with beautiful vampire vixens—but look out—they’re deadly!

(Tony Scott's THE HUNGER)


STAGE BLOOD IS NEVER ENOUGH will play at The Duplex (61 Christopher Street at 7th Ave South) Thursday, October 22 & 29 at 9:30pm. Tickets ($8 in advance, $10 at the door) are available online at www.theduplex.com

STAGE BLOOD IS NEVER ENOUGH features works by Sean Gill, Libby Emmons, and Rachel Klein, directed by Rachel Klein, Sean Gill, Jillaine Gill, and Joe Stipek.
Performed by Jillaine Gill, Sean Gill, Elizabeth Stewart*, Michael Porsche, Brian Rubiano, Preston Burger, Michele Cavallero, Meredith Dillard, Veronica Vroom!, Megan O’Connor, Kari Warchock, the Luvely Rae, Kristen Lee, Danielle Marie Fusco, Marna Kohn, Freddy Mancilla, Abigail Hawk*, Dana Perry, Robyn Neilsen, Beau Allulli, Rob Richardson, Josh Hyman, and Sapphire Jones.

*Appearing Courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association

Production Manager: Marina Steinberg
Makeup Design: Anita Rundles
Sound Design: Sean Gill
Costume Design: Rachel Klein and Jillaine Gill
Prop Design: Michael Porsche, Josh Hyman, and Joe Stipek

GO-GO KILLERS! Final Performance Tonight at 8pm!

Final performance tonight, Saturday May 30th, at 8:00 pm!
GO-GO KILLERS! will play at The Sage Theater in Times Square (711 Seventh Avenue (between 47th and 48th), 2nd floor) May 8-30, Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm. Tickets ($15) are available online HERE. A sell-out show is expected, so you should get your tickets as soon as possible!

Take the N,R, or W to 49th Street/7th Ave; the 1 to 50th Street; or the A,C,E,Q,2,3,7, or S to Times Square and walk.

Directed and Choreographed by Rachel Klein! Written by Sean Gill! Starring: Leasen Almquist, Kevin G Shinnick, Joe Stipek, Elizabeth Stewart, Kari Warchock, Jillaine Gill, Reagan Wilson, Dana Perry, Robyn Nielsen, Marna Kohn, Megan O'Connor, Michael Porsche, Michele Cavellero, Danielle Marie Fusco, Chala Savino, Helen Wo, Lisa Fiebert, Aimee DeLong, Brian Rubiano, Preston Burger,Freddy Mancilla, and Don DiPaolo! Stage managed by the lovely Miss Marina Steinberg, Costumes by the exquisite Emily Dorwart, Props by the mysterious Lizz Giorgos and the daring Joey Nova, Lighting by the illustrious Lisa Soverino, make-up by the vivacious Anita Rundles! Produced by Rachel Klein Productions in Association with Junta Juleil Theatricals, LTD.