Syrus: bringer of wisdom !

So, now that I'm nearly finished with school this semester, I have three months to not only catch up with my loved ones, but to work on projects of my own. Unless we get sidetracked again, Shadow Circus Creature Theatre is planning on recording a soundtrack CD of the songs from our stage shows, we're doing a string of performances in August (we'll be performing in LA around my birthday - take note of it now!) and I'd like to throw together a couple more episodes of Syrus the Talking Dreadlock.




For the initiated, Syrus the Talking Dreadlock is a small, blue, dreadlocked beatnik character that does public service announcements from his coffee shop in North Beach, San Francisco. He's been known to wax philosophical about such topics as drugs, hipsters and zombies, he's interviewed music celebrities, has done movie reviews and even had his own Christmas Special!

But lately the airwaves have been quiet over at the Burial Grounds Coffee Shop, and in fact the last episode of 'Syrus the Talking Dreadlock' was done back in December of 2006. Sure, I've been busy doing school and other projects, but really the Syrus videos really don't take very long - they usually get done in an evening or two. It's not like they're friggin' 'Lord of the Rings' or anything.

The real reason I haven't put out any newer Syrus videos is because I haven't had any ideas jump out and smack me in the face... So I'm asking you, dear readers, what do YOU want to hear Syrus talk about? Are there any topics that you would like to hear his opinion on? Any burning questions that need the insight of a slightly anachronistic hairy beatnik?

Or hell, I'm not picky, are you in a band or other production and want to be interviewed by Syrus? Sure, getting interviewed by a blue muppet is probably a career-killer, but there's probably some of you out there willing to take that risk.

So send in your ideas and/or questions for new 'Syrus the Talking Dreadlock' topics. I obviously won't be able to produce all your suggestions, but if your idea is good enough, your topic will be used in a Syrus the Talking Dreadlock episode... It'll be kind of like 'Ask Bonnie', but with puppets. Oh wait... Bonnie does have puppets. It'll be like 'Ask Bonnie' with worse production values. Isn't that exiting?

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Wesley 4.0

So I'm presently working on a new puppet for the character of Wesley Gefiltefisch. As some of my long-time readers know, almost all of the main puppet characters (Hatchet, Kafka, Wesley etc...) have to get rebuilt about every two to three years, depending on how often they get used in shows. Partially this is because the puppets get beat up a bit during performances, but it's also a bit of an ego thing for me... About every three years I look at one of the characters and think, "Damn. I could totally do better than that nowadays." And so I do. Or I try to.

This is my fourth rebuild for Wesley:







As you can see, he's not dramatically different. I gave him much larger eyes, which I think was a bit of a trade; on the one hand, he looks less realistic without the taxidermy eyes (taxidermy eyes that large would have to be expensively custom-made) but he is much more expressive. His brow also moves to give him more facial expressions, but I couldn't snap a good picture at the same time as I was puppeteering him into doing a funny face.

I think this Wesley looks the most sympathetic, which is the goal. I want the audience to feel bad for Wesley. In fact, one of the four Wesley puppets was retired after only three performances, because I thought the design was more 'creepy' than sympathetic.

Yes, Wesley should look as cute and innocent as possible; that way it seems so much crueler when horrible horrible things happen to him.

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Check out this event: Shadow Circus Vaudeville Theatre

Shadow Circus Creature Theatre, San Francisco's most volatile puppetry troupe is hosting its second variety show, featuring some of the Bay Areas best underground acts.

Show Synopsis:

When Wesley finds out that he has a groupie, he's ecstatic at the idea that a woman is finally giving him attention. But Hatchet the Velociraptor recognizes the groupie as 'Stabby Abby', a bloodthirsty killer who's slaughtered her past fourteen boyfriends. Is Wesley's new love interest really a cold-blooded killer? And more importantly, if it means losing his virginity, will Wesley really care? With special appearances by Cory Tabino (formerly of Cirque De Soliel), Mariel A La Mode, Allison Lovejoy, kSea Flux (Of Vau De Vire Society) and M. Lee.

Combining folklore, mythology, Lovecraftian monsters and pop-culture parodies Shadow Circus Creature Theatre has been one of San Francisco's most popular and outrageous puppetry troupe's since it's formation in 2000. Using life-sized latex and foam creatures, Shadow Circus creates a world that is utterly fantastic, and yet hilariously similar to our own.

"...the puppets are Grade A" - East Bay Express

Shadow Circus Vaudeville Theatre
Friday, October 12th
at Fat City (formerly Studio Z, formerly the Transmission)
Doors 9pm $10

Don't miss out! Buy your advanced tickets HERE

Hosted By: Shadow Circus Creature Theatre
When: Friday Oct 12, 2007
at 9:00 PM
Where: Fat City
314 Eleventh Street
San Francisco, CA 94101
United States
Description:
Shadow Circus Creature Theatre

Click Here To View Event

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New Shows: Syrus Interviews Trent Reznor, Tori Amos

Shadow Circus Creature Theatre recently launched the first two episodes of 'Syrus the Talking Dreadlock'; an all-puppet talk show parody where Syrus interviews puppet versions of popular musicians.

In the first episode, Syrus interviews Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor... Out of all the blasphemous and offensive stuff we've ever put in our scripts, THIS video got me more hate mail than six years of shows combined? Why did it piss people off so much? Coz we made fun of Trent's suicidle dog. Seriously. Crack a joke about Jesus and nobody says a word, crack a joke about a rock star's pet that died ten years ago and everyone's up on your ass... Anyway; be warned. There are dead dog jokes:

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In the second episode, Syrus interviews Tori Amos only to have Kate Bush gate crash the show... It's a brutal cat fight to the death at Shadow Circus studio!

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The Puppets Are Coming!!!

Strange creatures, bizarre phenomenon, dark and unholy activity in the dead of night...

Some may call it the Halloween season, but for the Shadow Circus crew it’s just another Friday night... But this October, San Francisco’s most belligerent puppetry troupe will be out and about so often... YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO ESCAPE THEM!!!

It all begins this coming Saturday at the Pound, as some of the Shadow Circus creatures join Angelique from ‘Charm School Dropouts’ live on stage as she performs death-defying feats with untamed FIRE!!! You should go just in case I get hurt. It’s funny when I get hurt.

Then, the following Friday, Shadow Circus opens Madame Maraschino’s house of Burlesque... Excuse me... GORElesque... That’s right, folks, come for the Puppet Show, stay for the dancing girls...

Eh, who am I kidding? Come for the dancing girls, stay for the dancing girls... go to the bar while the stupid puppet show is happening. Did I mention there were dancing girls?

Now, all you East Bay kids may have gotten a false sense of security, since we’ve never gone over to your side of the Bay before. Well, all that’s about to change, because on October 25th, we’re headed over to Oakland to perform at the Stork Club... That’s right, we’re coming for YOU!!!! And you know what? We got our buddy !1manBanjo! Covering our backs... And some Russian space rock band called Spootnik will be there, too...

And for those of you not in the Bay Area, we’re working on an all new method to spread our seeds of mischief to thousands - nay MILLIONS of you simultaneously through the magic of the internet machine... For at the end of this month, we’ll be launching the first of our ‘Shadow Circus Creature Theatre’ internet shows... I’m cackling maniacally just thinking about it...

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View 'Strange Aeons' Online!

Finally, at long last we have a video clip online! A very kind and dedicated Shadow Circus fan (I didn't know we had any) took the time and trouble to convert a clip into whatever combination of 1's and 0's are needed to put video online... Visually, there's not a lot going on (except for puppeteer Rebecca Renfro's hotness, of course), but it's probably my very favourite musical number we've ever done. It's a cut from 'A Girl for Cthulhu', and the song's called 'Strange Aeons'... it's a love tango that Jenny Greenteeth sings to Cthulhu... We asked Rebecca to 'Ethel Merman' it up, and for this being her first musical number onstage, I think she did a phenominal job:

http://www.dr-yo.com/web_vid/rebecca.html

A Special thanks to Aaron (AKA Dr. Yo) for the clip!

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Space... the Wino Frontier

Remember, kids... the theme for this next Popcorn Anti-Theater show is space! So be sure to dress up like greys, spacemen, wookies, Tom Baker... whatever suits your fancy, so long as it's spacey... Here's a pic of me and Overlord Hatchet at last month's Popcorn Anti-Theater... I swear I was having more fun than it looks like:



You know, I really really hate my skin in photographs. But Hatchet looks good. He's available, you know...

10:40 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

SQUEEEE! Just Confirmed!
Current mood: anxious

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!! WE GOT THE GIG! OMYGODSOHMYGODSOHMYGODSGODSOHMYGODS!!!

It's just been confirmed... (drumroll please...)

July 23-24 Shadow Circus Creature Theatre

@ the Faerieworlds Festival !!!

The Faerieworlds Festival is put on by Imaginosis, essentially the marketing group for the Frouds, whose work kind of holds the whole thing together...

If the name Froud doesn't ring any bells, well... Brian Froud's an artist and Wendy Froud's a sculptor... they're the team that brought us 'The Dark Crystal' and 'Labyrinth'... Brian gave us 'The Pressed Faerie Book' and Wendy sculpted the initial design for Yoda (although they weren't married yet, so she wasn't really a 'Froud' at the time).

Their son Toby is a puppeteer and a stilt-walker. He was also the baby in Labyrinth...

These guys are the absolute royalty of fantasy-based puppetry, so the show has to be REALLY good... Shit, we still have a Popcorn Anti-Theater gig in about three weeks. I have soooo much work to do...

7:40 PM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Shadow Circus Desktop Backgrounds

That's right, kids! Now you can confuse and annoy your co-workers with new Shadow Circus desktop wallpapers! Eventually, we'll have a choice of several different wallpapers, each one featuring a different belligerent rubber monster... but starting off the series is everybody's favourite space velociraptor, Overlord Hatchet!

Be the first to download your Shadow Circus desktop wallpaper from the official site, and before you know it, people will be heaping praises upon you such as, "Did somebody throw up on your screen?", "Is that a still from that shitty 'Carnosaur' movie?" and best of all, "The boss is gonna kill you if you don't get that crap off your computer right now."

Join the bandwagon! Get your new wallpaper today!

8:23 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Superstar Avatar Fun-Raiser

Shadow Circus Creature Theatre just got added to the lineup for this:



I don't have many details yet (like when we're performing or what in the hell we're going to be doing), but these are the details passed onto me from organizor Polly Pandemonium:

SuperStar Avatar Fun-Raiser
April 15th Mission Control

2519 Mission St. at 21st
8pm to 2am
$10-20 at the door
www.superstarnation.com

Hello Superstars!
The AMAZING. the INCREDIBLE…'the ASTOUNDING has occurred!!!
The Stars have aligned (with an amazing programmer) in support of taking the SuperStar Nation website to the next level!
That’s right, in the next month or so, we should all be able to enjoy a vast leap forward in SuperStar website…'.with functionality surpassing social networking sites like tribe.net and friendster. This means that come summertime we will be able to invite entire, existing communities to create SuperPowers, Avatars and customize the site to their specifications!
So let’s generate some RESOURCES and make it happen!!!!

Many of you have been making noise recently about having a SuperStar shindig, so here it is!
Lets DOOOOOOO it!!!

Evenings Festivities will include, but are by no means limited to…'.

8pm The Latest WhizBang Superstar Presentation from ProfV and PollyS

10pm SuperPower Cabaret Performances of music, dance and poetry.
Presentations from:The First House, The House of Elyseum and The House of Kinky Salon
Mystic Midway Toy Theater presents Tales of Wonder

Avatar Photo Booth (get those avatar pics you’ve been wanting for your Avatar card!)
Massage and Aromatherapy in The Delightful Pink Healing Room
SuperStar Raffle with amazing prizes
A Very special silent auction
DJ Delachaux special mix cd giveaways!!!
Hyperdelic Superstar Visual Projections
Spring Altars to herald in the abundance of the new year!

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