The San Francisco Mime Troupe Predicts the 2012 Election
Aliens from the Future Influence a Presidential Election
Photo by Fletcher Oakes
The San Francisco Mime Troupe ensemble seeks to make you laugh by satirizing contemporary life with mimics and mocks. Since the 1960s the Troupe has pushed a message of solidarity and comedy about most of the burning issues of our time. They perform free in public parks every summer. They begin their World Domination Tour with this year’s offering 2012 - The Musical! an exploration of presidential elections, piercingly debunking the official story.
On a small portable stage the Troupe continues to pound out their political message about the desperate plight of the under trodden in our corporatized society.
This year’s annual show lampoons the dynamic between profit-seeking entities and underfunded artists, with a bit of a dig at green industries thrown in. For the July 4 opening, fans packed the hillside in Dolores Park. The Troupe will return to Dolores in September after performing in such far-flung places as Napa and Nevada City.
The afternoon show on July 4 began with two Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence on stage for some topical shticks, and then moved on to parody everyone from President Obama to Jesus Christ. The ‘60s liberal leanings of the players rings out stridently.
Pat Moran, a past contributor to the Mime Troupe, and Bruce Barthol, former Country Joe & The Fish bassist, wrote the music and lyrics for Michael Gene Sullivan’s play within a play. An idealistic theatre company seeks any contribution to stay afloat. A large corporation will underwrite a production for them if they will toe the capitalist party line.
The ensemble enacts the struggling, artistically focused company Theater BAM! In order to stay in business, they eventually give in to “corporate fascism.” Their devil-on-the-shoulder takes the form of Green Planet Inc. company evangelist Ms. Haverlock (Keiko Shimosato Carreiro). The corporation will supply the money if Theater BAM! will write the play 2012 – The Musical!
The stage curtain opens to another curtain as the new show begins. They parody the next President with Senator “Skip” Pheaus (writer Sullivan, who also plays Obama and Jesus). He claims there are terrorists outside children’s windows. In the end, Theater BAM! thanks International Amalgamated Cheese Industries and is “ready to par-tay!”
Wilma Bonet directs this musical satire about the art of Mass Distraction. The ensemble of Lizzie Calogero, Cory Censoprano, Siobhan Marie Doherty, Michael Gene Sullivan, and Victor Toman takes on characters ranging from Nostradamus and an alien to a Mayan Priest. Barthol’s lively music is performed by a three-man band. The songs are competently voiced.
Bring your picnic blanket and relax to this fast eighty-minute play. This new show has red-state edges, a departure from the Troupe’s tradition. Sometimes they seem to doubt Obama’s message.
2012 – The Musical! by San Francisco Mime Troupe will be touring through California and beyond past Labor Day. Their next performance is 7:00 pm Wednesday July 13 at Mitchell Park, 600 East Meadow Drive, Palo Alto. See the full schedule at http://www.sfmt.org/index.php.
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