Tribute to B-movies by Stockton comedian debuts this weekend
“The Midsummer Nightmare,” a tribute to the Bmovie classics of the 1950s, will debut at the Summer Nugget Fringe Festival in Grass Valley this weekend.
ShakesPOP, a branch of the award-winning Ultrasuede Productions, will present “The Midsummer Nightmare,” by Stockton comedian Jaye Lee Vocque, at 6 p.m. Saturday.
The play, set in an alternate universe, follows 1950s film director William Shakespeare. Shakespeare turns down opportunities to direct films like “Plan 9 from Outer Space” and “Attack of the Giant Leeches” to focus on fairy tales and young love.
In this brief re-imagining, Shakespeare channels Ed Wood Jr., creating a fantastical tale based on the original work “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The performance includes B-movie staples like bad lighting, laughable sound and cheap props — all presented in 4-D for this production only. The sights and smells come alive for the audience!
Other offerings at the Summer Nugget Fringe Festival include “The Dreams of Lemuel Cook,” which romps through the world of American avant-garde jazz in 1960s Paris; “Dragon Scrolls,” a farce about middle-aged roleplayers; “Nut Mix,” an improv comedy show; and “Make Friends With Death, Herself ” in which Dorothy, a waitress, takes over for the Grim Reaper.
The Nugget Fringe Theater Festival celebrated its third anniversary in January. This year, the festival is keeping the fringe spirit alive with this one-weekend-only mini festival. This is a limited engagement with only a handful of shows.
The Nugget Fringe Theater Festival brings fresh and exciting theatrical productions to audiences in Gold Country. Often over-the-top and underthe-radar of traditional theater, the Nugget Fringe has an ever-increasing audience each year.
Most performances run around an hour and all shows will be performed at the Holbrooke Hotel in historical downtown Grass Valley.