Stroke
of Genius: Pantomime Masturbation Throughout Performing Arts
History
Cheeky Sex-Themed “Lecture” Blends Academic Pretentiousness
with Absurd Clowning
Innovative, award-winning team to premiere the satire Stroke
of Genius: Pantomime Masturbation
Throughout Performing Arts History at mid-May arts festival
Boiled
Horse Productions, a new live comedy team comprised of experienced
bay area professionals, will present its premiere show this
May at the Tampa International Fringe Festival in Ybor City.
Stroke of Genius: Pantomime Masturbation Throughout Performing
Arts History is a one-act comedy show in the spirit of a
TED Talk or academic lecture...with a twist. The stage show–
fully scripted with some elements of improvisation– consists
of a multi-media video and slide presentation given by a (fictional)
career academic who has a bizarre field of specialized research.
The plot’s description reads:
Dr. Walter Winkworth-Pérez has devoted the past decade of his
academic career to the study and preservation of a highly specialized
art form. His research has made him the world's foremost expert
on pantomime masturbation conventions dating back to ancient
Greece. Attendees of this prestigious multi-media lecture series
will become familiar with techniques and regional styles of
comedic simulated self-pleasure in their correct historical
contexts. Those who were unable to obtain seats in last semester's
workshop, "All In the Wrist: Vaudeville Jack Practicum," will
enjoy this exclusive expanded material. This week's syllabus
has an additional focus on the mysterious genius who immortalized
timeless theatrical skills on the 1920s silver screen. Dr. Winkworth-Pérez
will present an in-depth study of the man who became the sultan
of sexual subterfuge, the master of the affected "wink-and-whack":
the legendary Spankin' Shyster himself.
Although educational in nature, this special enrichment presentation
does contain explicit and potentially offensive material and
is consequently not suitable for students under age 18.
Clocking in at 45 minutes, the show is presented as part of
the seventh annual Tampa International Fringe Festival.
Fringe Festivals began over seventy-five years ago as a platform
for artists whose materials do not fit into mainstream theatrical
categories. The format allows audience members to conveniently
choose between several inexpensive short shows in a single afternoon
or evening.
Boiled Horse Productions includes writers, performers, designers,
and other artists who have collaborated on earlier theatrical
successes. This show is created in partnership with Vulva Va-Voom
& Co., a scripted vaudeville/cabaret team (founded 2006) with
three Edge Award wins– a Fringe Festival honor that recognizes
creativity and originality. The head writers/actors on this
new project were recently honored by having their collaboration,
Vulva Va-Voom: Hollywood Psychic of the Golden Age, selected
by jury to appear at the Orlando International Fringe Theatre
Winter Mini-Fest. Orlando Fringe is the country’s longest-running
Fringe festival, and arguably the biggest.
“Stroke of Genius is exactly the story we’ve been wanting to
tell,” said Shane Mayforth, Founder at Boiled Horse. “Is it
a story that needed to be told? That’s going to depend on how
easily offended you are. To me, it’s about three things: one,
the futility of looking for hidden subtext where none was intended.
Two, the absurdity of people who fixate on inherently stupid
subject matter. And, most importantly: three, the opportunity
to make d**k jokes. So many d**k jokes.” The performances will
feature professionally shot “silent film” segments, a careful
balance of intellectual and juvenile humor, some historically
accurate facts, and– as previously stated– many, many d**k jokes.
Performance Dates:
May 12, 2023 at 10:30 pm
May 13, 2023 at 6:15 pm
May 14, 2023 at 1:45 pm
Tickets: $10.00 (plus festival fees)
Ticketing and Fringe information: https://www.tampafringe.org
Location: HCC Ybor Performing Arts Building, 1411 E.
11th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605 (Ybor City)
Facebook
Event Page: https://fb.me/e/In70cL7V
