The Sacred Fools Theater Company is a

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

-based theatre company and

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

. Founded in January 1997, it's a member organization of the LA Stage Alliance. For 18 years the company resided at 660 N. Heliotrope in The Heliotrope Theatre. In January 2016 they moved to The Broadwater Studio, a multi-theater complex at 1078 Lillian Way, Los Angeles.

Organization

Sacred Fools is governed partly by a non-dues paying company and partly by a traditional board of directors. A three-person Artistic Committee is elected each season from by the company, and also a three-person membership committee. The board of directors oversees business matters. Sacred Fools has an open door policy and does not restrict directors to casting actors from within the company. Sacred Fools is a primarily volunteer-run organization. The incoming Artistic Directors for Season 20 (2016-2017) are Bryan Bellomo, Danielle Ozymandias, and Alicia Conway Rock. The current Artistic Directors for Season 19 (2015-2016) are Bryan Bellomo, Paul Plunkett and

Vanessa Claire Stewart Vanessa Claire Stewart (born June 21, 1974) is an American actress, producer, and writer. Early life and education Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Stewart attended the Webster Conservatory for the Performing Arts in St. Louis, Missouri. After gr ...

. For Season 16 (2012-2013), the Artistic Directors were

Alyssa Preston Alyssa is a feminine given name with multiple origins. Alysa is an alternative spelling. As used in Western countries, the name is usually derived from the name of the flower alyssum. The name of the flower derives from the Greek ἀ- ''a-'' ...

, Leon Russom, and

French Stewart Milton French-Stewart IV (born February 20, 1964), known professionally as French Stewart, is an American actor, best known for playing Harry Solomon on the NBC sitcom ''3rd Rock from the Sun''. He also played Marv Murchins in '' Home Alone 4'', ...

. For Season 17 (2013-2014), the Artistic Directors are Rebecca Larsen, Jonas Oppenheim, and Ben Rock. For Season 18 (2014-2015), the Artistic Directors were Tifanie McQueen, Guy Picot, and Ben Rock.

History

The Sacred Fools Theater Company was founded by John Sylvain and a group of theater artists in Sylvain's Santa Monica living room. The group very quickly formed a non-profit corporation, raised money, and found a space. They initially subleased the 660 N. Heliotrope space from

Deaf West Theatre Deaf West Theatre is a non-profit arts organization based in Los Angeles, California, USA. It is most well known for its Tony Award-nominated productions of '' Big River'' and '' Spring Awakening''. Deaf West Theatre is led by Artistic Director, ...

, and eventually leased the space outright. Since its founding, Sacred Fools has produced over 100 different shows, including several World Premieres, West Coast Premieres, and Los Angeles Premieres.

Notable artists

* Jaime Andrews *

Steven Banks Steven Craig Banks (born November 27, 1954) is an American actor, musician, comedian, and writer of television, plays, books and cartoons, including '' CatDog'', '' Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi'', and '' SpongeBob SquarePants''. Performing In 1987, Ban ...

* Abraham Benrubi *

Jennifer R. Blake Jennifer R. Blake is an American actress and producer who has performed in television, film and musical theatre. Career Jennifer Blake is a notable alumna of The Boston Conservatory, where she earned a BFA in Musical Theatre and has appeared in ...

* Dean Cameron * Henry Dittman *

Richard Elfman Richard Elfman (born March 6, 1949) is an American actor, musician, director, producer, screenwriter, journalist, author and magazine publisher. Early life Richard Elfman was born in the Watts district of inner-city Los Angeles. His mother, ...

Jenna Fischer Regina Marie "Jenna" Fischer (born March 7, 1974) is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Pam Beesly on the NBC sitcom '' The Office'' (2005–2013), for which she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Sup ...

* Maile Flanagan * Stuart Gordon *

Jon Hamm Jonathan Daniel Hamm (born March 10, 1971) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Don Draper in the period drama television series ''Mad Men'' (2007–2015), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Televisio ...

* Brendan E. Hunt * David Huynh * Arthur M. Jolly * Elaine Kao * Carrie Keranen * Matthew Yang King *

Phil LaMarr Phillip LaMarr (born January 24, 1967) is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter. LaMarr was one of the original featured cast members on the sketch comedy television series '' Mad TV''. His voice acting roles in animated series include ...

Laurie Metcalf Laura Elizabeth Metcalf (born June 16, 1955) is an American actress. Often described as a character actor, she's known for her complex and versitile roles across the stage and screen. She has received various accolades throughout her career s ...

Julio Perillán Julio Perillán Gandarias (born September 8, 1973) is an American actor of Spanish descent. Biography Perillán was born and raised in Bethesda, Maryland, on the outskirts of Washington DC, the third of four children of two immigrants from S ...

* Jenelle Riley * Ben Rock * Leon Russom *

Notable productions

* ''2G's'' - Directed by Scott Rabinowitz. A hip-hop version of Shakespeare's ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona'', ''2G's'' was nominated for 7 NAACP awards and won 2 - Best Director for Scott Rabinowitz and Best Choreography for

Joe Hernandez-Kolski Joe Hernandez-Kolski is an American actor, spoken word poet, comedian and hip-hop theater artist. He appeared on the fourth and sixth seasons of HBO's ''Def Poetry Jam''. Early life and education Hernandez-Kolski was born in Chicago, the son of Ph ...

. The show was extended for an open-ended run at the Martini Lounge. It ran on the Sacred Fools' Mainstage from May 18-June 17, 2000 and was also chosen as L.A. Weekly's Pick of the Week. * ''Absolutely Filthy (An Unauthorized Peanuts Parody)'' (World Premiere) - Developed by writer/actor Brendan E. Hunt as part of the late night series, "''Serial Killers''", this unauthorized

Peanuts ''Peanuts'' is a print syndication, syndicated daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ' ...

adaptation had a successful run in 2013, and then an additional run later that year at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, at which it won three awards, including the highest honor Top of the Fringe, as well as Best in Comedy, and Spirit of Fringe Best Performance (Male) for writer/star Brendan Hunt. The following year, the show returned for two more runs, at South Coast Repertory and the New York International Fringe Festival. * ''Bukowsical!'' - An original musical by Spencer Green and Gary Stockdale, with music by Stockdale, directed and choreographed by Dean Cameron. This was a splashy musical about the very unsplashy poet

Charles Bukowski Henry Charles Bukowski ( ; born Heinrich Karl Bukowski, ; August 16, 1920 – March 9, 1994) was a German-American poet, novelist, and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural, and economic ambience of his adopted ...

, with songs like "Chaser of My Heart" and "You're Stupid, Gross, and Ugly, And We Hate You." It premiered at Sacred Fools on March 17, 2006. * ''

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? ''Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'' (retroactively retitled ''Blade Runner: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'' in some later printings) is a dystopian science fiction novel by American writer Philip K. Dick, first published in 1968. The ...

'' (West Coast Premiere) - A stage adaptation of the science-fiction novel by

Philip K. Dick Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928March 2, 1982), often referred to by his initials PKD, was an American science fiction writer. He wrote 44 novels and about 121 short stories, most of which appeared in science fiction magazines during his l ...

, adapted by

Edward Einhorn Edward Einhorn (born September 6, 1970) is an American playwright, theater director, and novelist, noted for the comic absurdism of his drama and the imaginative richness of his literary works. A native of Westfield, New Jersey, Einhorn graduated ...

, made its West Coast Premiere at Sacred Fools on Sept. 13, 2013. * ''Forbidden Zone: Live in the 6th Dimension'' (World Premiere Stage Adaptation) - Based on the musical comedy film Forbidden Zone. Performed as a live stage show with the support of actor/director/producer

. It premiered on Friday, May 21, 2010. * '' Forever...'' (World Premiere Stage Adaptation) - In June 2004, Sacred Fools performed a comic adaption of

Judy Blume Judith Blume (née Sussman; born February 12, 1938) is an American writer of children's, young adult and adult fiction. Blume began writing in 1959 and has published more than 25 novels. Among her best-known works are ''Are You There God? It's ...

's frequently censored book on teen sexuality, ''Forever...'', for their Get Lit! series. * ''Louis & Keely: Live at the Sahara'' (World Premiere) -- In 2008,

and Jake Broder wrote and starred in this new musical, which went on to be nominated for four

Ovation Awards The Ovation Awards are a Southern California award for excellence in theatre, established in 1989. They are given out by the non-profit arts service organization LA Stage Alliance and are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles. Winne ...

, including the Franklin R. Levy Award for Musical in an Intimate Theatre, which it won. The production went on to a second run at

The Matrix Theatre Company The Matrix Theatre Company is a theatre company located in Los Angeles, California. The Matrix was opened in 1977 by producer Joseph Stern. In 2018 it hosted The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals by Starkid Productions. Awards and nominations ...

, where

Keely Smith Dorothy Jacqueline Keely (March 9, 1928The reference work ''The Encyclopedia of Native Music: More Than a Century of Recordings from Wax Cylinder to the Internet'' gives Smith's date of birth as March 9, 1932. – December 16, 2017), profession ...

herself attended a performance. A greatly revised version directed by film director

Taylor Hackford Taylor Edwin Hackford (born December 31, 1944) is an American film director and former president of the Directors Guild of America. He won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for ''Teenage Father'' (1979). Hackford went on to direc ...

and still starring Stewart and Broder premiered at the Geffen Playhouse in 2009; Hackford's production was remounted in 2015 in Chicago at the Royal George Theatre, with Stewart now co-starring with Tony winner Anthony Crivello. * ''Love Tapes'' (World Premiere) - Winner of the 2005 L.A. Weekly Award for Comedy Direction (Jessie Marion). Also nominated for Comedy Performance ( Dean Cameron), Comedy Performance (Julie Mullen), Play Writing (

and

Penn Jillette Penn Fraser Jillette (born March 5, 1955) is an American magician, actor, musician, inventor, television presenter, and author, best known for his work with fellow magician Teller as half of the team Penn & Teller. The duo has been featured i ...

). Named "Best Comedy of the Year" by Robert Axelrod of ReviewPlays.com. * '' Neverwhere'' (West Coast Premiere) -- On April 5, 2013, Sacred Fools performed the American West Coast premiere of Robert Kauzlaric's adaptation of

Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...

's urban fantasy television series and later novelization of the same name. Originally scheduled to run through May 11, it was extended an additional two weeks due to its popularity. Neil Gaiman attended a performance of the production. * ''The Nigerian Spam Scam Scam'' (World Premiere) - This play by Dean Cameron has continued to tour around the world. * '' Quiet, Please'' (World Premiere Stage Adaptation) - Corey Klemow directed stage adaptations of two of the best-regarded Wyllis Cooper scripts, ''The Thing on the Fourble Board'' and ''Whence Came You?''. * ''Savin’ Up For Saturday Night: The Honky-Tonk Musical'' (World Premiere) - Songs by Richard Levinson, book by

Jeff Goode Jeff Goode is an American television writer and playwright, perhaps best known as the creator of Disney Channel's '' American Dragon: Jake Long'' and the author of the stage play ''The Eight: Reindeer Monologues''. Goode has written a number o ...

, directed by Jeremy Aldridge. This original musical premiered on September 21, 2009. It was nominated for the LA Stage Alliance’s Ovation Award for Best Music and Lyrics. Lead actor Brendan Hunt won the 2010 Ovation Award for Lead Actor in a Musical. The show is now published by

Samuel French, Inc. Samuel French, Inc. is an American company, founded by Samuel French and Thomas Hailes Lacy, who formed a partnership to combine their existing interests in London and New York City. It publishes plays, represents authors, and sells scripts fro ...

* ''Stoneface: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Buster Keaton'' (World Premiere) - Written by Vanessa Claire Smith and starring

. This tribute to Buster Keaton was remounted at

Pasadena Playhouse The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California, United States. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engag ...

in 2014. * ''Voice Lessons'' - Nominated for four

including Best Play in an Intimate Theatre (Linda Toliver and Gary Guidinger in Association with Sacred Fools Theater Company), Acting Ensemble for a Play (

& Maile Flanagan), Lead Actor in a Play (French Stewart as Nate), and Lead Actress in a Play (Laurie Metcalf as Virginia). * ''Watson: the Last Great Tale of the Legendary Sherlock Holmes'' (World Premiere) - Nominated for four

, including Best Director (Jaime Robledo), Lead Actor in a Play (Joe Fria as Sherlock Holmes), and two nominations for Featured Actor in a Play ( Henry Dittman as James Moriarty and

Freud Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts ...

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

). The play was published by Steele Spring Theatrical Licensing, and was subsequently produced at the Gretna Theatre in Pennsylvania.

References

External links

Official Website
* * {{Twitter, name=Sacred Fools Theatre companies in Los Angeles 1997 establishments in California Performing groups established in 1997