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 List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

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

Leon Russom Leon Russom (born December 6, 1941) is an American actor who appeared in numerous television series, particularly soap operas. He portrayed Admiral Toddman (in the ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' episode " The Die is Cast") and the Starfleet Com ...

, 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'', In ...

. For Season 17 (2013-2014), the Artistic Directors are Rebecca Larsen, Jonas Oppenheim, and

Ben Rock Ben Rock is an American film and theatre director, based in Los Angeles. Rock's career was launched when he served as production designer on the independent sensation ''The Blair Witch Project'' made by fellow University of Central Florida graduates ...

. For Season 18 (2014-2015), the Artistic Directors were Tifanie McQueen, Guy Picot, and

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 *

Abraham Benrubi Abraham Rubin Hercules Benrubi (born October 4, 1969) is an American actor. He is known for his appearances as Jerry Markovic on the long-running medical television drama '' ER'', for his first role as Larry Kubiac on the series '' Parker Lewis C ...

* Jennifer R. Blake * Dean Cameron *

Henry Dittman Henry Dittman is an American actor and television host. History He has performed on TV shows such as ''Entourage'', '' Brothers & Sisters'', ''Good Luck Charlie'', ''Two and a Half Men'', ''Naruto'', ''Party Down'', and '' Higglytown Heroes'', ...

* Richard Elfman *

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 Suppor ...

* 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 Televis ...

* Brendan E. Hunt *

David Huynh David Huynh (born February 5, 1983) is a Canadian actor. Early life Huynh was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, briefly studied at the University of Manitoba focusing on a major in theater and a minor in film studies. Huynh continue ...

* Arthur M. Jolly *

Elaine Kao Elaine Kao is a Taiwanese-American theatre, television and film actress, best known for her roles in '' Bridesmaids'' (2011), '' Funny People'' (2009) and ''Red Doors'' (2005). Early life Kao was raised in the San Fernando Valley. She graduated ...

Carrie Keranen Carrie Keranen is an American voice actress, production manager, producer and voice director. She is best known for her work with 4Kids Entertainment, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, DuArt Film and Video, NYAV Post, Studiopolis and Funimation. Her ...

Matthew Yang King Matthew Yang King is an American television, film, stage and voice actor. He is known for recurring role appearances on '' Riverdale'', '' Powers'', '' 24'', ''Strong Medicine'', and '' Numbers''. He created the webseries ''World of Steam'' and ha ...

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 J ...

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 sp ...

* Julio Perillán * Jenelle Riley *

* Vanessa Claire Stewart

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. 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 syndicated daily and 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. ''Peanuts'' is among the most popular and infl ...

adaptation had a successful run in 2013, and then an additional run later that year at the

Hollywood Fringe Festival The Hollywood Fringe Festival is an annual fringe theatre festival in Hollywood, California. Most indoor venues for the festival are in and around Hollywood Theatre Row, a stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles. Founder Ben Hill ...

, 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 South Coast Repertory (SCR) is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California. Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson, is led by Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Direc ...

and the

New York International Fringe Festival The New York International Fringe Festival, or FringeNYC, was a fringe theater festival and one of the largest multi-arts events in North America. It took place over the course of a few weeks in October, spread on more than 20 stages across sev ...

. * ''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. Th ...

'' (West Coast Premiere) - A stage adaptation of the science-fiction novel by Philip K. Dick, 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 ''Forbidden Zone'' is an American absurdist musical fantasy comedy film produced and directed by Richard Elfman, and co-written by Elfman and Matthew Bright. Shot in 1977 and 1978, the film premiered in 1980 and was distributed in 1982. Origi ...

. Performed as a live stage show with the support of actor/director/producer Richard Elfman. 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 Me ...

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

and still starring Stewart and Broder premiered at the

Geffen Playhouse The Geffen Playhouse (or the Geffen) is a not-for-profit theater company founded by Gilbert Cates in 1995. It produces plays in two theaters in Geffen Playhouse, which is owned by University of California Los Angeles. The Playhouse is located ...

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 Anthony Crivello (born August 2, 1955) is an American actor who has appeared in the original cast of several Broadway shows, including ''Les Misérables'', '' Kiss of the Spider Woman'', '' Golden Boy'', '' Marie Christine'', and '' The News''. ...

. * ''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 ( Steven Banks 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 ...

). Named "Best Comedy of the Year" by Robert Axelrod of ReviewPlays.com. * ''

Neverwhere ''Neverwhere'' is an urban fantasy television miniseries by Neil Gaiman that first aired in 1996 on BBC 2. The series is set in "London Below", a magical realm coexisting with the more familiar London, referred to as "London Above". It was d ...

'' (West Coast Premiere) -- On April 5, 2013, Sacred Fools performed the American West Coast premiere of Robert Kauzlaric's adaptation of Neil Gaiman'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 Wyllis Oswald Cooper (January 26, 1899 – June 22, 1955) was an American writer and producer. He is best remembered for creating and writing the old time radio programs '' Lights Out'' (1934–1947) and '' Quiet, Please'' (1947–194 ...

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, directed by Jeremy Aldridge. This original musical premiered on September 21, 2009. It was nominated for the LA Stage Alliance’s

Ovation Award 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 ...

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. * ''Stoneface: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Buster Keaton'' (World Premiere) - Written by

Vanessa Claire Smith 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 ...

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 engage ...

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 (

as James Moriarty and

as Freud/

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 previo ...

). 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