NY Dance Exchange Performance!

We will be performing a short piece in the NY Dance Exchange event taking place at the CEC  located at 35th and Lancaster in beautiful West Philly! This is going to be an excellent event featuring dance, theater and musical performances. 

The event page!

Come out to the CEC on November 6th at 8pm
$12 for all ($10 for students/seniors)

DEAD AIR Live 9-18-2010 PODCAST

Click on the link below to download our END OF THE FRINGE podcast

Thank you to everyone who came out and saw DEAD AIR--making this year's Fringe the most successful year yet!

Please enjoy scenes from our closing night of DEAD AIR: Live at the Dawson Street Pub 9-18-2010

DEAD AIR LIVE PODCAST

Scenes from Dead Air PODCAST

Please enjoy


SCENES FROM DEAD AIR: The Podcast


Final Performance of DEAD AIR is Saturday, Sept 18th at the Dawson Street Pub, 8 pm Tickets $10 dollars available at the door or at the Philly Box Office

Reviews, Press & CLOSING NIGHT

This week is the final week for the 2010 Live Arts and Philly Fringe Festival!  The Friday, September 17th show at Connie's Ric Rac has been canceled!--Final show Saturday September 18th at Dawson Street Pub

DEAD AIR will have the closing night party at the Dawson Street Pub at 8 pm, Tickets are $10 dollars and can be purchased at the door or in advance at the Fringe Box Office

Don't miss your last chance to see DEAD AIR: The Final Broadcast of the Zombie Apocalypse

"Mindless, drooling shambling zombies..."--Philadelphia City Paper

"The zombie apocalypse, shown a la Orson Welles War of the Worlds. A brilliant idea.":-Geekadelphia.Com

Check back later this week for the mid-show run PODCAST
We'll see your brains Friday Night! 

BLOOD AND BRAINS

Today's Special: Blood and Brains

by Molly Eichel

	print	email	reply

Published: Sep 1, 2010

(1)

Tribe of Fools wants to scare the bejeezus out of you so badly with their version ofDracula, they're making you sign a waiver. Not kidding. Instead of some clichéd Béla Lugosi knockoff, they're digging deeper, focusing on the brain fever suffered by hapless solicitor Jonathan Harker from Bram Stoker's OG novel. "The stuff that we're playing with comes from us doing about a year of research about fear — both the psychological and biological mechanisms," says Tribe artistic director/Draculadirector Jay Wojnarowski. The idea is to work your amygdala over pretty good.
Sept. 2-6 and 8-11, $20, St. Stephen's Theater, 923 Ludlow St.                                                                 

(2)

There are a ton of meaningless musical genres that make sense only to bloggers and nerds, but Rainbow Destroyer's self-proclaimed "zombie-pop" could not be more apt. Rainbeaux Bite and Brian Reignbow make dancefloor-ready New Wave tunes that would fit right in at Making Time — if Making Time were for dead people. And if their YouTube channel has anything to say about it, the duo is straight-up hilarious and dead sexy (rim shot!). Zombies Are Forever is your turn to audition for the band — zombie affects optional — in a karaoke rumpus. I call The Hooters' "All You Zombies."

Sept. 9-11, 11:45 p.m., $10, RUBA Club, 414 Green St.

(3)

The Dawson Street Dramatic Society (DSDS) is hardly a bunch of undead posers; they originally called themselves Zombies Ain't Shit Co. (and, perhaps unrelated, they're huge Grateful Dead fans). For Dead Air: The Final Broadcast of the Zombie Apocalypse, the company takes cues from Orson Welles and his Mercury Theater Co. Just as that famous 1938 broadcast of H.G. Wells' War of the Worldsfreaked out unsuspecting listeners, DSDS will broadcast humanity's last gasps during a world-ruining zombie takeover.
Sept. 3-4, 10 and 17-18, $10, Connie's Ric Rac, 1132 S. Ninth St.                                                              

(4)

Call it a counterpoint to Dead Air's prediction of the zomb-pocalypse: Little Bunny Voodoo — a puppetry company that seeks to bring its kid-friendly medium to adult audiences — imagines a world in which the whole undead-revolution kerfuffle has been avoided. In A Tale of Two Brains, all that's left are two toothless zombies roaming the Earth, seeking out the meaning of life — and maybe a good dentist. 

Sept. 9-11, $10, RUBA Club, 414 Green St.

OPENING NIGHT!!!

Opening Night of DEAD AIR
has come and gone, but was a great success!
Thanks to Dave, Steve and all that came by the Dawson Street Pub last Friday to help us kick off DEAD AIR and the 2010 Philly Fringe!  Dave managed to get everyone a seat up close to the stage and the sound was crystal clear---there was also lots of good food and drink, oh and the play went well

SATURDAY NIGHT saw us live in Center City for the first time and what a turn out!  Connie's Ric Rac, a south philly staple, lives up to the reputation with the creepy surroundings and bright stage lights!  Its no longer a BYOB though, so empty all those bottles into soda cups before coming

The Fringe Fest is also underway and I can't wait to get out there and see Marat/Sade, Dracula, A tale of Two Brains, and 448 Psychosis---one of the first Fringe shows I ever saw (Edinburgh Fringe 04) and directed in a one act festival in Texas.

DEAD AIR runs Friday Night Sept 10th at Connie's Ric Rac at 9th and Washington starting at 8 pm.

We will then finish the Fringe with a final Friday at Connies (Sept 17th) and close out the 2010 Live Arts Philly Fringe Fest at Dawson Street Pub on Saturday (Sept 18th)

We'll be back next week to put up our newest podcast including LIVE CLIPS FROM THE SHOW, on the spot reviews, and the secrets to making home made blooooood.

In the meantime, check out this great article the Philly City Paper did on horror in the Fringe!

Today's Special: Blood and Brains :: Cover Story :: Article :: Philadelphia City Paper

Today's Special: Blood and Brains :: Cover Story :: Article :: Philadelphia City Paper

Meet the players...

of DEAD AIR! We are proud to present podcast numero dos from all of us at Dawson Street Dramatic Society, featuring interviews with Steven Rockwell and Rena Moore, recorded in West Philly, edited in our underpants, and uploaded from the coffee shop!

PODCAST DOS

...we are officially TWO WEEKS AWAY from the premier of DSDS's newest spectacle!

BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW FROM The Philly Fringe Website

Also, join our email list for superfluous updates full of hilarity and obscenities! Send us your email address or put 'em in the comment box and we'll send you stuff occasionally!

AND: check out our very own Greg Day on the Philly Fringe BLOG. Brief and silly-a must read!

Check out secret cast-mate, home-brewer, constant contributor and occasional zombie/Sasquatch stand-in JJ Darling's blog http://www.kenyonstreetbrewery.com/ and official site (for photography) The JJ DAAHLING website!

See you at the show!!

Dead Air: UPDATES!

Dead Air: the Last Broadcast of the Zombie Apocalypse is coming soon to the 2010 Philly Fringe...until then, tune into our newest addition A PODCAST!

PODCAST PART ONE
PODCAST PART TWO

(Simply click on the link, and play through iTunes or your preferred mp3-playin' program.)

Each bit is about 20 minutes long, in which Greg Day and Toni Arias (co-directors of DSDS) chat about the Dead, the undead, Earth, radio...

AND you get to hear clips from our newest work-in-progress, world-premier...Dead Air!


Tell your friends! Neighbors! Optometrists! And don't touch those dials, we'll be back soon for another edition of...DEAD AIR: the PODCAST.

DEAD AIR: The Title

"Magic is what we do, music is how we do it."
--Jerry Garcia

Hello All!  With the Fringe fast approaching and rehearsals/recordings well under way for the DSDS upcoming WORLD PREMIERE new work "DEAD AIR: The Final Broadcast of the Zombie Apocalypse."  There has been a little confusion as to the origin of the title of this work (a radio play starring the survivors of the zombie uprising) and I wanted to clarify, but also give credit where credit is due

Dead Air--–noun

the loss or suspension of the video or audio signal during atelevision or radio transmission

Ok so far so good, DEAD AIR is also the name of the roller hockey team some guys in my office play on so its a pretty general term.

But why call this play DEAD AIR?  I mean, it could be because that after the un-dead rise and consume the living, there won't be much to listen to on the radio....but really, the title itself comes from a little place called...

When I was growing up out near Houston, Texas, as a young dead head in training, my weekly exposure to the infinite world of Jerry and the boys came in through my radio speakers, with DJ Sandy bringing us DEAD AIR---playing live un-cut sets from those bootlegs and tapers, for all those additional Saturday nights when it was time to tear this old building down.  I can recall one weekend, living out in Brazoria county on the banks of the San Bernard river, and after sneaking a smoke in the backyard, found and managed to tune an old radio to KPFT during those twilight hours full of the dead.  Sitting outside, I can still see the lights and feel my mind really think as Jerry sang of the ship of fools right into my brain and showed me the only truth: that there is nothing like the Grateful Dead. Its magical what the Dead can do to a young guy staying up late just to listen to the sounds.

"Deadheads are kinda like people who like licorice. Not everybody likes licorice, but people who like licorice, REALLY like licorice!"

--J. Garcia

Even with my love of the Dead and their music firmly implanted in my mind and personality from birth, Sandy's weekly broadcast proved that there would always be a Dead show, floating around out there, not asking for anything other than a good listen, and maybe some dancing!

Check out KPFT's DEAD AIR website!

http://www.deadairkpft.com/index.htm

I hope this clears up any and all misinformation regarding the title!

and remember to check out the Fringe website for Tickets and Information!!!

http://www.livearts-fringe.org/details.cfm?id=14042

TICKETS ON SALE FOR 2010 FRINGE

Please visit the 2010 Philadelphia Live Arts and Philly Fringe website to purchase tickets, check out upcoming shows and get ready for an amazing festival!

http://www.livearts-fringe.org/details.cfm?id=14042

For Tickets and Showtimes for Dead Air!

DEAD AIR Videos

Dead Air: The Final Broadcast of the Zombie Apocalypse  is an original new full length radio play presenting the last words of mankind.  The constant pollution and destruction of our natural world has given way to the dead rising from the grave to feast on the flesh and brains of the living.  DEAD AIR is an inspired new production, and I thought I'd come on here and give you an idea of where and how Dead Air came to be:

The Original Broadcast from Orson Welles' "War of the Worlds"



John Trudell, is an American Indian activist, poet, actor and songwriter.  The following clip is from the documentary "Trudell" in which John explains the connection to the land.





One of my absolute favorite Grateful Dead traditional ballads, "Walk Me Out in the Morning Dew"---a folk song concerning the apocalypse and end of days.  Here is a video of the Dead performing the ballad in March 1986 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia




Another rocking and rolling version of the song by British folkie Tim Rose



And of course, because DEAD AIR is a throwback, or homage I suppose to the classic days of radio, this sketch with a gigantic sweaty Orson Welles and a spry Dean-o Martin should give you an idea of the madness that awaits you in our live performances---minus the abundance of sweat

A Quick Biography

The Dawson Street Dramatic Society began in 2008 as the Zombies Aint Shit Co, a collection of Saint Joe’s alumni, hippie dead heads, painters, musicians and classical thespians to present very low-tech, brand spanking new original one act plays and radio performances in the comforts of corner bars in Philadelphia.  Founded and directed by Gregory Day, a playwright from Houston, Texas and Antonia Cruz Arias, a flamenco singer from South Philadelphia.  Together, the Dawson Dramatic Society presents fringe theatre concerning the horrors from beyond: previous works included Trickster spirits, rigor mortis enthusiasts and of course, lots and lots of home made blood spattered zombies. The Society returns this fall with an exciting new work Dead Air: The Final Broadcast of the Zombie Apocalypse for the 2010 Philly Live Arts and Fringe Festival.  Taking their cue from Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre’s 1938 production of War of the Worlds, DEAD AIR explores those desperate last words broadcast on the airwaves, as the pollution and industry overflows and spills, causing the dead to rise from their graves and feast on the living, DEAD AIR brings you all your favorite radio personalities being torn apart with original music by Stephen Rockwell and jamming of the Grateful Dead. The Society’s Mission Statement is to continue to showcase emerging new works, collaborate with musicians and artists of all shapes and sizes, and to preserve the history and the culture of the living dead.

A little write up from last season...

The Manyunk Review wrote a bit about YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE in February of 2010.
Check it out, ya'll. 

Many thanks to Jon Campisi.

Some photos from YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!

Sal Davila, Rena Moore in "Trickster".
Mask by Antonia Arias

Steve Rockwell, Rena Moore and JJ Darling in "Are You Dead Yet?"

Rena Moore and Sara Solt in "The Beholder"

DEAD AIR!

We've been working on something disturbing, to say the least, so keep checking back for more updates about the premier of DEAD AIR: THE FINAL BROADCAST OF THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE!

For now, here's the scoop:



In 1938, Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre brought the terror of the Martian invasion into living rooms across the nation. Today, as the dead reanimate and society crumbles, we bring humanity's final words from the infinite space of radio. There is no hope. This is Dead Air.

Sept 3-18 2010

CHECK BACK FOR MORE UPDATES ABOUT THE EXPLOSIVE/VIOLENT/ABSURD CREATIVE PROCESS.

New Show!

The Dawson Street Dramatic Society is happy to announce a new show date for our revamped You'll Never Take Me Alive!.

Here are the details:
When? Thursday, March 18th @ 8pm
Where? Milkboy Coffee (2 West Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, Pa)

Please visit the Milkboy calendar page to purchase tickets!

On behalf of the DSDS, we look forward to seeing you there.

-Sara

PRESS RELEASE

Dawson Street Pub Dramatic Society presents
You’ll Never Take Me Alive! A Show In Four Acts
At Dawson Street Pub, 100 Dawson Street Philadelphia, PA 19127
8:30 p.m. on Friday February 12th and Saturday February 13th
Sunday February 21st at 2:30 p.m.
Music by Stephen Rockwell and the DC MC’s The Eubonics
For information contact Amanda Rowe at Dawsondramatic@gmail.com

The surviving members of the Zombies Ain’t Shit Co, those good looking punks who brought us performances for the 2008 Philadelphia Live Arts and Fringe Festival are back at Dawson’s featuring world premiere works. The Society, based out of Manayunk, is made up of local authors, actors, hippies, musicians, good beer enthusiasts, artists and the living dead. All are committed to presenting funny, bloody and raw theatre in the profound and intimate setting of the Dawson Street Pub. Voted one of the best bars in Philadelphia by Philadelphia Weekly, Dawson’s offers a great craft beer selection, a full lunch and dinner menu and is very conveniently located 5 minutes from the Wissahickon Train Station, as well as a major bus terminal.

You’ll Never Take Me Alive!, consists of four one act plays exposing the horror and supernatural that surround us every day. We're excited to premiere the following works: a dramatic reading of the sexy, stalker short story The Beholder by Sara Solt, Rigor Mortis: The Natural Male Enhancement by Ashley Dawn Gates is self-explanatory. From playwright Greg Day comes Trickster, based on a true story from the depths of a university museum and Are You Dead Yet, Darling?, which was produced as a staged reading at Painted Bride in 2008 directed by Josh Hitchens resurfaces at the Dawson. Together, these four pieces are surprising, amusing, and feature the bare bones talent from which true live art is born. These works include foul language, violence and are very sexy, starring local actors Sal Davila, Rena Dayton Moore, Stephen Rockwell and Elizabeth Corley as well as surprise guests.

Mission Statement of the Dawson Street Pub Dramatic Society: Dedicated to sustaining and enhancing local culture through artistic, theatrical, and musical collaboration, the production and promotion of new and original works, and the preservation of the living dead.

Tickets are $10 (Cheap!) and include a night of theatre followed by a live band. Tickets will be available at the bar (venue) two weeks before show time. There will be an Industry Discount. Please reserve tickets promptly, as the DSP has VERY limited seating. Bring cash at the door. You also need 21 + powers to ride this ride.

The Society is comprised of:Artistic Director:
Greg Day—Playwright hippie from Houston, Texas
Creative and Literary Unit: Ashley Dawn Gates—writer, make-up artist, rockabilly kid from Lancaster, PA
Sara Solt—novelist with gorgeous hair from Jersey City, NJ
Technical Crew: Sal Davila—Actor from North Philly
Antonia Cruz Arias—singer with Flamenco Del Encuentro from South Philly Marketing Campaign: Amanda Rowe—firecracker of an artist living the high life in South Philly. Support Local, Independent Theatre!

Welcome to: The Number One

Hello! Welcome to the official Blog of the Dawson Street Dramatic Society!

Here you can find info on previous productions, upcoming shows, member and actor biographies and all things Dawson Street Pub!

As you may know, our opening night performance of "You'll Never Take Me Alive: A Show in Four Acts" is fast approaching, and its time to get the word out! Showdates are Feb 12 and 13th at 8:30 at the Dawson Street Pub, with a last chance, drink all day matinee on Feb 21st at 2:30. Friday and Saturday night will feature musical performances after the show including cast member Steve Rockwell and the DC MC The Eubonics--check them out on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/theeubonics

I will be back to post our official press release!

Cheers,
Greg