Awesome!

QuoteSeptember 21, 2014directorebeccer 1 Comment

Saturday, September 13, we had the last performance of the O Best Beloved 2014 tour at Adam Sussman’s Parker Street Odditorium — and it was fantastic!

Mr Sussman sent this dispatch to Facebook after the show:

Much to the surprise and delectation of all assembled, at the end of the show, two galant strangers stood up to announce that the production had been awarded an Awesome Foundation AWESOME GRANT for $1000 and presented directors Joan Howard and Rebecca Longworth with the prize in LED lit suitcase complete with branded sunglasses! — with Joan Howard andRebecca Longworth.

And indeed! Board members of the San Francisco Awesome Foundation surprised us with a glowing briefcase full of dollars after the show! We’re proud, elated, and really really grateful to be awesome.

Joan and Rebecca had to don shades to take in the awesomeness of the Awesome Foundation’s generous grant!

One more chance to see O Best Beloved on Tour!

GallerySeptember 9, 2014September 21, 2014directorebeccer Leave a comment

Coming up at 2pm this Saturday, September 13 at the Parker Street Odditorium (2310 Parker Street, Berkeley) — the final performance of the O Best Beloved 2014 Tour!

Kolokolo bird in the Wait-a-Bit thorn bush. Noe Valley, August 24. Photo by Tim Guydish.

Elly and the Giraffe at Noe Valley, August 24. Photo by Tim Guydish.

Samuel Peaches’ Peripatetic Players get serious about a song in Noe Valley on August 24. Photo by Tim Guydish.

During our tour, we’ve played to almost 1,000 people, paused for the BART to go by, chased after dogs running under the stage, shared our playing space with a Yak, performed for at least three princesses, paraded with kids from 2 to 82, and been gifted more cake than anyone could possibly eat. The FluxWagon has both gained and lost a couple of deedles (ask us for the story on that one, as well as what “deedles” are), drawn delighted crowds wherever we’ve unfolded her, hosted a concert, and traveled more miles than we can count.

We hope you’ll join us for Saturday’s performance, and please stay in touch — we won’t be performing soon, but you never know where we might appear next!

Parker Street Odditorium, Berkeley – September 13

LinkAugust 28, 2014September 21, 2014directorebeccer 2 Comments

Parker Street Odditorium, Berkeley – September 13

We’re thrilled to announce a performance of O Best Beloved on Saturday, September 13 at 2:00pm at the Parker Street Odditorium, 2310 Parker Street, Berkeley. Saddle up the kids and BYO seating for this special Berkeley backyard performance! We’ll also have some folding chairs and tumbling mats on hand.

Some of the audience at our Port Costa show not only brought their own chairs, but hosted Samuel Peaches as Dingo for a mid-show nap.

We’re delighted to be hosted by the Odditorium, run by our dear friend Adam L. Sussman, for our only performance in Berkeley!

Next stops on our tour include:

Saturday, August 30: FluxFest ’14
Sunday, August 31: O Best Beloved in Glen Park
Saturday, September 6: O Best Beloved in Santa Clara
Sunday, September 7: O Best Beloved in Hayward

For more info on seeing a show, please read our F.A.Q.

FluxFest ’14 – Celebrate this Saturday!

LinkAugust 27, 2014August 27, 2014directorebeccer Leave a comment

Flux Fest ’14 — it’s time to celebrate!

Join us for music, snacks and other shenanigans to celebrate FluxWagon (our mobile stage), our awesome friends & neighbors at Main Street Theatre (who have put up with the building of said stage), and the fabulous talents of Main Streeters and Samuel Peaches’ Peripatetic Players (who perform on the stage) — block-party-style!

Saturday, August 30, 2pm – 4:30ish
Main Street Theatre – 915 Cayuga Ave at Ocean Ave, SF
Suggested donation $5 – $15 at the door

***donations go directly to the O Best Beloved actors!***

FEATURING…
The Bamasheks
Casey Robbins & Sam Bertken
Samuel Peaches’ Peripatetic Players
Fox and the Hounds
And more!

On Sunday, 8/31, it’s back to our regularly scheduled programming: O Best Beloved in Glen Park!

The Burlington not only has great taste in paint colors, but safely housed four of our Best Beloveds during the recent earthquake!

Particularly pleasant performances in Precita Park and Pleasanton!

QuoteAugust 18, 2014directorebeccer 1 Comment

Wow, it’s like a magic box! That is so cool!

Audience member in Pleasanton on August 17, watching FluxWagon fold up.

FluxWagon with Doris at Precita Park, SF, August 16

The audience at Precita Park, SF 8/16/14

Samuel Peaches’ Peripatetic Players had two spectacular shows this weekend, full of sunshine and lively audiences! The players told tales of the High and Far-Off Times to over 200 people this weekend from Precita Park to Pleasanton.

Join us next weekend for an extra-special performance in Port Costa on Saturday, with lunches available from the Bull Valley Roadhouse, or Sunday in Noe Valley at the “Noe Valley Town Square.”

The many faces of The Professor, PhD

GalleryAugust 13, 2014directorebeccer Leave a comment

The Professor, PhD pretty much knows it all — or thinks s/he does. Our ensemble can’t quite decide who has the final say on how the world began… and everyone has a different idea of who The Professor is. Who’s your favorite?

Catch The Professor expounding and expostulating at any of our 2014 Tour performances around the Bay Area.

This weekend: San Francisco’s Precita Park on 8/16 at 2pm, and Pleasanton’s Centennial Park on 8/17 at 5pm!

Thumper on book helps fact-check Samuel Peaches and Blueberry Starshine

Thumper makes sure that the stories are accurate to Mr. Kipling’s originals

Meekins is always a little shocked.

Blueberry Starshine as The Professor, PhD

Blueberry Starshine can tell you all about the fauna of the turbid Amazon.

Samuel Peaches takes us to the plains of Africa

Princess Gwen (Marlene Yarosh) as The Professor, PhD

Princess Gwen tells us how the Whale got his throat.

And will anyone ever let Arby-Darby wear the Professorial pith helmet?

Arby-Darby lobbies the audience

FluxWagon Update, vol. 1

GalleryAugust 10, 2014directorebeccer 1 Comment

Fluxxie is looking all grown up these days. But not so long ago, she was a lot of wood, metal, and raw materials. Here’s some step-by-step photos from FluxWagon-In-Progress!

First the metal structures were cleaned, painted & primed

Once Fluxxie came home from metalworking at The Gate, her metal structures were cleaned, painted & primed…

…while the wooden walls got a few coats of circus-wagon red. “Red Licorice” was too lipstick-y, so we settled on “Heirloom Red.”

Here's Megan attaching wooden walls to the metal structure

Next, the wooden walls were to the metal structure – here’s Megan drilling in some awesome self-tapping screws. Note the step units at the top of the frame – you’ll see more of those in our next installments!

The walls all will all fold down to become floors, so they get a layer of pretty-looking floorboards, too.

Here’s Gus and Joan on a short break from finishing walls, building stairs, and a million other details.

A side wall, ready for decor.

Next it’s time for painting…

…and stenciling!

Want to see FluxWagon in all her glory? Come on out to a show! Next stop: Precita Park, San Francisco on August 16 at 2pm; then Pleasanton August 17 at 5pm.

Here’s our full tour schedule.

…And stay tuned for the next installment in our gripping new series, FluxWagon-In-Progress!

Hooray! for Cayuga Park

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That show was awesome!

–Cayuga Park audience member, age 7

We had a great preview performance at Cayuga Park last Sunday, with lots of kids in attendance and even a runaway kickball that was batted back into play by Samuel Peaches.

Our next performances are Saturday, August 16 at San Francisco’s Precita Park at 2pm, and Sunday, August 17 at Pleasanton’s Centennial Park at 5pm. We hope to see you there!

Click here for the full Tour Schedule.

Audience at our Cayuga Park show, August 3. Photo by Serena Morelli.

Pingle the Stute-Fish (played by Blueberry Starshine) and Smiler the Whale. Photo by Serena Morelli

Glen Park – August 31

August 2, 2014directorebeccer 1 Comment

Glen Park – August 31 We’re confirmed for a performance of O Best Beloved on Sunday, August 31 at 2:00pm at Glen Canyon Park in San Francisco. Mark your calendars! We’ll be outside the Rec Center — just follow the path from the entrance at either Bosworth Street or at Elk & Chenery.

Wildflowers and boulders in Glen Canyon Park

[If you happen to be holding a postcard that says we’ll be in Glen Park on 9/13, never fear: August 31 is the date we’ll be there. We originally planned for Sept 13, but moved the date when the Parks Dept realized there was a big picnic planned in the park that day.]

Glen Canyon Park has been recently renovated with a fantastic new playground and entrance on Elk Street near Chenery. Come on in and look for us near the Rec Center. Bring the kids, the dog, a picnic blanket and your sense of humor!

If you can’t wait ’til August 31, our first performance is tomorrow, Sunday August 3 at Cayuga Playground! For a full listing of our confirmed summer 2014 performances, check out our Tour Schedule. And for more info on seeing a show, read our F.A.Q.

A taste of Tour 2014 – “The Beginning of the Armadillos”

GalleryJuly 29, 2014July 29, 2014directorebeccer Leave a comment

Photos from one of our new stories, “The Beginning of the Armadillos,” by the phenomenal Serena Morelli. Here’s a link to the original story by Mr. Kipling.

Our first performance is this Sunday, August 3 at Cayuga Playground, San Francisco!

Check out our full 2014 Tour Schedule.

Blueberry Starshine (Sam Jackson) as the Professor

Thumper (Joan Howard) plays Painted Jaguar, about to surprise the two Armadillos — played by Samuel Peaches (Casey Robbins) and Arby-Darby (Juliana Frick)