about the show:
Something naked this way comes… April 12th at 7pm The Cyn Factory brings you William Shakespeare’s Bardlesque; a night of Shakespeare, burlesque and Shakespeare burlesque. Many of New York nightlife’s brightest stars were trained as actors and now we’re finally putting our BFAs to good use by brushing up, and stripping down, our Shakespeare. Soliloquies will be stripped to, familiar scenes will escalate to new, naked, heights and the bard’s most beloved characters will strut and fret their way into your heart, mind, and chief reproductive organ. Starring Nasty Canasta, Rita Menweep, Schaffer the Darklord, Peter Aguero, Miss Mary Cyn and Iris Explosion. With star crossed stage kittens Cherry Pitz and Handsome Brad Lawrence and saucy swordsmen Scot Ferra and Michael Villiastrigo.
about the artists:
Miss Mary Cyn is a classically trained actor with a BFA from NYU who takes off her clothes in bars. She was the founder of Original Cyn, new york city's partyingest burlesque show, and currently co-produces Epic Win Burlesque, burlesque for nerds and by nerds. She has performed in at least 10 Shakespeare plays and loves his work dearly.
Nasty Canasta has been thrown out of better joints than this. Nasty began her performance career as a stage actor, studying theatre and costume design at Brown University. Now a full-time burlesque performer, producer and costumer, Nasty draws on her years of experience in the theatre to create acts and shows that combine tease and titillation, humor, spectacle and theatricality. Nasty is host and producer of Naked Girls Reading NYC the impresario behind Sweet & Nasty Burlesque, and was an original co-creator of Pinchbottom Burlesque.
Schaffer the Darklord (or STD) is a New York City-based rapper and comedian with material best suited for brainy and/or drug-addled audiences. With manic energy, verbose vocabulary and cartoonishly commanding stage presence, STD skewers such topics as substance abuse, gender identity, grammar snobbery and obsessive cat enthusiasts. Imagine a Frankenstein-esque monster assembled from equal parts Bill Hicks, Beastie Boys, Prince, Ozzy Osbourne and Darth Vader, stitched together inside the shell of a maniacal heavy metal ex-patriot. STD has released three full-length albums and toured the country with mc chris, MC Frontalot and MC Lars. When he's not on the road, he guest hosts countless burlesque events. He is also the co-founder and frequent co-host of pop culture-themed production, EPIC WIN Burlesque. His releases (2004's "Meet My Maker," 2007's "Mark of the Beast" and 2009's "Manslaughterer") have been treated to steady sales and second pressings, and the music video for his single "The Rappist" has garnered a half million views on YouTube. STD continues to write, record and perform with great frequency and has no intention of giving up until his masochist rock-n-roll lifestyle destroys him.
Rita Menweep is a co-founder of the newly formed Conatus Production Co., as well as a founding member of NYC’s Juiciest Burlesque troupe “The Peach Tartes.” She has produced, choreographed, and performed burlesque for over 5 years in NYC, and has been involved in the theater scene for over ten years. Rita is the creative force behind “Friends of Dorothy- A burlesque/circus/drag wizard of bras” which debuted at the NYC Fringe Festival August 2010, “Get a Clue” (a burlesque murder mystery) which drew an audience of over 300 to DUMBO, and “Strip for a Cure,” a burlesque fundraiser for the NYC AIDSwalk which has raised over $16,000 to date . She has performed at countless venues in NYC, including The Zipper Factory, Speigelworld, Coney Island’s “Sideshow by the Seashore”, The Slipper Room, The Orseanz Theater, Galapagos Art Space, and the NY Public Library, as well as venues in major cities around the world, including Las Vegas, Chicago, London, and more. Rita MenWeep is dedicated to challenging what people think they “know” about burlesque and committed to creating works that bring various artists together for a greater cause through collaboration. She can’t wait for the next big thing!
Peter Aguero hosts shows for The Moth, sings lead for The BTK Band, and is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Iris Explosion earned her BFA in Theater Arts from the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. While there, she received conservatory-style training at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, with a focus on Shakespeare Theater. She has also been known to get down and shake it at the New York School of Burlesque. Iris is a principle member of D20 Burlesque, and has also been featured with Epic Win Burlesque, The Pink Room: David Lynch Burlesque, Storybook Burlesque, and performs independently as a burlesque performer and MC at a variety of venues around the city. Iris' work is a subtle and delicate cocktail of humor, sexiness, nerdery, and absurdism- much like a punch to the face that accidentally gives you a boner.
Scot Ferra is a warrior poet, RSC trained actor, former stuntman, playwright,stage combatant, improv poet, martial arts instructor and professional duelist. The bastard lovechild of Daishell Hammet and Shakespeare.
Michael Villiastrigo spent two years training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) where, during his final year he juggled his studies and filming episodes of "Food Detectives" on the Food Network. Since graduating in 2009, he has performed in independent films and many productions both off-off, and off-Broadway. The most notable of which were "Reconstruction" and "Auto Da Fe" directed by Josh Fox, an Emmy winning director.
Recently he wrapped a sitcom pilot titled "New York, New York" in which he plays the lead role, it is currently wrapping post production.
He once did a tour of Merry Wives of Windsor and played Antonio in Twelfth Night! He's a big fan of Shakespeare and a slightly bigger fan of Mary Cyn. (Seriously, how can you not be?). Big thanks to Mary for putting this together!!!
Miss Freeman is an actress, playwright, story teller and burlesque performer. She is the creator of HOTSY TOTSY BURLESQUE and has a 10 year history off producing shows in New York, LA, Boston, Edinburgh and London. These Include: "I Kissed Dash Riprock!" Winner of a "Best in Festival Award for Excellence" at the 2002 New York International Fringe Festival. "Greetings From Hollywood", which received a "Best in Fringe Festival" award at the NY International Fringe Festival, and was voted "Best New Play of New England -1998” by the Independent Reviewers of New England. Ms. Freeman is a recipient of a grand prize play writing fellowship award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council (with collaborator Ellen Groves). Other credits include HBO, Comedy Central and Showtime. She resides in NYC. www.heroicsinhotpants.com
Handsome Brad Lawrence knows in his heart that every day can be No Pants Subway Day if you truly believe in magic.