No Shame Theatre Archives (2008)

No Shame Staff - 2008
t.b.a.

Mill Mountain Theatre has No Shame!

Underground Roanoke is supposed to be a Late Night offering of weird and wonderful alternative entertainment....which is all well and good, but have they gone to far with this No Shame thing?

Well, the only way to know is to come and find out for yourself.

What is No Shame, anyway?

No Shame Theatre is an exciting venue for original performance pieces between 3 and 5 minutes in length. No committee chooses the pieces, so you never know what you'll get. On any given night you might hear a poem, see a dance piece, a puppet show, a monologue, mime routine, stand-up comedy act, hear a song, watch an improvisation, jugglers, and participate in a magic trick. It's short and it's fast, so if your piece doesn’t exactly fly, no one will be pointing at the wreckage long, and chances are pretty good that if you don't like everything in the line up at least one of 15 pieces is going to tickle your fancy.

At the end of the day, No Shame is whatever you make it into. Each week it will entirely re-invent itself and we want you to be part of that evolution. Or is it a revolution?

No Shame is a perfect extension of Mill Mountain Theatre's dedication to providing theatre goers in Roanoke the opportunity to see new and exciting work and to learn the skills to create and present new performances. No Shame is here to help people in the general community to become part of a vibrant and growing artistic community where you can take real risks by getting hands-on experience in any aspect of the theatre you like--writing, directing, acting, design, anything at all.

No Shame's audience, writers, and performers are constantly changing roles even in a single evening, and that fosters a feeling of cooperation, not competition. At No Shame absolute beginners have a chance to work side by side with grizzled veterans of the theatre and anyone can walk in the door and participate in any way they choose.

When and where is it?

Every Friday night on the Waldron Stage at #20 East Church Avenue. We start taking pieces at at 10:00 p.m. and we open the doors at 10:30. The show starts at 11:00 p.m. somewhat close to sharp. Tickets are $5 at the door. There will be adult beverages available, so if you want to imbibe, bring your valid photo ID.

How do I do it...if I decide to do it?

Just come down to the theatre at 10:00 p.m. with enough scripts for your actors and one extra copy with contact information and light cues on it for the Light Board Operator. Find the guy or gal with the clipboard and tell them you want in the order for the night.

Your piece must be original (no copyright infringements), it must be short (no more than 5 minutes), it can't break anything (not the law, not the performers, not the audience, and not the theatre). It must also be self-contained (bring your own props and stuff).

We take the first 15 scripts that show up at the door, and we start the performance 11:00.

Who has to pay to get in?

Everybody...except the staff, because they are working. We know that some people might balk at the idea of paying $5 to do their piece, but please don't think of it like that. This isn't really a "pay to play" proposition, but we need to meet costs in order to keep this very special venue operating. There isn't anywhere else in town where this kind of performance opportunity exists, and we all have to share the cost of keeping No Shame happening. Instead of thinking of it as paying to do your piece, please think of it as paying $5 to see 14 other people do their piece. This way we're all in this together, audience, writers, and performers. Their is no one whose contribution is valued above anyone else's. And, no one ever does something awful just to get in for free, or accuses something that didn't quite work of doing that.

Who the heck do we expect to do this, anyway?

Well, everybody! Everyone has a story to tell, or a talent to share. No Shame is the place do to it, but in particular, how about this:

Writers of all types will find No Shame interesting because they:

• Will have a chance to meet directors and actors who can perform their work
• Will have a chance to meet directors and actors who will help them learn how to perform their own work better
• Meet other playwrights, poets, songwriters, and other writerly types and can learn from each other in a workshop like environment
• Get tangible production experience on an actual stage

Directors might find No Shame interesting in that they:

• Can get experience by selecting one of the pieces from the FAK and casting and rehearsing it.
• Can meet new writers by coming to No Shame and asking writers they find interesting if they can try working together on No Shame pieces, and then moving on to longer works.
• Can see actors outside of audtions which they might want to work with on other projects in other venues.
• Can meet and interact with other directors there for the same reason
• Get practical experience in a low cost/risk way on the MMT second stage.

Actors might find No Shame interesting for many of the same reasons as abovem, but they might also:

• Meet and work with new writers and directors with whom they can build long term relationships
• Get experience and exposure on the MMT Waldron stage which might lead to casting opportunities in MMT shows and other venues
• Meeting and working with other actors across a wide range of exprience levels which leads to both learning opportunities and community

No Shame is also a platform for Alternative Notions of Performance (not just playwriting)

• Roanoke has a strong Dance community. We want to encourage the presentation of all forms of original dance on our stage.
• There is a strong music community in town, we hope to see everything from original blue grass to acoustic goth ballads to rap to skiffle on there.
• We're looking into a regular or rotational house band as well. (The Star City Wildcats will play the Grand Opening on October 17th, and have said they'd like to play whenever they are available on a Friday night, and other local bands have also expressed interest and we are committed to making music an important part of not just No Shame but of Underground Roanoke as well.
• We know there are poets, comedians, and fiction writers and editorialists in the area-- so long as your presentation follows the guidelines of 3-5 minute original non-law breaking we want to hear and see your work at No Shame.
• A torch singing drag queen, a mime, a juggler, puppeteer, and even improv are perfect for doing at No Shame. Do you get the idea we mean it when we say "Anything Goes?"

Sometimes "anything goes" can be a bit intimidating. If you'd like to get a feel for it before you leap in, we really recommend you join our No Shame Roanoke Yahoo Group. You can see some sample scripts and photos there, as well as get to know some of the people who are involved in No Shame at MMT. Post messages, chat, get to know us and we'll do what we can to answer your questions and help make becoming part of our community as painless and shame free as possible.

Happy New Year, Happy New (world) Order!

1.Ben R. Williams, THE CONTINUING ADVENTURES OF ARISTOTLE MCGINLEY, PHILOSOPHICAL DEETCTIVE, comic scene, performed by the author, Jason Burton, Stevedogg and Kenley Smith

2.Stevedogg, UNTITLED, comic scene, performed by the author, Kenley Smith, Ben R. Williams and ?

3.Natalie Trolier, UNTITLED, monologue, performed by the author

4.Jason Burton, INFANTILE THOUGHTS, monologue, performed by the author

5.Jennifer Thompson and Natalie Trolier, LAQUEFFA AND THUNDER CLAP, racially charged comic scene, performed by the authors

6.Chris Shepard, VICK PET LIFE INSURANCE, monologue/social satire, performed by the author

7.Kenley Smith, JIMI DIDN'T PLAY THE UKULELE, monologue, performed by the author

8.Reed Braden, WHY CAN'T I GET LAID...EVER?, comic monologue, performed by the author

9.Nelson Oliver, AFFECT: SNOWGLOBE-A TAROT PREDICTION, illusion, performed by the author and audience participants

10.Dwayne Yancey, SEVEN SINS IN SEVEN DAYS, comic monologue, performed by Ben R. Williams

1.Reed Braden, OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND MOMENTS, essay/social commentary, performed by the author

2.David Cheresnowsky, US POETS, poem, performed by the author

3.Dwayne Yancey, A NICE, RELAXING CUP OF TEA, scene/political commentary, performed by Sara Clifton and Natalie Trolier

4.Thor X, DOG HOUSE, song, performed by the author

5.Kenley Smith, Keith Yancey, BARFLY, comic scene, performed by Keith Yancey and Ben R. Williams

6.Chris Shepard, ESSENTIALLY VEGGIE, INC., monologue/social satire, performed by the author and Kenley Smith

7.Ben R. Williams, PROFESSOR JOHN ABERNATHY DISCUSSES POLYNESIAS, comic scene, performed by the author, Reed Braden and Jonathan Overturf

1.Mike Allen, RETURN OF ZOMBIE TEEN ANGST, scene, performed by the author and ?

2.Connie Sellers, ACE OF SPADES, song, performed by the author

3.Leah M. Norris, UNTITLED, poem, performed by the author

4.Stevedogg, SKETCH #3: WE GET LETTERS, comic scene, performed by the author and ?

5.Chris Shepard, LET ME TAKE YOU ON A TOM CRUISE, comic scene, performed by the author, Austin Alderman, Kaydee Richmond and Ben R. Williams

6.David Cheresnowsky, AMERICA!, poem, performed by the author

7.Dwayne Yancey, AFTERLIFE, morality play, performed by Reed Braden, Natalie Trolier, Mike Allen, Ben R. Williams, Kenley Smith and Chris Shepard

8.Michael Gresham, IRON WEBS, poem, performed by the author

9.Thor X, JOE'S HEAD, song, performed by the author

10.Reed Braden, DISNEYBURG ROANOKE, monologue, performed by the author

11.Ben R. Williams, PORTRAIT OF THE SENEATOR AS A YOUNG MAN, comic scene, performed by the author, Kenley Smith, Sara Clifton and Mike Allen

1) Thor X,UGLY, song with guitar, performed by the author

2) Zack Trolier, THE SPEED OF THE GIMP: CHAPTER ONE, prose narrative, performed by Natalie Trolier

3) Dwayne Yancey, THE SOUL OF A WRITER (version 1), scene, performed by Ben R. Williams, Kenley Smith, Cate Leonard, Natalie Trolier, and Sarah Clifton

4) Kaydee, SUNSHINE CATALYST, poem, performed by the author

5) Kenley Smith, FORCED CHECKMATE, scene, performed by the author and Todd Ristau

6) Natalie Trolier, UNTITLED, monologue, performed by the author

7) Chris Shepard, GOD HATES FRED PHELPS, scene, performed by the author, and ?

8) David Cheresnowsky, MORAL ADDICTION, poem, performed by the author

9) Reed Braden, ABORTION SQUAD, scene, performed by the author, Ben R. Williams, Simon Adkins, Jonathan Overturf, Steven Breeding (?), and Natalie Trolier

1) Jared Riesenberg, COMMENTARIES FOR 2008: IMPLAUSIBLE THEORIES ON THE PART OF MR. BUSH, essay, performed by the author

2) Zack Trolier, THE SPEED OF THE GIMP: CHAPTER TWO, prose narrative, performed by Natalie Trolier

3) Reed Braden, A SINCERE APOLOGY, scene, performed by the author and ?

4) Dwayne Yancey, MY FAIRY GODFATHER, scene, performed by Kenley Smith, Natalie Trolier, Sarah Clifton, Reed Braden

5) Adrien Monti, AN OBJECTIVE REVIEW OF A SHOW THAT WENT OFF THE AIR FOURTEEN YEARS AGO, monologue, performed by the author

6) Uncle Cliff, THE CHATHAM HYPOTHESIS, monologue, performed by the author's actual nephew (Todd Ristau)

7) Natalie Trolier, LAME, scene, performed by the author and ?

8) Simon Adkins, TINA FEY, song with accordian, performed by the author

9) Leah Norris, MY MIND BUBBLES, poem, performed by the author

10) Steve Dogg, ?, poem, performed by the author

11) Thor X, HEY THERE, song, performed by the author

NOTE: Please remember that you are required to sign in under your own, real name. You can be listed in the order however you wish, but it is against policy to try to get two pieces in the order by asking someone else to sign in your work.

1) Reed Braden, THE RAPE OF INNOCENCE, monologue, performed by the author

2) Leah M. Norris, THIS PLACE FEELS SO SEEDY, poem, performed by Michael Gresham

3) Dwayne Yancey, BARBIE IS AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE, scene, performed by Keith Yancey, Natalie Trolier, and Barbie

4) Nelson Oliver, A TRIBUTE TO SLYDINI'S ROUTINE "THE CAT CAME BACK", effect, performed by the author

5) Leah M. Norris, KATIE WANTED TO F*CK ME, poem, performed by the author

6) Thor X, WINTER, song with guitar and harmonica, performed by the author

7) Zack Trolier, THE SPEED OF THE GIMP: CHAPTER THREE, prose narrative performed by Natalie Trolier

8) Laura Cooper and Mariah Davis, SICKWAX COFFEEBRAIN BLUES, poem, performed by the authors

9) Steve Dogg, ?, poem, performed by the author

10) Paul Marshall, CASE OF CRABS, stand-up, performed by the comedian

11) Ben R. Williams, THE WIZARD!, scene, performed by the author, Austin Alderman, and Sam Clifton

1) Zak Trolier, THE SPEED OF THE GIMP: CHAPTER FOUR, prose narrative, performed by Natalie Trolier

2) Steve Dogg, SKETCH #7: HERE COMES EDUARDO, sketch, performed by the Austin Alderman, Ben R. Williams, and Natalie Trolier

3) Thor X, A SWEATER POORLY KNIT, song, performed by the author

4) T.J. Jessee, I IS YOU, stand up poetry (satire?), performed by the comic/poet/satirist

5) The Closet Matadors, THE CAT IN THE HAT, performed by Austin Alderman, Samuel L. Clifton, and Bentley Alderman, featuring Michael Witaker

6) K.W. "Pete" Smith as told to Kenley Smith, TURKEY WERE LAST, memoir, performed by Kenley Smith

7) Dwayne Yancey, OUTSIDE OF THE BOX, scene, performed by Kenley Smith and Ben R. Williams

8) Natalie Trolier, NO TITLE, NO, monologue, performed by the author

9) Reed Braden, BLIND DATE, scene, performed by the author and Sarah Clifton

10) Leah Norris, NEVER FORGET VT, poem, performed by the author

11) Chris Shepard, JOHN LENNON'S BUTT, song, performed by the author

12) Nelson Oliver, GLASS WALKING FOR VALENTINE'S DAY, effect, performed by the author and audience volunteers

1) Dwayne Yancey, PROFESSOR TEX R. KANA AND HIS INTERGALACTIC CIRCUS AND TRAVELLING ZOO, scene, performed by Mike Allen, and a large number of people in hats of various kinds

2) Jeff Goode, SPIDER-MAN, monologue performed by Todd Ristau with Dwayne Yancey as voice from the audience

3) Austin Alderman, SHAME!, scene, performed by the author and Sam Clifton

4) Natalie Trolier, LET THERE BE NERF, monologue, performed by the author

5) Steve Dogg, SKETCH 20: EVIL MASTERMINDS #1, scene, performed by the author, Natalie Trolier, and ??

6) Jonathan Overturf, AN HONEST COP, memoir, performed by the author

7) Samuel L. Clifton, SHAME! II: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO, scene, performed by the author and Austin Alderman

8) Mike Allen, BLACK HOLES HOLD THEIR BREATH, poem, performed by the author

9) Maria Terry, WEATHER THE WEATHER, song, performed by the author

1) Laura Michelle Cooper, THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER WAY, song with guitar, performed by the author

2) Cate Leonard, DEMONIC INTERVENTION, scene, performed by JD Ruelle, Nikki Adkins, Todd Ristau, and Austin Alderman

3) Dwayne Yancey, THE NEW NEIGHBOR, scene, performed by Jeff Goode and Keith Yancey

4) Steve Dogg, SKETCH #30: WELCOME TO HELL, adaptation, performed by the author and ?

5) Nikki Adkins, THE LAUDROMAT, scene, performed by the author and Adam Hahn

6) Jonathan Overturf, JESSIE ANGEL: THE BURNER CHICKEN, monologue, performed by Austin Alderman

7) Brad Schnurr, THE LAST NIGHT OF PIE, scene, peformed by the author, Toby Huss, and Cheryl Snodgrass

8) Helen McKinney, ONE (WO)MAN CIRCUS, the most incredible talent you have ever seen, performed by the talented circus

9) Jonathan Dorf, LETTER TO A KNIFE COMPANY, cutting from 4AM, performed by Jarrid Ristau

10) Kenley Smith, DEATH GIVES A HAND JOB, scene, performed by the author and Adam Hahn

11) Sunny daSilva, BANANA, scene, performed by Adam Hahn and Kris Knutsen

12) Jeff Goode, THURGOOD MARSHALL'S STAMP, scene, performed by Jonathan Dorf, Nikki Adkins, and Steven Breeding (?)

13) Jack's Mom, SUNNY DAY, song, performed by the author

14) Peter Sapienza, THE RECLAMATION OF A ONCE-PPROLIFIC STUD, scene, performed by the author and ?

15) Ben R. Williams, THE BOOJUM MOUNTAIN YARN-SPINNING COMPETITION, scene, performed by the author, Toby Huss and Todd Ristau

16) Kris Knutsen, SUGAR DEATH STICK, scene, performed by the author and Adam Hahn

17) Cookies & Anarchy, TRIBAL STYLE BELLYDANCE, bellydance, peformed by the authors

18) The Closet Matadors, WHERE'S WALDO MOTHERF*CKER?, scene, performed by Austin Alderman, Sam Clifton and ?

19) Nelson Oliver, DEATH TO THE BALLOON PEOPLE, illusion, performed by the author

20) Rudy Cassoni, FLY ME TO THE MOON, song and improv, performed by Toby Huss with Mama Braden on the piano