No Shame Theatre

 

 

(We will begin taking submissions at 10:30 pm)
 

 

 

No Shame is an opportunity for anyone and everyone to write, perform and enjoy a variety of entertainment ranging from scenes to original songs to....you name it. No need to submit your work for approval. THE FIRST 15 SCRIPTS WILL BE PERFORMED. NO SCRIPT WILL BE TURNED AWAY as long as it follows these three simple rules:

 

RULE ONE: All work must be original. That means the performer(s) either wrote the piece or have permission from the author to perform the piece.

 

RULE TWO: All performances must be 5 minutes or less.

 

RULE THREE: Nobody may break anything... including the law.

 

 

“At NO SHAME anything can happen and usually does. The full range of performance is open to you. On any given night you might see a poem, a dance piece, a puppet show, a monologue, a mime routine, stand-up comedy, a song, improvisation, jugglers, and a magic act--all followed by a delightful ditty on a hand saw.   A kind of "open mic" for the theatre with only three basic rules--that the work be original, less than 5 minutes long, and not break any laws.   It's so simple a child could do it...and has.”

 

 

We will begin taking submissions at 10:30 pm. Simply show up at the San Luis Obispo Little theatre with TWO COPIES of your script (please include your name and contact information). One copy is for our lighting technician and the other is for our archive files. Come to the check in table and you're on the list. THE FIRST 15 SCRIPTS SUBMITTED WILL BE PERFORMED.

 

What if You're Not an Accomplished Writer? 

 

No Shame theatre is open to all writers - experienced or not. It is an opportunity for all authors, playwrights, poets, songwriters, etc., to test out their work in front of a live audience. Think outside the box. Get crazy. DARE TO FAIL! That's what No Shame is all about.

 

Some authors may rehearse their piece prior to the No Shame evening. Some may show up and grab actors in the lobby a half hour before show time. Anything goes. We would love to create a No Shame Actor database at some point so authors without actors have a starting point. But the best way to find actors is to show up and watch No Shame to see who's performing. The best way to get asked to perform is to show up to No Shame and make it known that you'd like to act. It's that easy! No months of rehearsals or weeks of performances. Just show up, perform one five-minute piece (or more) and enjoy the show!

 

 

NO SHAME THEATRE was established in 1986 by Todd Ristau and Stan Ruth when they organized a performance in the cargo bed of Todd’s pickup truck outside of the Department of Theatre Arts building in Iowa City, IA. In the last 24 years, NO SHAME has exploded across the nation with regular NO SHAME performances happening in New York, Los Angeles, Cedar Falls, Portland, St. Louis, and several other cities.

 

 

Once again we were shown that it is indeed a very small world.

 

Former SLOLT Executive Director, Wendy-Marie Foerster and former SLOLT Production Manager/ACT Coordinator, Katie Mack-Montenegro have been planning a Central Coast No Shame since last Spring. Unbeknownst to them, SLOLT Managing Artistic Director, Kevin Harris ran the No Shame Theatre at the University of Iowa for two years while earning his MFA in Directing. Wendy-Marie, currently an MFA Playwrighting candidate at Hollins University, spent last summer writing and performing at the Roanoke No Shame in Virginia with No Shame founder, Todd Ristau. Then one fateful night at Applebees, the seed was planted and the Central Coast No Shame was born and lucky enough to find a home at the San Luis Obispo Little Theatre!

 

 

If you have any questions regarding No Shame Theatre, please feel free to send us an email at NoShame@slolittletheatre.org!