An Evening of Grand Guignol Horror (2006)
In the depths of a sanitarium, a horribly disfigured man totters between forgiveness and revenge. In a small hospital operating room, a stranger asks the surgeon for a bloody favor. In a small New York theatre, two eerie siblings lead their captive audience through a funhouse of madness, chills and blood.
An Evening of Grand Guignol Horror (2006)
In the depths of a sanitarium, a horribly disfigured man totters between forgiveness and revenge. In a small hospital operating room, a stranger asks the surgeon for a bloody favor. In a small New York theatre, two eerie siblings lead their captive audience through a funhouse of madness, chills and blood.
The Blood Brothers present…
An Evening of Grand Guignol Horror
Originally performed at The Brick
October 4-13, 2012
An Introduction to Grand Guignol
By Mac Rogers
The Blood Brothers — Pete Boisvert and Patrick Shearer
Lights Out
Directed by Stephanie Cox-Williams
Brother Blood — Patrick Shearer
Searchers
Melanie Adelman*, Desmond Dutcher*,
Laurel Keane, Marc Landers
The Final Kiss
By Maurice Level
Directed by Pete Boisvert
Doctor — Marc Landers
Nurse — Leah Carrell
Henri — Christopher Yustin
Jeanne — Anna Kull
Vagina Dentata
By James Comtois
Directed by Pete Boisvert
Arachne — Cat Johnson*
Musca — Desmond Dutcher*
The Kiss of Blood
By Jean Aragny and Francis Neilson
Directed by Patrick Shearer
Professor Leduc — Gavin Hoffman*
Dr. Jeanne Volguine — Rebecca Comtois
The Nurse — Leah Carrell
The Patient — Laurel Keane
Joubert — Brendan Farley
Maria — Cat Johnson*
Mme. Helene — Melanie Adelman*
Blinded
Directed by Patrick Shearer
text from Little Orphant Annie
by James Whitcomb Riley
Sarah — Leah Carrell
Jennifer — Laurel Keane
Brother Blood — Pete Boisvert
*appears courtesy Actor’s Equity Association
Production and Design Team
Stage Manager
Stephanie Cox-Williams
Costume Designer
Lauren Cavanaugh
Lighting Designer
Gabe Evansohn
Makeup Designer
Cat Johnson
Prop Designer
Stephanie Cox-Williams
Set Designer
Rebecca Comtois
Sound Designer
Patrick Shearer
Technical Director
Courtenay Drakos
Original Music
Larry Lees
House Manager
Courtney Weber
Producers
Pete Boisvert, Rebecca Comtois,
Patrick Shearer, Stephanie Cox-Williams
Associate Producer
Ben VandenBoom
Reviews
“An Evening of Grand Guignol Horror, on one level, was a fun evening of entertainment. Stage blood generally makes for a lively experience, especially around Halloween. Upon closer inspection, the show provided a thought-provoking observation—certainly for this reviewer—about our culture's current fascination with pain and gore, and explored the boundaries of what we consider truly shocking.” —offoffonline.com
“From the moment the lights go down, plunging the house into a deep darkness that lasts long enough to be unsettling, the audience knows it’s in for something unusual . . . The gleefully deranged Blood Brothers (Pete Boisvert and Patrick Shearer, who also direct) narrate the evening’s festivities, reminiscing about blood spilled and yet to be spilled. And spill it does, from slit throats, burnt skin, decapitations and mutilations of many kinds . . . There are not many opportunities to see well-done macabre theatre. Hopefully, the Blood Brothers will return, spreading blood and horror next Halloween season.” — oobr.com
Photos by Aaron Eptein
PULP (2007)
A deranged psycho killer, deaf to pleas for mercy, tries one last-ditch effort to dodge the cops through the reluctant help of one terrified hostage. Molly, a young teen looking for a quick snog in the woods, now has to cover a zombie hicky. And Brianne has to keep Marybeth from pulling the trigger for just eight more minutes, but learns that, when talking for one’s life, time has a way of slowing down.
This is The Blood Brothers Present: PULP: seven original works inspired by the pulp horror comics and short stories from the 1940s and ‘50s.
PULP (2007)
A deranged psycho killer, deaf to pleas for mercy, tries one last-ditch effort to dodge the cops through the reluctant help of one terrified hostage. Molly, a young teen looking for a quick snog in the woods, now has to cover a zombie hicky. And Brianne has to keep Marybeth from pulling the trigger for just eight more minutes, but learns that, when talking for one’s life, time has a way of slowing down.
This is The Blood Brothers Present: PULP: seven original works inspired by the pulp horror comics and short stories from the 1940s and ‘50s.
The Blood Brothers present…
PULP
Originally performed at
The 78th Street Theatre Lab
October 11-27, 2007
Metaphor
By James Comtois
Directed by Rebecca Comtois
The Blood Brothers — Pete Boisvert and Patrick Shearer
Gramma Blood — Stephanie Cox-Williams/Rebecca Comtois
Best Served Cold
By Mac Rogers
Directed by Patrick Shearer, with Pete Boisvert
Briane — Jessi Gotta
Serena — Gyda Arber
Marybeth — Anna Kull
Tired Driver — Michael Criscuolo
Officer Clancy — Brian Silliman
Nick — Marc Landers
Something Up His Sleeve
Conceived by the Blood Brothers
Directed by Patrick Shearer
The Magician — Brian Silliman
His Assistant — Anna Kull
Dead Things Kill Nicely
By Qui Nguyen
Directed by Pete Boisvert, with Patrick Shearer
Molly — Gyda Arber
Story — Stephanie Cox-Williams
Rhyme — Pete Boisvert
Bugs In My Skin
Conceived by the Blood Brothers
Directed by Stephanie Cox-Williams
Man — Michael Criscuolo
Listening to Reason
By James Comtois
Directed by Matt Johnston
Killer — Marc Landers
Woman — Jessi Gotta
First Victim — Gyda Arber
Second Victim — Anna Kull
Mr. Tucker — Brian Silliman
Police Officer — Michael Criscuolo
What Color Is The Sun?
Conceived by the Blood Brothers
Directed by Pete Boisvert
Croceus — Gyda Arber
Tormina — Anna Kull
Production and Design Team
Production Manager
Stephanie Cox-Williams
Stage Manager
Jessica Lazar
Board Operator
Mike Caputo
Fight Choreographer
Qui Nguyen
Lighting Designer
Phil Shearer
Makeup Designer
Leslie Hughes
Sound Designer
Patrick Shearer
Original Music
Larry Lees
Press Agent
James Comtois
Producers
Pete Boisvert, Rebecca Comtois,
Stephanie Cox-Williams, Patrick Shearer
Associate Producers
James Comtois, Marc Landers
Reviews
“The ghoulish Brothers Blood have returned bringing panic, terror, wit and gore to a city that can’t seem to get enough of it... These are the gory, creepy little tales to disgust and delight the audience.” —Stage Buzz
“PULP could be the perfect guilty pleasure for adults who love to indulge in the general Halloween spirit, or who, to paraphrase playwright James Comtois, grew up on trashy horror and just can't get enough of it."— ELJ All Arts Annex
"All the shorts have a visual snap that is uncannily smooth... Directors Rebecca Comtois, Patrick Shearer, Pete Boisvert, Stephanie Cox-Williams, Matt Johnston, and fight choreographer Qui Nguyen all deserve credit for making the fake blood and body parts extremely effective. The actors, often playing multiple roles, are committed and seem to have a blast... [T]here is sufficient originality and wit that it should please fans of horror or humor everywhere." — nytheatre.com
Photos by Aaron Eptein
Master of Horror (2008)
While hitchhiking on a snowy winter's night in Maine, a college dropout meets and falls in love with a girl he’d do absolutely anything for. Morrison is going to quit smoking whether he wants to or not… but is the cure worse than the disease? And Fletcher, an ex-reporter from the New York Times, is being held in an interrogation room in a foreign land, with only his wits to protect him.
New stage plays based on stories by the Master of Horror, Stephen King.
Master of Horror (2008)
While hitchhiking on a snowy winter's night in Maine, a college dropout meets and falls in love with a girl he’d do absolutely anything for. Morrison is going to quit smoking whether he wants to or not… but is the cure worse than the disease? And Fletcher, an ex-reporter from the New York Times, is being held in an interrogation room in a foreign land, with only his wits to protect him.
New stage plays based on stories by the Master of Horror, Stephen King.
The Blood Brothers present…
The Master of Horror
Originally performed at
The Gene Frankel Theater
October 9-November 1, 2008
The Last Waltz
By James Comtois
The Blood Brothers - Pete Boisvert and Patrick Shearer
Sister Blood - Rebecca Comtois
The Victims - Marsha Martinez and Christian Toth
Nona
By James Comtois
Directed by Patrick Shearer
Loverboy - Jeremy Goren
Nona/Betsy - Jessi Gotta
Ace/Good Samaritan - Ben Trawick-Smith
Cook/Blanchette - Marc Landers
Trucker/Cop - Christian Toth
Trucker - Michael Criscuolo
Quitters, Inc.
By Qui Nguyen
Directed by Pete Boisvert
Cindy Morrison - Marsha Martinez
Richard Morrison - Michael Criscuolo
Jimmy McCann - Christian Toth
Vic Donatti - Marc Landers
Paranoid: A Chant
Directed by Pete Boisvert
The Paranoiac - Jessi Gotta
In The Deathroom
By Mac Rogers
Directed by Pete Boisvert
Fletcher - Ben Trawick-Smith
Heinz - Christian Toth
Escobar - Jeremy Goren
Pilar - Marsha Martinez
Ramon - Michael Criscuolo
Used by Permission © Stephen King
Production and Design Team
Stage Managers
Stephanie Cox-Williams
& Ben VandenBoom
Fight Choreographer
Qui Nguyen
Lighting Designer
Ian W. Hill
Makeup Designer
Leslie Hughes
Sound Designer
Patrick Shearer
Special Effects Coordinator
Stephanie Cox-Williams
Original Music
Larry Lees
Press Agent
James Comtois
Producers
Pete Boisvert, James Comtois,
Rebecca Comtois,
Stephanie Cox-Williams, Marc Landers, Ben VandenBoom, Patrick Shearer
Associate Producer
Jessi Gotta
Reviews
"My hat is off Nosedive for coming to King with respect, energy, and most importantly, a vicious hunger for the jugular... King is one of the most important, imaginative, and impactful authors of the 20th century, and it's always great to see his tales in capable, intelligent, and bloodthirsty hands." — nytheatre.com
"Full of splattering blood, dangerous psychos and true suspense laced with good humor, the production succeeds as much for being unique as for its timely seasonal run. There are all too few thrillers in the American theatre and it is a devilish delight to have one for October." — oobr.com
"The Blood Brothers Present . . . The Master of Horrordelivers what it promises - humor, fear, and a healthy (or unhealthy, depending on your point of view) dose of gore. And when was the last time you saw a group of actors who could be so good at being so evil?" —stagebuzz.com
"Jessi Gotta takes the stage in a one-woman tour-de-force... She's wonderfully insane... The new stage adaptations get it right by focusing on the characters and engaging talented actors to bring them to life. The adapters and writers and actors here clearly care about what they're doing. It's a fun evening, if you like a little gore and a few chills for your Hallowe'en." —broadwayworld.com
Photos by Aaron Eptein