Fred Curchack and Laura Jorgensen will perform, RETROSPECTING, scenes and songs from plays written by Fred. Included are excerpts from:

STUFF AS DREAMS ARE MADE ON; MILAREPA; GRANDPA’S HOME VIDEOS; ORPHEUS IN HOLLYWOOD; DIONYSOS DOES DALLAS; BURYING OUR FATHER; GOLDEN BUDDHA BEACH.

Fred Curchack has written and performed seventy-eight original theatre pieces (fifty-one ensemble works and twenty-seven solos). His plays have been featured at dozens of international theatre festivals. He has received the Gold Medal at the International Festival of Solo Theatre, the American Theatre Wing Award, Critics’ Awards in L.A., S.F., Dallas, Austin, and his work has been "Best of the week" in the L.A. Times, “Top ten of the year" in The New York Times, "Top ten of the decade" in the Austin Chronicle, and in the "Top ten of all-time" in The Dallas Morning News. After receiving a drama degree from the High School of Performing Arts in N.Y., and a BA and MA in Theater from Queens College, Curchack studied Indian Kathakali, Japanese Noh, Balinese Topeng, choreography with Alwin Nikolais, and he trained with Grotowski’s Polish Theater Lab. He also took intensive workshops with Eugenio Barba’s Odin Theatre, Peter Brook, Sam Shepard, Jacques LeCoq, Royal Shakespeare Co., Kristan Linklatter. He is currently Professor of Theatre at The University of Texas at Dallas. Fred has created and performed nine shows with his wife Laura Jorgensen.

Laura Jorgensen has performed in the SF Bay Area at Main Stage West in The House of Yes, Exit the King, Other Desert Cities, 4000 Miles, Buried Child, and Light Sensitive, and at Cinnabar Theater in A Perfect Ganesh, Quartet, Driving Miss Daisy, Road to Mecca, A Clean House, On the Verge, Laughing Wild, Three Tall Women, Heartbreak House, A Delicate Balance, A Winter’s Tale, A Lie of the Mind, Love Letters, Country’s Good, Road, Blue Window, We Won’t Pay!, Reckless, Crimes of the Heart. While living in Budapest she worked with the English Theater Company where she directed Our Country’s Good. She has appeared in John O’Keefe’s premieres of Glamour and Queer Theory.   She appeared at Undermain Theatre, Dallas in Really, Abraham Zobell’s Home Movie: Final Reel, Easter, Endgame, and The Golem.

Laura has created and performed nine shows with Fred including The Mental Traveler, Golden Buddha Beach, Sexual Myth-Stories, An American Dream Play, NOH: Angels, Demon's and Dreamers, Monkey: The Quest to the West, Milarepa, Grandpa's Home Videos, and Burying Our Father: A Biblical Debacle.

 Review excerpts for plays included in RETROSPECTING

For STUFF AS DREAMS ARE MADE ON:

“Top 10 of the year … it is clear that when Mr. Curchack is on stage, imagination knows no limitations.” -- Mel Gussow, The New York Times

 “CRITICS’ CHOICE…“THE BEST OF THE WEEKEND…Fred Curchack – writer, editor, director, musician, mask-maker extraordinaire”  – Scott Collins, Los Angeles Times

 For BURYING OUR FATHER: A Biblical Debacle:

“irreverent, thought-provoking … a total joy to experience”

-- Alexandra Bonifield, Critical Rant and Rave

“Wildly entertaining and provocative production … a passionate play meant to entertain and inform hearts and minds.” -- M. Lance Lusk, D Magazine

 “I was mesmerized … it’s sort of camp and sort of sexy and perfectly hilarious … outrageously funny” -- Martha Heimberg, TheaterJones

 “Brilliant … cutting-edge, vibrant, unforgettable theatre” -- Christopher Soden, Examiner.com

 For GRANDPA’S HOME VIDEOS:

“world class performance artist … magnificent … luminous. Even if you never watch your own home videos, you should go out of your way to see this grandpa’s.” 
– Lawson Taitte, Dallas Morning News

“Curchack is a superior stage actor, through and through. … It’s a joy to view” 
 – Alexandra Bonifield, Criticalrant.com

“astonishing … Don’t miss it.” 
 – Martha Heimberg, Turtle Creek News

“a genius performance artist”  – Perry Stewart, Theater Jones

 For MILAREPA:

 “a divine meditative experience … profound artistry.” – Lawson Taitte,  Dallas Morning News

 “an enlightened and magical theatrical journey … it has to be seen and heard to be believed … theatrical nirvana” -- Mark Lowry, Theater Jones

 For GOLDEN BUDDHA BEACH:

"Year’s Top 10 Plays in the Bay Area -- master magician of performance art … innovative, challenging and very, very funny."   

-- Singer, Sonoma Sun

 "It's an enlightening experience. … theatrical wizard and performance artist extraordinaire"

 -- Lawson Taitte, The Dallas Morning News

 For DIONYSOS DOES DALLAS: A Geek Tragedy: 

"BEST BET -- DIONYSOS TO DIE FOR -- Gut-busting satire and disturbing tragedy. … Terrific … Solo theater master Fred Curchack's newest musical play, Dionysos Does Dallas, has it all … an extraordinary evening." -- Mary DeDanan, Pacific Sun

Doors open at 7:30 for refreshments.

Seating is limited so reservations are suggested.