The St. Pete-based theater troupe formerly known as Quirky White Chick Productions has announced it is changing its name to Economic Stimulus Productions, because, they announced in a press release today, "Producers Julie Rowe and T. Scott Wooten decided against buying plasma-screen-HD-television-sets and instead pooled their tax rebate checks together to produce live theatre." The result, they are proud to announce, is "performance art fully funded by the United States Government."
It's W's worst nightmare! But EcStim isn't talking about performance art à la Karen Finley, she who rubbed foodstuffs all over herself and caused an NEA ruckus some years back. What EcStim is doing is cabaret, but cabaret with a subversive twist: it's a revue of songs by the master of the sardonic song lyric, Tom Lehrer. From "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" to "The Vatican Rag" to "The Masochism Tango," Lehrer's songs still pack a satirical wallop even though they date back to the 1960s. Come to think of it, George might like old Tom even less than Karen and her comestibles.
EcStim's An Evening Wasted with the Songs of Tom Lehrer will be performed July 23-26 at 11 p.m. at American Stage in downtown St. Petersburg. It's a pay-what-you-can arrangement, so it's up to you how much of your rebate check you want to spend on live theater.
This article appears in Jun 25 – Jul 1, 2008.