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Open Stage

2011-2015

A Vaudevillian Safespace.
— Kasha Reese

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The Nearly-Inexplicable Open Stage

A weekly fusion of cabaret theater and improvisational exploration, the Open Stage was a mad place where musicians, thespians and circus freaks came to play.

Things that actually happened…

  • Stand-up comedy by giant rabbits?

  • Zombie A Capella?

  • Hula hooping opera singers?

  • Stripping poets?

  • Picnicking under a stilt-walking tree?

It was tough to out-weird a “typical” night at the Open Stage.

The “Ten Commandments”

Each week, the Open Stage stayed just barely on the rails thanks in no small part to a social contract only half-jokingly referred to as “The Ten Commandments”. Here’s a musical rendition of that agreement by co-producer Kelly Nygren:

Evidence of Shenanigans

Videos from the Open Stage are now available at the Internet Archive!

Additionally, you can view the nearly 44,000 images captured by 42 amazing photographers from the entire run of the show:

'The Host' photo by Robert Hold, 2015.
‘The Host’ photo by Robert Hold, 2015.