CANNABIS! A VIPER VAUDEVILLE to Have Industry Presentation in November

An exclusive presentation will take palce for the theatrical concert Cannabis! A Viper Vaudeville, with music by Grace Galu, libretto and co-direction by Baba Israel, dramaturgy and co-direction by Talvin Wilks, and environmental design and co-direction by Nic Benacerraf. 

Three one-hour presentations will take place on Monday, November 3, at 7:00 pm, and on Tuesday, November 4, at 11:00 am and 4:00 pm, at CAM Studios.

Cannabis! A Viper Vaudeville is a genre-defying, time-traveling theatrical concert that explores the complex and storied relationship between cannabis and American culture. Blending music, dance, spoken word, and multimedia, the piece is rooted in the Hip-Hop tradition of remix and mashup, inspired by Martin A. Lee’s acclaimed book, Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana.

The production moves fluidly through eras and movements—from Congo Square to Jazz Age speakeasies, from the revolutionary happenings of the ’60s to the AIDS activism of San Francisco’s Buyers Club—weaving together the music of Bob Marley and other cultural icons with stories of real-life activists such as Dennis Perron and Brownie Mary, alongside deeply personal narratives of healing, criminalization, and resistance.

Returning from a hiatus, Cannabis! A Viper Vaudeville kicked off a development phase with two sold-out concert performances at Joe’s Pub/The Public Theater in July, 2025, attended by several cannabis industry executives. Next up: a two-week workshop this winter and a developmental production at La Mama next summer, and then…the sky’s the limit!    

Performers and creative team includes Grace Galu (composer, performer), Baba Israel (librettist, co-director, performer), Talvin Wilks (dramaturg, co-director), Chanon Judson (choreographic direction),  Nic Benacerraf (co-director, environment designer), Tony Nominated David Bengali (video designer), Kate Fry (Costume Designer), Alex B. West (stage manager), Mame Diarra (Samantha) Speis (performer and co-choreographer), and Twice Light (performer/co-choreographer), with Robert Knowles, Sean Nowell, Jonathan “Duv” Zaragoza, Osei Kweku, and Juan Carlos Polo (musicians).