Hell in a Handbag Productions Unveils Exciting Lineup of Three World Premieres for 2023/24 Season

Hell in a Handbag Productions has unveiled its 2023/24 season featuring three world premieres including the return of a fan favorite! Now in its 22nd year, Handbag continues to serve Chicago audiences with the best camp and parody – thus insuring the preservation and celebration of this unequivocally queer art form. Season tickets are now on sale here.

 

The season kicks off this November with The Golden Girls Save Xmas – The Lost Episode Parody Series, featuring an all-new holiday tale story by Artistic Director David Cerda*.

 

Blanche accidentally incapacitates Santa Claus on the night before Christmas! Can the girls save the holidays in time for all the children of the world to get their toys on Christmas morning?

 

Join Dorothy (David Cerda*), Rose (Ed Jones*), Blanche (Grant Drager*) and Sophia (Ryan Oates*) in a very merry Miami romp, that combines Handbag’s signature biting humor with a heart as big as a cheesecake.

 

Next spring, Handbag presents the world premiere of POOR PEOPLE! The Parody Musical, written by ensemble member Tyler Anthony Smith*, directed by Stephanie Shaw, with music direction by Andrew Milliken – an insane homage to many of the characters, songs and tropes of those very expensive Broadway and West End musicals about the less fortunate.

 

It’s 1979 in dangerous, smoky, glorious New York City. Our story’s red-headed protagonist Li’l Orphan Arnie (Dakota Hughes) is fleeing from the guardianship of a sex-starved, meth-cooking madwoman (Sydney Genco*). Out on the streets, they befriend a slinky dancing cat who leads them to a magical manhole, transporting them back in time to Paris, France in 1815. Trading in one poverty-plagued lifestyle for another, Arnie gives up the desire to find their parents and joins forces with a gang of pick-pocketing prostitutes, led by the mysterious Fagin (David Cerda*).

Life becomes even more dire when Mama Moneybags (Brittney Brown), a corrupt Republican from the future, takes it upon herself to put Fagin’s troupe out of work. Thankfully, there’s a bounty of colorful, destitute characters to help save the day, such as the tuberculosis-ridden Pantene (Caitlin Jackson*), a feral Beggar Woman (Elizabeth Lesinski*) and Nance, the classic hooker with a heart of gold (Tyler Anthony Smith*). Will the sun come out tomorrow? Do you hear the people sing? Will we be changing all of the lyrics to avoid being sued? Yes!

 

Comments Tyler Anthony Smith, "When I was in the fourth grade, I was supposed to be in the ensemble of our district's high school production of Oliver! I got sick, missed too many rehearsals, and was forced to exit the show. So not only is this Handbag's response to Apple TV's Schmigadoon!, it's also my revenge."

 

Handbag closes its 2023/24 season next summer with the world premiere of Artistic Director David Cerda’s Scary Town, the tale of a bunny in search of himself, or perhaps, an autobiographical story about Cerda himself?

 

Devin Bunny lives in a storybook town. Seriously, it’s a town that is straight out of a children's book where everything is picture perfect.

 

Everybody is happy, all the resident animals wear clothing and talk, and they don’t eat each other! Devin lives with his mom and dad and his 237 (at last count) snowy white siblings in Merry Town, where lessons are learned, and the denizens routinely break out in song. Everybody is happy all of the time – except for Devin. Devin notices things. Devin asks questions that Mama Bunny seems to ignore, like – "Why am I the only brown bunny in a family of snow rabbits?"

 

A combination of your favorite illustrated story books featuring anthropomorphic animals, Our Town and Peyton Place, Scary Town is about growing up in a lie and living happily ever after.

 

“I wanted to tell my story, my way,” comments Artistic Director David Cerda. “The thought of another overwrought dysfunctional family drama just didn’t appeal to me. So, I thought, what about bunnies?”

 

Handbag will also continue to present readings and entertainment scattered throughout the season including its newly established Pride readings in June of 2024.

 

*Denotes Handbag ensemble member

 

Hell in a Handbag’s 22nd Season of World Premieres:

 

November 2023

The Golden Girls Save Xmas: A Lost Episodes Parody

By Artistic Director David Cerda*

Featuring ensemble members David Cerda*, Grant Drager*, Ed Jones and Ryan Oates*, Danne W. Taylor* and Robert Williams*. Additional casting to be announced.

Location to be announced.

 

Spring 2024

POOR PEOPLE! The Parody Musical

By ensemble member Tyler Anthony Smith*

Directed by Stephanie Shaw

Music Director Andrew Milliken

Featuring ensemble members David Cerda*, Sydney Genco*, Caitlin Jackson*, Elizabeth Lesinski* and Tyler Anthony Smith* with Matty Bettencourt, Brittney Brown, Taylor Dalton, Dakota Hughes, Miguel Long, Patrick O'Keefe and Shane Roberie. 

Location to be announced.

 

Summer 2024

Scary Town

By Artistic Director David Cerda

Featuring ensemble members Ed Jones*, Tyler Anthony Smith* and Danne W. Taylor* Additional casting to be announced.

at The Clutch, 4335 N. Western Ave., Chicago

 

About Hell in a Handbag Productions

 

Hell in a Handbag is dedicated to the preservation, exploration, and celebration of works ingrained in the realm of popular culture via theatrical productions through parody, music and homage. Handbag is a 501(c)(3) Not for Profit. For additional information, visit handbagproductions.org.

 

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