Horse Head Theatre to Stage Regional Premiere of THE JUDGMENT OF FOOLS

Absurdities abound in 2016, so this fall Horse Head invites you to blow off some steam, knock back a few and tell us what you really think. Hot on the heels of the close-quarters intensity of Lidless and following their award-winning immersive spectacle The Whale; or, Moby-Dick, Horse Head Theatre Co. is proud to announce the regional premiere of The Judgment of Fools by Houston's own Bernardo Cubría, directed by Philip Hays.

The Judgment of Fools runs October 27 - November 12, 2016 at REC Room, 100 Jackson Street, Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m. with bonus late night performances Saturdays at 10 p.m. Pay-what-you-can previews are Tuesday, October 25 and Wednesday, October 26, 2016 at 8 p.m.

The Judgment of Fools is a debauched vaudevillian social experiment-a comedy like no other. Building on the time-honored tradition of bouffon (that's fancy French clown lingo for talking back to the audience), spectators will be polled, prodded and poked as a convocation of "Fools" ask them to flex their judging muscles. Like the court jesters of olde, but in Converse All-Stars, these Fools will descend on Houston to reflect the folly of the world. But they need your help to make sense of it all. They want your thoughts. They want your opinions. They want your emojis, your re-tweets, your "Likes."

You see, the audience is the star of this show. Although The Judgment of Fools is mostly scripted (we'd guess 80% most nights), these Fools will mine the moments of the show from audience interactions.

Have you ever want to talk back to a character, during a show? This is your chance.

Have you ever wanted to bust out a real conversation with the person next to you? Do it here.

Have you ever wanted to just stop a friggin' play in the middle of a scene? Here, you can!

Equipped with "The Megaphone of Justice" (yes, it's a thing), Judgment audiences have the power to literally stop the show -- assuming your fellow audience members agree that the Fools have gone too far! If not, you're out of luck and may console yourself with a free, cheap-ass beer. So, you know, it's that kind of play.

For this production, HH will set up shop in Houston's newest non-traditional venue, REC Room. REC Room's mission boasts a restriction-free environment where audiences are encouraged to grab a drink mid-scene, post social media images and commentary during the show and to make themselves at home at the theater. "Like our REC Room hosts, Cubría's comedy The Judgment of Fools breaks all the rules of traditional theatre experiences," says HH Artistic Director Jacey Little. "Past Horse Head productions have focused on immersing audiences in the world of the play; but in The Judgment of Fools, we'll bring the play into the audience's world."

Judgment will be directed by Horse Head company member, star of last season's The Whale, and 2016 Houston Press Theatre Awards' "Best Utility Player," Philip Hays. "The Judgment of Fools is not an improv show, but it's not a sit-down-be-polite show either. It's not a play about politics, but it's not all fluff. It's not politically correct, but it's not a shame-fest. It's not a serious play, but it's not without its moments. It's not yo mamma's theatre. But hey, we're not judging."

The Judgment of Fools originally premiered as a co-production with Inviolet Theatre and INTAR Theatre in New York City, where it successfully ran for six months. The play was subsequently presented by Los Angeles's Ammunition Theatre Company as their inaugural full-length production. Horse Head is proud to present The Judgment of Fools as not only a regional premiere, but in new form, as the script will be developed and redrafted for this production in collaboration with playwright Cubría.

The only question is, have these Houston Press MASTERMINDs finally lost their minds? You tell us. Horse Head dares to say: judge not lest ye be fooled.

The Judgment of Fools will run from October 27 through November 12, 2016 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays beginning at 8 p.m., with additional late-night performances on Saturdays at 10 p.m. All performances are at the REC Room located at 100 Jackson Street in downtown Houston next to Minute Maid Park (77002). Ample street parking is available surrounding the theater. Box office & bar opens at 7 p.m. and pre-show fun begins at 7:30 p.m. General Admission tickets are $25 and VIP (reserved seating) tickets are $45. Discounted student and industry tickets are available at the door. For more info and to purchase tickets, visit www.horseheadtheatre.org.

Special Events - Pre-show fun starts at @ 7:30PM:

• Week One (Thursday - Saturday, October 27 - 29): HALLO-WEEK-END COSTUME CONTEST

  • In honor of Halloween, a door prize will be awarded to the best costumed audience member.

• Week Two (Thursday - Saturday, November 3 - 5): FOOL'S OPEN BALLOT

  • As practice for the upcoming vote, HH will host their own write-in election. Who would you like to see in the White House? A door prize will be awarded to the best nomination.

• Week Three (Thursday - Saturday, November 10 - 12): VOTER APPRECIATION NIGHT

  • In honor of our nation's 57th (presumably) successful Presidential Election and in celebration of this great country's democracy, Horse Head will forcefully demand a $5 donation at the door for anyone who did NOT vote, publicly shame them and withhold all door prizes.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Bernardo Cubría (PLAYWRIGHT) is thrilled to be returning to his hometown! He is a graduate of The University of Houston Theatre program where he and director Philip Hays once vowed to change theatre forever... you're welcome. The Judgment of Fools was originally developed through Inviolet Theatre in NYC. It has has run at INTAR in NYC and at Ammunition Theatre Company in Los Angeles. His play The Redhead Is Coming was part of F*ckfest at The Brick Theatre in NYC and received workshops at The People's Light and Theater in Malvern, PA and at The Fountain Theater in Los Angeles, CA. His latest play Neighbors was part of Crossing Borders at Two River Theatre in New Jersey and has been read at INTAR in NYC and at Ammunition Theatre Company in Los Angeles. He hosts the Theater Podcast: Off and On: A New York Theatre Podcast. He also acts sometimes for that info visit www.bernardocubria.com. Para mi abuelo Ito Tano que sigue contando chistes.

Ronnie Blaine (FOOL 4) is elated to make his horse Head Theatre Co. debut. Ronnie is a native Houstonian, graduate of The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) and The University of Houston School of Theatre. He has been performing, writing and directing in Houston for over 20 years. Highlights of his Houston theatre credits include: FULL BLOOM (Jesse), 1946 (Cpl. FredeRick Fox) and JULIUS CAESAR (Artemidorus) at Main Street Theatre; QUILLS (Asylum Guard/ Lunatic) and THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES (The General) at Stages Repertory Theatre; and TAMARIE FOR PRESIDENT (Himself) and THE UNIVERSITY OF TAMARIE (The Imperial System) at The Catastrophic Theatre. Ronnie is a proud member of the Screen Actors Guild. His television credits include: J.A.G. (guest), The Suite Life of Zack and Cody (guest), CSI (guest), and CUTS (guest). Currently, Ronnie is a resident director at HITS Theatre in The Heights and theatre instructor at Hogg Middle School.

Jason Duga (FOOL 2) Jason is thrilled to make his horse Head debut! Houston credits include: Straight White Men (Drew) at Stages Repertory Theatre; Bad Jews (Jonah) with Stages Repertory Theatre and Black Lab Theatre; Oskar and the Big Bully Battle (Oskar) and Oskar and the Curiously Colorful Clash (Oskar) at the Alley Theatre; Gambrels of the Sky (Shadow) at The Landing Theatre Company; and Pollywog (Johnny), Dollface (Perseus), Dracula (Simmons) and Late: A Cowboy Song (Crick) at Mildred's Umbrella. Jason is currently working as a teaching artist for the Alley Theatre's ECE program. Jason has also worked for Swine Palace and Playmakers of Baton Rouge in Louisiana. Memorable credits include A Free Man of Color (Creux/Mercure), How I Became a Pirate (Sharktooth), Pinkalicious (Mr.Pinkerton) and The Wizard of Oz (Scarecrow).

Brendon Duran (THE FOOL) is a Houston native and proud to be making his debut at Horse Head Theatre Co. Theater roles include Teddy Mieras in Ten Ways on a Gun (Landing Theatre Co.), Bomber Reynolds in Fly (The Ensemble Theater) and Andrew in Beyond Therapy (Vagabond Theater). Brendon is also an improv comedian, performing, teaching and directing regularly with CSz Houston. Improv credits include ComedySportz, (713), Scar in The Lion King: Unscripted, and director of Back to the Future: Unscripted. Brendon is also a founder of Flirt Reynolds, a long-form improv trio that has entertained audiences in Houston (Spring Street Studios, BETA Theater), Denver (Voodoo Comedy Playhouse), Austin (Out of Bounds Comedy Festival, The Hideout Theater), and Los Angeles (Fracas! Improv Festival). He has trained with CSz Worldwide, iO Theater in Chicago, and The Second City Hollywood. Brendon is a graduate of the University of Houston with a BFA in Theatre.

Laura Moreno (FOOL 5) is a recent graduate of the University of Houston BFA Acting Program. Previous credits include: Oklahoma!, The Grapes of Wrath, The History of Tom Jones, Antigone, A Chorus Line, You Can't Take It With You, Agamemnon, Holy Rollers, The Snow Queen, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, End of Side A, Romeo & Juliet and ¡Bocón!. She was most recently seen as Vera in She Kills Monsters and Kitty in world premiere of Cherry Muffins. Prior to UH, Ms. Moreno spent several years working in the cosmetics and fashion industry in New York City, and is a professional makeup artist.