Kick Boom Theatre Premieres HOUSEWIFE '52 At Fringe

After the success of his last Fringe show Scarlett Fever, which was set in the 1930s, creative multi-hyphenate John Wuchte knew he once again wanted to develop a period piece. The idea of what and when came to him one day when he was washing his vintage starburst dishes...

And so, Wuchte's company Kick Boom Theater presents Housewife '52, making its world premiere this June at the Broadwater Theater as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

Housewife '52 focuses on a day in the life of four women and the men in their lives as they prepare for a party in 1952. As the women wake, we learn of their dreams and fears and follow them through the day. Secrets are revealed, deceptions are confronted, Tupperware is burped, and laundry is folded.

"With this piece, I was drawn to the social mores of the time and the fact that although many ideas and the relationship dynamics seem a distant past, they also resonate just as strongly today," Wuchte said. "A man dismissing a woman seems as universal today as 1952. This is about gender and the roles being played out between couples. Ultimately, it's about women finding their voice and coming into their own."

Despite the seven full, original songs and the use of a four-piece band (with live percussion) Housewife '52 isn't a typical musical. The story is a highly theatrical, "physical-musical," told through gesture, movement and dance along with song and text. The text itself has a very different feel, almost a beat poetry style that lends to the percussive nature of the work, a trademark of Wuchte's shows.

"Since I incorporate so much gesture and movement within the scenes, I like to keep the dialogue spare," he said. "This short, clipped dialogue becomes its own instrumentation. I don't adhere to a traditional narrative. I like to think of my pieces as a series of moments, almost a dreamlike quality."

Another unique quality of the show would be the musical influence, which is a pastiche of 30's musicals, Rodgers and Hammerstein, William Finn, Joni Mitchell and 70s easy listening. Oh, there's also a giant dress shirt puppet!

A veteran of both New York and L.A. theatre, Wuchte is most known locally for both his directing work with Sacred Fools and for creating Scarlett Fever, which received critical acclaim and a "Best Physical Theater" nomination at the 2019 Fringe. On this show, he is once again working with a team of top talent, including Michael Teoli as his music director. The talented ensemble includes some Fringe veterans like Daniel Amerman (Gideon and the Blundersnorp, Assistants) and Dagney Kerr (Earth to Karen, Disasteroid!), who is also known for her roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Desperate Housewives.

Housewife '52 was originally supposed to premiere at the 2020 Hollywood Fringe Festival, but got delayed due to the pandemic. In the following two years, Wuchte added a few more songs and expanded the script. Wuchte is thrilled to finally get this show in front of an audience, hoping for a successful Hollywood Fringe run and then possibly a production in New York.

"My shows have a whimsical quality; neither pure comedy nor drama, but a mixture," he said. "I hope audiences come away experiencing a different type of theatre than they might be accustomed to seeing. It is a peak into the lives of women of a certain time that is a bit sad, but ultimately life affirming."

For tickets and more information https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/6841 and https://www.kickboomtheater.com/.