THE SIMPLE SIMPLES Set for Hollywood Fringe Festival

Wet the Hippo Collective, (John Gilkey, Artistic Director) the hit underground comedy ensemble, presents The Simple Simples, written and performed by Max Baumgarten, Tim Reid, Gemma Soldati, Tyler Watson, and Eli Weinberg and directed by John Gilkey. Opens Friday, June 10 and runs until June 25 as a part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival. The show runs Fridays and Saturdays at 9pm. A preview will be held on June 4th at 9pm. All performances will be held at Cirque School LA on Hollywood Blvd. Tickets are available online at www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/3803.

An experience akin to reaching into a bag forever, or perhaps diving into the shallow end. Even more specifically, this show will be like finding out your grandma was hot. No promises will be made and yet some will be broken. We fully expect audience members to leave with the sensation of having walked on a very poorly maintained hiking trail but with greater understanding of what watching TV outside while eating flat donuts is like.

If you've never had the feeling of getting CPR from your best friend's sister, here is your chance. Don't miss out on the show everyone will be using as a transitional conversation piece.

"With The Simple Simple's, we attempt to access Alfred Jarry's 'Pataphysics --often referred to as the science of imaginary solutions. Our goal is to bring forward this ethos along with the 1960's physical theater and clown explorations of Jacques Lecoq and Philippe Gaulier. To do this this we brought together 6 uniquely talented artists to create a show in which we actively avoid all known genres of comic performance." - John Gilkey

John Gilkey has performed internationally for more than thirty years in circus, variety, comedy clubs, theater and television. He has played a lead role in four Cirque Du Soleil productions: Quidam, Dralion, Varekai, and Iris. For each of these shows John developed and performed original characters and routines. He also wrote for and appeared in the Cirque Du Soleil television program Solstrum.

In addition to John's performing experience, he has worked as a creative consultant and director on projects with acclaimed director Franco Dragone, Spiegelworld Productions, Pixar Studios, and Cirque du Soleil.

Currently, John teaches sold out Idiot Workshop classes in Los Angeles and directs the hit comedy collective, Wet The Hippo in their many productions.