Kirsten Vangsness News

SF Sketchfest kicks off its 21st comedy festival with legend Eric Idle at the Castro Theatre on Thursday, January 18 followed by over 200 shows taking place through February 4 in venues across San Francisco.

Direct from sold out Los Angeles and Off-Broadway runs Exorcistic makes its way to San Francisco Sketchfest for one night only Saturday January 20th. BEST MUSICAL WINNER of the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2013 returns ten years later to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of The Exorcist with an original rock musical that'll make your head spin and your bed shake!

Get into the holiday spirit with Laguna Playhouse's lineup of festive shows including 'A Cinderella Christmas,' The Skivvies, Sister's Christmas Catechism, and 'A Groovy New Year's Eve.'

SF Sketchfest has revealed the initial lineup for the 2024 Comedy Festival in San Francisco. Tickets go on sale on November 19.

Symphony Space announces program updates and additions for upcoming events and screenings. Livestream and in-person tickets available.

Director Alina Phelan is a master of visual comedy and everything you see has a punchline if you are willing to look for it. Vangsness’ impersonation is a biting satire that far supersedes anything Lorne Michaels’ could get away with putting on TV.

Theatre of NOTE starts the new year with the World Premiere of Kirsten Vangsness (“Criminal Minds”) starring as “Nimrod” in the world premiere of NIMROD by Phinneas Kiyomura and directed by Alina Phelan. NIMROD runs through Sunday, March 19 at Theatre of NOTE. Check out photos of the production here!

Theatre of Note world premieres Phinny Kiyomura’s Nimrod February 10, 2023 (with previews February 8th & 9th).  TV’s Criminal Minds favorite Kirsten Vangsness stars as Nimrod. Kirsten managed to find time in her hectic, busy schedule to answer a few of my queries.

An unusual coalition of management and labor launched a kick-off event on Friday, January 27 to secure budgeting for SB 1116, the groundbreaking arts funding bill that passed the state legislature and was signed into law last year, but remains unfunded in the most recent budget. See photos from the event.

Theatre of NOTE will start the new year with the World Premiere of Kirsten Vangsness (“Criminal Minds”) starring as “Nimrod” in the world premiere of NIMROD by Phinneas Kiyomura and directed by Alina Phelan. 

On Sunday, February 5th, Play-PerView will present a LIVE reading of “The Medievalists,” a new play on olde themes, by Bill Corbett (“Mystery Science Theater 3000”) and directed by Casey Stangl.

Laguna Playhouse will present four magical ways for you to celebrate the holiday season with four extraordinary holiday experiences; THE WONDERFUL WINTER OF OZ: A HOLIDAY PANTO, THE SKIVVIES: SLEIGH MY NAME, and more.

Casting has been announced for week three of The Blank Theatre's 30th Annual Young Playwrights Festival. Being presented as digital shorts, the next three of 12 winning plays by young playwrights aged 15–19 will be available to stream on Vimeo July 22–28.

BESPOKE PLAYS - a bicoastal new play development series - announces Michael Matthews (The Color Purple, Failure; a Love Story) to direct Kirsten Vangsness (CRIMINAL MINDS; Mess; Cleo, Theo, & Wu) in the first staged reading of a new brute farce by Phinneas Kiyomura (Supper, Lydia in Bed). June Carryl (Y: THE LAST MAN HELSTROM, MIND HUNTER), John Colella (BROOKLYN 99, SILICON VALLEY, FAMILY GUY) and Feodor Chin (BIG LITTLE LIES, Overwatch, League of Legends) complete the cast, with stage directions by Dana Shaw.

Sweet Nell Productions & Outside In Theatre, in collaboration with Family Affairs Studio, will world premiere Justin Elizabeth Sayre’s Lottie Platchett Took a Hatchet at Assembly Festival as part of The Edinburgh Fringe Festival August 4th - 27th, with a preview in Los Angeles at Casita del Compo’s Cavern Club June 10th – 12th. Jessica Hanna directs the cast of Kirsten Vangsness as Lottie (June 10 & 11) Lauren Lopez as Lottie (June 12 & August 4 – 27) with Tom Lenk, Ryan W Garcia, Tom Detrinis and Justin Elizabeth Sayre. I had the opportunity to ask Tom Lenk a few queries about his many successful ventures, as well as his history with producer/director Tom Detrinis.

Joe’s Pub will present the next installment of “Assorted Fruit” with host Justin Elizabeth – the new monthly, queer variety show from the people that brought you The Meeting* – on Sunday, April 24 at 9:30 PM.

The Cinema Audio Society (CAS) Award for Outstanding Sound Mixing Motion Picture - Live Action was presented tonight to the sound mixing team for Dune: Production Mixer Mac Ruth CAS; Re-Recording Mixer Ron Bartlett CAS; Re-Recording Mixer Douglas Hemphill CAS; Scoring Mixer Alan Meyerson CAS; ADR Mixer Tommy O'Connell and Foley Mixer Don White.

Joe’s Pub will present the next installment of “Assorted Fruit” with host Justin Elizabeth – the new monthly, queer variety show from the people that brought you The Meeting* – on Sunday, March 13 at 9:30 PM.

Vangsness is best known for playing tech-kitten Penelope Garcia on the 15 seasons of the CBS crime drama “Criminal Minds,” where she also co-wrote 5 episodes. She has performed and created many theatrical productions, including “Mess” and “Cleo, Theo, & Wu,” both featured at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Play-PerView is heading to the west coast for its next two Live and Live-Streamed Theatrical Events. On Monday December 20, Play-PerView will present a LIVE reading of _“Brushstroke,” a new comedy by John Ross Bowie (Four Chords and a Gun_) and directed by Casey Stangl.