Blackbox Theater Presents WORKING FOR THE MOUSE

Black Box Theatre presents a limited San Francisco engagement of local Bay Area theater luminary Trevor Allen's critically acclaimed solo show WORKING FOR THE MOUSE. Nancy Carlin directs this revival of Allen's riotously sordid memoir, based on Kent Nicholson's original staging, November 3 through December 17 (press opening: November 4)

at EXIT Theatre (156 Eddy Street) in San Francisco. For tickets ($20 advanced; $22 at door) or more information, the public may call 800-838-3006 or visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/201528. For more information about WORKING FOR THE MOUSE, visit workingforthemouse.com. Tickets on sale October 2.

Ever wonder what really goes on at the Happiest Place on Earth? Chronicling the life of a costumed character at Disneyland, WORKING FOR THE MOUSE, called "very funny...an uplifting comic tale well told" by the San Francisco Chronicle, and "Hilarious...touching...perfectly wonderful...Even Walt would have laughed" by the Bay Area News Group, answers this and other burning questions like, "Is it hot in there?", "Where do you see out of?" and "What kind of underwear does Mickey wear under there?"

Playwright and performer Trevor Allen spent several years in Southern California portraying Pluto, Mr. Smee, the Mad Hatter and other characters in his height range on his quest for voice clearance and his dream of becoming Peter Pan. He recounts his tales of backstage debauchery, sex, drugs, kicks to the crotch, militant managers, and quirky coworkers in this unique coming-of-age tale that blows pixie dust in your eyes while offering a glimpse behind the ears of the Magic Kingdom. WORKING FOR THE MOUSE previously played at Berkeley's Impact Theatre, where it premiered in 2002 and was re-staged June 2011.

"I'm incredibly excited to bring Working for the Mouse back to the EXIT Theatre in San Francisco where it all began in the late ‘90s," said Trevor Allen. "The story of my coming of age while working as a costumed character at Disneyland has essentially remained the same but the script has evolved and changed over the years from a short Fringe Festival play into a full evening of theater. It has been an amazing ride with many twists and turns along the way, and I've had the opportunity to work with such gifted collaborators as Charlie Varon, David Ford, and Kent Nicholson to hone my storytelling muscles and take risks with the performance of the piece." Continued Allen, "in this latest version, working with Nancy Carlin, I feel that the play has taken on a new life and really come into its own. This new production has a freshness to it and I feel it has begun to resonate with a new generation of Disney fans and foes alike. I'm really looking forward to performing in front of San Francisco audiences again; it feels like coming home."

Playwright Trevor Allen is a member of Dramatists Guild and attended the prestigious Djerassi Artists Residency in 2008. He has won numerous awards, grants, and commissions for his plays. In addition to WORKING FOR THE MOUSE, works for the stage include Lolita Roadtrip and Tenders in the Fog (both staged at San Jose Stage Company), The Creature (Black Box Theatre, winner Bay Area Critics Circle Award), 49 Miles (Crowded Fire Theater Company), and Chain Reactions (Theatre of Yugen, CAFÉ, and Cutting Ball Theater). Additional plays include Zoo Logic, which received a San Francisco Arts Commission grant and was presented as part of the Magic Theatre's Z/Magic Monday series, and One Stone: Einstein, which was developed through the Playwrights Foundation's "Incubator" and "In the Rough" programs. Allen has received two "Best of" awards from the San Francisco Fringe Festival and won American Conservatory Theater's "Write Like David Mamet" contest; he also received PlayGround's Emerging Playwright Award, Playwriting Fellowship, and four full-length play commissions, including Lolita Roadtrip, Tenders in the Fog, Golden Gate Fair, and his newest play, Valley of Sand, which he is currently working on for San Jose Repertory Theatre. Allen is working on a book adaptation of WORKING FOR THE MOUSE.

In addition to WORKING FOR THE MOUSE, director Nancy Carlin has helmed productions at Aurora Theatre Company, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Foothill Theatre, B Street Theatre, SF Playhouse, The Jewish Theatre S.F., American Theater Conservatory's MFA program, and Center REPertory Company, where she will direct Arms and the Man this winter. She is co-author of a new musical, Max Understood, which was developed at the O'Neill National Music Theatre Conference and the New York Musical Theater Festival. A former company member at American Conservatory Theater, Carlin is an associate artist at California Shakespeare Theater and a member of PlayGround; she has appeared on stage at American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, San Jose Repertory Theatre, TheatreWorks, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival, among others. She co-produced the feature film Haiku Tunnel and has appeared in a number of feature films.

Founded by artistic director Trevor Allen with producer Karen McKevitt, Black Box Theatre Company, in residence at Intersection for the Arts 5M, is dedicated to exploring modes of new live performance. The company received a "Best of the San Francisco Fringe Festival Award" in 2000 for the original production Chain Reactions, and is best-known for the award-winning production of The Creature, Trevor Allen's adaptation of Frankenstein, which began life as a series of podcasts recorded live at public staged readings.

Black Box Theatre presents a limited San Francisco engagement of local Bay Area theater luminary Trevor Allen's critically acclaimed solo show WORKING FOR THE MOUSE, directed by Nancy Carlin. Ever wonder what really goes on at the Happiest Place on Earth? Chronicling the life of a costumed character at Disneyland, WORKING FOR THE MOUSE, called "very funny...an uplifting comic tale well told" by the San Francisco Chronicle, and "Hilarious...touching...perfectly wonderful...Even Walt would have laughed" by the Bay Area News Group, answers this and other burning questions like, "Is it hot in there?", "Where do you see out of?" and "What kind of underwear does Mickey wear under there?"

Playwright and performer Trevor Allen spent several years in Southern California portraying Pluto, Mr. Smee, the Mad Hatter and other characters in his height range on his quest for voice clearance and his dream of becoming Peter Pan. He recounts his tales of backstage debauchery, sex, drugs, kicks to the crotch, militant managers, and quirky coworkers in this unique coming-of-age tale that blows pixie dust in your eyes while offering a glimpse behind the ears of the Magic Kingdom.

WHEN:

Preview: November 3
Opens: November 4
Closes: December 17

All performances Thurs-Sat 8pm (no performances Thanksgiving weekend)

WHERE:

EXIT Theatre, 156 Eddy Street, San Francisco

TICKETS: (on sale October 2)

$20 advanced; $22 at door; the public may call 800-838-3006 or visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/201528. For more information about WORKING FOR THE MOUSE, please visit workingforthemouse.com. Prices subject to change.

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