August 18 – 28, 1994
At the Ontological Theater at St. Mark's Church
New York City

Description:
A timid and unwitting houseguest named Smedley is lured into the surreally genteel world of his vaguely foreboding host and hostess, Pumpkin and Gottfried. A wordless, frenzied game of Yahtzee ensues (where only elitist rules apply), and Smedley blunders blindly through a barrage of violent inconsistency. He is first welcomed, then subsequently tortured, applauded, shunned, loved, baffled, seduced and ultimately forced to cause the total destruction of the parallel universe in which he allowed himself to desperately attempt to belong. Searching for allies in a disconcerting butler named Rose and a silent, slightly menacing houseguest in a red-checked dress proves fruitless and only heightens Smedley's sense of vulnerability. Maniacally choreographed to music ranging from Japanese pop to Stravinsky (sliced and diced) to Meredith Wilson's "Shipoopi" (on high-speed), Parlour Problems compacts seventy-three door slams, four 2 and 1/2-minute swordfights, twenty-seven left-jabs to the face, fourteen 30-second stares and one pie-in-the-face gag into Smedley's hour-long nightmare journey into the world of not belonging.

Produced by
Hangdog Theater

Written, directed, choreographed and scored by
Robert Cucuzza

Starring
Jennifer Woodward as Pumpkin
Mike Rubens as Smedley
David Yezzi as Gottfried
James Urbaniak as Rose
Sally Eberhardt as The Lady in the Red-Checked Dress

Stage Manager
Alicia Cheng
Lighting Designer
Jason McKay
House Manager
David Cote
Sound Operator
Chris Kipiniak
Light Operator
Gilad Melzer
Fight Choreographers
Walter Elder and Erik Jensen
Pistol Designer
Jeff Miller
Technical Design Consultant
Carol Olson
Graphic Designer
KODE Associates, Inc.
Photographer
Mike Heffernan