It was sold out houses for the Saturday performances of A Roadkill Opera on January 9, 2016, at the Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint in Washington DC. The houses were pretty good as well on the previous night of this limited run of the hilarious new opera about the hour before the first professional gig for a sketch comedy troupe in 1980s Wyoming.
Holly (Laura Wehrmeyer) and Eddie (Alan Naylor) debate ways and whether it is necessary to punch up the humor of “In A Clearing” while Marvin (Christopher Dews) tends to the llama in A Roadkill Opera in its world premiere performances in January 2016 at the Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint in Washington DC
“Since the action takes place backstage the hour before the lights go up on the first show for these rude mechanicals, director Jeffrey Dokken decided to bring the audience backstage. That authenticity put the audience right in the thick of the action” said librettist Stephan Alexander Parker. “We were able to use the theatre lab as intended, and worked out the framing for the story. This show is ready for a larger venue,” he added.
Holly (Laura Wehrmeyer) is a radio news reporter in 1980s Wyoming who hopes to move up to disc jockey in A Roadkill Opera at the Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint in Washington DC in January 2016Eddie (Alan Naylor) says his favorite sketch is “Adrenaline Adventures” when asked in A Roadkill Opera at the Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint in Washington DC in January 2016
A Roadkill Opera is a mashup of a classic backstage screwball comedy and classic opera. Parker provided the story and script; Ferdinando Paer, a direct competitor of Beethoven, provided the music, which is essentially the overture and first act of Paer’s 1804 opera Leonora. “It is not a documentary; the fact is, though, the Roadkill On A Stick Frozen Foods Theatre Company had an 8-week run in the showroom at the Silver Dollar Bar of the Wort Hotel in Jackson, Wyoming, in the summer of ’88. The names have not been changed,” said Parker. “Everyone was agreeable to being portrayed in this new opera. Also, they signed releases in 1988. There is comedy in truth.”
Stage manager Marvin (Christopher Dews) presents a frozen roadkill on a stick to Stephan (David Timpane) while Dave (Alex Miletich IV) looks on with amusement in A Roadkill Opera at the Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint in Washington DC in January 2016Debby (Shaina Martinez) muses on the fate of the troupe as Stephan (David Timpane) and Dave (Alex Miletich IV) review the pros and cons of various Geo models in A Roadkill Opera at the Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint in Washington DC in January 2016Eddie (Alan Naylor) suggests ways to annoy the town when he learns that the Silver Dollar Bar (where their sketch comedy revue is about to open) is going to be torn down in order to make meeting rooms, as Debby (Shaina Martinez), Holly (Laura Wehrmeyer), Stephan (David Timpane), and Dave (Alex Miletich IV) look on, in A Roadkill Opera at the Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint in Washington DC in January 2016A spirited game of ratminton is played by Stephan (David Timpane), Eddie (Alan Naylor) and Dave (Alex Miletich IV) during A Roadkill Opera at the Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint in Washington DC in January 2016Musician Dave (Alex Miletich IV) is the center of attention as Debby (Shaina Martinez) and Stephan (David Timpane) get him fired up for the first show by the Roadkill On A Stick Frozen Foods Theatre Company in the show-within-a-show in A Roadkill Opera at the Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint in Washington DC in January 2016The audience is encouraged to get involved in the grand finale, as Eddie (Alan Naylor) prepares to play the national anthem, by harmonica, by nose, with the support of the stage manager Marvin (Christopher Dews), Debby (Shaina Martinez), Holly (Laura Wehrmeyer), Stephan (David Timpane) and Dave (Alex Miletich IV) in A Roadkill Opera at the Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint in Washington DC in January 2016
