Crafty Q&A with Taffety Punk Theatre Company!
My introduction to Taffety Punk’s awesomeness was their performance of Damaged Goods: The New Vaudeville at the Black Cat a couple of years back. The show was brilliant and funny and edgy; they call themselves “DC’s distorted classical theatre company” and they ain’t lyin’. Since then, I’ve kept in touch with founder Marcus Kyd [formerly of DC band Most Secret Method] trying to figure out a way to support the group/share their brilliance, and we’ve finally done it! The Taffety Punks will kick off the excellent entertainment in the Performance Pit at Crafty Bastards on September 28, hitting the stage at 10:30 am.
Explain your group’s name and how you formed.
Taffety Punk is from Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well and means a “well dressed whore.” Sounded like a good description of an actor to us.
What are your influences and worst equipment experiences?
We are all classically trained actors and dancers, and aging punk rockers, so the influences include everything from the Ramones to Pina Bausch.
During the Bootleg Cymbeline, we had a prepared dummie to represent the dead body of Cloten ready to go for an entrance. But the actors didn’t know which door the body was at. In a pinch someone collected clothes backstage and stuffed it with anything – paper, cardboard, other clothes – and brought in possible the worst looking dead body anyone’s ever seen.
What’s your favorite local hangout and best stage you’ve played?
We started out at the Black Cat, and miss it terribly. We find ourselves at Jimmy T’s on the Hill a lot for meetings and such. Best stage has definitely been Round House’s Black Box Theatre in Silver Spring.
How do you feel about being a Crafty Bastard?
Fantastic.
Where can the adoring public see you next?
We’re mid-run on an all-female production of Romeo and Juliet at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 7th Street SE WDC 20003 (near Eastern Market Metro) Shows are 7:30 pm on September 19, 20, 22, 25, 26, 27, October 2, 3, 4 with Saturday Matinees at 3:00 pm on September 20, 27, and October 4. It’s only $10. This is an answer to the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s all-male version. Ours is an hour shorter, a fraction of the cost, and has 100% more women. We will totally crush them! For tickets call 202-261-6612, or email tix@taffetypunk.com.
