Pure Cinema
A Play in Three Lunches
by David Neipris
The ancients pioneered a curious use of stories.
Beyond entertainments, they could, when needed,
serve as weapons more deadly than the ballista or naval ram.
- Jorge Luis Borges
______________________________
SETTING
Alfred Hitchcock's production office bungalow at Universal Studios.
TIME
1977. The three scenes occur on consecutive Fridays.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Mel Brooks and Alfred Hitchcock did have lunch a few times to discuss a script that became High Anxiety.
But apart from the thick steaks, some of what's served here is made up, or true events tossed like a salad.
Not Mel's bells. Those he definitely wore to the meeting.
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
I am a big fan of early Mel Brooks, especially THE PRODUCERS. I'm an even bigger fan of
Alfred Hitchcock. I may be an even bigger fan of great writing and great performances. It's rare
when so many things you love are all rolled into one production, but I lucked out with PURE CINEMA.
A huge thank you tothe whole team, especially the amazing cast who it took us such a
long time to find.... and who are worth all the worry and wait. Twoje zdrowie!
CAST
Alfred Hitchcock
Bill Chott
Mel Brooks
Aaron Caponigro
Maja Jablonski
Lindsay Seim
Peggy
Voice by Beki Lane
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director
Matt Ritchey
Stage Manager
Rebecca Schoenberg
Props and Set Designer
Joyce Hutter
Art Director
Deborah Kuzma
Publicity
Bertha Rodriguez
Producers
David Neipris & Matthew Quinn
THANKS TO
The entire team at Broadwater and the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION TEAM
David Neipris (Writer) David started as an actor, graduating from NYU’s Experimental
Theater Wing and performing on and off Broadway. He brought his play Big Wyoming,
starring Michael Stuhlbarg, to The New York Stage and Film Festival. Strange Gods was a
Finalist for The Princess Grace Award. Other plays, including April Escapes and Glass
Eye, were developed at The New Group, The Cherry Lane Theater, Naked Angeles,
Hourglass Group, and New Jersey Rep. Previously workshopped at Electric Lodge, Pure
Cinema is David’s first Hollywood Fringe show.
Matt Ritchey (Director) Writer and Director of Angel’s Flight (2016 Hollywood Fringe
Best Cabaret/Variety Winner) and Blackboxing (2019 Hollywood Fringe Best
Cabaret/Variety Winner) returns to the Fringe to direct.
Bill Chott (Hitch) Bill Chott is a Broadway Award winner for playing Fred Mertz in I
Love Lucy Live at the Greenway Court. This is Bill’s second Fringe show, having
performed in Escape From Godot, the award-winning immersive piece. Chott can
currently be seen in Dahmer: Monster on Netflix as the Milwaukee police commissioner.
He is best known as Mr. Laritate on Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place,
and played “Thomas” in the Farrelly Brothers film The Ringer.
Aaron Caponigro (Mel) is a Chicago native and has been acting and improvising since
the turn of the century. He is a mainstage ensemble member at ComedySportz LA where
he also coaches its high school league. And he performs regularly at the Pack Theater. He’s
a real big fan of ice cream.
Lindsay Seim (Maja) is a Nebraska native known for roles in Insidious: Chapter 2, St. Agatha,
Adult Swim’s Decker, and voicing Claire in all four seasons of Netflix’s Lupin. She earned an
Ovation Award nomination for world-premiere drama Salsa Saved the Girls, and won
multiple awards for dark comedy Things to Avoid in a Eulogy at the
2023 Hollywood Fringe Festival. She entertains herself writing MadLibs for Penguin Random House.
Matthew V. Quinn (Producer) has been involved in theater production and venue
management for over 25 years in San Francisco and Los Angeles. He created Combined
Artform, as a production company in 1998 with Producer Bertha Rodriguez and has
produced, co-produced, presented, booked and promoted hundreds of shows. He has
been an active player with the Hollywood Fringe Festival since its onset in 2010 as an
advisor, venue manager, producer. He is also a scout for the Soho Playhouse, New York
City International Fringe Encore Series, an Off-Broadway playhouse.
Joyce Hutter (Props Designer) is delighted to return to the Hollywood Fringe as
property designer for not one but three Hollywood Fringe shows this year: Pure Cinema,
Vivian Vance Alive and Well Running Chinese Take-out, and The Planet Earth Farewell
Concert. Joyce flourishes as an artist, designer, filmmaker, and puppeteer. She is a
recipient of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for distinguished achievement in
puppet and mask design. Housewife ‘52 (Puppet Design/Kick Boom
Theatre); Waiting for Waiting for Godot (Prop Design/Sacred Fools Theatre).
https://stringsnthingspuppettheatre.wordpress.com/artistic-director/
PURE CINEMA RECOMMENDS THESE OTHER SHOWS AT THE HOLLYWOOD FRINGE
Beyond entertainments, they could, when needed,
serve as weapons more deadly than the ballista or naval ram.
- Jorge Luis Borges
______________________________
SETTING
Alfred Hitchcock's production office bungalow at Universal Studios.
TIME
1977. The three scenes occur on consecutive Fridays.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Mel Brooks and Alfred Hitchcock did have lunch a few times to discuss a script that became High Anxiety.
But apart from the thick steaks, some of what's served here is made up, or true events tossed like a salad.
Not Mel's bells. Those he definitely wore to the meeting.
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
I am a big fan of early Mel Brooks, especially THE PRODUCERS. I'm an even bigger fan of
Alfred Hitchcock. I may be an even bigger fan of great writing and great performances. It's rare
when so many things you love are all rolled into one production, but I lucked out with PURE CINEMA.
A huge thank you tothe whole team, especially the amazing cast who it took us such a
long time to find.... and who are worth all the worry and wait. Twoje zdrowie!
CAST
Alfred Hitchcock
Bill Chott
Mel Brooks
Aaron Caponigro
Maja Jablonski
Lindsay Seim
Peggy
Voice by Beki Lane
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director
Matt Ritchey
Stage Manager
Rebecca Schoenberg
Props and Set Designer
Joyce Hutter
Art Director
Deborah Kuzma
Publicity
Bertha Rodriguez
Producers
David Neipris & Matthew Quinn
THANKS TO
The entire team at Broadwater and the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION TEAM
David Neipris (Writer) David started as an actor, graduating from NYU’s Experimental
Theater Wing and performing on and off Broadway. He brought his play Big Wyoming,
starring Michael Stuhlbarg, to The New York Stage and Film Festival. Strange Gods was a
Finalist for The Princess Grace Award. Other plays, including April Escapes and Glass
Eye, were developed at The New Group, The Cherry Lane Theater, Naked Angeles,
Hourglass Group, and New Jersey Rep. Previously workshopped at Electric Lodge, Pure
Cinema is David’s first Hollywood Fringe show.
Matt Ritchey (Director) Writer and Director of Angel’s Flight (2016 Hollywood Fringe
Best Cabaret/Variety Winner) and Blackboxing (2019 Hollywood Fringe Best
Cabaret/Variety Winner) returns to the Fringe to direct.
Bill Chott (Hitch) Bill Chott is a Broadway Award winner for playing Fred Mertz in I
Love Lucy Live at the Greenway Court. This is Bill’s second Fringe show, having
performed in Escape From Godot, the award-winning immersive piece. Chott can
currently be seen in Dahmer: Monster on Netflix as the Milwaukee police commissioner.
He is best known as Mr. Laritate on Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place,
and played “Thomas” in the Farrelly Brothers film The Ringer.
Aaron Caponigro (Mel) is a Chicago native and has been acting and improvising since
the turn of the century. He is a mainstage ensemble member at ComedySportz LA where
he also coaches its high school league. And he performs regularly at the Pack Theater. He’s
a real big fan of ice cream.
Lindsay Seim (Maja) is a Nebraska native known for roles in Insidious: Chapter 2, St. Agatha,
Adult Swim’s Decker, and voicing Claire in all four seasons of Netflix’s Lupin. She earned an
Ovation Award nomination for world-premiere drama Salsa Saved the Girls, and won
multiple awards for dark comedy Things to Avoid in a Eulogy at the
2023 Hollywood Fringe Festival. She entertains herself writing MadLibs for Penguin Random House.
Matthew V. Quinn (Producer) has been involved in theater production and venue
management for over 25 years in San Francisco and Los Angeles. He created Combined
Artform, as a production company in 1998 with Producer Bertha Rodriguez and has
produced, co-produced, presented, booked and promoted hundreds of shows. He has
been an active player with the Hollywood Fringe Festival since its onset in 2010 as an
advisor, venue manager, producer. He is also a scout for the Soho Playhouse, New York
City International Fringe Encore Series, an Off-Broadway playhouse.
Joyce Hutter (Props Designer) is delighted to return to the Hollywood Fringe as
property designer for not one but three Hollywood Fringe shows this year: Pure Cinema,
Vivian Vance Alive and Well Running Chinese Take-out, and The Planet Earth Farewell
Concert. Joyce flourishes as an artist, designer, filmmaker, and puppeteer. She is a
recipient of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for distinguished achievement in
puppet and mask design. Housewife ‘52 (Puppet Design/Kick Boom
Theatre); Waiting for Waiting for Godot (Prop Design/Sacred Fools Theatre).
https://stringsnthingspuppettheatre.wordpress.com/artistic-director/
PURE CINEMA RECOMMENDS THESE OTHER SHOWS AT THE HOLLYWOOD FRINGE
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