Ann Randolph's LOVELAND March 17, 2012

Death becomes her – Actress turns grief into hilarity in LOVELAND
What’s so funny about death? Plenty, if you’re award-winning writer/performer, Ann Randolph, renowned for transforming horror into humor. Randolph’s critically acclaimed solo show, LOVELAND, comes to Rhythmix Cultural Works in Alameda for one night only. LOVELAND was awarded “Best Solo Performer of San Francisco” by the SF Weekly during Loveland’s last run at the Marsh two years ago.

In LOVELAND, Randolph takes the audience on an unforgettable cross-country flight that is both hilarious and deeply human. Randolph embodies multiple characters, including our heroine, Frannie Potts, an out-of-control, sexually charged misfit overwhelmed by grief. Facing loss, she stumbles from outrageous confrontation to awkward confusion, and finally glimpses the mystery, tragedy, and beauty that unites us all.
Randolph’s impetus for the show was the excruciating year preceding her father’s death. Mining humor and pain, she wrote LOVELAND on countless flights between Los Angeles and Loveland (her parents’ home), as a way to deal with her anguish.
“Every time I boarded the plane, I thought it would be the last time I’d see my Dad. I thought the grief would overtake me,” Randolph said. “So I explored every aspect of what I thought would happen if I let myself lose it, and I found the humor along the way.”
Randolph, a seasoned actress, is not new to solo performance or using humor as a coping mechanism for challenging life experiences. Randolph's past productions have examined social issues from homelessness to mental illness. Mel Brooks and the late Anne Bancroft produced her last solo show, SQUEEZE BOX, Randolph’s story about working the graveyard shift in a homeless shelter. SQUEEZE BOX ran Off-Broadway, moved to Los Angeles and garnered many awards, including LA Weekly’s “Best Solo Show” and the Ovation Award for “Best Solo Performer.”

In conjunction with LOVELAND and 27 Powers Traveling Writers Series, Randolph will offer a Write Your Life Workshop the following day on Sunday March 18th from 9:30am-4:30pm. Randolph will guide people to write their own personal stories of life and loss through improvisation, writing exercises, and group discussion in a supportive, fun, and dynamic space to create. All levels welcome for those seeking to explore personal essay, memoir, solo show, or the sacred art of journaling. Space is limited to 15 people. Email [email protected] for more workshop info.

LOVELAND’S director, Matt Roth, directed the Ovation Award nominated productions of “Big Baby” (written by Joe Keyes) and “Teen Girl” (written by Justin Tanner). He also directed the premiere of William Wright's “Texmas” and last year's production of “Bob's Holiday Office Party” at the Zephyr theatre, which starred Randolph in dual roles as the town floozy and a sexually repressed minister’s wife.

http://www.annrandolph.com/