Felicia Fallon Talks About Adventures In Mating

She's a fireball, she's a hoot, she's smart and talented.  


Anybody who knows Felicia Fallon knows when you have the pleasure to spend time with her, she is simply too much fun. In fact, I cannot ever remember seeing her when she wasn't smiling, laughing and having a good time.  


When I ran into her the other night, I hadn't seen her for a while, but she and Jenny Christian had their we've-just-spent-the-day-at-Keeneland smiles on, and it was great to talk to them a bit about Adventures In Mating, the one-of-a-kind interactive romantic comedy which opens at Balagula Theatre May 8th at Natasha's Bistro.  Jenny is directing, Felicia is stage managing, and since the two of them are such great friends, it's clearly a match made in heaven.  

Felicia and husband Jonathan

Although she is a skilled legal assistant, able to stay ahead of a heavy litigation workload and leap tall lawsuits in a single bound, I wondered if she'd had any experience managing a staged performance. "My theatrical experience consists of Elementary school plays, another Lonesome Girl Production at Al's Bar about three years ago where we performed two vignettes, I performed at an LAL 4th Friday in a Darkroom Showcase last year, and I performed Reclaiming Cunt in the Vagina Monologues last year at Natasha's.  This is my first time 'acting' as stage manager in a show."
 
"Adventures in Mating is similar to the Blind Date vignette at Al's Bar, in that it is about an odd blind date.  My character was similarly uptight, but less crazy than Miranda in this show."

Fallon is so conscientious about anything she does, she admits she was a little tentative about taking on the role of stage manager. "The only thing challenging about this play, for me, is that it is my first time stage managing and I always get a little nervous trying something new where other people are depending on me to know what I'm doing -- but the actors have it a whole lot harder than I do!  Since the audience chooses how it all goes down, they have to really know the material inside and out and be prepared for anything.  All I do is call out their lines, tell them when they've messed up and cue up some music!  Sometimes I feel like I'm being overly critical, but I know it helps them get better, so I'm cool with that."

"I have also helped gather some of the props.  The funniest thing so far was finding pictures of 28 cats for Miranda's wallet.  She is a crazy cat lady and they all have really funny names.  So we tried to find pictures to match the name of each cat.  One of my favorites was the picture we found of a cat in scuba gear.  It was obviously photoshopped (because how in the hell do you find a wetsuit for a cat, let alone get a cat into a wetsuit) but still absolutely hysterical."

How did she become involved with Adventures in Mating? "Jenny Christian is the lonesome girl behind Lonesome Girl Productions and she asked if I would be interested in being stage manager for this show that she would be directing and putting on at Natasha's."

"Jenny and the actors have been working on the play since the middle of March and I came on around the beginning of April.  We have rehearsals 4-5 days a week.  Each rehearsal is new and fun because we do a different set of scenes each time.  The actors are doing a great job and are really funny in their roles."

? So, of course, I had to Felicia if she had a secret talent.  "My special talent is completely useless unless you like cheap stuffed animals.  I am amazingly successful at getting toys out of those claw machines.  I can't remember the last time I didn't get something out of one.  The trick is not picking out a specific toy, but just going after whatever looks loose and easy...kind of like the same tactic used by frat guys," she laughs.

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ADVENTURES IN MATING

by Joseph Scrimshaw

Directed by: Jenny Christian

Starring: Esther Harvey, James Hamblin, and Garett Wilson

Ticket Prices: $8

May 8 – 2:00pm (Mother’s Day Banquet Buffet 12noon – 2pm)

May 8 – 8:00pm

May 9 – 8:00pm (Service Industry Night: Hotel, Bar, Restaurant employees $5)

May 10 – 8:00pm

(Dinner seating 6:00 – 7:30)

Reservations: 859-259-2754 or www.beetnik.com

LET THE AUDIENCE DECIDE!

“Adventures in Mating” is a unique interactive romantic comedy inspired by the Choose Your Own Adventure novels. The course of this scripted show is determined by audience choices.

When two strangers meet on a blind date, they soon discover that they can’t make simple decisions like red or white wine, kiss or slap, leave or stay – the audience gets to play the role of cruel fate in this romantic comedy for cynics of all ages! 

The audience votes and the story unfolds in vastly different but equally absurd directions. There are currently over 40 different scenes written for the show, and only 5 to 7 are performed each night. With multiple storylines, endings, and ever-changing scene options--it's rarely the same show twice.

Background:
Adventures in Mating is an internationally produced hit. Mating began as the #3 best selling show of the 2005 MN Fringe Festival and has been running weekly since Feb. 2007 at the Bryant Lake Bowl. The show also runs every Thursday night in New York and had a sold out run at Theatre Schmeater in Seattle as well as performances in Wisconsin, Michigan, the UK and Bulgaria.

The Facts:

Adventures in Mating by Joseph Scrimshaw
Directed by: Jenny Christian
Starring: Esther Harvey
James Hamblin
Garett Wilson

YOU play the role of cruel fate in this hit interactive romantic comedy--when the dysfunctional couple can't make decisions like red or white wine, slap or kiss, leave or stay the audience votes and the show takes off in wildly different directions! 

Director Jenny Christian

Directed by Jenny Christian and starring Esther Harvey, James Hamblin and Garret Wilson - this production is sure to be an experience like none other. 

Make your reservations now! 
Visit www.beetnik.com

Here's what folks have to say:

QUOTES:
"Clever, inventive, hilarious" -Star Tribune
"Genuinely hilarious mob-driven comedy" -City Pages
"Drop dead funny...inescapably witty script"-Pioneer Press
"Well mastered lunacy" - PULSE

AUDIENCE REVIEWS:
"Funny beyond the power of adjectives!"
"Well written and well performed--a cool and clever idea!" "Riotously funny. I have plans to see it again and again!" "Funny and intelligent...comic genius!"
"I may stop laughing--next week!

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I can't wait to see how this all turns out.  With Fallon and Christian working together with the fine folks at Balagula, the result HAS to be delightfully entertaining.


see you at the show,
Kimmy