Live from DC: The Horrors of Online Dating




When people think of where to see a fun, over-the-top gore-a-thon, they usually think of mediums such as films, comic books, and (with increasing frequency) video games. Sadly, the opportunities for seeing such colorful entertainment in live performances for the masses are rare--which is all the more reason why the Molotov Theatre Group in the Washington DC area is a true bloodlust blessing for us gore hounds on the east coast.

As part of Washington DC's Capital Fringe Festival, the Molotov Theatre Group are performing "The Horrors of Online Dating" until July 31 at the Playbill Café. This world-premier musical by Shawn Northrip details the dating adventures of Judy (played by Jenny Donovan), a pill-popping psychopath whose favorite pastime is slicing and dicing the many men she meets via the Internet. Cheering her on in her gruesome activities are her hallucinatory friends, three of which are portrayed by puppets (yes, puppets). Judy eventually meets a self-help guru who she believes can make her "uncrazy". Of course, for someone as disturbed as Judy, the path to uncraziness is not painless one. Especially for the guru....


As director Kevin Finkelstein puts it, "The Horrors of Online Dating creates a world seen through the eyes of a schizophrenic serial killer. Come for the violent deaths and buckets of blood, but stay for the possessed laptop, singing pill bottles and cat with enormous balls. The Horrors of Online Dating will redefine your concept of musicals, puppets, and general bad taste."

So if you've got a strong stomach and you're itching for a musical, gory live show that includes puppets, buy your tickets now for "The Horrors of Online Dating". (If you really want to get into the thick of things, be sure to sit near the front--you'll be given protective plastic bags to shield yourself from the projectile splatter. Yummy!) Be sure to check out the Molotov Theatre Group's site for more information about their current production, their past performances and a brief overview of the theatrical tradition of "Grand Guignol", a form of performance art that's ideal for the discerning degenerate. Click below to see more pictures of Judy, her victims and her imaginary puppet friends, courtesy of Paul Gillis for the Capital Fringe Festival.







Click here for Gillis' complete set of "Online Dating" pictures on flickr.com.



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