Hilarious horror-themed puppetry invades Linkville Playhouse Aug. 12
Cthulu: TheMusical which features a hilarious yet disturbing blend of music, comedy, and horror will perform at the Linkville Playhouse, August 12. (Submitted photo)
IF YOU GO:
WHAT:
Puppeteers For Fears presents “Cthulu: The Musical”
WHERE:
Linkville Playhouse
201 Main St., Klamath Falls
WHEN:
Saturday, Aug. 12, 7:30 p.m.
COST: $15
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - An Ashland-based puppetry and musical troupe is infesting Klamath Falls as part of a west coast tour, bringing its unique, hilarious, and somewhat disturbing blend of live music, comedy, and horror to the Linkville Playhouse stage on Saturday, Aug. 12.
Puppeteers For Fears is the brainchild of musician and artist Josh Gross – a collective of like-minded artists with a twisted sense of humor coming together to present Cthulu: The Musical. The show is a ridiculous, zany showcase of puppetry and music. This one-of-a-kind show incorporates elements of a live band matched with a musical puppetry show all set in the H.P. Lovecraft demonic world established in the 1929 fantasy-sci-fi literary classic, The Call of Cthulu. While not as popular as horror icons like Edgar Allan Poe or Stephen King, Lovecraft’s story is considered the blueprint of gothic horror. Recently HBO made a TV series loosely based on the Cthulu story, and even Cthulu-themed board games have in recent years popularized the Cthulu mythology.
According to Gross, as a joke he often adds “The Musical” to random statements, and several years ago during a conversation in public when “Cthulu: the Musical” was uttered just to be funny, several people immediately stopped him to ask where they could see it? Thus, the original concept was formed, and following a lengthy hiatus due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show has returned to venues across the west coast.
Cthulu: The Musical came to the attention of local Klamath promoters when a documentary, “Something Different: The Puppeteers For Fears story” was showcased at the 2022 Klamath Independent Film Festival – earning second place for Best Southern Short Film. A Klamath Falls tour stop has been in the works ever since, and the show was heavily promoted as a tie-in with the recent KCC Comic-Con in July.
The performance is intended for mature audiences, preferably with an immature sense of humor; filled with ridiculous and raucous absurdity beset with extensive puppet violence, sex, gore, and hilarity.
The performance matches live music by Ashland-based band The Elephant (including Gross on drums) along with a cavalcade of puppeteers and digital video projections. Directed by Katy Curtis, the performance includes sea shanties, surf and psychedelic rock, alien abduction, demons, murder, a classic detective story, and plenty of puppetry. In their own words, the show is a nightmare come to life in felt and song.
The show is approximately two hours with an intermission. Tickets to “Puppeteers For Fears presents: Cthulu: The Musical” are available in advance for $15-25.
