WET THE HIPPO PRESENTS THE SIMPLE SIMPLES

For interviews and images please contact:Gemma Soldati
[email protected]
For calendar listing, scroll down

The Simple Simples
at the Hollywood Fringe Festival
Opening Night – Friday, June 10, 2016
Preview – June 4

Los Angeles, CA, April 19, 2016…Wet the Hippo Collective, (John Gilkey, Artistic Director) the hit underground comedy ensemble, presents The Simple Simples, written and performed by Max Baumgarten, Tim Reid, Gemma Soldati, Tyler Watson, and Eli Weinberg and directed by John Gilkey. Opens Friday, June 10 and runs until June 25 as a part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival. The show runs Fridays and Saturdays at 9pm. A preview will be held on June 4th at 9pm. All performances will be held at Cirque School LA on Hollywood Blvd. Tickets are available online at www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/3803

The SIMPLE SIMPLES
An experience akin to reaching into a bag forever, or perhaps diving into the shallow end. Even more specifically, this show will be like finding out your grandma was hot. No promises will be made and yet some will be broken. We fully expect audience members to leave with the sensation of having walked on a very poorly maintained hiking trail but with greater understanding of what watching TV outside while eating flat donuts is like.

If you’ve never had the feeling of getting CPR from your best friend’s sister, here is your chance. Don’t miss out on the show everyone will be using as a transitional conversation piece.

“With The Simple Simple’s, we attempt to access Alfred Jarry’s ‘Pataphysics —often referred to as the science of imaginary solutions. Our goal is to bring forward this ethos along with the 1960’s physical theater and clown explorations of Jacques Lecoq and Philippe Gaulier.
To do this this we brought together 6 uniquely talented artists to create a show in which we actively avoid all known genres of comic performance.” – John Gilkey

About the Director John Gilkey
John Gilkey has performed internationally for more than thirty years in circus, variety, comedy clubs, theater and television. He has played a lead role in four Cirque Du Soleil productions: Quidam, Dralion, Varekai, and Iris. For each of these shows John developed and performed original characters and routines. He also wrote for and appeared in the Cirque Du Soleil television program Solstrum.

In addition to John’s performing experience, he has worked as a creative consultant and director on projects with acclaimed director Franco Dragone, Spiegelworld Productions, Pixar Studios, and Cirque du Soleil.

Currently, John teaches sold out Idiot Workshop classes in Los Angeles and directs the hit comedy collective, Wet The Hippo in their many productions.

WET THE HIPPO
Mission
We seek to build a community of highly creative and boldly comedic performers by providing provocative classes and performance opportunities that support fresh, innovative and visceral comedy.

History
In 2012, John Gilkey established The Idiot Workshop in Hollywood, CA. From these classes Gilkey selected a handful of students and formed a new comedy troupe called Wet The Hippo. The group went on to tour California and Vegas and received rave reviews and a nomination for Best Comedy in the 2013 Hollywood Fringe Festival.

In 2015, Wet The Hippo Collective was established to provide for the growing Idiot community. Members of the collective are encouraged to initiate their own projects and can draw from resources the collective provides including creative, marketing and financial support. Students of The Idiot Workshop are not necessarily members of WTHC but are invited to perform in the shows we produce. Students who have achieved a certain level of Idiocy may be invited to become members of WTHC. WTHC also serves as a springboard into world class professional gigs recently hooking up several artists with some sweet shows in Vegas and Australia.

Reservations/Directions
Performances of The Simple Simples run Fridays and Saturdays, June 10 – 25
Tickets are $15.00 general admission and $14 for fringe members.
Cirque School LA is located at 5640 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028. For information, email [email protected] or visit www.wetthehippo.com

CALENDAR LISTING
Wet the Hippo presents The Simple Simples
WHAT: Announcing The Simple Simples in the Hollywood Fringe Festival
WHO: Presented by Wet the Hippo Collective
WHEN: Previews June 4th at 9pm
Show runs Friday and Saturday June 10-25 at 9pm
HOW: www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/3803
www.wetthehippo.com
WHERE: Cirque School LA is located at 5640 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028.
TICKETS: $15.00 general admission;
$14.00 for Fringe Members;
$10.00 preview tickets
tickets can be purchased online at www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/3803
MORE INFO: [email protected] or visit www.wetthehippo.com