Ashland-based comedy troupe Puppeteers for Fears will return to Portland after a three-year absence to perform a new original show, The Cabaret at the End of the World, in a two-night run at The Funhouse Lounge.

Show Dates: October 15, 16

Sat October 15th:

• Early show begins at 7:00 pm
• Late show begins at 10:00 pm

Sun October 16th:

• Show begins at 7:00 pm

Advance Tickets: $20-$30

The show will be a Vaudeville-style collection of original songs, dance numbers, and skits performed with hand-and-rod (Muppet style) puppets and a live band—as well as with PFF’s special brand of over-the-top horror and science fiction comedy.

“This show is exactly what the name implies,” says company director and playwright, Josh Gross. “The puppets are trying to hold off the end of the world by fighting despair with jokes and songs—which is a feeling a lot of us can relate to after the last several years.”

Pieces to be performed include ghosts narrating graverobbing in song, lullabies for a noisy werewolf, rap battles between web-connected smart appliances, family drama amongst aliens, the puppet comedy roast of William Shakespeare, and more. To fully embrace the variety show format, the play will even include original live commercial jingles.

“It will be a fast and funny show,” says Gross. “There is a special energy to this piece.”

Because of inability to perform during the Covid-19 pandemic, this will be Puppeteers for Fears’ first show since summer 2019.

“When Covid happened in 2020, and things started shutting down, it was immediately clear we would be one of the last things to come back,” says the company’s Artistic Director Josh Gross. “Between traveling around and the game of Twister behind the puppet house, there was no way to do it safely until everything stabilized.”

Now that PFF is back in action, it is eager to not waste time. For its debut, The Cabaret at the End of the World, will be performed at a seven-date tour around the state of Oregon, and the company hopes to stage a broader regional tour in spring.

“Everyone is ready,” says Gross. “We all need to laugh.”

Complete dates and times for the current tour are below.

The Cabaret at the End of the World will run 90-120 minutes, and include R-rated content. It was directed by longtime PFF performers, Alyssa Matthews and Katy Curtis, and stars Forest Gilpin, Jake Raiter, Hunter Prutch, and Alyssa Matthews, with music performed live by The Elephant—who will also open the show with a set of their original material. More information about the company is available at PuppeteersForFears.com, and in the short documentary, Something Different, viewable here → Tongal Short Docs – Puppeteers For Fears

Shakespeare meets Frankenstein in this amazing new unscripted show at Funhouse Lounge.   We will improvise a brand new, never-before-imagined play in the style of Shakespeare, while also weaving in a classic movie monster of your suggestion.

Perhaps a young human and a young werewolf are star-crossed lovers?

Perhaps everyone wonders why the King only goes out at night?

Perhaps two brothers, separated during a shipwreck, finally find each other; but one is a little off? 

Join us , as something wicked this way comes.

Thursdays thru Saturdays, Aug. 12-Sept 2.   7pm

As if seeing classic “Golden Girls” episodes done live on stage by an all-star drag cast wasn’t enough, we’ve decided to remove the safety net!  “Golden Girls Unscripted” is our talented cast, creating two brand-new episodes of Golden Girls ON THE SPOT, based on your suggestions.  Will Dorothy win a pie-eating contest?  Will Blanche discover a twin sister?  Will Rose build a panic room?  Will Sophia turn out to be Irish?  Maybe, maybe, maybe and maybe. We don’t know. There is no telling where this show is gonna go, and trust me, you’ll wanna be there to see it.   

Two Nights Only!!
Show dates: Saturday, July 15 and August 6th

Show time:  10pm

Tickets: $16 GA, $22 VIP, $100 booth

Age: 21+

Funhouse Lounge is excited to announce auditions for its upcoming show “BatMusical; A Little Dark Knight Music”

Description of the show

This is a musical journey through the life of the Caped Crusader, weaving together a story based on many past iterations and interpretations of the character and his adventures. It incorporates elements of comedy, drama, musical and parody, as most Funhouse shows do.

Auditioners of any age, race, gender or orientation are welcome to audition.

Roles we are seeking to cast :
Batman (any age): Batman will be portrayed by different actors in the different eras, so there are several Batman roles available
Old Bruce Wayne (50s): Batman, but he’s retired. Serves as narrator.
The Penguin (any age): Bird-inspired villain
Alfred (any age): Bruce Wayne’s loyal butler
Commissioner Gordon (any age) Police commissioner
Ensemble (any age) several slots available

Auditions will be held Saturday and Sunday, July 30th and 31st, at 12 noon. .
Please have ready both a dramatic and a comedic monologue (max 2 minutes each).
Bring sheet music and prepare 32 bars of a song that showcases your talent.
If you cannot make the auditions, but are still interested, e-mail me and let me know. We might hold additional auditions or be willing to accept video auditions. No guarantees, but we might.

E-mail your headshot and resume for your audition slot. Andy @ funhouselounge dot com

Show dates are Thursdays thru Saturdays, Sept 10th thru Oct 8th, at 7pm. . Rehearsals will begin first week of August. Rehearsal schedule will be Sat/Sun days, Mon-Wed nights, and will be flexible based upon actors’ conflicts.

Actors will be paid.

Ever seen an improv show at Funhouse Lounge show and thought “That was amazing. How can I be part of that’? Well, now’s your chance. Funhouse Lounge will be holding improvisor auditions Tuesday, July 26th, at 6:30-8pm.

We have done, and continue to do, a lot of cool improvised shows, mostly long form. Such shows as “USS Improvise, the Next Generation, the Musical” (Musical episodes of Next Gen), “Avenue PDX” (humans, puppets, music, but set in Portland), “Murder Mystery Machine” (The Scooby Doo gang in an improvised slasher film), Games of Songs (imp. Game of Thrones), “Stranded” (the crew of Gilligan’s Island on the island from Lost), “Clue, the Improvised Mystery” (based on the board game Clue). We also do the short form late-night show “DomProv”, which is a little more adult in nature.

We have weekly rehearsals, sometimes for the particular show coming up, sometimes just fun skill/team building.We are looking for players who are excited about these types of shows, and want to be part of our community. Our upcoming shows are :

“A Comedy of Terrors” (improvised Shakespeare play, but also with classic movie monsters)
“Murder Mystery Machine” (An improvised slasher film stumbled onto by the Scooby Doo gang)

Auditions will be held Tuesday, July 26th, 6:30-8pm at Funhouse Lounge. 2432 SE 11th Ave. Portland, OR 97214
This is a group audition, so plan to be there from 6:30-8pm. And please be on time.

if you are interested, e-mail me so i can know to expect you

andy @ funhouselounge dot com

Join the finest burlesque performers in Portland in celebrating Funhouse’s own Baby B for her birthday! It may be a bit tardy, but that just means there’s been more time to make this celebration grander, so come take a gander at what these talented performers have to gift to you. But don’t forget the star of the show, on and off the stage, Baby B!

Showtimes:
June 17th, 10pm (21 and over, doors at 9:30pm)
June 18th, 7pm (doors at 6:30pm)

Presale tickets will go for $20 GA, $25 Vip, and $120 for a booth, with a $5 increase at the door for all.

Two classic episodes of The Golden Girls performed live on stage. Portland drag star Honey Bea Hart, local favorite Loretta Lovechild, and improvisors extraordinaire Greg Shilling and Josh Payne lead an ALL MALE cast through the trials and tribulations of Dorothy, Sophia, Rose, and Blanche. And as if that isn’t already amazing enough, throw in some classic 80s commercials, a little cheesecake, and a live rendition of their beloved theme song, and you get an evening of entertainment that you’ll never forget.

Dates: July 6th thru August 5th, Thursdays thru Saturdays, 6:45pm

All ages welcome!

Funhouse Lounge is excited to announce auditions for its upcoming show “Golden Girls LIVE!”

Description of the show
Funhouse is bringing back one of its most popular shows from days past: “Golden Girls LIVE!” This is a live stage version of the popular 80s sitcom “The Golden Girls”, with our heroines portrayed by drag performers. This show was a fan favorite in years past, and we are looking forward to bringing it back, better than ever.

All are welcome to audition, regardless of drag experience.

Roles we are seeking to cast :
Rose Nylund , (50s) Lovable, good natured, rather clueless, full of odd stories
Sophia Petrillo (70s) Dorothys’s mother, Italian, complains a lot, deadpan, full of stories about the old country
Police detective (50s) Handsome, no nonsense by-the-book kinda guy

Auditions will be held Saturday and Sunday, June 4 and 5th, at 12 noon. .
Please have ready both a dramatic and a comedic monologue (max 2 minutes each).
If you cannot make the auditions, but are still interested, e-mail me and let me know. We might hold additional auditions or be willing to accept video auditions. No guarantees, but we might.

E-mail your headshot and resume for your audition slot. Andy @ funhouselounge dot com

Show dates are Thursdays thru Saturdays, July 7th thru August 6th, at 7pm. . Rehearsals will begin on or around June 6th. Rehearsal schedule will be Sat/Sun days, Mon-Wed nights, but will be flexible based upon actors’ conflicts.

Actors will be paid.