March 20—31, 2019

Photo by Johanna Austin, AustinArt.org

Lightning Rod Special (Sans Everything, Underground Railroad Game) presents The Appointment, a musical satire about the American abortion debate. Associated risks include exposure to hypocrisy, absurdity, and rampant misogyny.

Don’t worry. That’s perfectly normal.

Lead Artist: Alice Yorke*
Lead Writers: Alice Yorke*, Eva Steinmetz, Scott R. Sheppard*, and Alex Bechtel*
Creator/performers: Katie Gould*, Jaime Maseda, Lee Minora, Brett Ashley Robinson, Scott R. Sheppard*, Brenson Thomas, and Alice Yorke*
Composer: Alex Bechtel*
Director: Eva Steinmetz

* Lightning Rod Special company member

Run Time: 90 minutes

HPFS Subscriptions:
$150 Six-Show Package / $120 for members*
15% off tickets to 3-5 performances / 30% off for members*
All subscribers receive free ticket exchanges and reduced fees.

Single Tickets:
$31 general / $21.70 members*
$15 students and 25-and-under
$2 FringeACCESS members

*All member discounts applied automatically when logged in.

Feature Photo: Johanna Austin, AustinArt.org.

Happy Hour on the Fringe

Alice Yorke, Lead Artist of The Appointment and Co-Director of Lightning Rod Special and Elicia Gonzales, Executive Director of Women’s Medical Fund, sat down to talk about the research and rehearsal process Lightning Rod Special went through and what the American abortion debate really means for issues of health care, education, race, and more. Read the full transcript on the FringeArts Blog.

Contextual Programming

Audiences are warmly invited to participate in several contextual programming events to engage with the themes of The Appointment, including reproductive justice and access, sex education, and equity.

Friday, March 22: evening performance followed by Get Pegged Cabaret: The Naughty Femme Edition featuring some of the cast of The Appointment, and co-hosted by John Jarboe and Alice Yorke.

Saturday, March 23: matinee performance followed by a Long Table discussion with community stakeholders, including Elicia Gonzales, Executive Director of Women’s Medical Fund and moderated by Carol Zou, Intercultural Leadership Institute Fellow.

Sunday, March 24: matinee performance followed by a Reproductive Rights Crafternoon in the FringeArts conference room to create crafts in response to the themes of the performance.

Wednesday, March 27: evening performance followed by post-show panel with The Appointment’s partner organization, Allentown Women’s Center.

Friday, March 29: evening performance followed by a Sex Ed Trivia Night hosted by Dr. Timaree Schmit, featuring prizes that include a generous donation from Sexploratorium.

Creative Team

Production/Scenic Designer Oona Curley* Costume Designer Jill Keys Lighting Designer Masha Tsimring Sound Designer Liz Atkinson Prop Designer Alicia Crosby Choreographer Melanie Cotton Music Director Amanda Morton Bassist Charles Muench Drummer Michael Santa Cruz Community Engagement Coordinator Cat Ramirez Co-Creative Producer Meredith Sonnen Production Management and Technical Direction by Flannel & Hammer Additional creation by nicHi Douglas, Jenson Titus Lavallee, and Mason Rosenthal* Produced in Association with Max Tuttleman

* Lightning Rod Special Company Member

About Lightning Rod Special

Lightning Rod Special is a Philadelphia-based original performance company that creates raucous and contemplative works to ask questions of ourselves, our audience, and the world at large. Our work engages a highly collaborative, actor-driven approach. Exploding complex questions with precision and play, Lightning Rod Special makes live performance from the ground up. Since 2012, we have made six full-length works, toured to 15 cities nationally and internationally. Our award-winning work has been widely recognized and Underground Railroad Game received three Lucille Lortel nominations (including Best Play), two Helen Hayes nominations (including Outstanding Visiting Production), the 2017 OBIE for Best New American Theater Work, an Edinburgh Fringe First, an Edinburgh Stage Award, and was listed by the New York Times’ as one of the 25 best plays of the last 25 years. Lightning Rod Special is Co-Directors Alice Yorke, Scott R. Sheppard, Mason Rosenthal, and company members Alex Bechtel, Oona Curley, Katie Gould, Rebecca Kanach, and Jenn Kidwell.

High Pressure Fire Service

A Presentation Series for Philadelphia Artists

High Pressure Fire Service (HPFS) takes its name from FringeArts’ historic building, the first high pressure pump house in the country. Opened in 1903, the station pumped water from the Delaware River to fire hydrants across Philadelphia, connecting the city and helping it grow and thrive. This history of creativity and connectivity is at the very heart of the High Pressure Fire Service festival. Addressing issues of representation, gender, accessibility, reproductive justice, and more through devised theater, comedy, and participatory play, these productions embody the vast range and exceptional talent of Philadelphia’s rich performing arts community.

Check out the FringeArts Blog to read about Who’s Who in High Pressure Fire Service, part one.

Support for High Pressure Fire Service has been provided by the Wyncote Foundation.